Working with a Virtual Assistant

What you need to know to get your business relationship with a Virtual Assistant off to a great start

Following are some of the most frequently asked questions we get from business owners who are interested in working with a Virtual Assistant.

1. What is a Virtual Assistant?

2. What is the "collaborative relationship" and why it is important?

3. What kind of work does a Virtual Assistant do?

4. Do Virtual Assistants do other things besides administrative support?

5. How much does a Virtual Assistant cost?

6. Who works with Virtual Assistants?

7. Where does a Virtual Assistant work?

8. Are Virtual Assistants like employees?

9. Are there certain kinds of work that a Virtual Assistant doesn't do?

10. How do I know I can trust someone enough to give them access to my personal information and count on them to be reliable and competent enough to assign work? What kind of references or assurances can I ask a candidate for? What can I do to safeguard myself if I do hire someone?

11. I haven't completely wrapped my brain around how this works. How do I figure out what to delegate?

12. Where do I find a qualified Virtual Assistant?

1. What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant is someone who is in the business of providing administrative support to clients in an ongoing, collaborative relationship. Many business owners are under the mistaken idea that a Virtual Assistant is anyone who "assists" "virtually." That is not the case. The definition and concept of Virtual Assistance is not based on the literal translation of those two words. Rather, Virtual Assistance is a profession and a brand of administrative support all its own. In the same way that you call a dentist when you have a toothache, an attorney when you need legal advice, or a web designer when you need a website designed, a Virtual Assistant is the professional you call when you need ongoing, professional level administrative support and employees are not an option.

2. What is the "collaborative relationship" and why is it important?

Administration is not an event. It's not something that is done once and never needs to be done again. It's ongoing, behind-the-scenes work and activities that must be attended to and accomplished throughout the life of your business in order for it to grow, generate revenue and run smoothly and profitably.

Strategic administrative support, therefore, must also be delivered on an ongoing, continuous basis. The results you want to achieve won't be accomplished by working together only sporadically. Working in ongoing collaboration with a Virtual Assistant, you get someone whose knowledge and understanding of you, your goals, how your business works and what's important to you grows ever increasingly the longer you work together. That's what Virtual Assistance is all about, and what will give you the greatest, most cost-effective value and results.

3. What kind of work does a Virtual Assistant do?

Virtual Assistants focus on taking care of some or all of your administative burdens. They do the administrative work that would normally take your time, energy and attention away from the real work that makes you money. The great thing about Virtual Assistants is that you are getting a higher caliber of administrative knowledge, expertise and service than you would generally find in a temp, or even an employee in many cases. Our industry surveys of the past two years indicate that the majority of Virtual Assistants have an average of 20 years real-world experience and training before going into business for themselves, and most have at least one college degree.

The core service and true value of a Virtual Assistant is in the collaborative working relationship itself. Virtual Assistance isn't about single, project-oriented tasks. It's about a package of administrative support that might include any number of diverse across-the-board tasks and services delivered on an ongoing basis. We call this being supported systemically, rather than transactionally, because that's how business owners achieve the kind of long-term results and stronger business foundation that working with a Virtual Assistant can bring them.

4. Do Virtual Assistants do other things besides administrative support?

Absolutely. While they may have their own employees and contractors, Virtual Assistant practices are solo businesses where the owner IS the Virtual Assistant. Every Virtual Assistant comes to the table with unique talents and gifts. Many Virtual Assistants offer additional services that complement their core administrative support services. Just remember, though, that Virtual Assistance is first and foremost administrative in nature. Don't expect that every Virtual Assistant is also going to do your web design, bookkeeping, copywriting, graphic design, etc. Those are separate professions that are not administrative in nature and require different skillsets, training and expertise.

For the same reason, if you do happen to find a Virtual Assistant who has complementary service offerings in addition to their administrative support, expect to be charged separately and/or at a higher rate if you want those skills in addition to or in conjunction with the administrative work they do for you.

5. How much does a Virtual Assistant cost?

Professional fees will vary from one Virtual Assistant to the next, but according to our surveys of the past two years, the current average market range is between $35 - $70 per hour. Keep in mind that a Virtual Assistant's support is strategic; you won't be working with a Virtual Assistant for the same number of hours that you would a full-time or part-time employee. Typically, Virtual Assistants offer value-added packages of support for which you pay one simple monthly fee. Virtual Assistants represent a hugely convenient and cost-effective alternative to employees, and give clients access to a higher calibre skill level and knowledge base than they might ever be able to afford in an employee.

