Is Your Disorganization Costing You Money?

Is Your Disorganization Costing You Money?
By Cheryl K. Callighan, MVA, Mentor/Coach

According to the Wall Street Journal (March ’97) the average U.S. executive wastes approximately 5 hours per week searching for misplaced information. At an annual salary of $60,000 that equals a loss of $8,000 per year! Can you afford to be disorganized?

Is your office efficient, organized and productive? Or is your office in a state of chaos and confusion? There are four key areas that you can make immediate improvements in that will take your business up a notch in efficiency and productivity.

Time Management
Time management is not about working faster; it’s about prioritizing your tasks and spending the majority of your time working on the right things. Develop a time management system so you’ll know where to start and won’t be running in circles.

First, you need to be able to recognize the different between important and urgent.

Important tasks have long-term significance. Urgent tasks need crisis intervention but are not necessarily important in the long-term.

To increase your productivity and decrease the chaos turn the following five strategies into habits!

1. Set priorities. Write down specific goals. All of your goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible.

Be specific about what you want, when you want it and what steps you will take to achieve the goal. Break each goal down into manageable steps and specific tasks.

2. Make a to-do list. Limit your list to 6 items or less. If your list is too long you will feel defeated before you start. Prioritize the items on your to-do list and expect to devote 80% of your time and energy to the important tasks. Remind yourself that there will be days when urgent tasks dominate and you will likely get nothing completed on your to-do list.

3. Eliminate distractions. Be aware of your distractions and learn to filter them out. People, phone calls, clutter, emails, surfing the Internet, all can eat an entire workday. Take care of any details before you sit down or start on a project and remember the important versus urgent rule.

4. Schedule time to plan. Develop the habit of planning for tomorrow the night before. At the end of your workday clean up the clutter, put the files away, and create your to-do list by bringing forward any leftover tasks. Mentally prepare for tomorrow’s workday.

Set Up a Filing System
Each business has its own filing needs and each business owner has their own work style. Develop a system that is appropriate for both needs. The goal is to find a document or piece of information in 30 seconds or less.

Your system should be able to manage working files as well as permanent files. The permanent files need to be labeled with a specific retrieval system in mind, either by category, alphabetical, numerical or whatever is appropriate for your needs. Be sure to choose filing cabinets that will accommodate your files as well as storage needs for special items such as photographs or large volume files.

A perfect filing system will only serve you if it is maintained on a regular basis. Schedule time every week to manage your files, both paper and electronic. Strive to create a habit of handling a document only once. Deal with the document when you receive it then file it right away. The same principle can be applied to managing your email.

A Bookkeeping System
Efficient bookkeeping practices are essential for a number of reasons. You will need exact numbers for your financial statements when applying for business credit or business loans. You will pay less tax when you track all of your business expenses and deductions. With accurate records you will be able to forecast your business’ trends and have accurate information when you decide to sell your business and determine the highest possible value.

Clutter Control
How can you sit at your desk with the remains of yesterday’s lunch, newspapers, files and piles of paper and know where to begin? It’s not only distracting but very expensive when you consider the time you will waste clearing and cleaning, not working.

Set up your desk so there is a specific place for everything. Working files need to be accessible, not piled or scattered. Use a business card file or Rolodex or electronic equivalent for contact management. Set up and schedule time to maintain your contact management system. Don’t let your office become a dumping ground. Sort your mail over your waste basket or shredder. Eliminate junk before it becomes clutter.

The health of your business is directly related to the organization of your office. With an organized and efficient office you will be more productive with your time and less stressed overall. You will be proud to meet and consult with your clients in your office because it will reflect your high level of professionalism and smoothly run operation.

© 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.

Virtual Assistance as a Career Choice?

By Cheryl Callighan, MVA, Mentor/Coach

Every student I interview for the University of Virtual Assistants program asks the same question, “Can you really make a living being a virtual assistant?” My pat answer is “Yes, I’ve been doing it for 18 years.”

