So why do I preface this post with that phrase, because it signifies an experience I just had that, to me, personifies what partnering with a Virtual Assistant means. Let me expand.

In my world as a Virtual Assistant, last week was “one of those weeks” where you question the decision you made (in my case 3 years ago) to enter the world of the self employed. A situation happened that could have either helped solidify the client/VA relationship I had OR it could have severed the ties.

The Situation:

Client is a WordPress Developer ( I’ll call him Jim)

Virtual Assistant (that’s me) but to Jim my role is  ”Development and Client Care” which essentially means I help format and develop the WordPress site for the client and communicate directly with them to move the project forward.

The Story:

I received a phone call from the Jim’s client (let’s call him Bob) as I needed some clarification on some content to the wordpress site. Since I am somewhat new to Bob’s industry I had some questions that seemed very reasonable on my end but, as I found out, were not to Bob. The conversation became very one-sided with Bob literally becoming somewhat rude and insulting. His voice was raised and I could hear and feel the frustration but also felt very belittled as his tone was very condescending. I couldn’t get off the phone fast enough. I immediately had to explain to Jim what had happened with a lot of apprehension I might add – could it have just been me, could I have been more clearer etc. etc.

So, three scenarios could have resulted from that conversation I then had with Jim.

A. Jim could have taken Bob’s side in the matter.

B. Jim could have just ignored the situation.

C. Jim could have supported me.

Essentially, the whole direction of how our VA/Client relationship would move forward was held in the balance awaiting a response. My goal was never to “rock-the-boat” but

So what was the outcome???

My respect and admiration for Jim was solid to begin with but now I am convinced our VA/client relationship could last for a very long time.

So why did I tell you this story, definitely not to show you my weaknesses or cry over spilt milk, I was trying to demonstrate that:

1. Virtual Assistants: be open and honest with your clients

And

2. VA Clients: Support your team whole-heartedly and stand up for them.

If you do this, they will be “loyal to the bone” day in and day out.

Do you have a story like this to share, add your comments below so we can hear from you.

                          

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.

                          

When hiring a Virtual Assistant a client really does not know anything more about this new person that is about to help them other than what has been emailed between them, or perhaps a quick chat on the phone to confirm details etc. Does a client really know who they are dealing with? Probably not, but that also does not mean that a VA is lying either. It may be wise on the client’s part to check references on a VA first, before actually hiring him or her. By the same token a VA really does not know if a new client is on the level. For example, will the client pay the VA what they are worth, on time, and in accordance with a VA’s policy or terms? Yes, it can be a shot in the dark sometimes, but more often than not if a VA and a client are trustworthy it usually works out, but it doesn’t hurt to take a few extra measures to be on the safe side.

But what about more important things like information; such as, trade secrets, user names and passwords of any kind, and/or confidential matters? There is a solution for that as well. Service agreements/contracts and confidentiality agreements are both beautiful things! This is exactly what they are meant for. However, this does not mean that a client will actually adhere to what these agreements state, the same for a Virtual Assistant. So how does one actually make someone else trust them?   A hard question to answer, but I have found that developing a relationship with a new client works wonders for both the VA and the client. In other words, be a tad less formal. Discuss things outside of work if that is possible. Call each other by first name only.   Does this solve every problem: absolutely not, but at least it is a beginning to what could very well be a long and mutually beneficial working relationship. Remember that praising your VA for a job well done, or just caring about the others “needs” is a wonderful start. Just like regular employees in an office setting people like to hear that they’ve done well. This spurs a lot more interest in a particular job being handled on the VA’s part, and gets the job done. Caring in general is an act of kindness. Be kind to each other. It does work.

In conclusion to this article, I will give you an example of one of my own experiences. I had a job that had to be done, but when starting this job I began to realize that it was way over my head in certain areas. I could have outsourced this particular job easily, but I did not. Instead I told my client the truth. What did this do? The client was so pleased that I was completely honest about the situation that I ended up doing other work for him/her instead. The client could have asked for a refund, but they were so genuinely impressed by my honesty that they kept me on for other work needed. As they say:Honesty is the best policy!

                          

You have so much to do that you are only doing bits and pieces of each thing and accomplishing nothing. You aren’t alone.

Many business owners believe they have to do it all rather than ask for help, not realizing if they could better manage their time and delegate tasks they could actually save money. I was as guilty of this as some of my clients. It’s doesn’t have to be a difficult step to actually outsource some tasks you really don’t have the time nor the expertise.

Not knowing how to do everything for your business is nothing to be ashamed of. There isn’t a business owner alive who can do it all. In my case it’s bookkeeping. I would like to think I can take care of invoicing, accounts payables and accounts receivables but when I was faced with a controversy with a client I found that I hadn’t kept track as well as I thought I had. Working with a bookkeeper right from the start could have saved me hours of stress that could have been better spent in building my business. I now know that bookkeeping is not one of my strengths. However, I am good at many other things involved in my business and now spend my time on those rather than wasting my time on things I should outsource.

What can a Virtual Assistant help you with?

