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Suggest You - How to Hire a Virtual Assistant: Your 10-Step Guide to Finding the Perfect Fit
Consistent internet marketing...Consistently marketing a product or service on the internet requires discipline of the utmost consideration. One involved in a home based business venture possesses the ability to work on projects at their leisure; however, one often falls prey to the incessant lure of the TV or sofa, and in turn...is doomed to fail.Home based business is effective when proceeded with much like a "normal" job. Consistent working hours, a business plan, strategies implemented for success...and most of all...the disciplined mindset...is required to be a successful independent entrepreneur.One must be ever diligent in the desire for success, if that success is to be had. The tendency to "kick back" is often the forewarning of disaster for the home based business entrepreneur.Some of the ways to prevent such an occurrence is to be dogged in determination...never quit...consistently work towards the goal desired...always have fun while marketing...create a positive working environment...and have faith that all will work out as intended.This is an all inclusive statement about visualization marketing.Visualization marketing...simply put...is visualizing what one desires to accomplish in life. This art...when properly pursued...lends the home based business entrepreneur great chances of success.Motivation to succeed should be par
During the consultation, some things the Virtual Assistant should cover with you include:
A clear overview of how she works with clients;
What her processes are;
What services she provides (and doesn't provide); and
What her values and expectations are for working together.
4. Personal & Professional Traits. Listen for the cues that tell you this is someone you can rely on and form an excellent business relationship with. How smartly the VA handles her business is going to directly correlate with how well she handles your work. Some things you should
Recently, Ive written some articles blasting customer service units that dont provide service.I chronicle how I havent been able to get a capable service technician out to repair a brand new clothes dryer, and were going on three weeks, two missed appointments, and about eight loads of laundry that had to be transported and then retrieved several miles away, just so I could use them.I mentioned that there are ten major LIES that service folks tell, ranging from Your call is important to us, to Im the supervisor.I earn a living training service folks and their managers to be better in their occupations, so you might expect me to not bite the hand that feeds me; to be respectfully silent about corporate miscues.But Im not, because Im an observant and vocal CONSUMER, as well, and I never forget this fact. Im the one who not only trains the mutual fund financial reps to sound better, to make calls more succinct, to answer more calls in less time and to be more helpful and efficient.I am the one who calls in for my account balances, asks about distributions, and requests missing statements for my accountant.Im acutely aware of my dual roles, but why arent others, consultants or not, more vocal about the shameful service theyre getting?One answer dawned on me.They feel they have no moral ground upon which to complain when other companies are
These days, outsourcing your administrative work to a Virtual Assistant (or VA) makes it very easy to get just the amount of support you need without the expense of costly in-house staff. But how do you find a highly skilled, truly qualified Virtual Assistant? Below are some practical points to consider and questions to ask as you go about the selection process.
1. Website. Since Virtual Assistants operate virtually, its important they have an online presence. A website can yield critical clues as to the VA's competence and professionalism. As you look through the website, ask yourself:
Does it present a polished, credible business image?
Is there an abundance of informative content?
Is the concept clearly explained?
Is it organized well and easy to navigate?
Is it well-written and coherent?
Is there a solid command of grammar, spelling and punctuation?
If the VA's site is littered with misspelling, improperly structured sentencing and incorrect punctuation, dont expect that she is going to provide you with any greater skill or attention to detail should you decide to work with her.
And if it looks like she put little thought, time or money into presenting her business image, or had her 14 year old kid brother throw it together one Sunday, chances are she isn't serious about her business, and is not going to put any more care into the work she does for you.
2. Consultation. You naturally want to find a Virtual Assistant you can work with well, and whose personality and style is compatible with yours. You also want to gain some insight into whether this is a person offering the skills, service and expertise you need.
Once you find a site that instills confidence, have a conversation with that Virtual Assistant. Most Virtual Assistants offer a complimentary consultation, and all it takes is a simple email or phone call to schedule one. In making initial contact, some things to note include:
Does she respond to your inquiries in a timely manner?
Does she answer the phone professionally?
Are there kids and noise in the background?
Is she on time for the call?
Does she seem prepared or unexpectedly flustered?
Does she follow-through exactly as promised?
3. Finesse. How well the Virtual Assistant guides you through the consultation process can tell you a lot about what it will be like to work with her. Not only do you want a Virtual Assistant who can provide superior quality work, but you also want someone who demonstrates excellent business sense, especially since she will be instrumental in helping you in your business.
During the consultation, some things the Virtual Assistant should cover with you include:
A clear overview of how she works with clients;
What her processes are;
What services she provides (and doesn't provide); and
What her values and expectations are for working together.
