An effective star virtual assistant can significantly boost productivity, but having one who goes out sick or takes an unexpected vacation can seriously disrupt your workflow.
To avoid potential missteps with your VA, set clear expectations up front. One way is by creating an outline of tasks they should handle.
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Pay by the Minute
Virtual assistants have tremendous earning potential and it should be easy to find clients if you possess the necessary skillset. As an independent contractor, you have complete freedom over which projects you accept as well as setting rates based on your level of experience and success in business.
Find VA jobs through freelance platforms that connect businesses and workers, or search and apply directly for specific roles posted by clients. Some services have large work pools from all around the globe and may even offer an interview process to vet applicants before accepting them into work pools.
Many VA tasks may seem mundane and time consuming; yet that can make this profession so satisfying and fulfilling. You can focus on your strengths to create lasting change for your client’s business.
Other VA work includes email communications, data entry, customer support and even sales or marketing tasks. All these require strong writing abilities as well as an in-depth knowledge of your client’s business – for instance a virtual assistant writing marketing emails may need to conduct extensive research on their industry, competitors and customers to craft engaging and effective messages that convert. They should also understand a company’s sales and marketing strategies or website content that drives traffic effectively.
No Monthly Plans or Minimums
World-class VAs possess an exceptional mindset. They embrace “kaizen”, or the philosophy of continuous improvement, understanding that accepting status quo living is both intellectually boring and lazy. Furthermore, these professionals excel at working backwards – which involves starting from the end goal and planning back through each step necessary to reach it.
Some agencies provide flexible payment options, including pay by the minute for services like social media management or editing web copy. Other companies may offer fixed pricing per project or hourly rates based on how long a task takes rather than how much work has been accomplished.
Another option would be to work with an agency that carefully vets virtual assistants, selecting only the top one percent and treating them well. They will match you with a US-based VA capable of managing everything from personal to complex business projects – from basic personal duties all the way up to co-managed services that take care of hiring your VA, negotiating their salary negotiations and covering taxes/PhilHealth premium payments while acting as your HR point of contact throughout.
GetFriday offers an efficient onboarding process, developmental coaching and ongoing training for your primary virtual assistant. They also offer 24/7 backup assistance for critical tasks, such as CRM data entry and maintenance, travel planning and making/taking calls. Their prices are very affordable ranging from $79 a month up to $174 monthly plans.
Experienced Virtual Assistants
An outstanding virtual assistant from Connect Center can help increase productivity, sales, and profits. Their highly skilled team offers transparent pricing models to make life easy for their clients.
Virtual assistants need to be proficient with word processing, email and the internet for research. They should also be able to work well across time zones. Adobe and Microsoft Excel programs may also need to be familiarized with. Furthermore, some virtual assistants possess advanced abilities which enable them to handle more complex tasks such as transcribing conference calls, creating spreadsheets or updating websites.
Belay offers a high-touch, consultative onboarding process with continuous development coaching and training to ensure that your VA performs at a high standard. In addition, they have an efficient reporting system where clients can see all hours logged by their VAs as well as an outstanding track record in providing top-tier services.
5 Star VAs offers the Co-Managed service, matching you with three top candidates for an interview via Skype to ensure they meet all of your needs. Fees begin at $385 with a 200% performance guarantee!
Client Interface Training
Virtual assistants (VAs) are freelancers who are paid per task rather than by the hour like employees in traditional offices. VAs may provide services like administrative support, social media management or IT solutions; it is essential for them to specialize in one area so their clients have confidence in them as specialists in that field.
Training to become a virtual assistant is available via many online resources, but you should exercise extreme care when selecting what to learn – just as with any learning resource online. Quality of the course should always be considered when making this decision; always read reviews for any potential options before making your choice.
No matter if you are an established VA or just beginning their venture, obtaining the proper tools and technology to launch their virtual assistant business successfully and profitably is paramount to its success and profitability. By having these essential tools at their disposal, remote assistant firms can accurately track assistant timesheets as well as stay in constant touch with their remote staff members regardless of location.
Your virtual assistant firm needs a national presence and professional credibility from day one – that means having a toll-free business phone number that carries national call forwarding capabilities and can port in existing VoIP numbers or augment it with local or vanity options, along with call forwarding options to any device of choice.
