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  

For the sake of upcoming Virtual Assistants I have compiled the list of must have software. Please note that you can obtain a lot of them at no cost.  So here goes: Microsoft Office (Including Word, Excel, Powerpoint) Microsoft Outlook (Task management, email, calendar, contact management) Antivirus (Avast, Norton etc) Time Tracking Software (Timestamp) PDF Creator (Cutepdf) Web Design/ Publisher (Microsoft Frontpage) FTP Software (Smartftp) Instant Messenger (Skype) Adobe Reader LogMeIn (Remote Access) Gimp (Desktop Publishing) Evernote (Get organized) Express Scribe (Transcription) There is a short list of the software that I use almost daily. There is another point that I want to emphasize and that is the use of free email clients (gmail, hotmail, yahoo). Until you obtain your own domain name try using you the name given by your Internet Service Provider, for eg, tstt, cwjamaica, etc. Thats it for now, comments and additions to the list are always welcome. CRG

There are a few Virtual Assistants who have established offices outside of the home. However the vast majority still operate outside of their home offices. There are quite a few challenges to consider when you set up an office at home but I will leave those for another day. Today I will focus on the benefits of working at home, here are a few benefits: Get a competitive advantage. As a virtual assistant you can reduce your overhead if you set up and work out of a home office. Money saved from not having to pay a monthly rent can be used to market your business or pay for membership at your local chamber of commerce. Reduced overhead can give you an edge on your competitors by offering lower rates to your customers. Reduced Stress. No deadlines to meet, unless they are self imposed. No drama at the office or stress over getting that promotion. You can set your own schedule around family time and commitments. Personal Freedom. Set your own goals and work when you want to. Save Money. For me, working at home meant saving on gasoline, commute time and business suits. Of course this does not give you permission to dress sloppy, it just means that you don't have a buy a new suit every month. It also meant a significant saving on daycare. Family Time. One of the most important benefit of working at home is the ability to spend time with family on your own terms. Personal Development. I cannot express fully what working at home has given me in terms of personal development. As a Virtual Assistant, like many other business owners, I have to wear a variety of hats throughout the day. I have learned to manage the books, build a website, desktop publishing and write a book, to name a few. Increase Productivity. I know a monthly income depend on my productivity. This inspires creativity as each month I seek new ways to increase my earning potential. I have a few benefits and I am sure that there are lots more. As you join this growing movement, please feel free to share your thoughts, I would love to hear your reasons for working at home. CRG

I sometimes get emails from various people wanting to know how to get a job as a Virtual Assistant. There is a vast difference between being a virtual worker looking for a virtual job and a virtual assistant seeking new clients for the business. It is important for upcoming VAs to understand the difference because it has a huge impact on the success of your business. First of all the manner in which you respond to employment ads is very different. Truth be told VAs respond to Request for Proposals (RFPs) by submitting a proposal which outlines the services they provide, rates and terms. The RFP will also include some background information and in some cases a portfolio. In some cases VAs looking to get started may respond to an ad for employment. In this case it is also unnecessary to submit a resume. Employees submit resumes. It is incorrect to state that you are looking for a job as a Virtual Assistant. VAs market their businesses to attract clients, they work on their own terms, provide their own equipment and software, pay their own taxes. A virtual assistant is a business owner and as such may work with a number of businesses. An employee typically works for one employer for a guaranteed number of hours weekly. I hope that you get my point because as upcoming VAs, understanding the difference between a VA and an employee, is crucial to the success of your business.

We have come a long way in the last few years due to changes in technology. We now have The iphone The Blackberry The ipod Email The internet Virtual Collaboration The Virtual Assistant Yes I have added the Virtual Assistant to that list. VAs are now the driving force behind many small and not so small businesses. So what is a Virtual Assistant anyway? I would say that a VA is a highly skilled professional and entrepreneur who provide services from a remote location to other entrepreneurs, businesses, executives etc. Due to the growing list of technologies a Virtual Assistant can now stay at home and provide the tasks normally assigned to the office assistant. Not only that, many VAs have gone so far as to provide web design, marketing, bookkeeping, desktop publishing, the possibilities are endless. As a Virtual Assistant I have worked with clients just up the street and clients thousands of miles away. Thats the beauty of working virtually, proximity does not matter. So do you have what it takes to move into this billion dollar industry? Well I must emphasize that you must have the capacity to help others. For me that is what being a Virtual Assistant is. The skills that I have perfected over the years has only been to make my clients shine. Aside from that you must be first rate at the services you decide to offer, you should have some business management skills, you should have an idea of how you would market your business. Finally you need to be motivated, motivation will take you through the rough spots. You can read more on motivation for Virtual Assistants here. Comments are always welcomed. Crystal FSE

