Here is where I talk all things navigating life as a momtreprenuer and give advice / tips on hiring a virtual assistant for your wedding business.

We have all been there – where we feel like we keep running out of time in the day and wish we had more! I want to share a few time-saving habits to put into place within your wedding business to gain back some sanity and hopefully create a calmer schedule for yourself.

Automations

I know… you have heard this once or twice, and maybe even tried using this feature inside your Honeybook or Dubsado CRM system but can’t seem to get it to work! Or even worse…. have time to even try to figure out how to even structure automations but let me tell you, they are a God send! You can set up certain emails and even files (contracts, invoices, questionnaires etc) to go out automatically while you are out and about. How does that sound?!

Task Management Tools

Your Honeybook or Dubsado both have task management tools within the systems to utilize. I personally an external source called Notion where I have a customized client portal for each of my clients per service they have. This keep me aligned and on track! I have also previously used Trello and Asana. Try some different ones and see which fits your needs most but overall having a task management tool keeps your sh** together, which we all need a little help sometimes!

Calendar Reminders

Our days are BUSY, especially if you are a mama like me! Between juggling client work, behind the scenes business work, home life and keeping a small child from dressing up our dogs… we lose track of time. Having calendar reminders for EVERYTHING has SAVED me. I have a reminder for my morning routine (for myself and my toddler), client work, when to go on a walk/take a break and even for when I need to have time to sit and focus only on my own business. Try it and tell me how it works for you!

Outsource

I will always preach to every wedding business owner that outsourcing is key to saving time and growing all at the same time! Even if you don’t have the budget for on-going support, you can even save up for a one-time system build or a website redesign. Anything you have been dragging your feet on doing…. outsource it! If you would like to learn the process on hiring help, what to look out for, the type of support you can get etc… message me!

Ultimately, there are ways to make your life easier. You just need to sit down and put them into action. We all think we can “do it all” but we shouldn’t and don’t have to. If you need any assistance with a CRM audit, a full Honeybook or Dubsado build, or monthly business management – feel free to reach out!

You have made the decision to start a Wedding Virtual Assistant business or have already started but a little business-shocked by all of the steps. First, I want to say good for you, girl! This is the first step in creating a life you have always dreamed of. Please note, that there is no “get rich quick” or “scale quickly” tricks but I will say if you stay consistent, be uniquely you and be real… you will get there.

There are many reasons why you are wanting to grow a sustainable virtual assistant business. Maybe you are a mom to a young child, like me. You may be tired of being on someone else’s schedule and following their rules. If creating your own schedule, your own rates and have the ability to travel or participate in your child’s activities then this is exactly for you.

So, how do you get there?

Have a Good Mindset

Having a good mindset from the very beginning is more important than anything else mentioned in this blog. Know that every business owner has their ups and downs but it does not mean you are not meant to do this! Embrace your knowledge, personality and experience. Every person brings their own uniqueness and this is your time to shine!

Find a VIRTUAL ASSISTANT BUSINESS Mentor

First things first, I highly suggest you find a wedding virtual assistant mentor or coach. Personally, for one year I tried to make it on my own and I set myself back by doing so. I did buy guides at first but I needed one-on-one support. I bought a full course and then a few months later hired a 6-week mentor. Why did I do both? Good question! The course I originally bought did not include one-on-one mentorship but it was cheaper than the mentor I really wanted to learn from. When I finally set my financial fear aside, I took the opportunity to work with my dream mentor. Things finally made sense!

A true mentor will help you figure out your income goals and how to create packages that will meet those goals. They will help you come up with a marketing strategy that fits your brand. They may even create a posting calendar for you (depending on who you hire). A virtual assistant business coach will also help build up your confidence and be someone you can pick their brain during your coaching timeframe.

I am now offering virtual assistant 4 week mentorship to help you get your business to the next level. My mentorship program allows us to work one on one and make your vision clearer. You can fill out my contact form HERE to receive a full detailed proposal.

Be Yourself

Honestly a lot of new wedding virtual assistants copy posts and either don’t think about it or think it won’t be noticed. Now, I’m not saying you can’t get inspired or get ideas. If you do, make it your own or credit the person you were inspired by. We have all trial-and-errored, spent thousands of dollars in coaching programs and website design, and have created a marketing strategy that works for our business. Most of us want to help and see you be successful but please just make sure to do it properly.

Now with that being said, you may be thinking “well, what do I have that others don’t and why would someone pick me over someone else?”. These two questions will make or break your self-esteem! Utilizing your personality and personal experiences will set you a part from others. You will eventually start booking clients who match your vibe and love what you offer!

make connections and build relationships

Making connections and building genuine relationships with your dream clients will get you far! Some business owners would say to cold message. I highly suggest not including that in your marketing and lead generation technique. When you build genuine relationships you will come off as personable and real. It shows you truly care about them and their business rather than just trying to make a sale. Cold messaging creates a bad taste in peoples mouths so avoid doing that at all cost.

