How to Find the Perfect Fit for a Virtual Assistant
August 19, 2010 by Lisa S. · Leave a Comment
The idea of a virtual assistant is to take away the headaches that you may be having with your business. This may begin with some of the extra work that you have, and may even move into implementing website designs. If you want to make sure that you find the right virtual assistant, you will want to make sure that they have the qualities you need in order to function at their best.
Just like a job interview, you want to make sure that a virtual assistant is presentable and professional in what they do. Even if they are doing work behind the scenes, they are representing your business. Because of this, you should examine their manners and professionalism before you hire them. If you are unsure of how to begin, there are several practical things to look into.
A virtual assistant will begin their presentation virtually. This means that any virtual assistant will have a website. You will want to make sure the website is organized, presentable, and informational on who they are and what they do. The website is their first presentation, and often times reflect their personality.
From here, you will want to meet with the virtual assistant, or at least call them, to make sure that they are a good fit. By simply putting together some questions about what you need, you will be able to see if the virtual assistant will work for you. They should be able to consult with you at a professional level. Everything from answering the phone properly to providing you with quality answers is important. This includes everything from confidence to articulation in the conversation.
Of course, you will also want to make sure that your virtual assistant has the proper experience. This begins with education, but can also include a variety of other things. There are virtual assistant certifications that are available for serious businesses. Even if they are just starting out, this will help them to show they are professional. They should also have some knowledge or association with the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce.
If you want to make sure that your virtual assistant will work well for you and present the company in a professional manner, then you will also want to make sure that they are confident, articulate and experienced with what they are doing. This will give you the ability to find someone who you know will work well with what you provide.
Studying the Math: Credibility of a Virtual Assistant
August 17, 2010 by Lisa S. · Leave a Comment
Just like a job interview, most business owners will want to examine the credibility of a virtual assistant before they decide to sign a contract with them. Just like a resume, most business owners will want to make sure that the credentials are available for the virtual assistant. This will help to define how good they will be for the work that you are asking them to do.
There are several ways to define the credibility of a virtual assistant. There are no set standards for an assistant, meaning that the number one credential should be in your confidence to have them do the work, and in their confidence to do the work effectively. Having the personality and understanding the vision should be one of the number one considerations for a virtual assistant.
Beyond this, there are a variety of possibilities for a virtual assistant. One of the growing credentials for an assistant is the certification for a virtual assistant. However, this is not a required credential. It will simply allow the virtual assistant to gain the knowledge that they need in order to expand their abilities. Some will, instead, have credibility related to schooling or certification from things such as computer programming. There is also the possibility that they belong to the Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce as a member, or the national and international associations. This will help you to define whether they are virtual assistants, and will help you to see their seriousness in their job.
One of the other determining options that you can look into is the years of experience that the virtual assistant has. You can expect that a smoother job is going to be done with someone who has at least five years of experience in what they are marketing. Unless you have worked with virtual assistants before and know that they can do the job by your standards without that much experience, it is best to make sure they have some experience.
If you want to make sure that your business has the best reputation, then you also want to make sure that you have the right person working for you on the pieces to the puzzle. Having a virtual assistant with the required credentials is one of the necessary parts to helping you put together the whole of your business.
Guidance to the Virtual World: Virtual Assistant Directories
It seems so simple to be in a traditional business world. You simply put an ad out for someone to fulfill a job position. One by one, you see who is most credible and confident for the position, eventually hiring the person of your choice. However, things are beginning to run differently, making it necessary to find different ways to find people.
If you are looking for a right hand person to help with the business, but have decided to go the nontraditional route of a virtual assistant, you will want to make sure that you know exactly where to go. The job interview for a virtual assistant is not located in an office, but is also located virtually, meaning that the way to find the assistance is different.
There are a few ways that you can find the right virtual assistant. The first is to look locally. This means that you can look at either Internet portals that advertise local companies with connections to websites. You can also look at other local directories that you know will have the right advertisements for you to find a virtual assistant. Most likely, virtual assistants who are working in the business individually will be listed through these different areas.