In my eBook I discuss the power of motivation. I believe motivation is what sets apart a powerful, successful business from an unsuccessful one. Here is an excerpt from the eBook. I recently asked a few Virtual Assistants to fill out a short survey explaining what their motivations for staying in the industry. Some of their reasons are listed below: Money (They were earning more than what they earned on a full time job) Being your own boss. Flexible hours. What to stay at home with the kids. The satisfaction of a job well done. Being passionate about the industry and loving what they do. In general the successful Virtual Assistants were they one who enjoyed the work, who loved doing what they do each day. Think about what motivates you. Channel that motivation, write it down and look at it each day, two or three times a day if you must. This will help feed the desire and you will find it easier to do your daily duties. Remember also that motivation that is purely profit based soon wears thin. That is not going to keep you up at night to finish a client’s project that is due early the next morning. Find your motiviation today! FSE

Firstly, there are days I get so busy I wonder where the time went. Some days I work 16+ hours and I do get frustrated from time to time. Today I had an idea: I decided to write (off the top of my head) 10 things I love about being a Virtual Assistant. I printed it and pasted it on the wall behind my computer. This will be my inspiration for when I get frustrated. By the way I came up with over 35 reasons but I’ll share ten in this post. I work with people from different cultures and background. I work to achieve my dreams. I take pride in my clients achievements that results from my work with them. I am my own boss. No long commutes and power suits. I get to stay at home with my son. I can make my own schedule. The sense of accomplishment from seeing my business grow. No mundane tasks here: there is always something different going on. The value of meeting new people almost daily (new clients, other VAs etc) FSE

Part of my business (and I am sure yours too) involves responding to RFP’s. I average at least ten a week and get about twenty percent of the jobs. Whether these are small projects or on-going retainers I have learned that there are some absolute musts when it comes to you job proposal. Outline Everything: Do not leave your potential client guessing. List your services, your rates and limit the grey areas. In fact, clear them up as much as possible. Paper Trail: I have developed a habit to saving all my correspondence with clients and potential clients. Its m way of covering my you know what in case there is ever a problem, for instance, non payment of invoices, etc. Include a clause for project changes: Often there may be changes in the requirements or responsibilities. To be prepared for this include a clause stating that any project changes will incur additional charges. Don’t forget the contract: Especially if you do not know or have no connection with the potential client. For most jobs it is customary to request a 50% advance before work commence. FSE

As the owner of three increasingly growing businesses I often look back to my earlier days and the questions I asked myself before quiting my full time job. I had an idea to get into Virtual Assisting in 2001 but kept that idea on the back burner for almost two years. My paycheck at the end of each month provided false sense of security that I did not want to give up. I am often asked “how did you know that you were ready to start your own business?” Frankly, I am as human as the next person and I did question myself A LOT. I did know that whenever I did something, anything, I gave it my best. I had the experience of overseeing the daily activities of a busy practice in the middle of Manhattan and a more that busy department in a huge corporation. Here are some questions that I pose to up and coming entrepreneurs to give them an idea of the traits needed to start a business: Are you a quick learner? Are you resourceful? Are you afraid of hard work? How do you handle money? What is your leadership style? (If you have one) Do you make decisions quickly? Do you get tasks completed on time? Are you phased by competition? Do you have some level of common sense? Can you live without a steady income for 6 plus months? Do you have someone who can give you a positive outlook when you don’t have it? Are you persistent and self disciplined? Do you work well under pressure? Are you willing to learn and accept new ways of getting things done? Do you enjoy meeting new people? Can you juggle multiple tasks? Are you willing to talk about your product or service? Do you have the skill and PASSION for the business that you are considering? These are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself before proceeding with plans to start your business. FSE

When we decide to set up  a business we give priority to a number of things and do not give a second thought to others. We have heard stories of plagiarism, of businesses that start off using names and images that belong to others. The other end f the spectrum arises when we use common names and logos that cannot be trademarked. This sometimes happen after we are well established and finally spare a thought for getting the business trademarked. Only to find out that your business name or logo was too commonplace to be trademarked. Spare yourself the agony and choose distinctive names to begin with. At least seek advice in the early phase of your business this way making the necessary adjustments won't affect your image and your bottom line.