It can be daunting trying to hire someone who may be hundreds or thousands of miles away and there are no guarantees they will meet your needs or are able to fulfill their commitment to you and your business. Don’t give up before you even start. There are many good, reliable and super qualified VA’s who would be very happy to take care of your administrative needs.

Request for Proposals (RFP)

First – be sure as to what you want your potential Virtual Assistant to do.

The next step in the process is for you to create a Request for Proposal (RFP) which is the first step in sending out the message that you are looking for a VA. Those interested will submit a proposal to you listing their qualifications, prices, etc. In order for you to ensure those proposals respond to what you require you must be clear as to what you are looking for from these bidders.

How to write an RFP

Your request should include a little about your organization or at the bare minimum a link to your website and the information as to how you wish to be contacted.

• Describe exactly what you wish to have the VA do for you and what qualifications they must have. What will be their duties?
• How many hours a week/month?
• What time zone do you wish them to be available in?
• Do they require special software or experience in special programs?
• Is this a short term project or are you looking to establish a long term working arrangement with the VA?
• You are soliciting cost quotes to determine what their fees are for their services ~ ask for this.
• What is your deadline for submissions of proposals?
• How will you accept the proposals ~ whether they can send them via email or other preferred method of communication?
• Will you accept questions prior to receiving the proposals? (Don’t discuss $$ at this time)

Submitting an RFP

Once you have determined the work you need done and what requirements must be met, it is time to submit your RFP to applicable organizations or groups. One of the best places to find a Virtual Assistant is to connect with a Virtual Assistant Network such as VAnetworking, who has one of the largest numbers of members who will have access to your request.

The work you have done in completing the RFP will ensure you have a better chance of succeeding in locating a Virtual Assistant. Take a few moments, write up an RFP and submit it – it won’t be long and you will have found the perfect VA!

                          

First of all, it must be clear that a VA is not an employee. They are self employed business owners providing various types of services that usually relate to helping other business owners run their businesses smoothly.

Types of Services

The types of services offered by VAs vary depending upon the expertise of the VA but they generally apply to providing administrative services. However, the work performed by a VA is not restricted to word processing or other secretarial duties. Most have specialty services they offer depending upon their expertise and skills. The types of work performed by a VA are endless and will make the life of a business owner much easier and help him or her operate their business smoothly.

Depending upon what the business owner requires to help them in their business will determine what skills they are looking for when searching for a Virtual Assistant. Many are extremely talented in creating marketing material, or writing business plans, setting up contact management information, website design, article marketing, correspondence, concierge services, project management, event planning, making travel arrangements or even personal shopping.

Benefits

The benefit of contracting the services of a VA is that they work from their own office communicating with their clients via email, telephone, fax, snail mail, delivery service or other methods of communication. Because they work from their own office they have their own equipment and supplies necessary to perform the work they offer. This includes their own computer, fax machine, and office supplies, and they look after their own needs regarding benefits and taxes.

When you hire a Virtual Assistant you don’t have to worry about payroll, sick leave, providing work space or equipment. Payment is for actual work done at the rate both agree upon in advance and the VA will invoice the client for compensation. How much easier can it get?

Quit struggling

To determine how a VA can help you, think about what part of your business you are struggling with and if it would be more beneficial to hire a VA to look after those details. Why not use your own expertise to ensure your business is a success. Maybe it’s the day to day scheduling, or marketing, or project management you need help with. Whatever you establish your needs to be; there is a Virtual Assistant who can help you.

                          

Many entrepreneurs these days know the value of having a virtual assistant. But what about multiple VAs? Perhaps Mr. Edison was onto something. Now, I’m not suggesting you go out and get twenty-one assistants, however there is a plus side to having more than one VA.

Strength In Numbers
Not all VAs are created equal. Some offer a wide variety of services while others specialize in one or two specific areas. One person might love bookkeeping while another loathes it. It’s important to know when searching for a VA not only what types of services a she offers but also which ones she is good at and enjoys doing. You may find that you partner with a VA for certain projects and later decide that you would like her to do other projects as well. That’s great but she may not enjoy doing those new tasks or even know how to do them. Could she learn? Sure, but time is money and you need the work done sooner rather than later. This is why having multiple VAs that specialize may be beneficial.

