How to get the best from your Virtual Assistant

Hiring a team member can present it’s challenges so outsourcing your business administration to a virtual person can seem a little daunting if you have not done this before. It’s important that you meet them at least once before you make any decisions about hiring as a general rule. It is of course entirely possible to do this via a phone call or video conference but you will get a better sense about that person from a face to face meeting.   Whilst a Virtual Assistant will be able to do the job, the emotional bond can sometimes be far superior for some organisations in getting that right connection.

Having a physical meeting will have a bigger impact on a business and personal level and depending on how accessible this is then once you have your VA in place, a catch up once a month or bi-monthly would be worth doing.

As business owners, we can a misconception that because we have hired a new recruit, we can just throw them at the business to figure out what needs to be done.  Like with any new person joining a company, they need to have an understanding of the company and hands on training with any systems you use, processes you have set up and how you intend to work together on a day to day basis. There will be a settling in period which may be longer than if you hired an employee so a little understanding and patience is needed at this point.Read More

The Rise of the Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistants may be a new concept to some, others may have heard of them, and the rest already have one!  The idea that the office and indeed employees are located in a specific place is not such a necessity and becoming less important in today’s world.  The rise of Virtual Assistants is becoming increasingly popular thanks to smarter ways of working; numerous mobile devices, faster network access and a growing number of online collaboration tools mean that real offices have few people in them.

Do I need a Virtual Assistant?
This is an important question that requires some thought, but some key questions to ask yourself will help you find the answer.  Are you overwhelmed running your business? Do you find your administrative list becoming bigger and less manageable? Can you grow your business effectively and efficiently on your own? Is your business growing but you don’t have the resources to keep up with the back office administration.  Does the thought of a hiring a Virtual Assistant bring peace of mind that an extra pair of hands would hugely help you?Read More