4. Personal & Professional Traits. Listen for the cues that tell you this is someone you can rely on and form an excellent business relationship with. How smartly the VA handles her business is going to directly correlate with how well she handles your work. Some things you should
Step One - Plan:Most people spend more time planning a one to two week vacation than they do planning their lifetime career. When planning for a vacation, you look at where you want to go, what your reason is for wanting to go to that particular place, how long it will take to get there, whether or not you want to take any side trips, what type of budget you will need, and what type of clothes you will need to take. You may also speak with people who have been there to find out a little more about the destination and activities or do some research on the internet or at the library or a travel agency.It is important to do the same type of planning for a career. You need to take a look at where you want to go and how you are going to get there. You will need to look at: whether or not you need post-secondary education or some type of training. How long will it take you to get the skills you need? What is the best way to get these skills? What kind of money do you require for the life style you want? Think about whether or not you know anyone who is currently working in this field or if you know anyone who knows anyone working in this field. Where else can you go to find out more information?If you are still in school, speak to a guidance counsellor and ask for information. You can also do informational interviews with people working in the field you are interested in. A
Does it present a polished, credible business image?
Is there an abundance of informative content?
Is the concept clearly explained?
Is it organized well and easy to navigate?
Is it well-written and coherent?
Is there a solid command of grammar, spelling and punctuation?
If the VA's site is littered with misspelling, improperly structured sentencing and incorrect punctuation, dont expect that she is going to provide you with any greater skill or attention to detail should you decide to work with her.
And if it looks like she put little thought, time or money into presenting her business image, or had her 14 year old kid brother throw it together one Sunday, chances are she isn't serious about her business, and is not going to put any more care into the work she does for you.
2. Consultation. You naturally want to find a Virtual Assistant you can work with well, and whose personality and style is compatible with yours. You also want to gain some insight into whether this is a person offering the skills, service and expertise you need.
Once you find a site that instills confidence, have a conversation with that Virtual Assistant. Most Virtual Assistants offer a complimentary consultation, and all it takes is a simple email or phone call to schedule one. In making initial contact, some things to note include:
Does she respond to your inquiries in a timely manner?
Does she answer the phone professionally?
Are there kids and noise in the background?
Is she on time for the call?
Does she seem prepared or unexpectedly flustered?
Does she follow-through exactly as promised?
3. Finesse. How well the Virtual Assistant guides you through the consultation process can tell you a lot about what it will be like to work with her. Not only do you want a Virtual Assistant who can provide superior quality work, but you also want someone who demonstrates excellent business sense, especially since she will be instrumental in helping you in your business.
During the consultation, some things the Virtual Assistant should cover with you include:
A clear overview of how she works with clients;
What her processes are;
What services she provides (and doesn't provide); and
What her values and expectations are for working together.
4. Personal & Professional Traits. Listen for the cues that tell you this is someone you can rely on and form an excellent business relationship with. How smartly the VA handles her business is going to directly correlate with how well she handles your work. Some things you should
It can be so frustrating when you get a number of people that volunteer to do something and they do not do it and it lands right back in your lap. Volunteer organizations are not the only ones to have such a problem; it exists in many businesses today. I worked for one of the top five companies in North America and part of my job was to gather information from various sources. I would ask at meetings for someone to forward the information to me and often got parts of what I needed from a variety of people. About eighty percent of the volunteers would get the information to me by the deadline I set. The others invariably let me down and I had to chase them for the information. We all have things we do not like to do and this puts us at risk for procrastinating about completing the task and perhaps letting someone else down by not doing it.Do not put yourself into the shoes of not doing what you said you would do. Take the time to schedule it in, create a milestone and reduce the risk of not completing the task. Once it is in your calendar, you will see it and you may be prompted to finish it off. No matter what you do, you are still building business relationships whether they are internal or external to your company. Always complete what you say you will do and do it in a timely fashion.Volunteer to work on projects that can expand your expertise and further your knowledge. Avoid volunteerin
2. Consultation. You naturally want to find a Virtual Assistant you can work with well, and whose personality and style is compatible with yours. You also want to gain some insight into whether this is a person offering the skills, service and expertise you need.
Once you find a site that instills confidence, have a conversation with that Virtual Assistant. Most Virtual Assistants offer a complimentary consultation, and all it takes is a simple email or phone call to schedule one. In making initial contact, some things to note include:
Does she respond to your inquiries in a timely manner?
Does she answer the phone professionally?
Are there kids and noise in the background?
Is she on time for the call?
Does she seem prepared or unexpectedly flustered?
Does she follow-through exactly as promised?
3. Finesse. How well the Virtual Assistant guides you through the consultation process can tell you a lot about what it will be like to work with her. Not only do you want a Virtual Assistant who can provide superior quality work, but you also want someone who demonstrates excellent business sense, especially since she will be instrumental in helping you in your business.
During the consultation, some things the Virtual Assistant should cover with you include:
A clear overview of how she works with clients;
What her processes are;
What services she provides (and doesn't provide); and
What her values and expectations are for working together.
