Early this year it struck me that the way my Creative Virtual Assistant support packages were arranged was perhaps not as intuitive as I’d hoped. They seemed to work on the basis that a potential client knew exactly what support they needed. And although most of the time they’ve got a good idea, in 90% of the discussions I was having their needs actually spanned more than they imagined.
And it’s not surprising that’s the case - after all there’s usually a single task ‘breaking point’ that clients have, and while many are open to talking things through they don’t always pull out far enough from that initial focus to see a bigger picture.
So In response to this I’ve zoomed out my working categories. So although the work itself remains pretty unchanged, I’ve tried to break down the tasks to show how they might fit within the small business as a whole, and where in the process.
Within each small business there are a vast number of touch points with graphic design, and it’s fundamental to really building a brand that will help your business grow. Central to it all is taking your areas of expert knowledge and communicating it, and in everyday business life the most common ways this is done is through social media, your business blog and email marketing.
It is for this reason that I’ve divided up my services into three stages of this communication - Create, Repurpose, Share. Hopefully they’re recognisable within many small business’s existing processes and it’s clear how the support I might provide can run alongside what’s already in place.
There’s no doubt that while they’re not big design projects, keeping on top of regular [never ending] social media, blogging and email marketing tasks still take time, and that time adds up across the year. I’m a firm believer that every small business owner should have some experience and knowledge of doing their own graphics, and understanding how apps such as Canva work. But that certainly doesn’t mean that they always should, or that it’s the best use of their valuable time which could be spent working in their specialist areas instead.
My last point is that the three areas I’ve broken my services into do absolutely crossover. Content creation naturally leads into repurposing which is fundamental to the ability to share most effectively. Not every small business will want help in all areas but hopefully this way of breaking it down shows that I can work in conjunction with existing processes and I’ll bring with me an awareness that there’s a common thread that runs between them. And ultimately that the work I produce allows them maximum value for their investment and minimal friction is putting it in place.
As always, leave a comment, drop me a DM on Social media (@holchestercreativeva on IG) or do get in touch via email - the best things start with a quick chat and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about working with me!