A few ways to build genuine relationships:

+ Comment on their posts and stories

+ Share their work

+ Give advice but only when they ask

create a business you love

You can create a business you love but still meet financial goals. By doing this, you allow yourself to enjoy what you do and it won’t feel like work. You started your business to be on your own terms, right? Here are a few ways to do so –

A few ways to build a virtual assistant business you love:

+ Offer services you enjoy doing – this is important! You can offer every service under the sun but if you don’t enjoy doing them, you will get burnt out quickly and find yourself dreading working every day.

+ Packaged services VS Hourly – totally a preference but I personally love and suggest offering services in a packaged based option opposed to hourly. Packaged based means you create a package with particular services you will provide monthly and your income remains the same. Hourly based means your client will buy a certain amount of hours per month which means your income could be different each month.

+ Create a work schedule – balancing work and life may not seem hard but when there isn’t anyone to tell you when to start or stop work, it can get tricky. Set up your Google Calendar and/or phone alarms that tells you your working hours and your breaks.

+ Time block and To-Do list – Girl, do yourself a favor and time block your tasks and create lists. You can either do it per client or per tasks. I currently have 5 wedding photographer clients but I also have a toddler at home so managing my time is very important. Time blocking is when you set a particular time to complete a tasks / client work. My brain works in two ways – I have the tendency to either get laser focused on one tasks until it is done or I am like the energizer bunny and hop around between tasks depending on what pops in my head.

If you are interested in talking and learning more about either how I got started as a wedding virtual assistant or want to book a mentorship call, please feel free to message me on my website!

Much Love,

Sam

Are you a wedding photographer feeling overwhelmed with the endless tasks that come with running your business?

From managing emails and schedules to ensuring every detail is perfect for your clients, it can be a challenge to find the time to focus on your business.

This is where a wedding virtual assistant steps in. Imagine delegating those time-consuming tasks to a skilled professional who understands the unique nuances of the wedding industry.

In this article, we’ll explore how a wedding virtual assistant can transform your business, allowing you to reclaim your passion and grow your enterprise more efficiently than ever before.

What is a virtual Wedding Assistant?

At its core, a Wedding Virtual Assistant is a specialized professional dedicated to supporting wedding photographers and other businesses in the wedding industry. Unlike a general virtual assistant, their expertise is finely tuned to the unique challenges and tasks that come with wedding planning and photography.

By taking on these essential but often burdensome tasks, a Wedding Virtual Assistant enables wedding photographers to focus on their craft and business growth. They work behind the scenes to ensure that your business runs smoothly, clients are delighted, and your brand remains consistent and professional.

What Tasks Can a Wedding Virtual Assistant Do for Your Business?

A Wedding Virtual Assistant is an invaluable asset for any wedding photography business, equipped to handle a wide array of tasks. These tasks, while crucial, can be time-consuming and detract from the core activities of your business. Here’s how a Wedding Virtual Assistant can help streamline your operations:

1. Email and Inquiry Management: They manage your inbox, ensuring timely and professional responses to client inquiries. This keeps your communication efficient and helps in building strong client relationships.
2. Client and Vendor Communication: Beyond just emails, they handle all forms of communication with clients and vendors. This includes scheduling meetings, coordinating with venues, and ensuring that all parties are aligned and informed.
3. SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) Clean-Up and Management: Your Wedding Virtual Assistant can optimize your business’s SOPs, ensuring all processes are efficient and up-to-date. This streamlines your workflow, making your operations more efficient.
4. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Clean-Up and Management: They can organize and manage your CRM system, ensuring that your client data is always current, accurate, and effectively utilized for business growth.
5. Pinterest Management: With their understanding of the visual appeal and trends in the wedding industry, they can manage your Pinterest account to showcase your work, attract potential clients, and stay on top of industry trends.
6. Material Revamping: They can revitalize your business materials, such as guides, questionnaires, and brochures, ensuring they are not only up-to-date but also visually appealing and aligned with your brand.

A Wedding Virtual Assistant is more than just a helper; they’re a versatile partner who can take on a diverse range of tasks, allowing you to focus more on the creative and client-facing aspects of your photography business.

