Outsourcing work to virtual assistants can help your business to grow and develop whilst also reducing your overall costs - a welcome prospect in tough economic times.
Virtual assistance can help with everything from simple administrative or clerical duties such as data entry or handling calls and emails, to managing your company's marketing campaigns, generating leads for your business or boosting your company's online presence. VAs can be hired on a semi-permanent or per-project basis, allowing for greater flexibility. And since the work is carried out by independent contractors, rather than employees, overheads are reduced drastically.
No wonder, then, that virtual assistant services are so popular right now, with new virtual assistant practices opening on a daily basis to meet the ever-growing demand. As with any growing industry, of course, there's a lot of bandwagon hoppers out there and, as a result, not all companies are created equally; price and quality can vary dramatically, so you will need to shop around to find the virtual assistant practice that suits your needs.
Choosing the right VA for your Business
In order to find the right virtual assistant you need to first think about what your exact requirements are. Do you want one person or a team? Is it for a one-off project or do you require services on an ongoing basis? Is the work generalized or specialized? Do you need the person or persons to be close by or can they work remotely? And, if working remotely, do you think the time difference will be an important factor?
You will also need to think carefully, in advance, about what your goals and objectives are and, of course, you'll also want to consider what your budget is. All of these will greatly influence your choice of VA.
Be sure, also, to check online and do a little background research. For starters you should check out their reputation via Google and check out their social networking profiles. If you are hiring via a freelance website or similar marketplaces be sure to check out their reputation. Look at their website - does it look professional or shoddy? All together this will give an overview of the virtual assistant you wish to do business with and help you determine how well established their business is.
Ultimately the person you hire should be someone you trust with your business, someone who is professional and reliable, who fits your budget and who understands your needs perfectly.
Which brings me onto my next point...
Communication is Key
Once you make contact it's important that you take the time to explain what your exact requirements are and ask all your key questions up front. If you are not sure about any aspect of the outsourcing process it's crucial that you ask.
Remember; there are no stupid questions. Different virtual assistants will often have different ways of working so the more questions you ask up-front the easier it is to determine whether or not they are the right fit for your business. Be sure and discuss things such as work practices, the nature of the work itself, what your goals and objectives are, things like milestones, if any, and, of course, most crucial of all, the matter of price and payment.
Another important consideration is the so-called "lost in translation" factor, i.e. language and cultural factors which can often lead to misunderstandings. Even if you are both speaking the same language in a literal sense, you still need to make sure you're speaking the same language work-wise and business-wise. In order to start right, you both need to be starting on the same page.
This is especially important if you want to work with the virtual assistant on an ongoing basis, it's not enough that the price is right, it's also important that you both click.
Always remember; a virtual assistant can save you money, but more importantly, they should save you time, effort and unnecessary hassle. At the end of the day that's the whole point of hiring a virtual assistant, to reduce your workload and free you from all those day-to-day chores allowing you to focus exclusively on what you do best.
Virtual assistance can help with everything from simple administrative or clerical duties such as data entry or handling calls and emails, to managing your company's marketing campaigns, generating leads for your business or boosting your company's online presence. VAs can be hired on a semi-permanent or per-project basis, allowing for greater flexibility. And since the work is carried out by independent contractors, rather than employees, overheads are reduced drastically.
No wonder, then, that virtual assistant services are so popular right now, with new virtual assistant practices opening on a daily basis to meet the ever-growing demand. As with any growing industry, of course, there's a lot of bandwagon hoppers out there and, as a result, not all companies are created equally; price and quality can vary dramatically, so you will need to shop around to find the virtual assistant practice that suits your needs.
Choosing the right VA for your Business
In order to find the right virtual assistant you need to first think about what your exact requirements are. Do you want one person or a team? Is it for a one-off project or do you require services on an ongoing basis? Is the work generalized or specialized? Do you need the person or persons to be close by or can they work remotely? And, if working remotely, do you think the time difference will be an important factor?
You will also need to think carefully, in advance, about what your goals and objectives are and, of course, you'll also want to consider what your budget is. All of these will greatly influence your choice of VA.
Be sure, also, to check online and do a little background research. For starters you should check out their reputation via Google and check out their social networking profiles. If you are hiring via a freelance website or similar marketplaces be sure to check out their reputation. Look at their website - does it look professional or shoddy? All together this will give an overview of the virtual assistant you wish to do business with and help you determine how well established their business is.
Ultimately the person you hire should be someone you trust with your business, someone who is professional and reliable, who fits your budget and who understands your needs perfectly.
Which brings me onto my next point...
Communication is Key
Once you make contact it's important that you take the time to explain what your exact requirements are and ask all your key questions up front. If you are not sure about any aspect of the outsourcing process it's crucial that you ask.
Remember; there are no stupid questions. Different virtual assistants will often have different ways of working so the more questions you ask up-front the easier it is to determine whether or not they are the right fit for your business. Be sure and discuss things such as work practices, the nature of the work itself, what your goals and objectives are, things like milestones, if any, and, of course, most crucial of all, the matter of price and payment.
Another important consideration is the so-called "lost in translation" factor, i.e. language and cultural factors which can often lead to misunderstandings. Even if you are both speaking the same language in a literal sense, you still need to make sure you're speaking the same language work-wise and business-wise. In order to start right, you both need to be starting on the same page.
This is especially important if you want to work with the virtual assistant on an ongoing basis, it's not enough that the price is right, it's also important that you both click.
Always remember; a virtual assistant can save you money, but more importantly, they should save you time, effort and unnecessary hassle. At the end of the day that's the whole point of hiring a virtual assistant, to reduce your workload and free you from all those day-to-day chores allowing you to focus exclusively on what you do best.
At Virtual Assistant At Work.com we will answer all your questions and explain to you how you can save time, effort and money by hiring a professional virtual assistant. Find out how you can hire a virtual assistant today.
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