5 Things to Consider Before You Hire a Virtual Assistant


Understanding What a Virtual Assistant Can Do

I hear the term "Virtual Assistant" more and more in business. Did you know that you could possibly hire someone from another continent that works while you sleep and maybe for $8 - $12 Dollars. The VA’s I have worked with either have complimentary degrees or a great deal of experience working for a variety of entrepreneurs and companies.

With the growth of virtual assistants has also been a change in what it means to be a virtual assistant.  The industry has made distinctions between what it means to be a virtual assistant, and what it doesn’t mean.  When you are explaining your business to others, you want to make sure to keep this standard. 



Here are 5 things you should consider in a Virtual Assistant

1. Professionalism. Does the VA answer her or his emails, voicemails and other correspondence in a timely and professional manner? Also, if your VA is communicating with other parties on behalf of your company, she or he should speak with the same level of customer service that is your standard. Train and test your employee prospects so you know exactly what you are getting in terms of quality and even consistency.

2. Project Management. Juggling tasks now-a-days is vital. Multi-tasking is often frowned upon in terms of goal achievement. However, for VA's it is a desired skill set! Your VA needs to be results-driven vs. task-driven. Task driven people stay busy all the time but may not produce steady and timely results.

3. Availability. Many of these people work for several people at the same time. It is not uncommon for you as an employer to be in a funnel system for the VA. You slowly move down the funnel as they take on better contracts from new virtual employers. You also need to be lining up new VA's. Try to split your work between 2 or more VA's to combat this problem or work with a company that employs virtual assistants.

4. Test. Give the VA a mini project before going ahead with a contract.  I also give a minimum of 2 tasks that cost no more than $30 -$40 to complete. I need them done correctly and to my total satisfaction before I even consider this person.

5. Get References. Can the VA give you a list of people whom you can contact who will tell you about working with her or him?

The main distinction that most virtual assistants will work towards creating is the idea of being in a relationship with a business, and making this their business.  This goes beyond the expectations of any temporary work or telecommuting job.  It also means that the services a virtual assistant can provide will go outside of job descriptions that are made in the office.  By understanding the standards for being a virtual assistant, you can best approach this in your own relationships with businesses.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Entrepreneurs Find New Way To Finance Dream

From Daily to Weekly - New Post Schedule

6 Succession Planning Myths...Debunked