A virtual assistant carries out the same role as a traditional administration assistant; however the person fulfilling the role no longer has to be physically present in the office (or home, if you’re a working from home type).
Employing a virtual assistant (VA) is ideal for when you need administration tasks to be carried out and don’t have the time (or patience) to do them yourself, for example responding to enquiries, updating social media or keeping on top of your website.
Administration tasks can be time-consuming and can take you away from your day-to-day business, which is where the money is made.
VAs specialise in an endless list of tasks relating to business management , such as:
Do some research about the recommended VAs and their past work in order to narrow your options down to a shortlist of candidates. Once you have this shortlist you can arrange Skype interviews to get to know the person better. It is fine to take this opportunity to ask for samples of work and referrals.
Once you have found your VA it is perfectly acceptable to set up a trial period of working to see how the arrangement suits you both. You might find that there is more work than you anticipated that you can pass on to the VA or alternatively you might find that this method of working does not suit you.
Now that you have your VA in place make sure you are clear about your expectations, deadlines and deliverables. Remember – you’re a client now, and you don’t want to be a terrible client, do you?
Pingback: How to work with a Virtual Assistant – new story on Freelance Advisor | Job for freelancers, outsource firms and local workers.