Little did I know 18 years ago when I started my little home-based secretarial service that the Internet would play such a huge role in my constantly expanding business. Technology gives me countless opportunities to work as a Virtual Assistant and even to offer the training I do.

 As the Internet continues to be such a key communication tool in the global business world and as businesses continue to seek better ways of doing buisness, managing costs and utilizing technology to its fullest, I can only see the Virtual Assistant industry continue to grow – rapidly.

The obvious cost savings in hiring a Virtual Assistant over an in-house staffer is by far one of the top benefits of working with a Virtual Assistant. When you add in the value of not having to train a Virtual Assistant as well – the cost savings just continue to accumulate for our clients. We’re ready with equipment, technology and know-how!

However, as the Virtual Assistant industry continues to grow and technology continues to change it means that we (VAs) will have to continue to keep up with technology. That means knowing your software (and having the newest version available) inside and out, how to use the lstest technology and how all of this serves to benefit our clients is incredibly important.

While there may still be a call for word processing from some clients more and more often I get requests for autoresponders, electronic newsletters, setting up and maintaining blogs and shopping carts, updating websites, etc. I’ve found myself explaining just how online marketing contains tools such as autoresponders for subscriptions, podcasting and RSS which all directly affect the search engine rankings of a client’s website.

Since we “partner” with our clients for their business success as well as ours, it behooves us to continually update our skills and knowledge so we can continue to a valuable asset to our clients’ business.

© 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.

Firing a Difficult Client

By Cheryl Callighan, MVA, Mentor/Coach 

We’ve all experienced the occasional “bad apple” client. She takes up a great deal of your time and adds very little to the bottom line. You’ve tried to rehabilitate her, offering ways to improve the relationship. But instead the problems keep piling up.  

It may be time to “fire” this client. 

It makes good business sense to fire clients whose emotional and professional toll on you and your business is no longer worth whatever revenue they generate. But it’s important to do it right. Your actions should leave the door open to doing business with them in the future and prevent them from disparaging you to others. Here are some suggestions to make the process less painful for all parties:  

Be honest with the client. Explain that you no longer supply the level of service she demands and that it would be best for her to seek another provider.  

Raise your fees. A much higher price tag may discourage a continued relationship. If not, at least you will be compensated for your higher level of service.  

Don’t renew expiring contracts. Let the natural course of the relationship run out. You may want to give the client a heads-up before the contract expires.  

Use escape options. If you operate under a contractual agreement, use the escape clause – the one that lets either party out with written notice. 

Be sure to talk to your subcontractors about your decision. Insufficient communication may lead to unfounded rumors that could disrupt business. Your subcontractors may be concerned about how releasing this client will impact the company and their own stability. Explain the situation and reassure then that the company and their positions remain secure.

© 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.

The Best 8 Reasons to Hire a Virtual Assistant

It’s been almost 10 years since Thomas Leonard, coach and founder of Coachville.com, coined the term “virtual assistant”. In that time the virtual assistant industry has exploded as the best source for small business owners and entrepreneurs to hire business support personnel.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs with limited budgets but an overriding need for support services have found virtual assistants to fill every support aspect of their the business. Business owners have recognized the huge advantage for hiring virtual assistants who specialize in everything from administrative and office management, secretarial and clerical services, bookkeeping, web site creation and maintenance, copywriting, editing, proofreading, Internet research, graphic design, online marketing, real estate services, legal support services, podcasting to a variety technology services. The services are as endless as the needs of the business owners. 

Small business owners are drawn to the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity that virtual assistants possess. As business owners themselves virtual assistants can readily identify with the needs of business owners for the efficiency, productivity and economic considerations of running a successful business. Virtual Assistants often invest their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity in their client’s businesses because if their clients are successful so are they.

Below is a list of eight best reasons to hire a virtual assistant. These reasons have but one outcome for the small business owner/entrepreneur – increased efficiency and productivity = Success!

Efficiency:  

1.                  Virtual assistants call upon their real-world work experience and skills to support their clients. No training involved. Simply give your virtual assistant a project and let her do the work. No micro-management necessary.

