Or better yet, what could you do? Well Elance is giving you an opportunity to find out. Answer this question: How would you use a virtual assistant to grow your business or improve your personal life? The winner will be given a credit for $5000.00 worth of services on Elance. Give it a try because you never know. If you don't win send us an email and we'll give you 10% off our 5-hour retainer package, so you can experience the possibilities of working with a Virtual Assistant. By the way, here is the link: Win a Virtual Assistant. Good Luck! 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  

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