What is a virtual assistant (VA) anyway? A virtual assistant is a professional, who like you, has decided to go into business for his or her-self. VA’s are technically savvy individuals who provide their own office equipment and offer services they are highly skilled at and trained in. Their goal is to offer valuable skills and excellent project results so that you can focus on what only you can do best. drivingschoolintoronto
Why can’t you just hire temp help? Sure, you could, but wouldn’t you rather have someone dedicated to helping your business succeed? By engaging a VA, you are using the expertise of a business owner who can perform a range of sophisticated tasks and has the skills to get jobs done quickly and effectively. A VA already has all the training, software, equipment and office space required to start right away. There is no need to train and re-train a VA as you would with a temp or new hire. Also, when you hire people you pay them for more than their time. You pay for their personal calls, internet surfing and coffee breaks whether you acknowledge this or not.
The best ways to find a good VA are by referral or finding one who is a member of a larger virtual assistance organization, such as the International Association of Virtual Assistants . VA’s who are active in industry-specific organizations tend to have more resources available to them to get a job done well. Also, additional certifications, such as QuickBooks Pro Advisor, can help indicate the credibility of a VA.
When first contacting a VA, instead of e-mail being your first contact, invest the time in calling that person. When you have them on the phone, ask a few questions about their experience, familiarity with the project you have in mind, availability, and most importantly, who will do the work. Some VA’s work in a team. If the work is going to a team member, ask about the qualifications of that person. It is essential to build trust and a solid rapport with your VA since this could become a lasting relationship. Always keep in mind; your VA wants your business to be more successful. The more they are kept informed of goals, the more input and suggestions they can provide, and the more they can make your life easier! temp-mail
By turning over administrative tasks such as following up with clients or contacts, you free yourself to work on projects only you can do. A VA can track your sales and leads, and then provide you with the final reports for you to act on in that great way only you can do. Or, if you are expanding your business and don’t have the time to spend doing research or interviewing vendors, hand that over so that you can work at a higher level. Don’t create your own stress by taking on more than you have to do. Let your VA take on tasks you can delegate so that you can soar along with your business!