2.                  Because virtual assistants work for many different clients they are masters of time management. Give your virtual assistant a project deadline and she will meet it.

3.                  Virtual assistants are detail oriented. You will spend a minimal amount of time discussing the re-discussing the specifics of project.

Virtual Assistants have above average administrative and secretarial skills such as:

a.       Keyboarding speeds above 80 words per minute

b.      2-5 years of grammar, punctuation and editing experience

c.       Superior customer service skills

d.      Excellent organizational skills, (not only for their clients projects but in organizing their own businesses)

e.       Extensive creative ability and superior problem solving skills

Productivity:

4.                  Virtual assistants utilize the current technology for the greatest possible efficiency and productivity. Virtual assistants are always looking for better ways to increase their productivity through continued education and sharing knowledge and information with other virtual assistants.

5.                  Because of their real-world work experience most virtual assistants bring a high quality of productivity into their business. They are multi-taskers by nature and have an exceptional ability for prioritizing tasks and getting them done quickly.

Virtual assistants are productivity driven and can perform simple, everyday tasks such as:

a.       Word processing

b.      Document formatting and layout

c.       Conversion to PDF

d.      Grammar, editing and proofreading

e.       Data base creation and maintenance

Time Management:

6.                  Virtual assistants are small business owners themselves. They recognize the need to efficiently manage their time in order to meet client deadlines and maintain their high standards for customer service for all of their clients.

7.                  Prioritizing and scheduling projects, either reoccurring or one-time, virtual assistants are master of the calendar.

Time management services such as:

a.       Appointment scheduling

b.      Calendar maintenance

c.       Calendar synchronization

d.      Tele-class, webinar or web-meeting organization, invitation and set up

Online Services:

8.                  The virtual assistant industry was born from the internet. Virtual assistants rely on the internet for their own marketing and business operation. They know the “how-to” of the internet. They can:

a.       Create and maintain websites

b.      Provide Internet research

c.       Online marketing venues

d.      Affiliate management

e.       Subscription management

f.        Article submission

g.       Auto-responder message creation, scheduling and delivery

h.       Shopping cart set up and maintenance

i.         Electronic newsletter production and delivery

j.        Podcast editing, mixing and posting

k.      Blog set up and maintenance

l.         Intranet set up and maintenance (using SharePoint Services, a Microsoft program or other free intranet programs)

Most small business owners will recognize the need to hire more than one virtual assistant to service the various sectors of their business. Not all virtual assistants offer the same services let alone the same skill and competency levels for similar services. Small business owners need to approach the hiring of a virtual assistant with the same planning they would use in hiring a fulltime in-house employee. It’s best to develop a profile of the specific service they are looking for, the benefits their business needs and the outcome they expect. Once they have clearly defined their needs they can begin searching for the perfect virtual assistant to fit that service.

Many of the virtual assistant organizations offer RFP services for business owners looking to hire a virtual assistant. Posting a RFP will minimize the business owner’s time in locating several qualified virtual assistants and help them quickly identify potential candidates.

To identify a perfect fit for both business owner and virtual assistant, consideration must be given to the following points:

1.                  Time Zone. If a business owner needs someone available during their business hours then the virtual assistant’s time zone could play an important part in stable, timely support. Likewise, a virtual assistant in a different time zone could add additional hours to a business owner’s day.

2.                  Skills and Experience. Not all virtual assistants have the same skill level or experience. A business owner should ask for references and follow up with the references provided. 

3.                  Length of time in business. Because the virtual assistant industry is relatively new, virtual assistants have varying lengths of time in their own business operation. Some virtual assistants have been in business for 15+ years and some only 2 to 6 months. If stability is important to a business owner this should be a consideration in addition to skills and experience.

4.                  Fees. Because virtual assistants are independent business owners and operate in a global economy they are free to set their own fees and create their own terms. A higher fee does not necessarily indicate a higher skill level. And a lower fee is not necessarily a bargain. Business owners need to strike a balance between skills and experience, their budget and the virtual assistant’s fees.