A Team of Experts Means Peace of Mind
I have one client who has a team of six or seven VAs including myself. Does she do it to brag? Not at all although she is very successful at what she does and consistently tells the world she couldn’t do it without the support team she has in place. Part of her criteria for seeking the services of a VA is that they need to specialize in a particular area. She wants any person she partners with to be good at a lot of things but great at one thing. This is because when she delegates a project she wants to trust that it is being done correctly and efficiently without having to worry about it. She knows it is being handled by an expert in that area and she can willingly hand it over and move on to the next thing.

More Is Less
Is it costing my client any more money to have so many assistants? Absolutely not! Remember she is only paying for the work that is done and it would cost her the same amount of hours for her various projects to have one person do it than it does to have multiple people. Perhaps even less since each person is specialized in their area of expertise, there is less back and forth, correcting mistakes and waiting for questions to be answered which means she could actually be saving money by having more people on her team.

Is a VA Team Right For You?
Having a team of VAs can be a great asset to your business but it’s not for everyone. If you are not good at managing priorities or people then it might not be in your best interest to have a VA team. Having more than one VA may also not be for you if you’re not good at communicating. Communication is key when working with one person much less a multitude of people. It is essential to have regular team meetings via phone or other means as well as to have individual conversations with your VAs. Doing so will ensure that everyone is on the same page with your business objectives and everyone clearly understands what they need to do.

Your business is your baby and you want it handled properly. Putting together a team of highly skilled individuals who have your best interest at heart might be just what you need to take your business to the next level.

                          

Several times per week I browse newsletters and sales pages from some of my favorite “experts” only to find their work sprinkled with not just one but many typos! It astounds me each time I discover another one because quite honestly in my opinion it really tarnishes their “expert” status in my eyes. Now don’t get me wrong, accidents happen. We all make mistakes. It’s human nature. But it’s important to learn from those mistakes. No one is going to take you seriously if you consistently put out work that tells the world you were not the winner of the 8th grade spelling bee!

My question is, are people not pointing these mistakes out to the author? Isn’t there an assistant somewhere whose job it is to make sure something is letter perfect before it goes out to the public? I make it a point when finding an error to let the author know. I’ve never once gotten a response that was negative. In fact, most people appreciate when I point out the errors.

Am I a perfect speller? Not at all. (Although speaking of the 8th grade spelling bee, I was a runner up thank you very much.) I do enjoy however, reading with a critical eye and picking these proverbial needles out of their grammatical haystacks and offer proofreading as one of my services to satisfy my proofreading fixes.

Spell Check Is NOT Your Friend!
I know so many people who rely on spell check in their word processing program to edit their documents for them. Please don’t rely solely on a computer to check your work. Spell check is great in some cases but it does not pick out every error. If two words are very similar in spelling or meaning, it might very well ignore the error. I’ve seen it happen before. If you insist on using spell check, please have a second pair of eyes read the document before it is published. Give it to an assistant, a trusted friend or a colleague for review before putting it out into the world.

When people read your words and get your message without having to back track over spelling errors your credibility remains intact and your audience will thank you for it by purchasing your product.

                          

Print this list off and tape it to your desk. You just never know when you might have to turn down another opportunity to grow:

