THANK YOU to both you and Emma for all your help and support. Your timely response with all of our correspondence gave me a sense of security, allowed me to keep the project moving forward. Emma went out of her way to provide a good solid deliverable and provide outstanding customer service – for which I am mightily grateful! In fact, I referred to her at the end as "my hero".
This project has concluded but rest assured when I need transcription services in the future, I will turn to you for support.
Myth Seven – I need to Meet Face to Face With My Staff
In this age of technology, there is no physical reason for you to be in the same place at the same time as your Virtual Assistant. Personal contact can be maintained via video calls, simple telephone calls, Skype, instant messaging and emails. Probably the greatest thing about having a Virtual Assistant in a completely different time zone is that you can send work off to them when you leave the office and can often have it completed and waiting for you when you come into work the next day.
Most Virtual Assistance services have a team of Virtual Assistants and other experts available to collaborate on larger projects together as needed. What better way to really get the best out of your Virtual Assistant by delegating a large project to them to coordinate and oversee for you? Many Virtual Assistants are experts in project management, taking care of all the hassle and worry and making sure milestones are reached, while you the client can get on with doing what you do best.
The flexibility of a Virtual Assistant makes them the perfect choice for all of those small jobs, and most VAs have a minimum charge for the first hour, then charge in 15 minute increments, so you only pay for the time you use. Plus Virtual Assistants invariably complete work for several clients, so those small jobs are ideal for a VA to fit in around larger tasks.
Most VAs pride themselves on, and even guarantee a high standard of work. Their very livelihood depends on happy customers using them again and again, and recommending them to other business associates and friends.
Again it comes down to recognising that VAs are professionals with many years of experience running their business and keeping their clients happy. Always check a VA’s credentials and testimonials, if they belong to any respected VA networks, evidence of professional development and study and ask to see samples of their work (if relevant). If high accuracy is your requirement, it goes without saying that you are better off hiring a VA from your own country rather than from a country where English is not the first language. You really do get what you pay for in this industry.
Myth 3 – Information has to be provided in digital format
While digital files are often easier to transmit and work from, most VAs are happy to receive data via fax, even good old fashioned snail mail or dropping work off in person. Who cares how it gets there, so long as the work gets done!
Any business coach will tell you that the art of delegation is one of the strongest keys to survival and success in business. Often you may have a very set idea of how something needs to be done. VA’s are experienced in many areas of administration and are good at following instructions, but be prepared for them to tell you a quicker and easier way of achieving the same result! Delegating to a VA infinitely frees up your time to do what you do best and to work smarter, not harder. A VA also partners with your business, forming a long term relationship so that over time we learn about what you do and how you like it done, which makes delegating a painless exercise.
Today I’m beginning a new series of articles about the Seven Myths of Virtual Assistance…which if you buy into them, can ultimately ensure you’ll continue to be a slave to your business.
Myth 1 – it is too expensive to hire a VA
A Virtual Assistant is usually the far cheaper option for quality administration work, as you only pay their set rate for the time it takes them to complete the task. There are no insurance or superannuation or taxes on top of that, because as a contractor, they take care of that side of things for themselves. You won’t be paying someone to sit around and do nothing in quiet times. Think of what a Virtual Assistant frees your time up for, or how long it would take a ‘non-expert’ to complete particular admin tasks – usually at a much higher hourly rate? The question is…can you really afford not to have a Virtual Assistant?
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In this age of technology, there is no physical reason for you to be in the same place at the same time as your Virtual Assistant. Personal contact can be maintained via video calls, simple telephone calls, Skype, instant messaging and emails. Probably the greatest thing about having a Virtual Assistant in a completely different time zone is that you can send work off to them when you leave the office and can often have it completed and waiting for you when you come into work the next day. 
Most Virtual Assistance services have a team of Virtual Assistants and other experts available to collaborate on larger projects together as needed. What better way to really get the best out of your Virtual Assistant by delegating a large project to them to coordinate and oversee for you? Many Virtual Assistants are experts in project management, taking care of all the hassle and worry and making sure milestones are reached, while you the client can get on with doing what you do best. 
The flexibility of a Virtual Assistant makes them the perfect choice for all of those small jobs, and most VAs have a minimum charge for the first hour, then charge in 15 minute increments, so you only pay for the time you use. Plus Virtual Assistants invariably complete work for several clients, so those small jobs are ideal for a VA to fit in around larger tasks.
