Follow Traffichoney.com on Vator.tv
How to outsource your administrative tasks
I’ve outsourced small ticket items several times before. Each time I do it I assume I know all the tricks to do this with minimal time and money investment. But I always learn something new. Here are my musings based on my own successes and failures from hiring a virtual assistant (VA) recently:
Choose a company rather than individuals
This gives you a larger pool of VA to test. Testing VAs is something you should always do before you give them large more time critical tasks. Companies with a couple of hundred employees are best.
Don’t assume your VA is like the sales guys
Sales people and middle management are suave. They close the deals and oil the business. Most likely the person you will be dealing ultimately i.e your VA is probably someone with much less experience dealing with offshore clients or even working (especially if you go on a low or mid-range price point). And it is because of this you should always clarify your possible courses of action should your VA not work out early on. This includes reserving the right to cancel with one VA and move to another one. Ask them to prepare for this even before you start working with you VA.
The interview
Interview your VA just like you would any other employee. Make sure they are quick to follow you and if they don’t follow they are quick to ask questions or say they aren’t clear. The linguist Deborah Tannen says in her book “Talking from 9 to 5″ that women at work are more likely to ask questions while men don’t ask questions for fear of appearing in the one down position. If you are working off shore this can become a nightmare, especially if your work is detail oriented. This coupled with the stereotype (or fact, I do not know which) that women learn language earlier and better then men, makes female VA’s an ideal choice. Oftentimes this can compensate for the fact that your VA speaks English as a foreign language.
If all else fails cut your losses fast
If it doesn’t work out move between VA’s and companies fast. Remember this part of your management should be least time consuming. Its about clearing your plate so you can focus on your core genius. Allow for a learning curve but keep your eye on the final ball which is more time for you to think, be creative and execute.
I’m sure there are other things I haven’t covered? What have your experiences been like outsourcing? Any learning you can share?
Similar Posts:
- Total cost, more than just dollars spent
- Twitter’s role in search–how to be a complete game changer
- Top women tech entrepreneurs speak on their companies and their success
- Living your vision
- My top tools for blog reading management
Popularity: 33% [?]
3 Comments
May 18th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Like the VA concept, do they now work out in the realword? Like the VA concept, do they now work out in the real word?
Many moons ago had my own consulting company, so many$ on my Amex card was offered the “Black Amex” card. Told NFL players, celebrities carry this card. A benefit is personal concierge services, to get you to spend even more. I did not feel like trusting someone virtual with my inside info. So I skipped the service. I’d rather know my assistant; I feel trust is the basis of business cooperation. Any ideas how to shop for trustable VAs, is state of the art trial and error?
May 20th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Hi Clibou,
I’d be wary of concierge service linked with a credit card company. To my mind there incentives just can’t be aligned with yours.
Here are some of my ideas on how to find a trusted VA. Work with: -individual VA’s/VA companies used by others in your network -smaller companies who are starting off. Their owners have significant stake in performance. Stay away from companies who are priced too low for a western market as they often take more work then they can realistically do -larger companies with contracts that protect from credit card stealing threat. However I have noticed a “you can’t sue me” clause in their contracts. At the same time negative blogosphere coverage can really hurt them since being abroad the internet is their only source of new clients. Not all are aware of this though so stick with those who do -interview and do short trials a day, a task and so on. Its like agile programming. Test and iterate.
May 25th, 2009 at 7:37 am
As a Virtual Assistant myself I am quite passionate about this.
My advice when choosing a VA to work with you: 1. Keep in mind we are business owners and as such our rates should reflect that. Beware of rates that are super low as it could be an indication that the VA is either lacking skills or lacks self-confidence. It could also be a sign of desperation as new business owners tend to lower their rates in hopes of attracting clients. Low price does not always mean quality.
When selecting a VA ask for samples of work (when possible) that are similar to the type of work you are seeking to have done.
Assign small tasks at first and double check their work to assure it’s done properly. When possible always try to give written instructions as what may be “second nature” to you will most likely not be second nature to your VA.
As with any new person, even with traditional employees, there is always a learning curve so be patient during this time.
Clearly outline your deadlines and expectations. If you expect an email within a certain number of hours make sure you indicate such. Everyone has different communication styles and preferences so discuss that right away.
These five items are, in my opinion, the most important things that will help set you up for success when working with a Virtual Assistant.
Michelle Mangen Owner, Your Virtual Assistant Neenah, WI http://www.TheVirtualAsst.com
Leave a Reply