1. I’m really not a planner. If I hire a virtual assistant I will have to think about why I have a business and what I want to achieve this year and even 5 five years from now. Otherwise I’m just wasting her time and my money. And that just wouldn’t be fair to either of us.
2. How can I trust a VA with my business? I mean, I’m over here and she’s over there, way over there. How these VAs get any work done without someone looking over their shoulder is beyond me. It’s just not good management. Besides, if I can’t micromanage the details what will I do all day?
3. No one could possibly do it as well as I can. (And the way I do it is quite unlike anything you’ve ever seen.) I started this business because I have something unique and special to offer my adoring public. To think a virtual assistant could step in and competently assist with anything related to marketing or administration is, well, it’s crazy talk.
4. I don’t have time to explain everything to a VA. I’m too mired in paperwork and marketing and answering emails and God-knows-what-else to actually waste an hour or two a month with something as tedious as delegating. And like I said, what I do is complicated. Mysterious in fact.
5. I can’t afford to hire a virtual assistant. Nope, not a single dollar left in my budget for getting the right things done at the right time. Heck, this computer system alone cost me thousands. I’d be nuts to spend another three hundred bucks this month on administration when I could just do it myself for nothing. I mean, the sales aren’t exactly pouring in right now. (Though I’m not sure why.)
6. Bonus Excuse: Maybe next year I’ll think about hiring a VA and getting ahead with my business. Right now I’ve just got too much to do.

There you have it. Six of the most widely used and abused excuses for not outsourcing all the crap that’s getting in your way. Why choose silly things like productivity and purpose when you can defer to much easier choices like chasing your tail and working yourself to the bone?

Don’t let a VA stop you from getting what you really want out of your business. It’s just not worth it.

                          

Your VA can do more than complete projects and perform daily administrative tasks. She can also be you when you’re not available.

Virtual Events
If there’s a teleseminar, webinar or online workshop coming up that you’d really like to attend, sign up and give the login information to your VA. Let her know the date and time so she can schedule the time to attend. She can ask any questions you’d like her to or simply take notes and present you with a report on the highlights.

Local or Long Distance Events
If you know of a conference in town or even in a different state, ask your VA if she would like to attend on your behalf. Not only could she get great information for you from the various speakers but also make valuable contacts for you by being a representative of your company. Some conferences that even suggest you send your VA or accompany her if time and budget permit. This option is especially helpful if you have two events happening at the same time and would like to attend them both but you can only choose one. Have your VA go to the other one and you can have a meeting upon returning to discuss what you learned.

Books and Programs
Do you have a stack of books you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t been able to get to? How about programs or systems that you’ve purchased to help you in your business? Many of us are guilty of spending money on these products but never seem to find the time to get to them. Why not send them to your VA to read or go through? Your VA can give you the highlights of what she has learned and even work with you to implement strategies to help you build your business. You’re not only getting good information for your own business but you’re also helping her improve her business by giving her access to tools and resources which will only benefit you in the long run.

So the next time you wish you could clone yourself and be two places at the same time, know that you can with the help of a VA.

                          

Enjoy!

Let’s, for a moment, imagine that your business is a beehive and you’re the Queen Bee. After all, the Queen’s the most important person in the hive – her sole job is to lay eggs. Without eggs, there are no bees so nothing else can happen. You are also the most important person in your business – goes without saying if you’re a ‘solo-preneur’. You’re responsible for getting new clients and ensuring all daily operations run smoothly.

Each beehive is a whole world in itself. Each bee has a role to play, it’s a very well-organized society. The Queen’s job is to lay the eggs, but there are worker bees who make the honey, there are guard bees who make sure no robber bees get in, there are scout bees who go around finding the best flowers, there are nurse bees who make sure the babies are cared for, there are bees who tend to the Queen – fanning her and caressing her, there are even bees whose lot in life is to remove the dead bees from the hive.

If it were the Queen’s responsibility to make honey, guard the hive, scout for nectar and remove dead bees, how many eggs would get laid?

As a business owner, every second you spend typing up letters, writing newsletters, blogging, entering contacts in your database and researching stuff on the Internet is eating up your egg laying time. Rather:the time you should be spending on meeting with clients, finding new ones and just doing what you want to be doing.

Honeybees have a lot to teach us, don’t they? What sort of chaos would a hive be in if the Queen were running around trying to do everything herself? She’s smarter than that. If a Queen bee could give you some advice, she’d probably tell you to go get yourself a Virtual Assistant so you can focus on what’s important. The future of your company depends on it just as the future of the Queen’s hive depends on her focus on egg laying.

Honeybees invented the art of delegating as far as I’m concerned!

