man-gogglesAs the virtual assistance industry evolves so are the service portfolios being offered by VAs. That is, today’s veteran virtual assistant is much more than a task master; she is an efficiency expert possessing specialized skills and knowledge that enable her clients to do much more than simply “offload” their to-do lists. A good VA does not only free your time, she frees your mind to think, plan and do bigger.

Yet I continue to come across business owners who fully expect virtual assistants to charge less than they do. That somehow the price of administrative, creative, and technical support services is a variable cost rather than an investment in the productivity of their operation.

Let me illustrate my point by way of example:

Joe Business Owner charges $100/hour for his consulting services.

Jane Virtual Assistant charges $55/hour for her marketing support services.

Sally Virtual Assistant charges $35/hour for the same.

Let’s suppose that Jane has more experience and resources at her disposal than Sally and, as such, can get more done in an hour than Sally.

Even so, Joe Business Owner might still draw the conclusion that Jane’s $20 premium ($55/hr versus Sally’s $35/hr) will cut into his margins too much to pay for itself. Essentially, he looks at administrative support as a variable cost because, in his mind, he’s paying out a portion of his $100/hr fee to a VA.

Do you see how Joe’s thinking might be erroneous? Whether Joe hires Jane or Sally, might he be missing the point of outsourcing his marketing support function?

Then again, virtual assistant websites everywhere justify the cost of hiring of VA using the “variable cost model” I outline here. So maybe I’m missing the point.

I’ll leave that for you to contemplate and comment on below. Because I think a lot of business owners-and VAs-are in fact focusing on the wrong things when seeking partnership with one another. In case I’m being too vague, here’s a hint to get you thinking:

What if Joe makes and sells widgets for $10 each?

Second hint: I already eluded to “the point” earlier in this post.

Leave your comments and insights below.


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