5 Tips for Improving Productivity with a Virtual Assistant [Productivity in Context]
Virtual Assistants are a hot topic right now, and Mark Shead of Productivity 501 has some tips for those of you that may be thinking about taking that plunge:
5 Tips for Getting a Virtual Assistant
1. Expect to spend some money.
If you don’t have money set aside you’ll probably get frustrated when something takes longer than expected. I would suggest budgeting enough for 2 or 3 months 1/2 time as a trial if you have enough work to keep someone busy 20 hours per week. Consider your trail to be an investment in education for yourself.
2. Decide what you need.
You can get someone very inexpensively with minimal experience or someone with a lot of experience at a much higher price point. If you are expecting it to be a long term thing, you may be better off getting someone inexpensive and putting a lot into training them. If you just want someone for a project right now, you might want to hire someone with a lot of experience.
3. Be prepared for differences in culture and language.
If you are looking to take advantage of lower cost of living in India or China, be sure to consider the cultural and language differences. There is a big difference between Indian English and American English. Make sure you have a good understanding of these differences before you turn someone loose on answering email for you.
4. Virtual isn’t always better.
You may be better off hiring someone locally. There are a number of things that can be done virtually, but many of the big time savers come from having someone who can run a package to UPS, take your car to the shop, pickup office supplies for you, and sign for a package when you are gone.
5. Try multiple providers.
Trying multiple providers simultaneously can be a good way to make sure you are getting the best person for you needs. You can even assign them all the same (or similar) tasks to get an idea of whose skills best meet your needs. In general you will pay more for experience and for having someone in your timezone. However, there are some very skilled people in other parts of the world where the daily wage is much lower than in the US. If you can find someone who fits your needs and develop a long term relationship the cost of trying out a bunch of providers up front will be minimal compared to your savings over time.
Mark writes for Productivity501. For more information about virtual assistants, see The Ultimate Virtual Assistant Guide.
The big question: Have any of you tried a Virtual Assistant? What are your thoughts?
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Original post here: Stephen
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