Are you running out of time, energy, blew up a business deal and cannot even have that dream vacation you are dying to have because you were not able to juggle and manage your schedule accordingly?
Thinking of hiring your first ever virtual assistant but are having doubts of what a VA (Virtual Assistant) can do to help you drop some workload off your shoulder?
Million dollar question is: How am I going to choose a qualified Virtual Assistant?
Remember, it is called virtual assistant because everything is done virtually. No physical office. All instructions are done through emails and phone calls (mobile phone, landline or internet (pc-to-pc or pc-phone) like Skype, VoIP and others. Or, if the client has a virtual office, then tasks and instructions are done from there.
Before you jostle your way through websites and call a virtual assistant company to help you find a reliable and qualified VA, you should already have a bulleted list of questions for the interview and tasks your VA will be doing on a daily basis to help you with your business according to your need and requirement.
Filter the applicants by:
- Proficiency, skills and multi-tasking capability.
- Years in his/her field of expertise e.g. as executive assistant, telemarketer, graphic artist, Web designer, programmer, SEO, medical transcriptionist, article writer, blogger, etc.
- Does the applicant have a website? Check it out. This will help in your decision making.
- From which country you want your VA to be. (keep in mind of the time zone as this is a big factor and might work against you, though most VAs time are flexible).
- Professionalism.
- The hourly rate or per project rate you are willing to pay.
- Specify if task is project base, short term or for long term business.
Tasks, mode of communication and working time:
- Write a detailed job description.
- Are you looking for someone who is excellent in Graphic design, Telemarketing, Bookkeeping, SEO, Web design for your business?
- Are the tasks and instructions relayed through email, IM or phone? Choose the mode of communication that works best.
- Determine the number of hours a day, number of days a week and what time shall your assistant start and end his/her work will for you.
- Set deadline for tasks.
Make your choice:
After a thorough interview and a bit of getting to know you, choose the one who you feel meets your expectation and can do the tedious job for you.
CONTRACT SIGNED AND SEAL:
- Once you have chosen the right VA for you, a contract will be signed by both parties indicating the number of hours per day, the hourly rate and the terms of payment.
- A trial period can be stipulated in the contract. Service can be terminated anytime if the independent contractor did not meet the expectation of the client.
