Using your Virtual Assistant for travel arrangements

Dec 4 – Written By Stephanie Sheargold

Virtual Assistant Services UK

Travel is often an essential part of a successful business but can be a headache to organise. It could be going abroad to close a deal or booking some much needed time off for a family holiday. Either way it is often very low on the list of priorities for a business owner. That’s where the services of a virtual assistant can be put to good use. They can take away the stress of organising your travel to allow you more time to focus on running your business.

A VA can undertake the research that is needed in the first steps to organising a trip. Searching for flights, trains, hotels, car hire etc can eat into your valuable time so surely it’s a no-brainer to give it to someone else to do. Research is the most time consuming element of planning a trip. You will find that your virtual assistant will have a breadth of knowledge on where to find the best deals to save your pennies as well as your time. They will have a list of contacts to tap into depending on what you need and this will ensure you get the greatest price for your trip. You may not have the first idea how to get to the Outer Hebrides but you can be sure that either they will or they know someone else who does. What’s the point in getting so stressed out booking your trip that by the time you come to go you are no longer looking forward to it? Let a virtual assistant take the strain out of your travel bookings. They can also book restaurants, buy your ski passes and arrange your meals to be delivered to your villa. The list is literally endless and the more you give them to organise, the less you have to do.

When there is a lot of detail for a trip away, your VA can put together an itinerary for you so all the information you need is in one place. This is valuable and saves time scrabbling through your emails for that confirmation you thought you had saved when you are trying to pick up your hire car. A standard itinerary will generally include transfer details, flight times including departure and arrival terminals, accommodation details including check in and checkout times, booking references and planned activities. The itinerary can be as detailed as you need and can also include emergency numbers whilst abroad as well as what meeting you need to attend on which day. Your VA will know your schedule inside out so they can be quick to react to flight delays or meeting cancellations and keep you informed of how this affects you and what back up plan they have put into place. This allows you to sit back and relax on holiday or to give 100% focus to that important business meeting.

Your VA can not only book your trip they can also be a real asset when you are actually away. A virtual assistant will have your back to ensure that your trip will run like clockwork. They can also carry on with their daily duties to keep your business running smoothly in your absence. They can keep in touch with you by phone or email to ensure you are up to date on anything important. As well as being across your travel plans they can also be the eyes and ears to anything going on while you are away which in turn will give you piece of mind.

Travel management is usually a frequent task for a VA and they will often be working on a number of complex travel itineraries at once. It is important for them to understand the company and its needs as well as yours to provide you with the best service. Your VA can get to know your meal preferences, which hotel floor you like to be on and your preferred hire car. Over time they will not even have to ask you these things; everything will be done seamlessly in the background for you.

If this all sounds like exactly what you are looking for, get in touch with Timpi today.