6. Who works with Virtual Assistants?

The simple answer: Anyone who wants to! A few of the best reasons business owners choose to work with Virtual Assistants include:

1. They want skilled, professional level, right-hand administrative support, but don't have the space or equipment for an in-house assistant;
   
   
2. They prefer working alone and don't want another person in their "space;" and
   
   
3. Their administrative workload isn't large enough to justify the expense (and administrative hassles) of an in-house assistant.

7. Where does a Virtual Assistant work?

From their own offices—that's one of the reasons their service is so convenient. Because they are running their own businesses, Virtual Assistants also furnish their own equipment, software and tools. Working together virtually is inherently more efficient and cost-effective. Most of your work together won't require anything more complicated than simply emailing or faxing each other. When necessary, however, there is a huge amount of technology available that makes it a breeze to work together virtually. Virtual Assistants are experts when it comes to this, and will be happy to share more information with you during a consultation.

8. Are Virtual Assistants like employees?

No, emphatically. That's a common misconception among many business owners that we are working hard to dispel. Because Virtual Assistants are independent professionals with other clients to serve, and are not employees, there are going to be differences in how you work together and the kinds of things they do for you. A Virtual Assistant is not going to be instantly available to you eight hours a day, five days a week, in the way an employee who only works for you would be. The nature of your relationship is one of client and professional—not employer to employee. Each Virtual Assistant has her or his own business policies, standards and procedures for working with clients and will inform you of these upon consultation.

Remember, Virtual Assistance is a convenient alternative to employees—not a replacement for them. For more information on this subject, read Do You Need a Virtual Assistant or an Employee?

9. Are there certain kinds of work that a Virtual Assistant doesn't do?

When you consult with a Virtual Assistant, she or he will outline the kinds of services with which you can expect to be supported. Together, you will come up with a service plan of support unique to your business needs. The main thing to remember is that a Virtual Assistant is a service provider, not an employee. The services your Virtual Assistant provides are independent of your immediate day-to-day business operations. There are some tasks in particular that are typically not provided by Virtual Assistants:

• Virtual Assistants are not receptionists. Their time is focused concentrating on client work and projects, and they have their own phone lines and businesses to take care of. If you have a need in this area and can't afford an employee, what you want to look to instead is an answering or call center service, or a live Virtual Receptionist service such as Ruby Receptionists.
  
  
• Virtual Assistants do not run errands. That is the role of a concierge service or personal assistant. You might even hire a local high school student or college intern.
  
  
• Virtual Assistants do not work onsite. Virtual Assistants are not temps. They are business owners who work from their own offices. Their work is virtual and performed remotely from their own place of business just like the work and services performed by your printer, accountant or attorney.

10. How do I know I can trust someone enough to give them access to my personal information and count on them to be reliable and competent enough to assign work? What kind of references or assurances can I ask a candidate for? What can I do to safeguard myself if I do hire someone?

Much of this is going to depend on how you go about your selection process. Each Virtual Assistant is an independent business owner. That means, you are going to need to conduct your research based on a set of qualifying criteria, review websites and then consult with those Virtual Assistants who pique your interest and seem like they are qualified to best meet your needs.

None of us ever has any foolproof, 100% guarantee that we won't have any problems with a service provider we select. As consumers, all any of us can do is try to make the most educated decision possible based on value, quality, competence, and fit. And that requires us to do our homework. Beyond that, there simply will need to be a minimum level of trust extended or else there is no basis for the business relationship.

Of course, we don't advise any client to hand over vital, secure personal or business information right off the bat. Remember, Virtual Assistance is an ongoing, collaborative relationship. As you continue to work together, you build upon that initial trust. If, at some point in the relationship, it makes sense to give your Virtual Assistant access to that information in order to conduct work on your behalf, that's something you can decide then.

To help select a qualified, competent and professional Virtual Assistant, we've written this handy guide with checklists: How to Hire a Virtual Assistant.

11. I haven't completely wrapped my brain around how this works. How do I figure out what to delegate?

That's the beauty of it. When you hire a Virtual Assistant, you are working with a professional, not an employee. As a business owner, your Virtual Assistant is going to have his or her own systems and processes for getting things started and helping you determine what can be delegated.

12. Where do I find a qualified Virtual Assistant?

Simply go to our Virtual Assistant Directory. This is a convenient, central location of Virtual Assistants, all of whom have been prescreened to meet our organization’s high standards of excellence and qualification. You won’t have to wade through hundreds of sites trying to determine who is qualified (or who is even a Virtual Assistant!), and can search by name, geographic location and service category.

You can also submit a Request for Partnership through our RFP Center and it will be posted to our Virtual Assistant forum of 700+ Virtual Assistant members. Virtual Assistants who feel they meet your needs and are interested in the opportunity will then contact you directly to schedule a consultation.

Both of these services are completely FREE for you to use.

How to Hire a Virtual Assistant >>