how to choose a virtual assistant company

How to Choose The Right VIRTUAL ASSISTANT COMPANY

Why does it matter?

There are a lot of virtual assistants out there.

and when you think you are hiring this

sometimes you are really hiring this

or this!

understanding the virtual assistant market will help you save time

and avoid costly mistakes.

main types of VA company

THERE ARE

4

The One Person Band

The Offshore Solution

One Size Fits All Approach

The Business-Grade Approach

Let’s look at the pros and cons of each type of VA company

Pros The One Person Band

1 Dedicated

Lower overhead 2

Cons The One Person Band

It can be hard to find a good one

Their time and skills may be limited

No guarantees or backup

1

2

3

Pros The Offshore Solution

Lower hourly rates

Different timezone so can complete work overnight

1

2

Cons The Offshore Solution

Non native English speakers

Lower quality standards

Cultural differences can make it harder to relate

1

2

3

Pros One Size Fits All

Standardized offering

Mainstream companies

1

2

Cons One Size Fits All

Can only handle simple admin tasks

Often use ‘task-based’ approach

No personalized matching with the right assistant

1

2

3

Pros Business-Class

Personalized service

Skilled assistants who can take on complex business tasks

Satisfaction guarantees

1

2

3

Cons Business-Class

You pay more for skilled assistants Business class VA companies are more selective about who they accept as clients

1

2

Decision Factors

Will my assistant be talking to my customers?

Some key things to decide

Do I have tasks that need to be done beyond basic admin?

Is quality important to me? Do I want a guarantee?

Is it important that I speak to the assistant that will be assigned to me before deciding?

1

2

3

4

Does my assistant need to be in my timezone?

And a few more!

Do I want my assistant to fit in and become an integral part of my team?

What’s my budget?

Do I want access to additional resources in case I need to scale suddenly?

1

2

3

4

•  How do you choose the assistants that work for you? •  How to you ensure the quality of your assistants’ work? •  What types of tasks will my assistant be able to do? •  Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee? •  How do you assign your assistants? •  Will I have a dedicated assistant? •  Can I interview the assistant you will assign me by Skype

before making a final decision? •  Do you have an extended team for more complex tasks

like design or web development? •  Can my assistant use my company email? Is there a

charge? •  How will I track the number of hours my assistant has

worked?

When you speak to companies ask lots of questions

•  How will my information be protected? •  What happens if my assistant gets sick? Is there a

backup trained in how my work should be done? •  Where will my assistant be based? •  Will my assistant be able to use all my cloud-based

software? •  Will my colleagues also be able to assign tasks to the

assistant? Is there an added charge for extra users? •  Will my assistant be able to take inbound calls on my

behalf? •  Do you provide multi-lingual services? •  Do you provide any additional perks?

Keep asking!

Need someone who can represent you with customers? May be best to stay onshore.

Your questions and decisions will help you eliminate options

e.g.

On a very tight budget? May be best to consider offshore.

Quality and complex skillset required? Consider business-grade.

Do I need the ability to scale? Choose a company that can provide an extended team.

e.g.

e.g.

e.g.

No right answers. Just what works

best for your business.

THERE ARE

BUT…

There is a great impartial resource to help you explore and review

VA companies

http://virtualassistantassistant.com

can transform your way of working, and be an invaluable long-term

partner.

THE RIGHT VA COMPANY

Its worth taking the time to make an informed decision.