If you've ever found yourself juggling tasks, only to realize you forgot to schedule a crucial meeting for your client or missed a client call, fear not! We're about to introduce you to some crucial tools that are lifesavers in the VA field – calendar management tools.

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In the fast-paced world of virtual assistance, time is of the essence. Sure, our brains are amazing, but let's face it, they sometimes need a little nudge to remember those important appointments. And that's where calendar management tools come into play.

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Whether you're handling your own schedule or juggling your clients' plans, these tools act like your own personal assistant. Think of it as having a helpful friend dedicated to making sure both your calendar and your client's schedule run smoothly.

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For both seasoned pros and those just starting in the world of virtual assistance, these tools are game-changers. No need to carry the mental burden of remembering everything; with calendar management tools, your tasks are neatly organized and good to go.

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Examples of calendar management tools

Calendly offers more than just a calendar – it ensures you never miss a meeting or event through timely notifications and reminders. You can create various types of events, set reminders, and establish your or your client's availability for booking within specific time frames. By syncing Calendly with your calendar, scheduling conflicts are avoided as any additions to your calendar are reflected in Calendly's availability, preventing double bookings.

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Moreover, Calendly goes beyond scheduling by collecting visitor information through your URL and directing them to a designated page. This feature provides valuable metrics for virtual assistants to tailor their services and marketing to meet client needs. Additionally, Calendly seamlessly integrates with other applications and calendars, enhancing overall schedule and event management effectiveness.

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Calendly features 

• Booking and rescheduling for meetings 
• Reminders and appointment follow-ups
• Setting of working hours
• Multi-calendar integration
• Time zone detection and blocked time settings
• Teamwork platforms via groups

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Pricing

Calendly has four pricing options: the free version, the standard version, the teams version, and the enterprise version. For individuals doing basic scheduling, the free version offers unlimited meetings with one event type, automated event notifications, integrations with Google Meet, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, and embedded scheduling on one’s site. The standard version charges $12/seat/month and offers additional features such as Live Chat Support and Customizable Branding and Logos on  Your Website. The teams version has a fee of $20/seat/month and enables one to lock and sync admin-managed event templates. For teams that require enterprise-level security, admin control, and support, the Enterprise option is offered at a customizable price.  

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Doodle is a simple scheduling tool that helps users find the best time for group meetings or events by polling participants.

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Using its polling feature, ‍Doodle allows you to schedule meetings with clients at agreeable times. Creating a working timeframe for your clients and yourself is no longer a worrying task. With Doodle, you are empowered to involve all the meeting participants in coming up with suitable schedules. 

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Additionally, you can schedule appointments and set timely reminders, ensuring your clients are never late for an appointment. You are also able to integrate calendars such as yours and your client’s or a client’s calendar with their connections. Using this feature, you can easily cross-check your client’s availability with that of their partners.

When in need of meeting an unlimited number of clients or holding video conferences, Doodle is your go-to tool. With unlimited email invites, Doodle allows you to reach out to a large market and enables you to market a client’s products effectively.

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Doodle features

• Polling
• Time zone detection and availability settings
• Limit how far in advance participants can book
• Automatic reminders
• SMS
• Automated phone calls
• Multi-calendar integration

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Pricing

Doodle has four pricing versions with the free version offering seamless scheduling. The package entails unlimited group polling, one booking page, one 1:1, and Google Meet and Web Conferencing. The pro version is for individuals in need of an automated scheduling solution. It costs $6.95 per user per month and is paid in annual installments. The team option costs $8.95 per user per month with a capacity of up to 5 users. It has additional features such as booking on behalf of someone else and activity reports, enhancing collaboration and teamwork. The enterprise version offers a platform for enhanced customization, control, and support for large teams. Its pricing is customized and has extra features such as single sign-on and onboarding and training. 

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Acuity Scheduling is a powerful appointment scheduling tool that allows businesses to automate and customize the booking process.The application allows for seamless bookings while enabling you and your client to grow your reach via a branded booking page on your website. 

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You can customize your client’s availability to make use of productive work hours and retain leisure. As a user, you can also optimize your productive periods. The automated booking feature conveniences you and your clients as you can easily schedule, cancel, and reschedule appointments. 

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Furthermore, you are safeguarded by no-show protection tools such as storing credit cards and secure deposits. The app integrates with social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and Google, allowing bookings anywhere.  

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Acuity scheduling features 

• Reminders and appointment follow-up
• SMS and email
• Branding
• Multi-calendar integration
• No-show protection
• Standalone booking and confirmation and cancellation
• Availability customization

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Pricing

With three payment plans, the application gives you the option of paying either monthly or annually, enhancing convenience. The first, the emerging plan, costs $16 per month with a 20% discount if paid annually. The plan entails client self-scheduling, unlimited services and appointments, and more. The growing plan costs a fee of $27 per month and contains features such as worldwide SMS reminders and the sale of subscriptions, gift certificates, and subscriptions. Charging $49 per month is the powerhouse plan. The plan allows you to custom API and CSS for developers among many other incredible features.

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SavvyCal is a modern scheduling platform that facilitates easy and flexible appointment booking for individuals and businesses. The tool not only allows you to book appointments but also allows your client to delegate account access to you allowing you to take full control and effectively represent your client. 

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Worried about conflicting timelines? SavvyCal enables you to overlay calendars and find mutual availability. Your client never worries about reaching out to their teammates and inquiring about their availability. You can easily determine suitable timeframes on their behalf. You, therefore, spend less time finding favorable times for meeting and dedicate more focus to meaningful work. The integration feature allows you to connect across all calendars (work, personal, side projects, and more) to check for conflicts across all. 

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To help you avoid overworking, the calendar sets limits to the number of meetings in a month, protecting you from overload while remaining flexible. Additionally, you can rank your availability to allow clients to pick optimal times.

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SavvyCal features  

• Calendar overlay
• Calendar collaboration
• Multiple calendar management
• Ranked availability
• Limit scheduling frequency
• Time zone detection
• Account access delegation

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Pricing

SavvyCal offers three payment plans at the convenience of the customer and highly affordable. The free plan allows one to spin up free meeting polls and overlay one’s calendars with others. The basic plan charges $12 per user per month and allows you to create your own individual and team scheduling links. The premium plan allows one to delegate access to an assistant, remove SavvyCal branding from one’s links, and collect payments via Stripe. This latest plan charges $20 per user per month.

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