Posts from — May 2008

Communication is the Key.

It is always good to keep a close relationship if you are dealing with the same VA or with your Project Manager in case you are dealing with a team of VAs.

Let’s do some bullet points:

1. Break Down Complex Tasks

It makes it easier to understand and short milestones makes any project easier to handle. It gives the VA more satisfaction to give you some work back and this helps spot mistakes early and complete projects quicker. It is also good to put parallel processes where possible so that tasks can be distributed wherever there is a team of VAs.

2. Give Clear instructions and Samples for Research Work

Attach a sample of work or spreadsheet with appropriate fields created. This clarifies exactly what you want and is easier for you to do than try writing what you want in words.

3 . Comparative explanation so that they know what you don’t want.

It is sometimes very helpful to just say what you don’t want, compare your likes and your dislikes, they will get to know better what you want.

4. Give reasonable deadlines

Putting deadlines to small projects and tasks gives the VA some breathing time and also motivates them to finish on time.

5. Constructive comments and appreciation.

VAs are human beings and hard workers, they usually don’t have much face to face interaction with public, so a small nice word makes them feel like stars. This can make a huge difference to the type of delivery that you get.

6. Virtual Assistants are people like you and me, there may be certain things that they hate doing just like you and me, but do it for the sake of money.

What I am trying to say here again is appreciation of work done highly contributes to building the relationship with your VA and give them a boost to work better. Certain tasks can be really tedious, annoying and repetitive.

How I did it?

Like I narrated so many times in the past, I was self employed ( entrepreneur ) doing online hardware distribution and web design stuff. I was working in the lines of 80 hours a week, I seriously needed a life!!!

I started by finding a virtual assistant who would agree to work for me on a freelance basis, preferably some someone affordable who could write and speak good English ( I hate those accents ), this took me 2-3 weeks. I tried around 3 of them, one based in Pakistan, one in India and one in Mauritius. I finally got hold of Neelam through one of my contacts, she worked out to be quite good with basic tasks. This idea inspired me to try and outsource my web maintenance stuff that I was doing for other people. Unknowingly, I was using the virtual assistance concept to build a virtual team. I started giving away more of my time consuming and no brainer tasks to Neelam, she was turning around these tasks on 24 hour basis. Of course, in some instances I had to do it myself, as need of urgency.

I started training Neelam on how to do my purchase orders, invoices, accounts and so forth. For the first four weeks I had to have a thorough look at everything before I sent it over to the client or supplier, it was taking me roughly have the amount of time I would have spent doing it myself. Very quickly I realised that I could trust Neelam with these basic tasks and now I she is handling accounts, purchasing, invoice, credit control and my personal like reminding me of when I need to pay for my cc etc. I started buying more and more hours off her, I initially paid her on hourly rates then I went further down to employ her full time. This turned out to be less expensive.

On the other side, in terms of doing web stuff, I did the same. There was also a fact that I could not do everything myself i.e flash component, HTML, database, graphics ( I know how to do them all ) if I wanted to offer the best to my clients. So I started outsourcing bits and bobs like getting a flash component done to start with at a very cheap rate to someone based in Mauritius, I got the Java Script banner done in Pakistan and I took care of the php bit. Again here, I really had to be the hub, between the what the client wanted and what the graphic designer could produce. So it was also a matter of testing the right ones, hit and miss with the same designer as the same designer can come out with things ranging from outstanding to poor. I could later make out that it depends a lot on the brief written to them, now I am in position to know exactly where to send the job, depending on the client’s industry, requirements and specifications. My service providers are based in Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Mauritius and Northern Africa, I also take the opportunity to thank them here.

All this to tell you that I built my Virtual Business Team, sitting in London. I subscribed Neelam to SkypeIn where I can call her on an 0208 number, and she sends all tasks and manages projects for me from her desk. I now spend more of my time meeting clients, playing tennis, watching movies, playing badminton and do all the rest of it.

All is good, if you have any questions or hesitating to make the move, please give me a shout.:

Rajeev

Skype: rajeev.kistoo

Of Course You can.

Most of our regular clients are business clients and they are from a variety areas.

We have Health and Fitness instructors, Law Firms, Internet Marketing companies, IT Support Firms to name a few. There are always some tasks that can be outsourced if you analyze your business process and by using the right model, a VA can add tremendous value.

In fact these firms employ a full time VA working just for them to minimize costs and get priority.

