What a Virtual Assistant Is and Is Not
by: Cindy Greenway
Looking for someone to join you in your business isnt an easy decision to make. Sure, you could use the help
but what kind of help exactly? Do you need a coach to help you in moving forward in your business goals? Or is a business manager that you want someone that takes a lead with your business and makes important decisions? Or do you prefer to start with someone that can save you time by helping with those administrative tasks that just take you too long to do?
If you want to delegate those administrative tasks so you can spend your precious time on other business activities, then a Virtual Assistant (VA) is what you need.
The Virtual Assistant industry is growing quickly around the world each VA offering a variety of services and specializing in various areas. But do you know what a Virtual Assistant really is and how they fit into your own business?
Firstly, lets define Virtual Assistant. Essentially, a Virtual Assistant is an independent contractor that offers administrative support via his/her own home office. There are many, many benefits to having a Virtual Assistant join your team, rather than hiring an employee. They have their own equipment, software, space just to name a few benefits.
Because Virtual Assistants offer such a wide range of expertise and skills, they are quite often able to assist in numerous roles. However, its important to understand what a Virtual Assistant really IS and what a Virtual Assistant IS NOT.
A Virtual Assistant IS someone who:
is an independent business owner
assists you with various administrative tasks
you can rely on
can help you boost your profits
offers expertise in areas that are not the focus of your business
provides feedback/becomes a sounding board as your relationship grows
is genuinely interested in the success of your business
someone you communicate with regularly, share your business strategy and goals with so they can provide you with the support you need
A Virtual Assistant IS NOT a:
business coach
business manager
decision maker
expert in every area that you may require assistance in
responsible for establishing business goals and strategies for your business
As the Virtual Assistant industry grows and offers more and more skills and support to small business owners, the more small business owners seem to expect from their VAs. Ive heard of people that want their VAs to make important decisions on their behalf decisions like how much to charge for speaking engagements and even an outline of steps for the business owner to take in order to increase profits.
A Virtual Assistant can certainly help you in researching these items and taking on specific tasks involved in these areas, however they are NOT decision makers nor business coaches and therefore should not be expected to do this on behalf of any business owner.
Its also important to note that all Virtual Assistants provide support in numerous different areas. Some offer expertise in web design, others know more about bookkeeping/account and others are more involved with ecommerce and internet marketing etc. There are even some Virtual Assistants that simply provide traditional administrative support such as word processing etc. Therefore, before looking for a Virtual Assistant to help you in your business, be clear with what kind of expertise you would like your VA to offer. Also, remember that even though they are proficient in the areas you have identified, they may not know the answer to every one of your questions or know exactly what to do in every situation especially when it comes to ever changing technology options on the internet. What you can expect is that if your VA does not have the answer, that they can research, connect with other VAs and provide you with as much information as possible.
Most Virtual Assistants have a genuine interest in helping their clients succeed and in building a successful relationship with their clients. As the relationship with your VA strengthens, you may find yourself wondering how you ever ran your business without him/her!
Take the time to share your business goals and strategies with your VA and over time it will be obvious how valuable your VA is as part of your business team.
About The Author
Cindy Greenway has been a Virtual Assistant since 2003, working with reputable clients in various professions. In 2005, Cindy and her partners started the Multiple Streams Team which offers a team of Virtual Assistants that provide quality support to small business clients. To learn how a Virtual Assistant can help you build your business, visit
www.multiplestreamsteam.com and sign up for the free Boost Business with a VA Report. Virtual Assistants can learn more about the skills the need to have, as well as how to build and sustain a profitable VA business by visiting
www.growyourvabiz.com and requesting the free 10 Critical Skills ecourse.
[email protected]
