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

Real Or Virtual Love - Do More Good Or Harm?

By Liliana Weston

Love on the net? What do you think? You must heard miscellaneous stories about online dating which also been known as cyber love since the rising of the internet. It’s suddenly affects our culture in a very short time and has given millions of people new opportunities to find love in ways never before possible. Talk show hype over cyberspace love encounters and movie You’ve Got Mail have popularized the romantic potential of the internet. There’s nothing not right about internet relationship but you still have to beware of irresponsible addicted net people who is always take an advantage from the flexibility of the net. The process of an online relationship, however, is very different from real time dating processes. The online environment is, by its very nature, restrictive. For new internet users, the online culture shock can be daunting.

In this unique new dating world, the most important thing to consider is what happens when two strangers perceive each other as a friend. Many choose anonymity of meeting electronically thinking the distance provides a cushioning from the usual pains of the relationship. Is this true?
Maybe you have the answers for this question. How does cyber romance vary from a real life romance? Perhaps one significant difference is that communication plays such a large part.
Words that convey feelings have enormous effect. On the Internet, interaction is limited to typed words. Tone, emotion, voice, appearance, and inferences are all imagined to help construct understanding. All too often, the image of the perfect mate is projected, and transferred. What appears to be the perfect soul mate is actually an illusion.

But why cyber love? Whatever the opinion maybe on cyber love - it must be said in favor of the internet that it puts people in touch with people that otherwise would never have met. How can true love develop merely on an intellectual level, which is without the physical attraction, the familiarity of the other’s appearance? To put it another way; is the physical appearance of the man or woman plays a part in the relationship if through the exchange of thoughts and feelings they already fell in love?

Many say it is against the nature of love to be deprived of the sense of sight, the look, the movement, the body language being present. There are those, of course, who favor internet relationships claiming that the intensity of the emotional relationships claiming that the intensity of the emotional relationship that develops in such a way is superior to the mere stirring of the flesh.

The internet relationships are real enough the invisibility of the partner must be counter somehow and this results in generous doses of fantasizing for some people. Sometimes, there are those who easily lend themselves to daydreaming and loose their sense of reality. These people are prone to adorn their love one with characteristics and appearance of a hero from a novel. It is difficult to escape from this dream back into reality unharmed. After the first kiss the prince turns into a frog and the story comes to an unexpected conclusion.

Another complication of Internet dating is the use of the Internet as an escape. The Internet can become a fantastic and unreal world. Online, we are who we say we are, if only for a few hours.
This escape from reality, however, makes online dating more difficult. Internet relationships should be considered incomplete relationships. A person who desires to meet potential mates online must be prepared to meet off line as well. After all, humans are based in real world situations. It is impossible to experience the entirety of another individual through a screen and keyboard.

Indeed, there are successes from online romances. I read of several couples that met online and now happily married. For those who fail, whether in real life or cyber space, there is a real pain and disappointment that accompanies love or what was presumed as loved. What kind of relationship, it requires work, dedication and reality, as do real time-originated relationships.

The Internet has its share of love and heartache. With so many people using the Internet, chances are great that you will find your mate, provided you use common sense, a lot of patience, and a willingness to take a budding online relationship into the real world. Whatever happens whether in real life or cyber space is all in your own hand. So do use internet wisely!

Lily Weston is currently an author/infopreneur in her blog http://www.luckylily.com - sharing thoughts and insight on relationship, romance and love with hope to help men and women getting over their daily relationship difficulties.

Smiling in a Virtual World

By Denise Willms

I have a sign by my phone that reads, "Smile with your voice." It's true. Callers really can hear if you're smiling. Don't believe me? Practice saying your phone greeting with a smile, and then without. Which version is the image you want to project? More importantly, which version projects the image your clients will buy?

What Your Smile Says About You
When you work virtually, good communication is essential. Phone impressions in any business need to be professional, courteous, and welcoming. But in a virtual business, your phone impression is not only important - it’s vital to your success. Since your client may never meet you in person, a virtual business owner must ensure all communication projects a positive company image. When you communicate in person, your listener responds not just to your words, but to your appearance, facial expressions, and body language. On the telephone, your listener depends solely on your voice for these nonverbal cues. A smile in your voice conveys confidence, professionalism, and an appreciation for the person on the other end of the line.

Smiles Are Communication Magic
Try this experiment: Smile at someone, even a stranger, and odds are you'll find them smiling back at you. Smiling has the same effect in telephone communication. Smiles, including phone smiles, are contagious. Your caller will pick up on your smile and start smiling too. You'll hear it in his voice and sense the difference in his mood. It's pretty hard to argue with someone when you're smiling! Ultimately, your smile will improve your communication with your client.

A Smile Can Increase Your Sales
Callers regularly tell me, "I love calling you because you always sound so cheerful." Your phone greeting tells your caller if the rest of what you have to say is even worth listening to. If you don’t immediately make a potential client feel glad she called, it may not matter what else you say.

Here's an example: I dread calling my doctor, and not just because it means my children are sick. His office assistant answers in a monotone and I can't help wondering if my phone call is interrupting her work. On the other hand, I look forward to calling my daughter's orthodontist. His office assistant always answers with a smile and makes me feel like she's been looking forward to my phone call all day. I suddenly don't mind spending hundreds of dollars on my daughter's teeth. Well, I don't mind as much.

I don't choose doctors or orthodontists by how their phones are answered because telephone communication plays a small part in our relationship. In a virtual business, though, telephone communication is fundamental to your client relationships. Potential clients will choose to call or not call you because of how you sound on the phone.

Only the Real Thing

A word of caution though - a genuine smile will make the world a brighter place, but a fake smile will usually create the opposite reaction. Most people can spot and hear a forced smile, which may give rise to feelings of distrust. If you’re having trouble generating a genuine grin, come up with some ways to get your real smile started.

Before I answer the phone, I take a deep breath and focus my attention on the person who's calling me. I remind myself they’ve chosen to call me, and that already makes me feel like smiling. Try thinking of a humorous anecdote, something you're feeling happy about, or anything else that makes you want to smile. Take a deep breath, smile, and pick up the phone. Make your client glad they called.

Denise Willms,a homeschooling mom of two, helps her clients get targeted traffic to their websites by writing articles and press releases. Subscribe to her newsletter, WAHM-Articles Ezine, and receive 105 Power Tips to Get Your Online Business Noticed and Profiting.