OUTSOURCING is not a four letter word
The face of business is changing rapidly and in order to remain competitive, business owners and executives are thinking and acting in unconventional ways. While outsourcing is not new in the business arena, traditionally organizations have remained very protective over the outsourcing of administrative services. Until now!! There has been a new awakening and recognition in the value of working with a virtual assistant. Today's organizations are now taking advantage of these innovative entrepreneurs who make your business their business.
Today's economic climate has been a fantastic incubator for the virtual assistant. The only thing that is holding many businesses from utilizing this highly skilled business resource is their lack of knowledge, so let me help interested business owners, entrepreneurs and executives lighten their administrative workload.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
According to the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, Virtual Assistants work from their own offices and utilize today's technology to deliver their services and communicate with clients.
A Virtual Assistant's support is foundationally administrative, secretarial and clerical in nature. However, many Virtual Assistants offer additional specialties that fall under creative and technical services.
Virtual Assistants come from a variety of business backgrounds, but the single-most important qualification to become a Virtual Assistant is at least five (5) years administrative experience earned in the real (non-virtual) business world working in upper level capacities such as administrative assistant, executive assistant, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, office manager, etc. From this level of experience, a Virtual Assistant is expected to possess the skill sets, training and business knowledge which are the hallmark of a truly qualified Virtual Assistant.
You may be wondering how you can work with a Virtual Assistant. Well Virtual Assistants are trained experts who help Individuals, Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Executives, Managers and Non-Profit Organizations rediscover work/life balance.
Partnering with a professional Virtual Assistant (VA) is a great alternative to hiring, training, providing and purchasing equipment, and for finding continuous work for on-site staff. However you need to determine if this is really the best solution for you and your organization. You may have heard that working with a VA is great and it makes lives easier; but you are unsure exactly how it works and how it can meet your needs. After all, you have been getting along just fine so far...OR HAVE YOU? Before you go any farther, utilize the following four (4) step process to evaluate your needs:
STEP 1 - Assess your situation
Think about your business and the impact it has on your life. It doesn't matter if you're a sole proprietor or if you lead a small team of dedicated staffers. Ask yourself a few questions:
- How are you spending your time?
- Are you losing potential clients because your administrative to-do list keeps growing?
- How much of that to-do list would you delegate if you knew it would be done expertly on your behalf?
- Where would you like to be in the future?
- Are you going to be able to get there without some support?
- Think about your current staff (if you have one). How many things can't you ask them to do because it's simply not part of their job description?
- Are they overworked as it is and could use a little relief?
STEP 2 - Make a list
Generate a list of things you would delegate if you could. Even if you're not sure it could be done away from your watchful eye, write it down anyway. You might be surprised!
For example:
You're thinking about moving your business to a bigger office. If your VA is local, talk about your requirements for a new space - square footage, price, area of town, etc. Why not let your VA make a few phone calls, do some initial walk-throughs, and narrow down a list of possibilities for you?
You have a trade show coming up, and you're scrambling to track down booth requirements, order promotional giveaways, get extra copies of materials printed, and have someone proof a PowerPoint for the presentation you will be giving. These are all things a VA can do for you.
STEP 3 - Visualize your needs
The most successful collaborations and relationships are a result of clear communication. As you begin to develop your business process, take the list that you created in Step 2, and think about how you can instruct someone to execute those tasks.
This will not only help you visualize how and what can be delegated, but it will also help you identify the specific skill sets needed in a VA. This will also help you decide if you want to work with a local VA who can stop by your office to check in from time to time or maybe your greatest need right now can be met by someone who has a background in writing or design.
However the most crucial of all is personality and work style - yours and your VA's. If you tend to be high energy and live in the critical zone, you may not work well with someone who is more relaxed. Is it imperative that your VA be available during core business hours? Determine when your VA performs most of his or her client work.
STEP 4 - Get Consultation
Once you have decided that partnering with a Virtual Assistant is exactly what you need, your Virtual Assistant is just a CLICK AWAY!!
Diane A. Ford, President/CEO
Virtual Information Processing
virtualinfoprocessing.com
fordda@virtualinfoprocessing.com
412-523-8019
