Five Questions to Ask Your Virtual Assistant BEFORE You Hire!
1. Time Zone.
If you’re looking for business support during your regular business hours then you will want to consider a virtual assistant in your time zone. You might however consider using a VA in a different time zone if you would like to extend your daily business hours and increase your productivity beyond your time zone. Make sure your VA is willing to arrange their hours to accommodate yours.
2. Skills and Experience.
Not all VAs have the same skill or experience levels for similar services. New VAs may not be as savvy with technology, website maintenance or even working virtually as someone with a verifiable and proven track record. If you expect a specific skill level from your VA ask for references and contact those references. A professional VA should be able provide at least 3 – 5 immediate references for you.
If you need a variety of services from your VA you might need to hire more than one VA. VAs tend to have niches and while one may be superior in administrative and organizational skills they may not know how to maintain your online shopping cart.
3. Fees.
There is no such thing as a typical hourly rate for VAs. VAs who have extensive real-world experience, superior skill levels and have been in business for several years will charge significantly more than a new VA who has been in business just a few months.
It is typical however for VAs to charge different rates for different services. More complex services such as website maintenance, subscription service monitoring or graphic design will be charged at a higher hourly rate than basic secretarial or clerical services. Always ask for a menu of services or rate sheet.
Check to see if your VA has different rates for rush projects, evening hours, weekends or holidays. They usually do.
4. Communication Style.
Ask your VA what her communication style is. Some VAs prefer email first, phone second. Non-urgent routine tasks can most likely be dealt with via email. More urgent or time-critical projects or revisions may take a phone call for immediate clarification. Large or complex tasks are best communicated via conference call and then followed up via email.
Ask that your VA provide all of her contact information:
§ Direct phone number
§ Cell phone number
§ Fax number
§ Email address and an alternative
§ Website URL
§ Complete physical mailing address
§ IM user name and which IM clients she prefers
§ VoIP contact information and which service she uses
5. Agreement or Contract.
Ask for your VA to provide you with her work-for-hire or retainer agreement for your review. If she doesn’t have one be prepared to furnish your own independent contractor agreement. You can find several free versions on the internet for download.
§ Make sure the agreement contains the following:
§ Services to be provided by the VA
§ Fees for service(s) and how those fees are billed (by the hour or by the project)
§ Terms of payment to the VA
§ Accepted payment methods (Paypal.com, company check, etc.)
§ Cancellation clause for both parties
§ Confidentiality clause
§ Term of contract (usually one year)
§ Relationship of both parties such as VA is independent contractor for client. Client is not responsible for taxes or any other benefits to VA. (Check with an attorney for the appropriate language)
© 2007 Cheryl K. Callighan, MVA, owner of eOffice-Virtual Assistants LLC providing administrative and secretarial services to small businesses and entrepreneurs and the University of Virtual Assistants where she assists new virtual assistants through online training. She has over 30+ years of administrative experience and 18 years as a virtual assistant. Contact: Cheryl@eOffice-VirtualAssist.com * Cheryl@UofVAs.com. Websites: www.eOffice-VirtualAssist.com * www.UofVAs.com.
