Virtual Assistant: Questions and Answers
What's A Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant (VA) is an independent virtual office assistant who provides clerical, administrative, technical and personal support to clients from the VA’s remote virtual office. VA’s are very disciplined and able to work autonomously with minimal supervision. Virtual nature of business allows for flexibility to deliver products and services across a wide geographic area.
How Can A Virtual Assistant Help Me In My Business ?
In a nutshell, VA's free up your valuable time. By outsourcing routine office administration and personal tasks, you are able to focus on what you do best…marketing and growing your business - or simply enjoy the extra time to spend with family and/or pursue personal interests and hobbies.
How Do I Know If I Need a Virtual Assistant?
Are you disorganized or overwhelmed? Missing out on business opportunities? Not networking or marketing your business? Drowning in paperwork? Feeling frustrated trying to do it all? Procrastinating because you don’t know where to begin? Suffering from "analysis paralysis"? Unable to spend time on strategic planning or business development? Do you end each day feeling as if you have not accomplished important tasks?
If you answered "Yes" to any of the above questions, you need to partner with a virtual assistant.
What Types Of Tasks Can A Virtual Assistant Help Me With?
Services offered vary from VA to VA due to specialized backgrounds. Consult with a professional VA and communicate your specific needs.
I'm Not Sure What Type Of Help I Need Or If A Virtual Assistant Will Work For Me.
A consultive needs assessment will help determine which tasks can be delegated and identify your communication and work style preferences. A good VA will work with you to ensure that you are comfortable with all aspects of the partnership.
How Will We Communicate?
Anyway you like. VA's communicate via phone, fax, e-mail, internet, US Mail, and overnight mail. For local clients, in-person meetings are available. Remember, a VA service is designed for your convemience - to help you streamline and outsource administrative, clerical, technical and personal tasks.
Are Virtual Assistant Services Expensive?
Virtual Assistant rates vary based on specialized skills and background. VA’s are independent contractors and not an employee. They maintain and are responsible for their own office, equipment and software. Clients are only responsible for hourly, project or retainer fees plus any additional miscellaneous expenses (i.e. supplies, materials, postage, etc.). All fees are agreed upon in advance. And since clients pay only for the actual time VA’s spend working on a task or project, the overall cost of hiring a VA is significantly less than hiring a full-time office assistant with benefits.
What About Confidentiality?
Ask the VA that you're considering if they will sign a confidentiality agreement, prior to commencing work. A written agreement will help protect you from anyone selling or disclosing your proprietary information or using information obtained during the course of business for personal gain.
Want More Information?
If you would like more information regarding hiring a virtual assistant, visit http://InstantAssistant.net
About the author:
Rosalind Harris is a professional virtual assistant (VA) with more than 25 years experience supporting C-Level Executives in the banking, insurance, retail, financial services and not-for-profit industries. She is the owner of her own professional VA service - http://www.InstantAssistant.net
A virtual assistant (VA) is an independent virtual office assistant who provides clerical, administrative, technical and personal support to clients from the VA’s remote virtual office. VA’s are very disciplined and able to work autonomously with minimal supervision. Virtual nature of business allows for flexibility to deliver products and services across a wide geographic area.
How Can A Virtual Assistant Help Me In My Business ?
In a nutshell, VA's free up your valuable time. By outsourcing routine office administration and personal tasks, you are able to focus on what you do best…marketing and growing your business - or simply enjoy the extra time to spend with family and/or pursue personal interests and hobbies.
How Do I Know If I Need a Virtual Assistant?
Are you disorganized or overwhelmed? Missing out on business opportunities? Not networking or marketing your business? Drowning in paperwork? Feeling frustrated trying to do it all? Procrastinating because you don’t know where to begin? Suffering from "analysis paralysis"? Unable to spend time on strategic planning or business development? Do you end each day feeling as if you have not accomplished important tasks?
If you answered "Yes" to any of the above questions, you need to partner with a virtual assistant.
What Types Of Tasks Can A Virtual Assistant Help Me With?
Services offered vary from VA to VA due to specialized backgrounds. Consult with a professional VA and communicate your specific needs.
I'm Not Sure What Type Of Help I Need Or If A Virtual Assistant Will Work For Me.
A consultive needs assessment will help determine which tasks can be delegated and identify your communication and work style preferences. A good VA will work with you to ensure that you are comfortable with all aspects of the partnership.
How Will We Communicate?
Anyway you like. VA's communicate via phone, fax, e-mail, internet, US Mail, and overnight mail. For local clients, in-person meetings are available. Remember, a VA service is designed for your convemience - to help you streamline and outsource administrative, clerical, technical and personal tasks.
Are Virtual Assistant Services Expensive?
Virtual Assistant rates vary based on specialized skills and background. VA’s are independent contractors and not an employee. They maintain and are responsible for their own office, equipment and software. Clients are only responsible for hourly, project or retainer fees plus any additional miscellaneous expenses (i.e. supplies, materials, postage, etc.). All fees are agreed upon in advance. And since clients pay only for the actual time VA’s spend working on a task or project, the overall cost of hiring a VA is significantly less than hiring a full-time office assistant with benefits.
What About Confidentiality?
Ask the VA that you're considering if they will sign a confidentiality agreement, prior to commencing work. A written agreement will help protect you from anyone selling or disclosing your proprietary information or using information obtained during the course of business for personal gain.
Want More Information?
If you would like more information regarding hiring a virtual assistant, visit http://InstantAssistant.net
About the author:
Rosalind Harris is a professional virtual assistant (VA) with more than 25 years experience supporting C-Level Executives in the banking, insurance, retail, financial services and not-for-profit industries. She is the owner of her own professional VA service - http://www.InstantAssistant.net
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- Defining the Various Levels of the Virtual Assistant Industry
- Is Becoming a Virtual Assistant the Right Move?
- What is a Virtual Assistant?
- All About Hiring A Virtual Assistant
- Benefits of a Virtual Assistant
- Effective Delegation: The Secret Tool for Growth
- Delegation is a Skill - Learn It
- Who’s Got The Monkey Now? Part 2: How To Make Delegation Work For You
- Developmental Delegation: How To Kindle The Inner Spirit
- Online Money Making Tips: Outsourcing Your Admin
- Going Virtual as an Administrative Assistant
- How to Effectively Delegate
- Efficiency = Power + Responsibility
- Why Are You Doing Everything Yourself?
- Finding Yourself A Virtually Perfect Assistant
- Why Even a Little Bit of ITIL Does You Good
- The Lone Wolf versus the Pack - Which Are You?
- Increase Your Bottom Line by Hiring Help
- How do I delegate better?