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Small Business Articles from Make-it-Fly®
 How
to Choose the Right Virtual Assistant for Your
Business
By Victoria Munro
Printable version
Before you talk to
prospective virtual assistants, be prepared.
Consider the following:
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What
are your short- and long-term business goals? |
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How
do you envision a partnership with a virtual assistant
(VA)? |
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What
type(s) of work do you want a VA to do for you?
(During an interview, a VA should be able to give
you some ideas on how these tasks will be handled
to ease your workload.) |
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When
do you need your VA to be available to you—regular
business hours or flexible hours? |
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Can
all of your business support requirements be fulfilled
without meeting with your VA physically, or do you
have needs that require a local VA? |
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What
are the computer systems and applications you frequently
|
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Is
your style collaborative or are you more of a lone
wolf? (Since lone wolves find it difficult to delegate,
a VA can make suggestions for easier delegation.) |
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What
does a virtual assistant need to understand about
working with you? |
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·How
much energy and time are you willing to invest in
this relationship? |
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What
is your budget for a VA? Understand how each VA
you interview charges and invoices for her/his services. |
Before interviewing potential
candidates, make a list of your ideal VA qualities,
abilities, knowledge and characteristics. “Grade”
each VA interviewee according to this list as well as
the above-mentioned areas. Let your gut guide you in
the final decision.
Always, always, always check
references, and be ready to provide your references
to VAs who ask for them.
Use a VA to your maximum advantage
by helping her to understand what your goals are, and
how she can help you get organized and assist you in
achieving them. Those ideas, projects and stacks can
quickly and easily start to dissolve if you communicate
with and delegate to your VA. Should you need an expert
in a certain area, most VAs are well prepared with additional
resources to get things done.
Virtual assistants can perform and
provide resources for a wide range of services, some
of which are:
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Data
entry. |
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Database
management. |
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Marketing
assistance—writing, marketing collateral development. |
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Contact
management and appointment scheduling. |
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Bookkeeping,
bill paying and collections. |
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Travel
and event planning. |
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Customer
service. |
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Preparation
of press releases, presentations and newsletters. |
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Website
setup and maintenance. |
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Corporate
gift buying. |
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Some
VAs even run errands. |
(414 words)
© 2005-2007 Victoria Munro.
Click here
for printable version.
About the Author: Victoria Munro is
co-founder (along with husband Dave Block) of Make-it-Fly®
LLC, a company dedicated to creating success for
small-business owners through creatively designed programs
and tools. Victoria has started and run nine different
businesses. To receive FREE business success articles
with tips to help you with your business, sign up for
their award-winning ezine, “In-Flight Refueling,”
at: www.Make-it-Fly.com,
and receive a free copy of the eBook, Get
More Done in Less Time: 101 Quick and Easy Time Tactics
& Tips.
You’re welcome to “reprint”
this article in your ezine, print publication
or on your website, as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the “about the author”
info at the end). Please send a copy of your reprint
to info@make-it-fly.com.
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