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The perfect office help

Virtual Assistant: the Ultimate Guide to Finding, Hiring and Working with Virtual Assistants, by Nick Loper

WHAT would you be prepared to do to regain control of your life at a surprisingly low cost?

If you have never considered a virtual assistant (VA,) it might well be worth your while to do so. A VA is someone who works for you remotely.

In our connected, global society with relatively low telecommunications costs, a VA can assistant you from almost everywhere, with almost anything that does not require a physical presence. Having a VA is a way of doing what needs to be done more effectively than you could have managed yourself.

VAs come in three types: the task-based, the project-based, and the virtual employee.

A task-based assistant usually sells a monthly package that includes a set number of requests. These could be arranging meetings or adding contact addresses.

A project-based virtual assistant is usually a freelance contractor who helps you with a one-time project. You might need a website designed, some articles written, or an iPhone app programmed. The big projects attract more money and require a more careful review of the candidate.

A virtual employee is a part-time or full-time worker in the business. They resemble an in-house employee, except that they work remotely.

“I had trust issues over letting someone new into my operation and trade secrets,” Confesses the author, Nick Loper. “I thought whoever I hired would do poor quality work - or worse - copy my idea!” 

In the nine years he has used outsourced part- or full-time VAs, he has “never once had this be an issue”. If you have concerns about letting a stranger see your trade secrets, you can always insist on a non-disclosure or non-compete agreement.

With a home-based VA, the only security you have is a person’s integrity. However, an unreliable individual is as likely to reside at the end of your corridor as on the other side of the world.

There is always a need to interview the candidates, and technology has made this easier. You could confirm the person’s credentials on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter by what other people say about them. Then there is always Skype for the face-to-face interview. It is on Skype that you can uncover any potential language barriers and misunderstandings.

Interviewing candidates for a VA position is no different to interviewing an in-house candidate.  VAs are best used for work that can be broken down into specific activities. They, too, can be given tasks to perform to see how well they execute on these tasks, exactly as you would with an in-house candidate.

Bargain candidates not necessarily the best

The rule that “you get what you pay for” generally applies, so hire the best talent you can afford. That is not to imply that there are not any high-value, bargain VAs on the market.

What should you outsource first? You would need to “know yourself,” what you are good at and what you dislike, what makes you money, and what does not. Start with those chores you do not enjoy, and from which you do not make money. Outsourcing is about using resources efficiently.

The author reports that he spent "a week tracking how I spent my time. I wrote down each activity and the amount of time I spent on it. Try it for a day; you might be surprised with the results.” This is a good way to identify what should be outsourced. He lists 168 items.

The debate in the field is about using an agency or going directly to a home-based VA. An agency is clearly preferable in the case of tasks that are intermittent, and time-based. An agency will employ a number of people who are available; a home-based VA may not always be available. If you are employing a full- or half-day VA, the only advantage is the security of tenure, which is in your hands.

The book lists many sites for home-based VAs as well as agencies. There are a number of South African agencies, but they tend to specialise in telephone answering and transcription. Distance is not a problem as location is virtually irrelevant.

It undoubtedly takes time to hire and train a new VA, but it takes as much time to do so with a person who will sit in your office. With a VA, by contrast, you will not be paying for space, nor for a computer. VAs are not only able to perform basic tasks; they can as easily be engaged to do research and develop a marketing plan.

The only difference is the time spent on the training which, if you intend a long-term relationship, is worth the effort.

“If a virtual assistant can save you even an hour a day wouldn’t that be worthwhile?” asks Loper. It is a question worth considering.

Readability:     Light +---- Serious
Insights:        High ---+- Low
Practical:        High -+--- Low

 - Fin24

*Ian Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy and is the author of Strategy that Works. Views expressed are his own.

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