Usual tasks done by VAs include Invoicing, credit control, calendering, accounting, stock control, updating website, data gathering etc.

It is quite a good way to leverage this opportunity as you don’t have to worry about recruitment, tax, pcs, internet connection etc for the job to be done.

–
Rajeev

” Hard work is a investment. The more you invest in terms of hard work, more is the profit you earn in terms of success.”

6. Training & Certification

The professional Virtual Assistance community expects those entering our ranks to have at least a minimum of five years upper-level administrative experience. Our training ground is the real (non-virtual) business world. If you are a business owner needing competent support from someone who can hit the ground running and take the reins as your administrative expert, you should expect no less.

Don’t put too much stock in certification. The industry does have a few legitimate professional associations and training programs, but these are intended for business—not skills—training. Where certifications are offered, they can be somewhat subjective and misleading, and many of the veteran Virtual Assistants who established the profession and created the standards have been in business longer than these programs have existed.

Additionally, there has been a proliferation in recent years of disreputable and unqualified opportunists willing to “certify” anyone willing to pay. In this industry right now, letters behind a Virtual Assistant’s name mean very little, and no certification is going to guarantee competence. Instead, pay attention to the cues listed in this article—truly qualified Virtual Assistants are going to visibly demonstrate their qualifications, competence and professionalism in everything they do.

7. The Business

Look for a Virtual Assistant who is actually IN business. If a Virtual Assistant only freelances or dabbles in this work on the side, that lack of business commitment can definitely cause you many unnecessary headaches, wasted time and an all-around unsatisfactory experience. This is often manifested as longer turn-around times, lack of continuity, poor communication, conflicting commitments, interrupted progress, and long or inconvenient periods of unavailability. Some important facts to obtain include:

• How long has she been in business?
• Is she in full-time or part-time practice?
• Does she view her business as a chosen profession she is committed to for the long-term?
• Does she have well-thought out policies and business standards that will support you in working and communicating together effectively?

Virtual Assistants who are in this business as their chosen profession typically have well-honed systems and offerings, and are in a position to best serve client needs and expectations. Look for someone who:

• is confident;
• has her business solidly in place;
• doesn’t require training or hand-holding;
• is someone you can place your trust in, and can be depended on for expert support and guidance in laying strong administrative foundations.

8. Testimonials

A successful, experienced Virtual Assistant will have client testimonials on her website. She may also be able to provide you with contact information of satisfied clients who are willing to speak with you about their perceptions and experiences in working with her.

9. The Owner

Many Virtual Assistants provide an “About the Owner” page in their website as a way to share important aspects of themselves with prospective clients. It’s intended to provide you with a view into their personal ethics, belief systems, personality and goals. This information can be helpful in determining whether you share similar values, and want to talk with the Virtual Assistant further. Since you will be choosing each other, make an equal effort to get to know the Virtual Assistant by reading that page.

10. Pricing

Virtual Assistant average market rates range between $35 - $70 per hour.

Virtual Assistance is not the type of service you want to price shop. Certainly, we all are interested in getting the best value we can. But we’ve all heard the saying “you get what you pay for,” and this is very true in the Virtual Assistant profession as well.

Take yourself for example. You know you aren’t the cheapest, and you wouldn’t want to be. You know that delivering expertise and quality comes at a price, but the value of that caliber of service extends far beyond mere dollars, and, in turn, saves your clients money.

You know this. And the same is true with Virtual Assistants.

You will find Virtual Assistants who charge very little—so little, in fact, that they can’t possibly be running a profitable, sustainable practice, one that’s going to be around long enough for you to depend on. Inappropriately low rates also signal a lack of business sense, which most often translates to poor quality, and lack of skill and experience. The consequence of hiring a Virtual Assistant who falls in this category is that your investment in her is unstable and ever at risk.

Virtual Assistants who don’t price their services profitably quickly begin to fail their clients. In their last gasps, they may end up taking on a day-job or more clients than they can handle just to break even, becoming overwhelmed in the process. To cope, they might turn to subcontracting much of your work out to others which typically results in longer turn-around times, less availability, and inconsistent service, delivery and quality of work.

You want ability. You want someone you can work with well. You want great customer service. You want your work cared for by the person you intentionally chose to handle it. And you want someone who’s going to stick around.

So look for quality and value—it’s an investment that will literally put money back in your pocket.

Keep in mind that virtual assistants can be found in every part of the world and at different rates, if you are ready to go and try to find the best ones, we wish you best of luck.

