Monday, February 23, 2009

How to Hire A Virtual Assistant

By Marta Costa

Whether it was by Twitter or article or blog post, somewhere along the way you saw the term Virtual Assistant. It struck a chord with you so you decided to look into it. Once you did, you knew this would be the perfect resource for you. You set out to hire a Virtual Assistant, but you didn't know how to go about it.

How do you find a Virtual Assistant? What kind of Virtual Assistant will you need? How much do they charge? How do I get in contact with them? How does this all work?

First things first, there are some things you need to take into consideration before even beginning the process of finding a VA.

1. What kinds of tasks do you want them to take on? Write it out with as much detail and structure as you possible can. 2. Are you comfortable with working with someone virtually? Can you handle not being able to see someone fact to face? 3. How many hours do you think youll need them for each week/month? 4. How much can you afford to budget for this? Take into account how much more productive you will be during those hours that your Virtual Assistant will be freeing you up. For example, if your hourly rate is $200, at $50 per hour for a Virtual Assistant, for that same $200 you can free up 4 hours, opening your availability to make an additional $800.

Now that that's all sorted out, you're ready to get started. All though Googling Virtual Assistant can be the most obvious way to start, there is a much simpler way to attract the perfect Virtual Assistant candidates for you.

There are several Virtual Assistant Networks and Associations that have directories listing their member VAs by specialty. Most of them also allow you to place an RFP or a Request for Proposal on their site. An RFP enables you to spell out what you are looking for.

Some of the most popular sites are:

* IVAA or International Virtual Assistants Association * VANetworking.com * Virtual Assistant Forums * A Claytons Secretary * Find Virtual * Home Secretarial Services * Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce

Once you've placed your RFP you can sit back and wait. It won't be long before the most qualified and compatible Virtual Assistants are contacting you. From then it's just a matter of determining which one you feel most comfortable with. - 15246

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