Virtual Assistant Directory - Need a Virtual Assistant? Find a Virtual Assistant

3 years ago, an idea sparked the Internet business community, and spread like wildfire. The idea was based on the premise that individuals, small businesses and corporations alike could take advantage of advances in technology by sourcing out much of their administrative tasks to "Virtual Assistants" (VA's).

The idea certainly was a good one. After all, the VA would work from their own office, provide their own equipment, pay their own taxes & insurance and much more. Basically, the VA would take over administrative tasks for the client, as well as relieve the client of the strains of hiring an additional employee or employees. Even better, the VA would be the clients personal success coach, not only helping them get on track in their personal & business lives, but helping them stay on track and even succeed beyond their initial personal & business goals.

Since the dawn of the Virtual Assistant idea, however, many formerly successful VA's have been relegated to the title of online freelancer. While a few VA's remain focused on the task of providing solid administrative services to their clients, most now work on smaller, less personalized services. Many of the VA's that I know who once handled contracts for clients on an on-going basis are now struggling just to find one-shot projects that will help pay the bills.

The problem is not that the VA's services are not useful. In fact, far from it. Hiring a Virtual Assistant has many, many advantages, particularly for the small business owner or individual. With a VA by their side, these types of clients can make major advances towards acheiving their goals in their business, as well as personal lives. The best part is that because a VA works entirely over the Internet, and by fax & phone, they allow the client to get back to what's important - business!

Unfortunately, many would-be clients tend to shy away from the services of a VA simply because, even after 3 years on the scene, the client fails to see exactly how the Virtual Assistant process works. In addition, they remain hesitant because those in the VA industry have not been able to get their message across in a manner that relieves the client of their fears of working with a VA.

So, how do VA's overcome that fear? A proven formula has yet to be found, though some have found success with a variety of client based 'offers', such as discounts or freebies until the client reaches a goal. Others have begun offering a trial period that allows the client to get a 'feel' for the service before actually paying for it.

Unfortunately, these can have a negative effect on the VA industry by painting the VA as being less than worthy of the client's time or effort. For those that would use these 'gimmicks', I would strongly suggest that you place a little more faith in yourself & your abilities before giving your services away.

There is no doubt that there is a huge market for the services of a VA. I have had the opportunity to discuss this issue with a number of marketiing and branding 'gurus', and their response is always the same: until the potential client is properly educated and their fears addressed, many VA's will continue to struggle.

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David Ware is a Virtual Assistant, successful freelance writer, husband & father. He can be contacted at dave@24hourassistant.com, or at http://www.24hourassistant.com

When it comes to deciding to delegate parts of your business to another person, a partner, not only is it important to to know what qualities you would like to have in that person, it is even more important to have a plan! Whether you are ready to delegate a lot or a little, that plan can and will set you up for success in your partnership with a VA or any assistant, for that matter. Set some time aside to look at your business goals, and find the area that is zapping most of your income-producing time. Is it lead generation, contact management, marketing, listing coordination, or another area? What tasks, or series of tasks, do you feel comfortable delegating to an experienced VA? Go through on paper, your day to day duties, and decide what to delegate, how much to delegate, and what you could delegate later once your partnership is well underway. Provided below is a "VA Checklist" that not only can serve as a general list of easily delegated tasks, but are also the common talents and services available in the repertoire of a real estate VA. It's a great idea to give each task a VA rating: 1 for "Give over completely to VA" up to 5 for "Not on your life will I let a VA do this!" If you find that your needs are best assisted with in one or two major areas, your task will be to find a VA that specializes in just those areas. If you need assistance in all areas, you can find a VA that is experienced in all areas, and can certainly grow as your business grows! That should be your goal! To have a partner in growth and success~ Listing Coordination * Prepare Pre-listing Packet, CMA and other marketing materials for listing presentation * If approved by local MLS, input listings, and manage updates etc. * Arrange for Home Stager * Prepare and write well-written ad copy for the listings for coordinated placement in marketing materials * Create and send Just Listed postcards * Design & send to printer property flyers/brochures/postcards * Order/ create/post Virtual Tour on web sites * Create print ads for open houses for approval by you * Input listings into all web sites, and manage updates and changes * Enhance listings on Realtor.com * Create branded HTML ads/Postlets for use in Craigslist.com and others. * Prepare Open House materials * Prepare Seller Reports to keep sellers informed of web traffic on their listing * Set up and manage showing feedback information * Create, update and maintain all single property web sites Marketing & Lead Generation * Maintain computer based contact management and lead generation system * Design and create system for drip-email campaigns * Design direct mail marketing system to databases * Design flyers, postcards, and multi media materials * Manage and update community/neighborhood web sites * Create and run FSBO and Expired Listing campaigns * Newsletter program (printed or web-based) * Create & design Relocation materials * Create & design First Time Home Buyer Packets * Other Client Relations Management & Retention * Send out relocation packages * Respond to online inquiries * Manage the purchase & delivery of client closing gifts * Coordinate appointments * Send out special occasion cards, reminders, announcements and newsletters * Put past clients on a retention email- drip campaign * Think about planning an annual client thank you event * Other Transaction Management * Manage transaction via OTM (Online Transaction Management system, ex: Settlement Room, Relay) * Schedule inspection appointments * Coordinate lender appointments and track loan process * Coordinate closing dates & times * Other Don't have a BIG budget for next year, but still use some honest to goodness "good help"? My advice: Start small. Start with one or two tasks that you can delegate. See how it helps free up your time. See if your choice for a VA is a good fit for you, so you can how it impacts your life and your business.