4. Personal & Professional Traits. Listen for the cues that tell you this is someone you can rely on and form an excellent business relationship with. How smartly the VA handles her business is going to directly correlate with how well she handles your work. Some things you should
Reading an RFP from a new funder can leave you wondering what exactly they are looking for and how they want the application to be structured. Because you have never applied for this particular grant before and have no idea what works and what doesn't, completing the application can feel like a shot in the dark. An easy way to get a better idea of how to write your proposal is to read the successful grants of others.How can you get a copy of a past proposal? Its easy just ask! Federal and State agencies are required by law to make all funded proposals public information, so a simple phone call to the program officer should be enough to get ahold of a few proposals. If they resist, you may want to remind them they are legally obligated to share. If they resist further, you can file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which they will have to comply with.Foundations may share successful past proposals with you but they are not obligated to. If you run into resistance, do not push the issue. No need to get on their bad side before you even send in an application. Instead, do some detective work and look on their website for who they have funded in the past. Then contact those grant recipients directly to request a copy of their proposal. In most of my experiences, grant writers are more than happy to help each other out. If they are feeling extremely generous, they may even offer feed
Does she respond to your inquiries in a timely manner?
Does she answer the phone professionally?
Are there kids and noise in the background?
Is she on time for the call?
Does she seem prepared or unexpectedly flustered?
Does she follow-through exactly as promised?
3. Finesse. How well the Virtual Assistant guides you through the consultation process can tell you a lot about what it will be like to work with her. Not only do you want a Virtual Assistant who can provide superior quality work, but you also want someone who demonstrates excellent business sense, especially since she will be instrumental in helping you in your business.
During the consultation, some things the Virtual Assistant should cover with you include:
A clear overview of how she works with clients;
What her processes are;
What services she provides (and doesn't provide); and
What her values and expectations are for working together.
4. Personal & Professional Traits. Listen for the cues that tell you this is someone you can rely on and form an excellent business relationship with. How smartly the VA handles her business is going to directly correlate with how well she handles your work. Some things you should
So you've decided to run a print ad in your local newspaper. The paper may have even told you they could produce the artwork for you if you just tell them what should be in the ad. Problem is, you're not sure what should be in the ad.The first thing you need to do is answer the following question: What is your objective for the ad? You need to know what result you expect the ad to accomplish in order to determine what needs to go into the ad.Once you determine your objective (e.g. I want them to visit my store; I want them to call me for more information; I want them to take advantage of my promotion) you can decide what needs to be in the ad to successfully convince them to take this action.The problem I see with most ads is they lack focus. There is too much information and too much going on in the ad for the reader to be able to clearly understand the primary message the advertiser is trying to impart.Your goal should be to impart one SINGLE message. And that message should support your objective.Keep your ad simple and to the point. You can be creative, but make sure the reader clearly understands what you are selling, what you want them to do, and several ways they can take action (e.g. call, visit your store, visit your web site, email).(C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa
During the consultation, some things the Virtual Assistant should cover with you include:
A clear overview of how she works with clients;
What her processes are;
What services she provides (and doesn't provide); and
What her values and expectations are for working together.
4. Personal & Professional Traits. Listen for the cues that tell you this is someone you can rely on and form an excellent business relationship with. How smartly the VA handles her business is going to directly correlate with how well she handles your work. Some things you should pay attention to include:
Does she take the lead in guiding you through the consultation?
Is she confident and articulate?
Does she inspire feelings of trust?
Do you feel a good connection?
Does she interrupt often or listen carefully when you speak?
Does she exhibit interest and curiosity about your business?
Does she ask smart, purposeful questions?
5. Experience. Understand that the single-most important qualification of a Virtual Assistant is extensive administrative experience. From this level of experience, she is expected to possess the superior skills, training and business knowledge that are the hallmark of a truly qualified Virtual Assistant.
However, this is an unregulated industry, and while the veterans of us work to promote and maintain high standards, the Internet has nonetheless attracted a certain segment of individuals who have little to no qualifications or only entry-level skill sets that do not equip them to meet your very real and important business needs. Asking the prospective Virtual Assistant some of these questions will help you discern the difference:
What was your experience prior to opening your Virtual Assistant practice?
What positions have you held?
How many years administrative experience do you have?
How would you rate your skill level (you might ask this in reference to certain skills or software competencies relative to the services you need)?
How would you characterize your level of understanding with regard to business principles and operations?
Look for a Virtual Assistant who has worked in upper-level positions such as administrative assistant, executive assistant, office manager, legal secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, supervisor, manager, etc. Virtual Assistants whose only experience was in receptionist or clerical roles are not commonly going to have high-level skills and competencies.
Keep in mind that Virtual Assistants are independent professionals, not employees. Just as you would not ask an accountant, attorney or any other service professional for their resume, it is inappropriate to ask a Virtual Assistant for theirs, and the request would be considered ill-mannered. However, they should be prepared to discuss in a consultation with you their skill levels and qualifications as described above.
6. Training & Certification. The highest form of qualification, and what Virtual Assistants are expected to have before entering the profession, is at least five years upper-level administrative experience. Our training ground is the real (non-virtual) business world. If you are a business owner needing competent support from someone who can hit the ground running and take the reins as your administrative expert, you
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