Why a Wedding VA is so beneficial for a business

The true value of a Wedding Virtual Assistant goes beyond just handling routine tasks. They play a critical role in the smooth operation and growth of your wedding photography business. Here’s why they are an indispensable part of your team:

1. Industry-Specific Expertise: Wedding Virtual Assistants possess a deep understanding of the wedding industry’s dynamics. This expertise allows them to handle the intricacies and nuances that make wedding events unique. From staying abreast of the latest trends to understanding the subtleties of wedding etiquette, they ensure your business always remains relevant and attuned to client expectations.
2. Effective Communication: Their ability to communicate effectively with clients and vendors is invaluable. They act as your brand ambassadors, ensuring that every interaction reflects your business’s values and standards. This not only strengthens client relationships but also builds a network of reliable vendor relationships.
3. Streamlining Operations: A Wedding Virtual Assistant is the linchpin in organizing and managing the multitude of tasks involved in wedding photography. From scheduling shoots to managing post-production workflows, they ensure every aspect of your business runs seamlessly. This operational efficiency allows you to focus on creative pursuits and client engagement.
4. Enhanced Client Experience: With a Wedding Virtual Assistant taking care of the details, the overall client experience is significantly enhanced. They ensure that each client feels valued and attended to, which is crucial in a service-oriented industry like wedding photography. Happy clients lead to repeat business and referrals, key drivers of business growth.
5. Scalability and Flexibility: With their support, scaling your business becomes more achievable. Whether it’s expanding your services, taking on more clients, or exploring new markets, a Wedding Virtual Assistant provides the flexibility and bandwidth needed to grow your business strategically.
6. Work-Life Balance: Perhaps one of the most significant benefits is the improvement in your work-life balance. By delegating administrative and operational tasks to your Wedding Virtual Assistant, you reclaim time – time that can be spent on personal development, relaxation, or exploring new creative avenues.

Demystifying Wedding Virtual Assistant Integration: Minimizing Training, Maximizing Expertise

What gets the most confusing when a business owner wants to hire a VA, is that they think they will need to take time aside to train them and may keep pushing hiring one off because they are already limited on time. I am happy to inform you that VA’s come with their unique skillset that you would hire them for. Think of a roofing contractor (I just bought a house so this is the first thing that popped into my head), you hire them for their expertise and you don’t have to train them on what or how to do something. They already have the knowledge, tools and experience! Now, I do not mean that your virtual assistant will be able to run your business exactly the way you have been right off the bat. I always tell my clients to please expect about three weeks for me to learn how they speak to their own clients, to learn their structures and more.

Next, How Will I Stay On Brand if My Virtual Assistant Handles Communication?

I get asked this every single first initial call with a new wedding inquiry of mine and I totally get it! You have built your brand and your business is your baby. You speak to your clients in a way that matches your own personality mixed with how you want them to portray you. So, how would that work if your virtual assistant handles your emails? From my own business standpoint, I have created a very thorough onboarding process from me doing my own research on your past emails, to you answering a questionnaire that helps me gather the necessary information to just speaking with you and picking up on how you communicate. It all gets inputted into my noggin and I make sure to create templates that match your brand and voice but add personalization’s to each one when responding to your clients and inquiries. I am also always open to adjust my approach based on any feedback you provide along the way and I take pride in this!

Now the fun question that makes everyone a little queasy:

Can I Afford a Virtual Assistant?

This is ultimately the biggest factor in hiring a virtual assistant and this will be determined based on your own personal priorities. We all want to make the most money and keep as much money as possible, right? Hiring a virtual assistant is a huge investment and should not be looked at as just a one-time expense. This is because a virtual assistant is someone who will be there with you and help your business GROW. You cannot expect that to happen with just one month of support. It takes time and nurturing which is why it is considered a long-term investment. Finding a virtual assistant is not hard… there are many out there but finding one who you connect with and who believes in the same things as you is very important (at least to me).

When you look at a virtual assistant’s pricing guide, remember their rate is based on their individual experience and knowledge. Look at it this way – you have set your wedding collections pricing and I bet you it is based on all of the years of educating yourself, buying equipment, and years of experience. The same goes for virtual assistants which is why pricing varies.

I cannot tell you directly if you can afford a virtual assistant but I CAN tell you that hiring one can be that special piece to the puzzle to help you scale your business. Try not to look at it being “an extra expense” but instead look at it as a way to get you to the next level of your business, to gain your sanity back by not having to worry about all the things and to get excited about your business again!

How I Became a Wedding Virtual Assistant

I swapped my office manager hat for something a bit more… bridal. You see, I used to be all about juggling schedules, organizing everything down to the last paperclip, and keeping an office running like a well-oiled machine. Then one day, it clicked – why not use these organizational skills to help out the folks in the wedding world?

So, here I am, your go-to Wedding Virtual Assistant. It all started with noticing how many wedding photographers – maybe just like you – were swamped under a mountain of emails, appointments, and all that admin jazz. I thought, ‘Hey, I can totally help with that!’

Creating my own virtual assistant business was like setting up my very own adventure. It’s been about diving into the beautiful chaos of weddings and making sure everything runs smoothly for photographers who’d rather focus on capturing those once-in-a-lifetime moments than worry about inbox overload.

And let me tell you, it’s not just about answering emails or updating calendars. It’s like being part of a team, your behind-the-scenes partner, making sure you can focus on creating those amazing shots while I handle the nitty-gritty.

Xoxo, Sam

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I hope this has helped you learn a little bit about what a virtual assistant is and how one can help your business. Feel free to check out more details on my Instagram.