Like with any business, it’s important to manage expectations and have clear boundaries. This is even more important with a virtual business so make sure that you have clear, measurable goals in place and that your processes and vision are communicated effectively. Your team always needs to feel supported.
When you’re ready to begin interviewing for a virtual assistant, use these six criteria to make sure you’re bringing in the right person to your team.
Take a look at your to-do list, are there tasks on there that are taking away the time you should be using on your business? If so, it’s probably time to start looking for a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant (also called a VA) can free you from the administrative tasks that aren’t an effective use of your entrepreneurial time. One advantage of a virtual assistant is that they work remotely and as needed so you don’t have to spend as much as you would for an employee that works on site, all the time .. you know, the clock punchers. So .. ready to contract a VA for your business? If you are, here are some tips on finding one and working with one successfully.
Many people believe that “delegating” is just a way of getting rid of work – that delegation is simply the selfish act of giving your work to other people, so you can have less of it. Au contraire! Delegation is about work productivity .. and that’s why a client chooses to partner with a virtual assistant. If you adjust your perspective, delegation is actually a way to gain personal productivity while helping others to develop new skill sets. You win and they win .. everybody wins!
Are you going to stop in at the Small BIZ VT Summit this week and have a meet & greet with some of Vermont’s small business assets? Held at Burlington’s Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center, this first time event is going to be great, so come on down!
When you are looking to hire a virtual assistant, the most common question haunting your mind is why to pay $40, $45, $50 or more per hour when you got quotes for $15 per hour. As a result of the tough competition from the foreign markets, new VAs are flooding the scene offering lower and lower and lower quotes. This is not unique but, rather, quite common. Prospective clients feel they got a big deal by having to pay only $15 per hour.
But is it really a big bargain? What are you getting when hiring an inexpensive virtual assistant?