                          

Before this process starts, the potential client (that would be you) often has a ton of questions about how it all works. There is a lot of information about this in the blog archives here, take a look and see what questions we may have addressed already.

I’ve been supporting entrepreneurs administratively for years, virtually since mid-2006. In that time, I have learned that one of the biggest challenges people like you face when starting the VA/client relationship is trying to determine which of your time eaters to delegate. Some things are easier than others and I have learned that by far, email management is the most painless to hand over for everyone.

First of all, email takes up way too much time of your time, and if you had an in-house assistant I’ll bet you’d have no trouble having that person take care of it for you.

There are a few ways to handle this service. I have my own Virtual Assistant that manages my email (I know, ironic!) and it works great. I still like to have my email downloaded to Outlook, so I just try my best to keep it closed throughout the day. My VA set up a top secret gmail account that she forwards my important messages to, and she will call me or instant message me when anything of great importance needs my attention. You won’t believe how much time that has freed up for me. I’m a chronic send/receive clicker, so I was spending way too much time in my email.

Other VAs have other ways of doing this, but for me, this has proven to be the most efficient. Imagine how productive you could be if you didn’t have to focus on every single email that comes into your inbox!

To potential clients of VAs, do you have questions about how this service works?

To VAs who provide this service, can you share some tips for how you’ve made this work for your clients?

                          

No, Virtual Assistants aren’t two-headed creatures, but most are very well connected through the VA networking forums they frequent.

Let me explain.

If you wanted to hire one employee who could maintain your website, manage your bookkeeping, design brochures, draft up sales letters and maintain your filing how much do you suppose you would pay that person if he or she did indeed exist?

When you work with a VA, we’re not all able to do everything…actually nobody can do everything, but we have lots of contacts.

If you hired a VA to handle your bookkeeping on top of your regular administrative tasks, while that VA might not be able to maintain your website (they may) I’ll bet you they will have someone in their back pocket to refer you to. Another way this can work is if you find one Multi-VA team to take care of your needs. A VA team is made up of lots of Virtual Assistants with different areas of expertise. You would work with the one who can best help you for each project, or you deal with the head VA who will be your main contact for everything so you deal with one person but get access to countless specialties.

Some people prefer the very special treatment they get when working with a solo VA who can refer others as need arises, where others like to work with a team who has lots of different skills to choose from while keeping it all on one bill.

So, if you’ve been considering a VA but can’t find one who does everything I suggest you stop looking ;) Whoever you choose will be able to help find coverage in almost all other administrative areas.

                          

The most important thing you can do before you get into a contact with a VA is to clearly lay out everything you would like to delegate so you know what you want done and it will be easier for your VA to dig right in and start working.

I’ve seen it many times in my own business where I sign on with a new client and they don’t have any idea what they want my help for. This really wastes resources and energy all around because much of the VA’s time is spent coming up with things they can help you with rather than actually tackling your most important priorities. The client feels pressure to throw work at the VA and hasn’t put enough thought into their goals when initiating this important relationship.

The best way to avoid this frustration is to become aware of all those things in your life that could be delegated. Be conscious of it throughout your work week; set a reminder on your Outlook calendar or write some sticky notes to yourself to prompt you to make notes about the things you’re doing that you shouldn’t be.

Common examples of these things that take up your time but are very easy to delegate include:

• Answering incoming calls and following up with clients and customers via phone.
• Managing your email.
• Putting all of your business cards into a database or CRM software.
• Setting up profiles on the popular social networking sites and managing those social identities of yours.
• Internet research for a purchase you’ve been wanting to make or a trip you’ve been putting off planning.
• Getting a good start on your holiday card mailing (yes it’s coming sooner than we think!)

There are so many ways a Virtual Assistant can make your life easier, but you can also help to make your VA’s life easier! You want to avoid making your assistant feel as if she’s creating work to fill up your hours. If you have a clear list prepared when you go into the relationship, not only will you most likely find the perfect VA who can handle all of your needs, but your VA will be able to dive right in and start freeing up your valuable time.