5.                  Agreement or Contract. Every good business owner knows it’s only good business to have a signed agreement or contract detailing the specifics of a business relationship. Virtual assistants know this too. Business owners should either have an agreement or contract that they can provide to the virtual assistant outlining the independent contractor relationship or review the virtual assistant’s agreement/contract. An agreement or contract should be in place before any work is delegated or completed.  

© 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.

What Does It Take To Be A Virtual Assistant?

The virtual assistant industry is one of the fastest growing administrative services on the internet today. Many people are jumping on the VA band wagon. But what does it take to be a successful virtual assistant in today’s global business world? Below is a brief list of 10 key considerations for starting your virtual assistant business.  

1.     Do your homework – Research the virtual assistant industry. This is as simple as Googling “virtual assistant”. Visit the websites that Google presents and review the contents. Through these websites you’ll learn what a virtual assistant is, what they do and perhaps even how much they charge.

2.     Have skills and experience – You need to have some measurable experience in the executive administrative, secretarial or clerical fields and viable skills. Your competition has superior skills and extensive experience and you need to be able to compete with them on their skill and experience level.

3.     Know your technology – Virtual assistants operate their businesses through the current technology. Know how to navigate the internet, know how to efficiently send email and attachments, know what software the majority of businesses use today. But don’t stop there, continue learning all you can about blogging, RSS feeds, podcasting, subscription based electronic newsletters, etc. Technology changes daily. There are always new ways to market and grow your virtual assistant business and offer new services to your clients.

4.     Buy your equipment – Start with a fully equipped office containing a new computer (at least less than 1 year old), all-in-one fax/printer/scanner/copier, separate business phone line and especially reliable high-speed internet access.

5.     Think virtual – You will be working in a virtual world. You may never meet any of your clients face-to-face. You need to have excellent collaboration skills using today’s technology and superior communication skills to be successful as a virtual assistant.

6.     Can you afford to start your business – Financial considerations are foremost. You need to have a fully equipped home office (see #4 above). You need to understand that it will take at least 6 months to 1 year for your business to become viable, not necessary profitable. It may take up to 2 years before you begin realizing a profit.

7.     Are you an entrepreneur – You need a commitment to make your business work because it will take time and persistence on your part. In other words, you will have to work hard to make your business successful. You will need to be motivated, creative, willing to learn, reliable, and professional.

8.     Know how to operate your business – Do you have what it takes to run a business beyond the entrepreneurial mindset? You have to learn how to operate your business from providing superior customer service, excellent services, bookkeeping, marketing, planning, budgeting, technology – you will wear many hats, can you handle it?

9.     Get training – Invest in your success by taking online training from one of the many virtual assistant universities, tele-classes or coaching programs offered.

10. Create a business and marketing plan – This is where you create your business on paper. Developing a well-thought out business and marketing plan will help you identify any challenges before they become issues. A business plan helps you work through your business from your services, fees, marketing, daily operations to finally presenting your business to potential customers.  

© 2007 Cheryl K. Callighan, MVA/Coach and owner of the University of Virtual Assistants (www.uofvas.com) , has more than 30 years of executive administration and 17 years as the owner of eOffice-Virtual Assistants LLC (www.eoffice-virtualassist.com). Contact Cheryl@uofvas.com or Cheryl@eoffice-virtualassist.com or 303-347-2923. 

The Art of Negotiation Soprano Style

My husband has been watching the reruns of the Sopranos on Comcast On Demand. They remind him of home. He grew up in New Jersey and went to school with several kids whose families were in “undisclosed businesses”. To him, this is reality TV.

I watch because it’s our “quality” time together.

Watching the Sopranos I began thinking about how Anthony “Tony” Soprano operates his business and why he is successful.

I know women are inherently born to please. We want to help other people, be liked by other people and most of all to nurture others often at the expense of our own self-care. We are more likely to say “yes” without hesitation or even thinking about what might be best for “us”. We don’t negotiate. It’s just not what we’ve been programmed to do especially in business.   

But I’ve learned some important things watching the Sopranos with my husband. I’ve discovered a few tips on the art of negotiation.  

