Category — Virtual Assistance

What is virtual assistance all about?

Those who have read about the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris know it all, often referred as a VA Service.

A Virtual assistant is someone whom you can hire to work for you at a very low cost, usually based in a different country and does not necessarily work for you on a full time basis.

What can Virtual Assistants do?

Virtual assistants can virtually do any type of tasks that does not require physical presence in your office , e.g:

- Internet based research
- Article posting, spinning and bookmarking.
- Web Maintenance
- Customer Service via email or phone
- Document processing
- Audio Transcription
- Ghost Writing
- Recruitment
- Booking Appointments, flights, hotels
- Taking orders, processing orders
- Book keeping and accounts

These are just a few of the list which goes on…

What are the benefits of using Virtual Assistants?

The main reasons of using a Virtual Assistant is because it allows you to optimise your time doing what you do best and outsource the rest. You can leverage world class talents for 10 hours a week at half or a third of local costs and this at no contractual risks. You certainly do not want to waste your valuable time on repetitive boring tasks, you would rather outsource it.

If you employ a full time secretary in your office to basic tasks, you need to provide with a computer, internet connection, phone, pay for her tax benefits, cater for leaves etc.

A virtual assistant is someone that you hire on hourly rates and you pay only for the amount of hours they work. In a way you can have a whole Virtual Team working for you and helping you grow your business, this means less risks at the end of the month. You don’t have to worry about paying someone a fixed salary. So you can have a team member doing different things in different parts of the world, all bringing tremendous value to your business thus giving you time to grow and work on your core competenticies.

All that said, hiring virtual assistants will bring value to your business, minimize staff costs, expand your workforce and give you more time for yourself.  Time waste is life waste and you want to spend most of your valuable time doing what you love doing, not boring, repetitive administrative tasks.

I personally started working as a virtual assistant doing web maintenance and now I work with a virtual assistance team based in Mauritius. We would be happy to help if you have any questions or just let me know if you want to try a couple hours of our services.

Wish you the best.

Rajeev

” Do what you do Best and Outsource the Rest “

By Outsourcing, You Can;

1. Control operating costs
2. Improve efficiencies through economies of scale
3. Improve speed and service
4. Level out cyclical or seasonal fluctuations
5. Eliminate peak staffing problems
6. Provide the best quality services, products and people
7. Be reliable and innovative
8. Provide value-added services
9. Increase customer satisfaction
10. Establish long-term, strategic relationships with world-class service providers to gain a competitive edge
11. Enhance tactical and strategic advantages
12. Focus on strategic thinking, process re engineering and managing trading partner relationships
13. Benefit from the provider’s expertise in solving problems for a variety of clients with similar requirements.
14. Obtain needed project management and implementation consulting expertise
15. Acquire access to best practices and proven methodologies
16. Spread your risks
17. Avoid the cost of chasing technology
18. Leverage the provider’s extensive investments in technology, methodologies and people
19. Reduce the risk of technological obsolescence
20. Increase efficiency by consolidating and centralizing functions
21. Keep pace and minimize the impact of rapid changes in technology without changing your infrastructure
22. Reduce the overall management burden while retaining control of strategic decision making.
22. Reduce overheads, free up resources
23. Minimize capital expenditure
24. Eliminate investment in fixed infrastructure
25. Offload non-core functions
26. Redirect energy and personnel into the core business
27. Free your executive team from day-to-day process problems
28. Focus scarce resources on mission-critical projects
29. Get access to specialized skills
30. Reduce need for internal commitment of specialists
31. Save on manpower and training costs
32. Have access to a larger pool of talents
33. Avoid paying Employee Tax
34. Get more out of the man hours you pay for
35. Leverage world class Technology and Resources at very low costs.
36. Build a Virtual Team and have a global delivery model
37. Get more for your money, i.e have a higher Return On Investment

Would appreciate your questions and comments so that we can build up on this.
Many Thanks
+| Rajeev |+

Anyone and Everyone who wants to make best of their time. ( Time Management for the jargon Freaks )

You will surely agree that Time Management is one of the most Essential aspects for anyone/any business to succeed. Having said that, it is for everyone of you who want to live your lives doing things that you love doing and also for those who just need a life.

