Finding the "Right" Virtual Assistant for Your Business

I would like to hire a Virtual Assistant (VA) for my company because it would be the best solution for finding personnel for my business without hiring another employee. However, I don't know where to look or how to start? How do I decide which Virtual Assistant is right for my business?

As the world economy begins to slow down many small businesses find themselves in the same situation: they need more support staff but they cannot afford to add another employee to the company payroll. The solution very well could be integrating a Virtual Assistant into your support staff. However, if you are a business owner, consider these tips:

1. Be very clear and detailed about what types of tasks you need done (both immediate as well as future responsibilities).
   
2. Determine how many hours per week you think you will need the VA's help. You can figure it out by calculating how long it takes you to do things.
   
3. Anticipate if these responsibilities can be done truly virtually meaning (only by phone, fax, email, texting, etc.) with no face-to-face interaction or if there will be a need for the VA to physically come into your office to work or run errands for you. Depending on their location and specialty, some VAs will come to your office for meetings or occasional help in your office.
   
4. Determine if the VA requires any other special needs. For example, will need the VA need to be bilingual to handle any of their responsibilities.
   

In preparation for the VA interview do:

1. Carefully review the VA's background, resume and references.
   
2. Look for compatibility and synergy between you and your Virtual Assistant.
   
3. Determine if the VA has a genuine interest in your business (i.e., Are questions being asked about your overall business operations and the goals you have set for your business?)
   
4. Look for a VA who offers ideas or solutions for running your business more effectively.
   
5. Schedule several phone calls, if necessary, to ensure that the VA is right for you and your business.
   
6. Start your VA on small projects first in order to better monitor progress.
   

Where to Find VAs by Organizations and Directories

• A Clayton's Secretary (Australia)
  
• Alliance for Virtual Business
  
• Alliance of Virtual Assistants UK
  
• Canadian Virtual Assistant Network
  
• CyberWorkers.com
  
• DeskDemon
  
• Elite Office Support
  
• International Association of Virtual Office Assistants (IAVOA)
  
• International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA)
  
• International Association of Virtual Assistants (UK)
  
• REVA Network
  
• SVA Club
  
• VA4U
  
• Virtual Assistant Networking (VAN)
  
• Virtual Business Group
  
• Virtual Networking Forum
  
• Virtual-Professionals
  

Hiring a Virtual Assistant can be a very rewarding experience. Remember that there are just as many VAs out there who work specialists as there are generalists. With the industry growing so quickly, you are bound to find the right one for your organization. Take your time and look for that perfect match.

For more information on how small-business owners can find the right Virtual Assistant for their companies, visit the MotionTemps.com website at: http://www.motiontemps.com/aboutvas.html

Having questions about starting or marketing a Virtual Assistance practice or have to integrate a VA into your small business? Send me an email or follow me on Twitter.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president of MotionTemps, LLC, a virtual assistance firm with offices in Chicago, Paris and Geneva. The firm specializes in managing websites and presentation creation for small-business owners.