The Sopranos Art of Negotiation has taught me:

1. Ask for what you want. Be clear and specific.
2. Offer something in return.
3. Make it a win-win situation for everyone.
4. If you don’t get what you asked for then it is okay to ask “Whadda ya gonna do ’bout it?” And renegotiate. 

Anthony “Tony” Soprano is an opportunistic business man. Through his many power lunches/dinners (ever read the book Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz) with people of influence he keeps an open mind and listens for future business opportunities. He asks pertinent and hard questions (his way of researching), mulls over the pros and cons of each opportunity then decides if the risk is worthwhile and appropriate for his business.

Who says you can’t an education from watching TV, even entertainment TV?  

Bio – Cheryl Callighan, MVA, Mentor/Coach, has successfully operated EOffice-Virtual Assistants LLC for 17 years (www.EOffice-VirtualAssist.com). Most recently she launched the University of Virtual Assistants (www.UofVAs.com) to help new and established virtual assistants receive the best possible training for launching their virtual assistant businesses.  

Co-Creating Your Success!

Co-Creating Your Success!

Part 4 of 4   

Release the Brakes!   

The last principle is Release the Brakes! 

“Everything you want is outside of your comfort zone. “ Robert Allen, coauthor of “The One Minute Millionaire.”  

Have you ever been driving your car and suddenly realized you had left the parking brake on? Did you push down harder on the gas to overcome the drag of the brake or did you release the brake? You simply released the brake and with no extra effort you started going faster.  

Most people drive through life with the psychological parking brake on. The hold on to negative images about themselves or suffer the effects of powerful experiences they haven’t yet released. They stay in a comfort zone entirely of their own making. They maintain inaccurate beliefs about reality or harbor guilt and self-doubt. When they try to achieve their goals these negative images and preprogrammed comfort zones cancel out their good intentions – no matter how hard they try!  

Think of your comfort zone as a self-created prison. It consists of a collection of cant’s, must’s, must nots, and other unfounded beliefs formed from all the negative thoughts and decisions you have accumulated and reinforced during your lifetime.  Perhaps you’ve even been trained to limit yourself.  

Baby elephants are trained at birth to be confined to a very small space. The trainer will tie a rope to its leg and then to a wooden stake buried deep in the ground. The length of the rope determines the size of the confinement – the baby elephants comfort zone. The baby elephant will try to break the rope but the rope is too strong. When the elephant grows up to be 5 tons it can still be confined with the same rope. It learned as a baby that it couldn’t break this rope and as an adult still carries that belief.  

What keeps you trapped in your comfort zone? Is your rope made up of limiting beliefs and images that you received and took on when you were young? The good news is that you can change your comfort zone.  

There are three different ways: 

1. You can use affirmations and positive self-talk to affirm already having what you want, doing what you want, and being the way you want.
2. You can create powerful and compelling new internal images of having, doing and being what you want.
3. You can simply change your behavior.  

An important concept that successful people understand is that you are never stuck. You just keep re-creating the same experience over and over by thinking the same thoughts, maintaining the same beliefs, speaking the same words and doing the same things.  

Change your behavior – change your life. 

“The significant problems that we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Albert Einstein. 

These Success Principles in a nutshell –  

1.      Be Responsible for Your Life
2.      Believe in Yourself, Believe Anything is Possible
3.     Unleash the Power of Goal Setting
4.     Release the Brakes – Get out of your comfort zone 

Live your life with vision and goals, create your own success, make your dreams your reality.  

Live without boundaries or limitations.   

Believe in yourself and your abilities.  

Set high goals that stretch you and open your creativity.  

Get out of your comfort zone! 

These principles are applicable to your personal live and your business. When you take 100% responsibility for your life you can co-create the success you’ve always dreamed of having! It is possible. I’ve done it and so have thousands of other people. I can easily name 6 TSP graduates from my Colorado VA group that will confirm this.  

Do what you’ve always done, get what you’ve always gotten! 

Open your mind, tap your creativity, stretch beyond your comfort zone and claim your goals, claim your dreams! 

You can do, be or have anything you want – it’s up to you.  

