A great tool when working with a VA is instant messenger (IM).

It’s like walking down the hall of your office to check if your assistant is in. You can instantly tell if your VA is available to talk or if they are busy. You can leave a message to have them call you when they get a moment.

With IM, you don’t have to open your email client, enter an email address, and write the message. You just click on their IM name and type the message.

Some IMs have additional features such as audio chats, multiple-user conferencing, file sharing, etc. If you are both on MSN (now Windows Live Messenger) and on a Windows PC, you can access each others computer remotely with a click of a button and edit a document together.