I ask my remote assistant to manage my Office 365 calendar
- Reach out and schedule meetings and other events with prospects, clients, my remote team, job applicants, business partners, etc.,
- Block time in my calendar as soon as an appointment becomes likely (to avoid double-booking),
- Manage mine and my wife's shared calendar, and
- Manage the schedule I share with my daughter.
My whole life is reflected in my Office 365 calendar which I access from an iPhone, an iPad, and my laptop. I travel a lot across different time zones which can get confusing, so it is invaluable that my assistant keeps me updated at all times about meetings, flight-departures, events, etc.
Book accommodation and rental cars
- Compare prices,
- Recommend and book hotels,
- Recommend and book Airbnb's, and
- Recommend and book rental cars.
-1.png?width=1351&height=2475&name=iphone-x-mockup-against-transparent-background-a17152%20(2)-1.png)
Manage my receipts and process my expenses
- Manage my receipts,
- Process travel expenses,
- Prepare bi-monthly expense reports, and
- Log expenses against correct companies, projects, and accounting codes.
I send a photo of the receipt to my remote assistant when I pay for something, and then I sign off on the expense report on a bi-monthly basis. Because my assistant has access to my calendar, I don't need to explain which project/accounting code to assign an expense to.
Plan and schedule ground transportation from point A to point B
- Find and evaluate transportation options,
- Suggest means of transport, and
- Estimate transportation time and block my calendar upfront.
This is especially handy when I travel to new cities. With tools like Google Maps, my assistant has access to up-to-date traffic conditions everywhere.
%20copy-2.png?width=1298&height=2475&name=iphone-x-mockup-against-transparent-background-a17152%20(2)%20copy-2.png)
Manage my schedule proactively, and continuously plan, block and schedule meetings and events ahead of time in my online calendar
- Reach out via email and phone,
- Coordinate meeting attendance,
- Ensure all logistics run smoothly (dial-in details, white-board markers, 10 am coffee, etc),
- Manage cancellations, and
- Reschedule meetings and events.
It's not just meetings with clients and partners. It's business meeting travel dates, my daughter's dance lessons in London and her exams, weekly catch-up calls with my remote team, doctor's appointments, my yoga classes, guitar classes, haircut, barbershop, etc.
Purchase my airline tickets
- I ask my EA to find and recommend airline tickets for me,
- To manage the booking,
- Check me in,
- Make sure I get my preferred seat on the plane every time,
- Manage upgrades and lounge access,
- Manage loyalty programs,
- Manage rebooking for me, as well as
- Manage cancellations and reimbursements.
%20copy%205.png?width=1290&height=2475&name=iphone-x-mockup-against-transparent-background-a17152%20(2)%20copy%205.png)
Remind me of recurring meetings and events
- I.e., my daughter’s school schedule, scheduled exams, when I am needed in attendance at the school, her singing performances throughout the year,
- Birthdays,
- My employee’s anniversaries,
- Doctor’s appointments, and
- Names of the children of people I meet, and their birthdays.
Stuff I want to remember.
File and save scans of important documents for me
Some documents are essential when you travel for business. I want to have easy access to these documents no matter where I am:
- A copy of my Passport,
- A copy of the relevant visa,
- Virtual debit cards and payment details,
- Details about loyalty programs,
- Booking details for everything from flights to hotels, cars, events, etc., and
- Even documentation about stuff I have purchased online.
We use 1Password for sensitive info (the best in the market now) and Dropbox/Onedrive and my calendar for the rest.
%20copy%203.png?width=1294&height=2475&name=iphone-x-mockup-against-transparent-background-a17152%20(2)%20copy%203.png)
*
Reminders
Remind me of events,
Anniversaries,
Appointments,
Dinner dates and parties, etc.
All the essential stuff that shows you care while being away a lot of the time.
*
Research stuff for me online
Compare prices,
Manage orders, and
Manage the shipment of, i.e., books on Amazon.
I love to read.
*
Manage online subscriptions and memberships
I ask my remote assistant to keep an eye on online memberships, to keep them current,
Remind me to sign off on memberships, subscriptions, and apps in time if I haven’t used them for the last six months,
Renewal of memberships, or
Subscribing to new memberships and subscriptions.
For this, I use a Virtual Debit Card.
*
Set up conference calls
Manage new and recurring meetings and events with; new clients, existing clients, business partners, and applicants.
We use Zoom. I find it to be the best conference call software on the market right now.
*
Coordinate and schedule interviews with new applicants
I ask my remote assistant to screen candidates,
Create shortlists,
Book a slot in my calendar for interviews, and
Set up conference calls.
We use Workable to manage the hiring process; it's super smart when you are collaborating as a remote team, and I can do it while I am traveling via the app on my iPhone.