1.  Managing your schedule – tracking appointments, goals, and tasks.
2.  Screening emails, responding where possible and prioritizing the rest.
3.  Invoicing your clients and taking care of following up with unpaid accounts.
4.  Manage your website updates, blogging and your client lists
5.  Customer service issues – responding in a timely manner
6.  Correspondence – write letters, memos, etc. – ready for signature
7.  Create company forms, marketing material or manage to have it outsourced
8.  Writing a business plan or marketing plan – establishing goals.
9.  Order supplies and arrange for delivery.
10.  Project Management – ensure projects are managed properly to completion.
11.  Design a newsletter and create a monthly campaign.
12.  Establish a social media networking campaign, setting up social networks, posting and setting up a schedule for your involvement.
13.  Creating your logo, business card, stationery and brochures
14.  Manage your affiliates
15.  Help you create a company “Brand” with your signature – establishing an online presence.
16.  Write and publish press releases

The above list is obviously just a small sample of things a Virtual Assistant can do for you while you are operating your business. Remember a VA is virtual and they supply their own work space, equipment and also pay for their own benefits. You only pay for the actual work done. I think it’s pretty obvious that you can only benefit by the assistance of a VA. Quit wasting your time!

                          

It’s really simple if you think about it. While a client is actually paying a Virtual Assistant for their time, and a job being worked on, the client will actually start making money in the process. Okay, how? Let’s say client “A” has a business, his or her focus would be to generate sales for whatever the business is. However, how can client “A” generate these sales when everything else needs to be in place first, and even more than that it is continuous work.    To elaborate further, a VA will insure that a web site is up and running, search engine optimization has been done, a press release has been written, social media marketing is done on a daily basis, a blog is live and active and the list can go on. Who is going to operate all of these things while client “A” is trying to generate and make these sales?

Having a business online today is not exactly the same as it was years ago. Years ago we created a web site and hoped that people would visit us. Of course there was still some prep work that was needed to be done, but today what is needed to get done far exceeds what was needed to do back then, which of course equals to time. Who has that kind of time?  Just looking at the to-do list alone is tiresome all by itself!

So you set out to find your perfect Virtual Assistant to do all of the above, plus more, while you generate those sales that you need to keep your business running; to keep you sane, and also to pay your VA for all of his or her hard work. But remember one thing:while your VA is working the set amount of hours that they’ve been hired for, could be per week, per day, two hours a day, etc, they are alleviating you from doing all of this work that you’d be stuck doing and probably would be taking much longer to do at that. A Virtual Assistant is huge reprieve in the business day when it comes to this extra work that is essential to keeping a web site active.

Think of it as a team effort if you will. Client “A” tells his/her VA exactly what needs to be done, the leads and traffic starts making its way to Clients “A” site.   One sale alone, in some cases, can pay for your VA’s salary for the day, and two sales can bring home the bacon. Now obviously it all depends on what is being sold, but little by little that VA’s salary will be paid for completely by the business over time, plus you will see an increase in traffic and those much needed sales.

Is there a guarantee of sales? There aren’t any guarantees no matter what you do or what business that you are in; however, with two people working on the same goal, just in different capacities, any client has double the power to get on the online track to success.   Double the power might mean double the sales and in most cases more than that, as traffic is generated from all kinds of venues. So don’t think of hiring a VA as an extra expense, think of it as added exposure which leads to income!

                          

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.

                          

With the speed of business today, one can be left behind with the simple click of a mouse.   If you’re not on top of your game, your competition will be. How do you get the jump on the competition? The secret is to hire a VA on the other side of the planet – or the country, or simply in another time zone.

Why does time zone matter?

Being on a different time schedule than your VA can actually benefit some businesses. A local VA will likely work the same type of hours as you do. Workflow takes a few days, as shown here:

• Day 1:               Assign the work to VA
• Day 2:               VA does the work
• Day 3:               Completed work returned and ready to use

If, however, your VA is hours away, it can take a day out of this scenario. While you sleep overnight on Day 1, the work is being done and will be on your desk ready to use on Day 2. This gives you a full day’s jump on your competition; if they use local talent.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not suggesting you send work and expect it done immediately. A VA isn’t on call 24/7! You must have a prearranged working agreement with your VA that they will do the assigned work in a set time frame. “On demand” work assignments can wreak havoc on a successful VA-Client relationship.

The time difference is very beneficial when your VA does work via remote log in to your computer.   Suppose you have a VA updating your contacts twice weekly. You fax copies of the business cards, the VA logs in to your computer and enters the information directly into your Contact Management System. If you have a VA who lives in a time zone with a 5 hour difference; remote log in and updating can be done while you are sleeping – freeing up your computer for your workday. Or have your VA doing bookkeeping or checking your email for spam 3 hours before you wake up in the morning.

Get a jumpstart on your competition and get your work done earlier!

VAnetworking has the largest database of Virtual Assistant websites worldwide – you can find a VA anywhere in the world; from Australia to Nova Scotia, or Texas to the United Kingdom.   Time zones can aid immensely in helping you and your VA work together and efficiently, while being far apart!

Check out the Virtual Assistant Search Engine to find one in any locale!

                          

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.