Here, your burning questions about all things related to Virtual Assistance are answered.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A Virtual Assistant, or VA as we’re also known, is a micro business owner who provides administrative (and sometimes personal) support to a few really great clients—without having to be physically present in their office. In my case, these clients are entrepreneurs, business owners, nonprofit organizations, independent consultants, and business coaches.
Virtual assistance promotes long-term, collaborative partnerships (in the relationship sense, not the legal sense) between the VA and the client, and easily skips over geographical barriers with the use of e-mail, phone, fax and the Internet—allowing people to be in touch as easily as if they were sitting across the desk from one another.
Why work with a Virtual Assistant?
There are numerous benefits to working with a VA. Among them:
- You get a partner who has a vested interest in helping you and your business succeed.
- You have more time to focus on the things that matter most to you, such as growing your business, balancing your work and family life, or responding to other personal and professional opportunities.
- You don’t have to deal with payroll taxes, nor do you have to provide insurance, equipment or office space since you’re not hiring anyone.
- You pay only for the actual amount of time your VA does work for you—in one monthly lump-sum payment.
Why should I work with you, Lisa?
Should you decide to work with me, I believe you’ll find that I bring many positive attributes to the relationship:
I share your values and work ethic. I recognize the importance of putting relationships first. I’m caring and supportive of others, without being judgmental. I’m a good listener. I’m an excellent problem solver. I genuinely strive to do the best job I can at whatever role I might take on. I pay attention to detail. I’m extremely organized. I try to see the positive in every situation. I’m reliable, trustworthy and sincere. I am considerate and kind. I have a good sense of humor. I’m a loyal friend. I have a calming influence on people. I’m seen by my peers as a leader. People generally enjoy being around me. I aim to make a difference in the lives of people of I touch.
What kinds of clients do you work with?
Ideal clients for me are those who value relationships; are focused and grounded; have specific goals; are business- and somewhat cyber-savvy; are passionate about what they’re doing; are seeking a partner, rather than an employee, to help them get to the next level in their business; are able to articulate their needs and desires; are able to communicate open and honestly with me; are open-minded about new ways of doing things; are able to let go of things easily; are hopeful about the future; are generous and kind—sharing their time, talent and treasure with others; are trusting and trustworthy; are not defined solely by what they do professionally; don’t take themselves too seriously; and, preferably share some common interests with me (i.e., love of food, wine and travel).
What services do you provide to your clients?
I provide services to professionals who already have an established business or nonprofit organization, and who know they have the potential to expand even further with a dynamic teammate by their side to help them get to where they want to be. For a full list of my service offerings, please click here.
What are your fees, Lisa?
My fees and billing arrangement will be discussed with you by phone during the interview process. That gives us both a better understanding of your needs—and the value and benefits I can provide to address those needs—rather than you basing your decision about whether to work with me solely on price.
Generally speaking though, VAs price their services based on their experience and skills, the services in which they specialize, and their reputation. You can expect to pay an AssistU graduate between $30 and $100+ per hour, with the average being about $50 per hour.
Two things to keep in mind when you’re considering whether to work with a VA:
- When working with a VA, you’re only paying for 100% productive time. You pay for no down-time, or time not spent specifically working on your behalf.
- Virtual assistance was not developed to be a low-cost alternative to hiring an employee, but rather a convenient one. If you’re looking for inexpensive labor, then a VA is probably not the best fit for you.
Still have some questions that I haven’t answered here? Check out AssistU’s questions frequently asked by people thinking about working with a Virtual Assistant.
After three plus years working with Lisa Englert and virtualme, my business has grown dramatically and credit goes to Lisa for allowing me to focus on what's important. If you are looking for dependable, reliable, capable help to provide the support services virtually while you focus on what's important to grow your business, look no further! I selected virtualme after an exhaustive search of virtual assistants and have been extremely pleased with the relationship. Lisa makes it easy! Thanks, Lisa, for all of your help.