As a Virtual Assistant I save my clients time and money because time is money. I manage all the tasks that they need completed but don't have the time to complete themselves. A typical day involves reading and responding to emails from multiple accounts, answering multiple phones, modifying multiple websites, updating multiple accounts, monitoring and setting up multiple marketing campaigns, you get the picture. What happens when a Virtual Assistant has too much to do? Does he/ she stop taking on new clients? The selling point for virtual assistants is "someone should do the dirty work." Well not nearly as bad as that statement but we generally work on tasks that our clients should not be working on. Here is my example of how hiring a virtual assistant worked for my virtual assistant practice. A few months ago I found myself with more work than I could manage and thought about turning down a few more RFPs. An evaluation of my business got me thinking that if I hired outside help I could have someone work on answering calls for my clients, respond to customer queries, arrange email according to importance all the other little tasks that was taking time out of my day. I love everything marketing and I like to thing that it shows because my clients have been so good in referring my services. I charge upwards of $50.00 for my marketing services yet I was spending time working on administrative tasks at a rate of $30.00 an hour. How could I make $20.00 more an hour? Hire a virtual assistant to work on my administrative tasks and take on more clients willing to pay $50.00 hourly for my services. Well I hired a Virtual Assistant and she takes on all the work that my keeps my partners and myself from making more money. The perfect solution, we all do what we love doing most and make more money in the process! CRG

From time to time I need to interview Virtual Assistants to pick up extra work that my team cannot get to. With the right questions it is fairly easy to hire the right person who would compliment my existing team. The same is true when I am interviewed by potential clients. Right off I can tell that the majority of them are uncertain about the questions to ask during the interview. In these cases I usually just volunteer information to put them at ease. How do you interview your potential Virtual Assistant? Each individual has different style of course and the questions asked will also be determined by your needs. Read the full article below: As a small business owner you should know that doing it all yourself is not an option if you want to be successful. Even though you may be more than capable of doing everything yourself, you will be better off focusing on tasks that generate revenue. With changes in technology there is a growing trend of assistants who operate from their home offices. These assistants use the latest technology to communicate with their clients situated thousands of miles away in some cases. They are called virtual assistants or virtual saviors because they provide a cost effective solution for business owners. That said how do you go about finding a VA? How do you go about finding the right one for you? A lot depends on your screening process and the initial questions asked during the interview. Before I get to the questions here are some things to take note of before scheduling an interview. Consider the virtual assistant's website, was it professional, with the proper use of grammar and spelling? What about the proposal, was it clear, concise and also free of grammatical errors? Schedule a chat session using one the popular IM clients. Use this chat to evaluate the typing speed, the virtual assistant's use of proper spelling and grammar and hopefully get an insight into the personality of the VA. If you are satisfied up to this point, go ahead and schedule an over the phone interview with the potential virtual assistant if meeting is not possible. I have outlined ten questions that you should ask during this interview below. 1. How Long Have You Been A VA? While there are some new virtual assistants that are just as skilled as seasoned ones there is an adjustment period for new virtual assistants. Additionally, there is a difference between a VA and a Virtual Employee or freelancer. Hiring a VA who has her own business can save you a lot of headache down the road. 2. What Is Your Administrative Background? This is a very important question and you may definitely want to pay attention to the response especially if you are requiring a lot of administrative work. Typically a VA should have at minimum five years of administrative experience in an upper level position. 3. What Are Your Primary Skills and Rate Your Level of Competence? This is necessary for obvious reasons. This industry has attracted quite a few individuals whose qualifications range from nil to mere entry level. They are therefore ill equipped to manage the day-to-day operation of running a business. If your potential VA admits that she has minimal experience doing the things that you need done then it is pointless to form a partnership. 4. How Many Clients Do You Currently Support? Would the VA have sufficient time to get your tasks completed? You would want to know this especially if she does not have a team to support her. 5. What Kind of Work Have You Undertaken Over The Past Year? Is the response to this question in line with the tasks that you need done? This shows that the virtual assistant has been utilizing those particular skills so there will be no need for retraining. 6. May I Contact Your Clients For a Reference? Let the virtual assistant that you will be contacting her clients to validate her claims and to vouch for her professionalism. 7. What Are Your Working Hours? A few virtual assistants will increase rates if you require work completed outside of their working hours. Get the virtual assistant's working hours during the interview and compare it to your requirements so you are not stuck paying unnecessary overtime. 8. What Are Your Fees? Virtual Assistants bill their clients on a project, hourly or retainer basis with significant savings on retainers. Find out what is included in the fee and choose the best option for your business. Be sure that the selection is in line with your budget. 9. What Does Your Fees Not Cover? Fees typically do not include expense such as cost of postage, mass photocopying, faxing, etc. Discuss any additional expenses that you foresee to find out if it is covered by the fee. 10. Are You Willing To Sign a Non Disclosure Agreement? Remember to have a non-disclosure clause included in the contract to protect your property or trade secrets. Ask the virtual assistant if she has any problems signing a non-disclosure. Locating and working with a VA is an exciting experience for many (just ask my clients). Be sure to ask the right questions and listen to the answers from the onset to spare yourself future problems. Cheers to finding and working with your new virtual assistant  

Holding on to my headset while I was waiting for a customer service representative from an internet service provider to take my call got me to thinking about communication. Marketing is a necessary expense for most businesses and recognizing this need they spare no expense. What comes after the marketing efforts is what has me concerned. Marketing can highlight a wonderful product and bring increased revenue or just as easily bring your downfall. For instance, I have been looking at an ad on the local newspaper for the last week from a new ISP who promises high speed at lower rates. I decided to give them a call. On my first call I got their voicemail and was invited to leave a message. I hung and tried later. On my second attempt again I was given the prompts and placed on hold for the CSR. It took 25 minutes of my time before she finally came on and as it turns out she could not answer my questions. Lower priced internet? It will most definitely cost more to switch because time is money and any time spent on the phone waiting to speak to someone who cannot answer my question is a waste of time and money. Which brings me to my point about communication, I have highlighted some things to consider or your downfall will be closer than you think! Inform your client or customers of any changes in your service be it major or minor. They need to be aware and they need to hear it from YOU. Take control of your communication, don't not rely on word-of-mouth to communicate to your customers. By doing so you leave room for you message to become distorted. Customers want it now! Do not try to inconvenience your customers, we do not want a recording or to be placed on hold for an unreasonable amount of time. Our time is money. Service with a smile. It may be the only thing that could set you apart from the competitors. After that experience on the phone I really appreciate the effort of my current ISP because I never have to wait to speak to a rep and they always have the answers. Of course they charge more but for me the value is in the experience. CRG