JM VA Desk

Back-office help

Hand over the spreadsheets and the filing

If a task follows the same steps each time, it can usually be written down and given to an assistant, with you checking the first rounds.

Go to the quote form

Who tends to hand this work off

Admin and data entry help makes sense in a few common situations:

  • An owner or manager is doing clerical work at night because nobody else has time
  • A backlog of paperwork, scans or old records needs to be moved into a new system
  • Orders, applications or inquiries arrive faster than one person can log them
  • A team has a shared drive that nobody can find anything in
  • Reports and documents go out looking slightly different every time
  • A project needs a researched list built from public sources

In each case the work is real but repetitive, and it can be written down as steps. That is what makes it a good fit for a remote assistant working from your instructions.

Scope you can expect to discuss

When a service partner scopes admin and data entry work, the conversation tends to cover the same handful of points. Which tasks are in, and which are clearly out. Roughly how many records, documents or requests come in each week, and whether that swings with the season. Which systems the assistant will work in, and what level of access is needed. How quickly routine items should be handled once they arrive. How checking and corrections are handled. Who on your side answers questions.

Writing short answers to these before you request a quote makes the first conversation faster. If you are not sure about volume, a rough range is fine; most arrangements are adjusted after the first few weeks anyway.

What to have ready before you start

  • A list of the tasks you want handled, in your own words
  • Two or three finished examples of each, so the format is clear
  • Sample source material: a few forms, PDFs or emails like the ones that will come in
  • The sheet, template or system where the output should go
  • Your rules for dates, names, missing values and duplicates, even if rough
  • A rough idea of volume per week
  • The name of the person who answers questions

None of this needs to be polished. A messy first version that the assistant turns into a written procedure is a normal place to start.

Questions about admin and data entry

Do I need written instructions before work starts?

Rough notes and a few finished examples are enough. The assistant usually turns them into a short written procedure for each task, which you look over and correct. That document keeps the work consistent and makes it easy for someone else to pick it up later.

Can you clear a backlog as well as handle ongoing work?

Yes. Many arrangements start with a one-off backlog, such as old paper records or a system migration, and then move to a smaller ongoing routine. Mention both in your quote request with rough volumes so the service partner can plan for each.

Who decides how the work is done?

You do. The assistant proposes steps and writes them down, but your rules for formats, priorities and exceptions win. When something comes up that the procedure does not cover, it is flagged for you instead of decided on the spot, and your answer is added to the procedure.

Ready to hand off the first few recurring jobs? Use the quote form to get started.

Go to the quote form

Other services

Inbox and help desk

Ticket triage and replies in Zendesk, Help Scout, Gorgias or a shared inbox, under the assistant's own login.

HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive

Record keeping and list work under a separate user seat, with the permissions you choose to grant.

Invoice prep

Invoices drafted from your job or order records and queued for your approval before they go out.