How to Choose the Right Virtual Assistant

By Crystal Redhad-Gould

As with almost anything, all Virtual Assistants are not created equal. Unfortunately many small business owners have had to learn this the hard way. Virtual Assistants come in all shapes and sizes. There are those who are new to this industry and while that may not be a bad thing you certainly do not want to be stuck paying someone to learn on the job.

I have outlined some steps that you can take to help you find the right match for your business.

Put your tasks on paper.
Spend a few days writing the tasks that you do daily. Go over the list and check off the ones that need to be delegated to your Virtual Assistant. You may hesitant to delegate your task but remember the more tasks you assign the more time you will have to dedicate to revenue producing tasks.

Consider your budget.
Now that you have outlined your tasks, you need to work out an estimate of the time required to get the tasks completed. Once this is done you can now look at your budget in order to shortlist proposals for your tasks. Virtual Assistant services range from $25-140 per hour. Rates are based on the level of experience and type of skill required. Administrative tasks fall in the range of $25 to $55.00 per hour. When looking at proposals remember you get what you pay for, so do not be tempted to go with a proposal just because the cost of service is the lowest.

Professionalism
What was your first impression of the Virtual Assistant? Did she have a professional website? Was the proposal presentable? Were your questions answered in a timely manner? How were you greeted for the first conversation? Pay close attention to the manner in which the virtual assistant presents herself and her business; remember she will be a representative for your company.

Services Offered
Sometimes you will be required to hire multiple virtual assistants in order to meet the variety of skills required to operate your business. For example you may need to hire a Virtual Assistant for bookkeeping, one for marketing and one for administrative functions. You can save a lot of time by hiring a virtual assistant who offers a variety of services. Many virtual assistants work as a team or outsource work in order to offer multiple services to their clients. Also consider the length of time the virtual assistant has been doing the tasks that you need done.

Organization
You may want to ask your Virtual Assistant about her work style. How does she keep organized? Will she be able to meet your deadlines? Handle your tasks in addition to those of her other clients? You may want to discuss the importance of priorities and deadlines.

Technology
Working virtually is all about technology. What software is required to efficiently get your tasks completed? You need to ensure that your virtual assistant is proficient with the software required. You also need to ensure that you are using the same versions of the software in order to facilitate file sharing. Many virtual assistants will suggest additional software that can be used to make the job easier on both of you, pay attention to this.

Work Times
When do you need your virtual assistant to be available? This is necessary for tasks that you may need done at specific times, eg, answering incoming calls etc. Ensure that your virtual assistant is available at those times to prevent surprises later on.

Personality
I have found that I work best with clients who have a similar personality to mine. Again I will emphasize the importance of discussing work styles. You will want to ensure that your work styles and personalities complement each other. This facilitates a tension free and cooperative environment.

References
Ask the virtual assistant to provide you with a few people that she has worked with in the past.

Non-Disclosure
Be sure that your virtual assistant is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your trade secrets.

Hiring a virtual assistant is one of the best decisions that you can make for your business. Know that finding the right one takes time and effort and though you may not get it right the first time, keep trying, ask around and you'll eventually find the right match for you.
To your business success!

(c) Five Star Executives. All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Crystal Redhead-Gould is the managing principal of Five Star Executives a Virtual Assistant Practice that specializes in Internet Marketing and Graphic Design. She is a pioneer for Virtual Assisting in the Caribbean. She serves as President of the Caribbean Association of Virtual Assistants. Crystal draws on over 15 years of experience in the industry and seeks to help small and medium sized businesses with their marketing tools in order to increase profits.

Crystal is a frequent speaker at small business forums across the Caribbean. She is also author of Unwritten Rules: Become an In Demand Virtual Executive. Feel free to visit her online at http://www.fivestarexecutives.com or pop in on the Caribbean forum at http://www.caribbeanassist.com