© 2006-2007 Cheryl Callighan, MVA, eOffice-Virtual Assistants LLC and the University of Virtual Assistants. All rights reserved.  

Co-Creating Your Success! Part 3 of 4

Co-Creating Your Success! 

Part 3 of 4 

Unleashing the Power of Goal Setting!  

The third most important principle is Unleashing the Power of Goal Setting.

Once you know your life purpose, determine your vision, and clarify what your true needs and desires are, you have to convert them into specific, measurable goals and objectives and then act on them with the certainty that you will achieve them. (Believe!) 

There are two criteria your goals must be meet to unleash the power of your subconscious mind – your goals must be stated in a way that you and anybody else could measure it.  

For example –  

I will lose ten pounds is not as powerful as I will weight – 135 pounds by 5 o’clock on June 30^th.    

Be as specific as possible with all aspects of your goals – include the make, model, color, year and features…the size, weight, shape and form…and any other details. Remember, vague goals produce vague results.  

The best way to get clarity and specificity on your goals is write them out in detail – as if you were writing a work order to God or the Universal Mind. Include every possible detail.  

When you write it all down, your subconscious mind will know what to work on. It will know which opportunities to hone in on to help you reach your goal.  

When writing your goals you need to write down some goals that will stretch you – goals that will require you to grow to achieve them. It’s a good thing to have a couple of goals that make you feel uncomfortable. Why? Because the ultimate goal, in addition to achieving your material goals, is to become a master of life. And to do this, you will need to learn new skills, expand your vision of what’s possible, build new relationships, and learn to overcome your fears, considerations, and roadblocks. 

Create a “break-through” goal too. A break-through goal is a goal that represents a quantum leap for you and your career. Most goals represent incremental improvements in your life. Include something such as losing 60 pounds, writing a book, publishing and article, getting on Oprah, winning an award, creating a killer website, getting you master’s or doctoral degree, getting elected president of a professional association, hosting a radio show. The achievement of that one goal would change everything.  

To put your goals into action – optimally read your goals three times a day. Once upon waking up, once during the day and once just before you go to bed. This process will activate the creative powers of your subconscious mind. As you read each goal close you eyes and visualized your goal as already accomplished.  

This daily process increases what psychologists refer to as “structural tension” in your brain. Your brain wants to close the gap between your current reality and the vision of your goal. By constantly repeating and visualizing your goal as already achieved you be increasing the structural tension. This will increase your motivation, stimulate your creativity, and heighten your awareness of resources that can help you achieve your goal.  

Beware of considerations, fears and roadblocks.  

When you set a goal these are the three things that emerge to stop most people. However, knowing these three things are simply apart of the process you can treat them for what they are – just things to handle rather than letting them stop you.  

Considerations are all the reasons why you shouldn’t attempt the goal, all the reasons why it is impossible. If you want to make more money considerations such as “I’ll have to work twice as hard” or “I won’t have time for the family” will emerge.  

Fears are feelings. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection or fear of making a fool of yourself.  

Roadblocks are purely external circumstances beyond the thoughts and feelings in your head. A roadblock may be that you can’t find a subcontractor for a project or you may not have enough money to move forward with a marketing strategy.  

Welcome considerations, fears and roadblocks when they surface. Many times these are the very things that have been holding you back. Once you can see these subconscious thoughts, feeling, and obstacles, you can face them, process them and deal with them. By processing these things you become better prepared for your next venture. 

© 2006-2007 Cheryl Callighan, MVA, eOffice-Virtual Assistants LLC and the University of Virtual Assistants. All rights reserved.

When to Hire a Subcontractor

This is a follow up to my Subcontracting Made Simple presentation from the IVAA Virtual Educational Summit 2006-2007.

There are several reasons to hire a subcontractor. You might consider hiring a subcontractor because:

1. You have more work than you can handle and need help meeting your clients needs.
2. You want to expand your business hours and create more availability for your clients by extending your hours.
3. You may want to add new services for your clients but don’t want to learn new software or take additional training.
4. You want to expand and grow your business for increased income.