Time Waste = Life Waste

Everyone of us have daily routine tasks that we feel that we should not be doing, but we still do them for various reasons;

— No other alternative
— We are control Freaks
— Never thought of a way out of it
— We think that only “I” can do it
— We get so used to it that we think the world will crumble if we don’t do it

These tasks usually are:

• Doing internet research
• Drafting reports
• Sending same follow up emails
• Responding to same Enquiries Repetitively
• Doing website maintenance
• Trying to learn new technologies
• Writing artilces
• Posting Articles
• Posting Squidoos
• Microblogging

What Do I do About this Issue Then?

Well, you should start by asking yourself some basic questions:

• What are the main processes in my business?
• What are the core processes of my business that REALLY need my personal attention?
• Which processes/tasks should I focus on?
• Which processes can be done by someone else in house?
• Which processes can be handled by someone else off site?
• Where would I want to spend the time I save, what do I enjoy doing?

Next Step >>> Give it a thought and write down your processes and wait for my next article

PS: Signup to my newsletter so that you stay updated.

Why Do I you need a Virtual Assistant?

Ask yourself some basic questions

Do you find yourself:

• Doing your own bookkeeping (and you’re not a bookkeeper)?
• Maintaining your own web site (and you’re not a web guru)?
• Doing data entry and feel so silly doing it.
• Creating your own marketing materials (and you’re not a copywriter, marketing consultant or graphic designer)?
• Doing your own customer service/scheduling/correspondence, etc. (and you aren’t a virtual assistant)
• Doing anything else than what you do best i.e your core business?
• Too busy trying to make money.
• Starting projects that never go anywhere because you don’t have time to follow through.
• Working over 80 hours a week just to get by.
• Needing help, but you can’t afford to hire anyone.
• spending very little or no time with your family and they don’t recognize you anymore.
• Overwhelmed. Exhausted.

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should think over it again.

Take Some Action Get Calling.

……. I will be happy to help in any case.

Outsourcing is a term used in business and it is gaining popularity on the net as millions of web site owners discover they do not have all the tools, budget and skills necessary to handle each and every portion of their businesses.

Unlike having to find, interview, and hire an employee - and thus incur the tax liability of a new employee - often savvy business owners turn to outside companies. Outsourcing services take on the tasks underlying a business leaving the owner more free time to pursue the front-end of his or her business.

Wikipedia states:

“Outsourcing” involves transferring or sharing management control and/or decision-making of a business function to an outside supplier, which involves a degree of two-way information exchange, coordination and trust between the outsourcer and its client.”

Outsourcing, therefore, becomes an integrated part of your business. The importance is to determine what should be outsourced, why it should be outsourced, and who will provide your outsourcing services.

Business segments typically outsourced include:

* Information technology
* Human resources
* Facilities
* Real estate management
* Accounting
* Direct Online Marketing and SEO

In addition, many companies also outsource their customer support and rely on call center functions.

Using the Know How of Others - Leverage is the word

The business owner must be able to step back and make an honest evaluation of his or her talents. We are not all created equal. We all have different strengths. One surefire strength for business success that a business owner must cultivate is the ability to delegate responsibility through the use of outsourcing. That’s how a well-run, profit-pulling online business accomplishes its goals.

While we all love to do our initial digging online, pick up a phone and call or send email inquiries or submit forms for call back when choosing an outsourcing service. Make sure your questions are addressed intelligently and at a level of understanding that you feel most comfortable with. Avoid listening to pre-scripted sales pitches where all they want to do is monopolize the phone and beat you down to the point where you really don’t know what they can or cannot do. Take control of the conversation, then turn that conversation into an effective two-way street of open communication. Any company not willing to do that - or vague in their explanations of how - should be moved to the bottom of your list as you locate the best outsourcing company to work with you and your website.

Finding a company that understands and weeds out fad flash-in-the-pan methods, and builds your marketing business on solid, proven methods of web site promotion should be your goal. Find that company and establish a two-way street of information and trust in order to work effectively together.

In Summary

Outsourcing is not just for the “big guy.” Overall outsourcing is viewed by many organizations as a strong business tactic that ultimately is a superior economical approach to developing products and services.

Simply put, don’t try to do everything yourself. You may have many fine strong points, but running your online internet business single-handedly should not be one of them. Learn when and delegating responsibility can actually make your business grow by leaps and bounds. Then find an outsourcing service you can work with - one with a complete understanding of your web site - one that is willing to go extra miles to make your business a success.

If you feel the need to outsource and don’t want to do the leg work of going to find a suitable company, please get in touch with me, I would be more than happy to help.

Thanks

Rajeev

Take Some Action Get Calling.

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;