Another option that you can follow is to look at directories that have been made for virtual assistants that are qualified. The Virtual Assistants Chamber of Commerce is one specific area that has virtual assistant directories. In order to be listed in this directory, one will have to have a certain amount of experience and will also have to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Finding the right virtual assistant directories simply means looking into the most well known areas for virtual assistants. There are a variety of areas that are available, all which can help to get you to the right person. Going through a job interview virtually is what will help you to move into a nontraditional method of working with someone; virtually.
Here are just a few virtual assistant directories to get you started on the search for your perfect virtual assistant:
http://www.mediamage.com/va/
http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/directory/
http://www.virtualassistantforums.com/directory/
If you need help finding your perfect assistant, give us a call at 206.350.3504 for free 15 min consultation.
Getting the Help You Need Virtually: Defining a Virtual Assistant
For those who work hard in their company or personal life, you know that it is difficult to keep up with all of the routines. There are fifty million things to accomplish in one day with too little time and too few people to help. If you want to begin saving time, you can invest in a virtual assistant. This will help you to take some of the extra things off of your plate.
A virtual assistant is someone that is hired to a company or an individual on contract. Most likely, they will be hired by a variety of people or areas that need extra help in order to hold together the details of the company. Most virtual assistants will work in a variety of job positions, from administrative to technical to creative.
Most likely, a virtual assistant will advertise themselves in an area of expertise. For example, some assistants will simply focus on creating technical contracts with others. Most likely, these assistants will be focused on designing websites for you, as well as maintaining the website or database after it has been finished. The job description that a virtual assistant writes for themselves is dependent on the angle that they focus on for gaining clients.
One of the benefits of being or working with a virtual assistant is with the idea that they are virtual. This means that they will work for you from their own home office. This also means that they will work with a variety of companies. This allows you to only pay for the work that you need as well as find someone who will only do the extra tasks that you can’t seem to fulfill.
If you need an extra helping hand, the place to turn to is a virtual assistant. This particular contracted job is an easy way to get the extra work load taken care of. By getting a virtual assistant, you will be able to keep your business flowing without having to do the extra work or hire another full time employee. A virtual assistant is one who can ensure that the loose ends are tied together.
Contact Us Today at 206.350.3504 For a FREE 30 Min Consultation!
Taking the Next Call: Virtual Assistants as Administrative Assistants
Your schedule is busy and hectic. Not only is it busy, but it is becoming even more stressful. You have fifty things to do in one day, but most of the time, these are interrupted by talking on the phone or having to take in service calls. Happy with the problem, you decide that it is time to expand.
In your expansion, you look at the option of hiring an administrative assistant. However, this takes paperwork, the need to have someone in an office space all of the time, and complicated factors, such as payroll. An alternative that seems to be more effective is a virtual assistant. By doing this, you will have the ability to get all of the administration taken care of, without having to worry about hiring an actual employee.
The ability to use a virtual assistant as an administrative assistant is as simple as making sure that there is an understanding of the vision of your business. A virtual assistant will be able to take in all of the calls that you need, answer e-mails, send faxes, and do any type of secretariat work that you did. They can also do some of the simpler tasks, such as keep track of appointments and pick up the mail so that you don’t have to worry about it. This way, you don’t have to worry about any of the administrative needs and can simply focus on offering services.
One of the important parts to keep in mind about hiring a virtual assistant as an administrative assistant is that there will be an expectation to create a partnership. This is because the virtual assistant, while working remotely, will be working continuously with you. This is an important thing to keep in mind, especially if you are looking for administrative duties that include more personal needs, such as handling reservations and appointments.
If you want to take out the small stuff for your daily schedule, then finding a virtual assistant is a good key. This will allow you and your business to take a step up without the problem of being scattered because of the lack of time. If you want someone who will offer you the best of an office without an office, a virtual assistant is the one who can put in the paperwork for you.
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