Professional creatives are doubly busy. Whether your business is rooted in photography, design, writing, or some other form of creative expression, you need to maintain inspiration and creative energy at the same time as managing your business. Balancing both—in addition to your personal life—is exhausting without adequate help.

When you’re passionate about your craft, spending too much time handling administrative and operational tasks can be deflating. You just want to get to your creative work! After all, doing your art is why you started your business in the first place. With the help of a Virtual Assistant, creatives of all kinds can lead thriving businesses while spending the majority of their time doing what they love to do— their art. Here are 8 ways that professional creatives can find harmony with a Virtual Assistant.

1. Streamline the Creative Process

Creating art is often a solitary act meaning many creatives are accustomed to doing everything on their own. You brainstorm ideas, plan out your projects, and then execute—without anyone’s help.

Depending on the type of work you’re doing, certain parts of your process may slow you down. That’s where your Virtual Assistant comes in. Think of them as an extra set of digital hands. They can support your work by handling activities like managing and organizing digital files, doing background research for your projects, planning events like photoshoots or consultations, and helping you to structure your workflow. Offload any of the tedious tasks that take you away from the core of your art.

2. Manage Your Email and Calendar

Your VA can make your workweek easier by managing your email and your calendar. Never worry about missing a crucial message or forgetting to schedule a client.

Tasks that would normally take hours out of your day can be done for you by an expert who will build your calendar according to your preferences. They can compile your most important messages each day and handle all other correspondence. Your VA can even assemble a daily agenda to help you stay focused on your priorities. Additionally, they can book travel and book spaces for you to do your work, if you need studio time for example.

3. Bookkeeping

Chances are bookkeeping isn’t your favorite activity. For many creatives, it’s not a highlight of business ownership. You’d rather be engaging in your passion or connecting with your clients.

Bookkeeping takes time, and you want to be sure your work is accurate. If it doesn’t come easy to you, you might worry that you’re missing or overlooking an important aspect. Your VA can take over for you so you can focus on what really matters to your business. With an experienced bookkeeper, your books will always be in good shape so you can make swift and educated business decisions and maintain professionalism with your clients.

4. Write and Send Proposals

Effective proposals are an important way that creatives connect with their clients. It gives you the opportunity to impress potential clients and persuade them to work with you. The key to a great proposal is clearly portraying your expertise and the value your clients will receive from working with you.

This also gives you a chance to define your relationship with clients and set boundaries. Striking the right balance is tricky. Your VA can help you write and format standard proposals for various types of work and then customize them per new client. They can also handle follow-up communication and keep your records up to date.

5. Update Your Portfolio or Online Store

For any creative professional, a portfolio or website is crucial to running a successful business. It should represent your style, vision, and prowess as a creator. That means keeping it current with new projects and new offerings. If your creative business involves selling products online, you also need to continually update and optimize your online store.

Your VA can help out with all of these tasks. They can manage your website and your store, making any changes you need and ensuring everything is functioning properly. Additionally, they can manage files associated with your website, upload new content, and help out with copywriting.

6. Social Media

Just like your website, your social media presence has the ability to attract new clients and showcase your talent. When you’re creating your art and running your business, it can be hard to dedicate the time needed to carry out an effective social media strategy. Your VA can run your social media by creating new content, writing captions, scheduling posts, and interacting with your audience base. You can have as little or as much involvement as you would like.

For example, if you’re happy creating content, your VA can jump into schedule what you’ve created and optimize posting times and hashtags. Or, they can design a fleshed-out editorial calendar that will reach whatever goals you have for social media. VAs generally have deep experience running social media, so they will always be aware of trends and best practices.

7. Personal Task Management

Don’t forget about your personal life! Your VA can help you achieve balance. Personal tasks like scheduling appointments, booking travel, and even online shopping can take time out of your day that you’d rather spend otherwise. Your VA can assist with these tasks as well. They can manage your personal calendar in addition to your professional calendar. If you’re going on a much-needed vacation, they can make sure your business is handled while you’re away. They can send you daily updates, or prepare your work for when you return.

Find Harmony with a Virtual Assistant

The life of a creative professional resembles holding two jobs in one. On one hand, you have your art, your craft, your passion, the reason you started your business. On the other hand, you need to run your business to make a living.

These areas require different skills and priorities, and they both require a lot of your time each week. Hiring a Virtual Assistant can help you harmonize the competing aspects of your business and your life.