Home
>
Small Business
>
Finding the Right Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business

Finding the Right Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business

Articles abound advising the business community how to properly screen when looking for a Virtual Assistant (VA). Unfortunately, some of the advice may lead you astray, as it often ignores the fact that VAs are not employees but independent contractors providing professional business to business (B2B) services.

For example, I have yet to have a prospective client actually ask me for a "list of references," although if one did, I would happily provide him or her with a name or two if I thought the request was a valid one from a serious, qualified prospect.

Many writers also suggest that a good VA will have formal training and credentials. This is entirely subjective, however, and I caution against spending too much energy counting letters. Many highly sought after and capable VAs have no letters behind their name yet provide a caliber of service that is second to none. While formal training certainly lends credibility in a virtual environment where a warm handshake is not a reality, I advise people seeking a VA to evaluate other qualities first such as experience, professionalism, presentation, and honesty.

Here are some additional suggestions as to what you should look for when seeking a Virtual Assistant:

-> A professional presentation. When you speak to or correspond with the VA, how does he or she present? What do the VA's website and marketing materials look like? Is the copy well written and informative? Or is it full of typos and grammatical errors? These types of things say a great deal about a VA as a potential contributor to the success, image, and reputation of your small business.

-> Inquiry turnaround. When you send an inquiry to a VA asking about his or her services, rates, etc., what is the turnaround time for getting a response? A good VA respects the entrepreneur's time and will get back to you within at least 48 hours. (My own turnaround time for email inquiries from prospects is 24 hours or less.)

-> Price. This is a hot topic but has to be addressed if you are going to get real value from your Virtual Assistant. If the VA charges "peanuts," please turn and run in the other direction. You get what you pay for in this life. A VA who is charging anything less than $25 to $30 (USD) per hour cannot possibly be running a profitable business and may not be the person you want to trust with your own small business and life's work.

-> Quality over quantity. Does the VA offer every possible service under the sun? Or does he or she strategically focus on one or two categories of B2B services? While the VA doesn't necessarily have to be "niched" into a narrow market, he or she should know who they are talking to in their marketing communications. A good VA does not try to be all things to all people. This does not mean we will not flex to accommodate a new and exciting request. Still, if your project requires skills and experience the VA simply does not possess, a true professional will either refer you to another VA altogether or strategically partner with a VA who has the requisite expertise. (Yes, VAs use subcontractors too!)

-> An online presence. Here is something that perhaps you haven't considered. VAs operate, for the most part, in a virtual environment (thus the "V" in VA!). Before approaching a VA, do some research to see if he or she has an online presence anywhere else besides his or her website. (If the VA doesn't have a website, that should make you take pause. How committed to this whole virtual thing is he or she anyway?) Many VAs are active in various online "communities" such as business blogs, forums, networks, etc. This is great way to get to know your VA's true colors before committing to a partnership.

Those are just a few of the many things to consider when surveying the Internet landscape for your new Virtual Assistant.

Karri Flatla is a business graduate of the University of Lethbridge and principal of snap! virtual assistance inc., a business and project support service that specializes in business research, planning and communications. Karri also produces Outsmart, a small business newsletter full of practical tips and fresh insights for entrepreneurs. Visit http://www.snap-va.com for more information.

local house cleaners Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.

The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.

A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.

Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.

Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.

California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.

Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.

Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.

House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.

Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.

Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.

Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.

Third-party security breach at Discord exposes sensitive user information including government IDs, highlighting cybersecurity risks from external service providers.

Survey of 1,000 students shows teens using AI for personal relationships while two-thirds of parents remain unaware of their children's AI usage.

Cybersecurity experts warn about a ShadowLeak vulnerability that weaponized ChatGPT's Deep Research agent to steal personal data from Gmail accounts through hidden commands.