Part of the allure of having a Virtual Assistant business is the fact that we can work at home. But as most VA’s will tell you (I’m guessing…) working at home has its pitfalls as well. The myriad distractions of working in a home office can not be ignored, but some smart time-wise strategies can help. Here are my top 5.

(1) Give yourself a work schedule.

When I first started in 1999, I had absolutely no formal work schedule and often felt like I was driving the bus from Speed – 100 mph and about to crash. So I created a very loose schedule that allowed for flexibility to meet the needs of my clients and my family.

I check my email first thing in the morning, before the kids get up, and make up a task list from any projects that have come in over night. I then leave the desk and get the kids ready for, and off to, school.

Once home again, I grab a coffee and settle in for a few hours of solid work time. I get my ongoing projects finished up, get a start on new ones, and schedule the activities needed for work in my Outlook calendar and task bar. Breaking projects down into steps is a tremendous help and putting deadlines on them keeps me in line.

I break for lunch and play with my 5 year old (who has an office with mine) and the dogs. We do some household chores, run errands, etc. over the lunch hour and get ourselves ready for the afternoon.

Tailor your schedule to how you like to get things done. Be mindful of your body rhythm – are you an early riser or a night owl? Schedule your hardest tasks for the time of day you feel most alert.

(2) Be selective about answering the phone.

If you are in the middle of a project that requires your undivided attention, let the answering machine get the phone. Schedule a phone call time, where you can return calls to clients or prospective clients once or twice a day, so you are not constantly interrupting your work flow.

(3) Set your email program to pick up mail every 30 minutes or so.

You are getting your email in a timely manner, but are not so tempted to check it every 10 minutes (classic newbie thing – been there, done that). No one is expecting a response within 5 minutes of sending their email, and if they are see number 4.

(4) Make sure your clients know your turnaround times.

Clients who are not familiar with the way a Virtual Assistant works may sometimes think that you are at their beck and call 24/7. For your own sanity, and theirs, make sure they know that emails are answered within XX hours, and your normal turnaround is XX days or XX hours. Try to discourage them from making everything “URGENT” by having a clause in your contract that sets a higher rate for urgent turnaround times (often less than 24 hours).

(5) Schedule down time.

Go for a walk. Sit on the deck. Getting out of the office/house for even a short time can recharge your batteries and give you the energy you need to grow your Virtual Assistant business.

Enjoy!

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Jill Chongva is a Virtual Assistant with over 21 years experience in the Administration field. Her Executive Support Services for small business owners assist solopreneurs in making the most of their time and relieving their stress.
Her company, www.vadiva.com, helps her use her talent for helping her technology challenged clients to become comfortable with new programs and challenges. She recently launched www.technogeekdiva.com as a resource for all those who experience the challenges of technology.