Hiring a subcontractor doesn’t need to be a difficult process. You just need to plan.

You need to list your primary reasons for hiring a subcontractor from the list above. Decide what you want your subcontractor to provide to you, your clients and your business. Create a clear and well defined job description. You can then use this job description to send out your RFP (request for proposal) on the various VA list serves.

Take your time when sorting through the responses. Create a list of those responders who pique your interest. Then whittle your list down to the short list of 3-5 possible subcontractors.

Set up a phone interview with each one and get clear answers on the following:

1. Do you have a VA business already?
2. Why do you want to subcontract?
3. What are your skills and experience?
4. What is your speciality service or niche?
5. Where are you located (time zone)?
6. How many hours do you have available?
7. What is your daily schedule?
8. Are you available evenings an/or weekends?
9. What type of equipment do you have (high-speed Internet access)?
10. What software do you have and what version is it?
11. What is your fee and is it negotiable?
12. Best method to contact you?
13. Can you give me at least references?

And I’m sure you can come up with a few more pertinent questions based on your situation. But my point is be thorough. You want the best possible help because your decision will directly affect you, your clients and your business. 

Ask if the potential subcontractor would be willing to do a small test project, either one you create yourself or one from a client. Check their work, their formatting, how well they followed instructions, turnaround time, did they have challenges or questions. Make sure this is someone you can work with on an ongoing basis.

Finally, have a contract/agreement. In your subcontracting agreement spell out all the details, types of services, approximate time needed each month, fees, payment terms, include confidentially and non-compete statements as well.

© 2006-2007 Cheryl Callighan, MVA, EOffice-Virtual Assistants LLC and the University of Virtual Assistants. All rights reserved.

Why Continued Education for Virtual Assistants?

Because our target market (small to mid-sized business, entrepreneurs, independent professionals, etc.) is becoming more technology savvy than ever before. Computers are mainstream. Obvious, but true. How do we communicate with our clients? Via the Internet.  

Today’s clients are more likely well-versed in the typical Microsoft Office programs, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Publisher. Maybe not as skilled or experienced as most Virtual Assistants but still they continue to obtain the rudimentary skills that serve them.  

Then their question becomes “Why pay someone $XX per hour when I can do this myself and save money?” It’s mostly about money and secondly about saving time. When our client/prospect is faced with spending money or spending time (if they think they can produce something fairly reasonable) they will choose using their time and saving the money.  

As a VA it didn’t take me very long to figure out my perfect client was about as tech savvy as I was. Having clients with a clue about technology simply makes working for them and communicating with them much, much easier. I like that.  

Then there’s the bigger problem. If your client/prospect knows as much as you do about the current software, hardware and technology, what are you going to sell them? What is your Unique Selling Position (UPS) going to be? Sure the old standbys could work,  “saving you time for your business” or “saving you money over hiring a full-time in-house secretary.” But what if their 14-year old daughter can put together a decent PowerPoint presentation? (My son was doing PowerPoint with audio for book reports at 9 years old.) What do we offer the client/prospect then?  

Well, that’s were continuing education or professional development comes into play. In order to provide value to our clients and prospects we need to be able to offer them services, skills and experience they don’t typically have (or have access to) such as creating a podcast for their web site, editing that podcast and maybe even uploading it to podcast a small business directory for marketing. Or maybe setting up a blog for them, complete with podcasts and RSS feed. Or maybe creating a package for their business consisting of a web site, blog, electronic newsletter and podcasts.  

Virtual Assistance is not just word processing any more! We need to seize technology and begin providing new services with a higher level of value to our clients and prospects. We need to keep abreast of the newest, latest and greatest technology not just for ourselves or to use in our own businesses but to sell to our clients and prospects. After all, the Virtual Assistant industry is literally founded on technology – computers and the Internet – we need to continue to carry technology forward, for ourselves, for our industry and for our clients/prospects.  

© 2006-2007 Cheryl Callighan, MVA, EOffice-Virtual Assistants LLC and the University of Virtual Assistants. All rights reserved.