| As told to J.J. McCorvey

My Favorite Tool for Handling the Small Stuff

Entrepreneur Matt Heinz explains how he uses TimeSvr to deal with administrative tasks.

 

Courtesy subject

How TimeSvr helps me with the small stuff Matt Heinz, Principal, Heinz Marketing, Kirkland, Washington.

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About a year ago, I realized I needed help with administrative tasks. Instead of hiring a full-time assistant or pulling any of my five employees away from billable work, I started using a virtual assistant service called TimeSvr.

The service, which charges $69 per month for an assistant that I share with other users, takes a lot of tactical work off of my plate. When I meet new client prospects at networking events, for example, I e-mail their contact information to my assistant, who adds them to my contact list, CRM system, and newsletter list; friends them on Facebook; and begins following them on Twitter. My assistant also handles some personal tasks, such as adding movies to my Netflix queue and making dinner reservations.

I can contact my assistant via text or Skype IM, but I prefer e-mail, because I can just send a request and forget about it. I also can monitor my assistant's progress using an online dashboard, which comes in handy during large projects that need to be broken into sections.

My business has really taken off over the past year. TimeSvr has contributed to that success by helping me keep my contact database current and giving me more time to focus on the big picture.

Have you tried a new product or service that helps you run your business? Head to www.inc.com/thegoods and tell us about it. We run the best comments in the magazine every month.

J.J. McCorvey is a reporter at Inc. magazine, where he covers a wide range of topics, including technology and business research. He has covered metro news for The Detroit News, and his work has been featured in Men's Fitness. @jmccorvey