I have myself used VA’s and some were good and others bad, it took me a year to weed out the best one. If you don’t have the time to go and try doing hit and miss then you can trust me on this one, sign up to our services and we can start working together straight away. send me an email to rajeevkistoo@gmail.com, skype me at rajeev.kistoo to ask any questions.

1. Website

Since Virtual Assistant companies operate virtually, it’s important they have an online “office” for you to visit. A website can yield critical clues as to the Virtual Assistant’s competence and professionalism.

If the Virtual Assistance company site is littered with misspelling, sloppy writing and improper grammar and punctuation, don’t expect that they are going to provide you with any greater skill or attention to detail should you decide to work together. If it looks like they put little thought, time or money into presenting a polished business image, chances are that they aren’t serious about their business. As you look through the website, ask yourself:

• Does it present a polished, credible business image?
• Is there an abundance of informative content?
• Is the concept clearly explained?
• Is it organized well and easy to navigate?
• Is it well-written and coherent?
• Is there a solid command of grammar, spelling and punctuation?

2. Consultation

You naturally want to find a Virtual Assistance company service provider who you can work with well, and whose business model is compatible with yours. You may want to know where they are located so that you get an idea of time difference. You may want to know how long have they been operating and what type of skills are readily available. Once you are happy with their site, you may want to make initial contact by email or instant messaging facilities. Many Virtual Assistant Service providers offer a complimentary consultation, and all it takes is a simple email or phone call to schedule one. In making initial contact, some things to note include:

• Do they respond to your inquiries in a timely manner?
• Do they answer your questions clearly?
• Do they sound like you could build a rapport with?

3. Finesse

How well the Virtual Assistant guides you through their consultation process can tell you a lot about what it will be like to work with the Virtual Assistant Team. Not only do you want a Virtual Assistant who is masterfully skilled and can provide superior service, but you also want someone who demonstrates excellent business sense, especially since they will be instrumental in helping you in your business. During the consultation, information you should expect the Virtual Assistant to cover with you include:

• A clear overview of how they work with clients;
• What their processes are;
• What services she provides (and doesn’t provide); and
• What her values and expectations are for working together.

4. Personal & Professional Traits

Listen for the cues that they tell you this is someone you can rely on and form an excellent business relationship with. How smartly the Virtual Assistance company handle their business is going to directly correlate with how well they handle your work and business relationship. Some things you should pay attention to include:

• Do they appropriately take the lead in guiding you through the consultation?
• Are they confident and articulate with excellent communication skills?
• Do they inspire feelings of trust?
• Do you feel a good connection and chemistry?
• Do they listen carefully when you speak?
• Does she exhibit interest and curiosity about your business?
• Does she ask smart, purposeful questions?

5. Experience

Understand that the single-most important qualification of a Virtual Assistance is extensive administrative experience. From this level of experience, they are expected to possess the superior skills, training and business knowledge that are the hallmark of a truly qualified Virtual Assistant. However, this is an unregulated industry, and while veteran Virtual Assistants work tirelessly to promote high standards, the Internet has nonetheless attracted a certain segment of individuals who have little to no qualifications, or only entry-level skill sets that do not equip them to meet your very real and important business needs. Asking the prospective Virtual Assistant some of these questions will help you discern the difference:

• What was your professional background prior to opening your Virtual Assistant practice?
• How many years of administrative expertise does your VAs have?
• How would you rate your skill level (you might ask this in reference to certain skills or software competencies relative to the services you need)?
• How would you characterize your level of understanding with regard to business principles and operations?

Look for a Virtual Assistant who has worked in upper-level positions such as administrative assistant, executive assistant, office manager, legal secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, supervisor, manager, etc. Virtual Assistants whose only experience was in receptionist or clerical roles are not commonly going to have high-level skills and competencies.

I have myself used VA’s and some were good and others bad, it took me a year to weed out the best one. If you don’t have the time to go and try doing hit and miss then you can trust me on this one, sign up to our services and we can start working together straight away.

More to come in the next post;

We all know how crucial emails are in our daily business transactions and general communications. There are different reasons why emails need to be archived and there are different approaches to meet each requirement. But yet, it is still quite impossible to meet all regulatory requirements using one product in the market. Sophia Technologies, has come with a unique concept of archiving emails which caters both for those who need to archive for compliance reasons and also for those who just want to archive as a means to avoid the hassle of dealing with PST files at a later date

If you have any ideas or suggestions about how this thread should go, please post your comments.

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