3 Reasons People do not use Virtual Assistants- and Why YOU should!
April 18, 2009 by Dr. Letitia Wright
Filed under Wright Ideas
I tell people all the time, get a virtual assistant to help you be more organized. They reasons why they never do are the following:
1. They can?t afford one
2. They don?t know what they would have her do
3. They do not know how to work with one.
Let?s talk about those issues.
I can?t afford one: You can negotiate the hours and money. Especially now when a lot of people are looking for work. If you can clearly tell them what is required, they can set clear prices. You want someone who will not bill you and require a minimum. If you are like me, I have busy weeks and weeks where I do not need much done. If your business is like that then you need someone a little bit flexible.
I don?t know what she would do: This means you think YOU have to do everything. In your business, everything can be delegated except the thing that makes you unique. For example- I host Wright Place? TV Show . I can get another host however, it will lose a little of it?s flavor. I make it The Wright Place? TV Show. Everything else can really be delegated out. You have to decide what to give up so that you can do more important things. Things that actually bring cash money in. You must have revenue generating activities. If you do not have those done, no money comes in.
I don?t know how to work with one: Yes, it is hard to imagine someone who is NOT coming into your office everyday and yet has access to your files. You can contact by phone or by email and keep things moving in your office. Perhaps you will have them follow up with phone calls, emails or even make appointments for you. There are infinite ways to use a virtual assistant. What do I look for? Someone who sounds friendly and energetic. Remember they are representing your company to a certain extent.
if you are a virtual assistant, this is a great place to leave your comment and your website!
Very nice – Thank you for always supporting us like you do. It is truly an industry that will continue to grow as more and more entrepreneurs discover the benefits by letting go. It does take time to find the right one that fits your style. Once that is done the rest is magic.
Negotiating hours – not a problem. Negotiating fees – uhhhhh… NO. Nice concept though. Otherwise great post. Thanks for the ‘VA vote of confidence’ !
Dr. Wright…you are also “Dr. Right”….this is an extraordinary idea, and well worth exploring. Thank you. P.S. Glad to have met you in L.A., my last time there. You rock!!!
great article….and a virtual assistant is a must in our technical world we do business in…take video marketing…the latest form of effective advertising out there….i use vision map videos and i am sure your VA has a great source also, you don’t have to do the research on finding the great productive companies, they do all that work for you….find a great VA and you won’t be sorry….
darlene
http://visionmapvideo.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/spiritdancing
Thank you Dr. Wright for this article and your support of Virtual Assistants! As a Virtual Assistant, these are probably the three main reasons that I come across. Business owners simply don?t realize what a Virtual Assistant can do for them or the benefits of working with one. VAnetworking.com provides a great blog ?Partnering with a Virtual Assistant?, http://www.vanetworking.com/blog/, that is really helpful to anyone wanting to learn more about working with a Virtual Assistant.
Thanks again!
Everybody needs a Virtual Assistant and I have NO IDEA how small business owners live without them. Even my teens use VA’s 🙂
My suggestion to anyone who says that they don’t have money is to get one even if it is a break even proposition for you and send them tasks that can help you make money right away- i.e. launching a product sales page with a shopping cart; assist with lead generation; create a media page to pitch your story to the media, etc.
Thanks so much for your support of the virtual assistant industry. Your example of busy weeks/slow weeks and a need for flexibility is big reason a virtual assistant is the perfect solution. Most of my clients have me on ‘retainer’, meaning they pay up front for a block of time, anywhere from 5 to 40 hours a month. This guarantees that I’ll be available for their tasks when they need them done while still giving them the flexibility to use those hours when they need them the most.
I think it is interesting that everyone who does not like the fact that I said negotiate price thinks I mean get cheap service. To me, negotiations does not mean cheap.
If you have a policy of giving less than your best when you do not get top dollar, it is important that you let your clients know that up front.
I was talking about working with a business owner who is trying to get on their feet to start a business relationship. For every Virtual assistant who will not do this in this economy, there is a high quality, well qualified Virtual assistant who will, will not give cheap service.
Since the biggest roadblock to a business owner getting a virtual assistant is price, this is a way to overcome it.
It’s always great to have people sing the praises of virtual assistants. Although I do agree with most of what you said, I did have to give a little groan when you mentioned negotiating the price. Although there are a lot of things that can be discussed and possibly negotiated, just remember, you get what you pay for. We are professionals, and many of us have gone through specialized training for certain tasks. Also bear in mind we are not employees – we are business owners who are responsible for all our own overhead, including all taxes, insurance, utilities, training, equipment, etc. and if we don’t charge what is necessary to cover our expenses and make a profit, we will be forced to close our virtual doors and you will be looking for another virtual assistant. Also remember you are paying for our expertise, not necessarily just our time. Even I, as a virtual assistant, outsource things that I CAN do, but know that someone else could do much better and faster than me. My time is better spent other places. Value does not equal cheap.
Great work done by author.
I like it………
Hey,
Awesome post.
Very informative post.
Thanks.
Regards,
Nilesh Raut
I agree with most of your points, however a few need to be discussed further, I will hold a small conversation with my buddies and perhaps I will ask you some suggestion later.
– Rob