The Newbie’s Guide on Virtual Assistance A Virtual Assistant also known as a VA is not the same "one size fits all". There are as many virtual assistants in the world today as there are professions. Not every virtual assistant provides “general support” services. Many do but there are plenty more that specialize. Many just pick up where they came from in the corporate world. The only difference being is that they now work from their own home office and not in someone else’s office. Take a look below at some of the benefits that employers normally pay in-house staff. These benefits come to a lot of money, usually doubling the cost of an employee’s yearly salary. When you work with a VA you don’t pay for any of these costs! VA's pay their own insurances Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Disability Insurance Unemployment Insurance Workman’s Compensation Insurance VA's pay their own taxes State & federal taxes FICA Taxes VAs pay their own pension plans IRA 401K VAs DON’T get paid for Vacation time Sick days Holidays Personal days What a VA brings to the table You DON’T have to provide any furniture You DON’T have to provide any standard office equipment You DON’T have to provide office space You DON’T have to provide telephone systems, fax machine, copiers, or utilities You DON’T have to provide a computer You DON’T have to provide software programs, basic or specialized You DON’T have to pay for the latest technology tools or upgrades to software programs or hardware equipment. You DON’T pay to have equipment repaired or replaced. You DON’T pay for back-up equipment You DON’T pay for data back-ups You DON’T have to provide cell phones or other portable digital devices. You DON’T have to provide inkjet printers, laser printers or postage meters for your VA You DON’T have to provide office supplies for your VA You DON’T have to pay for faxing, copying, postage, shipping or long distance phone charges You DON’T have to pay for industry books, trade magazines, etc. You DON’T have to screen or interview VAs or pay for physical exams for your VA VA's are ready to work We all know that in-house staff needs some kind of break-in period. Whether the training is done in the office by another co-worker or on the outside in a training center or a trainer is brought in. This usually results in a large outlay of money to the employer. So while the in-house staff is being trained at the same time, the office most likely is short of help and not running like it normally would. VA's on the other hand already are trained so they are ready to start working right away. This is not to say that a VA knows your business. Of course, there always will be the initial "break-in" time. But after that is done, VAs are on their own!  They come prepared with years of work experience, top of the line skills and corporate knowledge. There is no down time involved. They are there to help you succeed and in doing so they make their own businesses succeed as well. VA's pay for their own training and education As far as training, VA's turn to their local colleges, online colleges and online classes. They study and take exams for whatever skill they need to excel in or the latest technology. Upon completion, they are awarded a certificate if they pass the exam. Certificates are not given out just because they attend that class. When a VA does go back to school to school, they pay for it themselves. This saves you money not only from not having to pay for this training but you now have access to the latest technology for your own business. Made possible through your VA. Keeping data safe and sound It is important to backup data and other files in case of a power outage or computer failure. Some VAs like to back up data three different ways. There are “remote backups”, portable backups” and default backups. Plus other software programs out on the market. With a portable backup drive a VA can log onto a computer anywhere in the world and just pick up where they were working without any problem. Question? Just ask your VA VA's have the latest technology tools, software programs and hardware equipment in their technology toolbox. They continuously add to it so they access to information and outside sources which other people don’t have. They need to be able to know how to overcome any computer glitches or problems that may arise in their line of work. They know what programs are compatible with different operating systems. When a VA has one version of a software program and their client has another version there may be a compatibility problem. Viewing and transferring files electronically will be a problem unless the files can be converted and your word processor can open up these documents to be viewed. That is something that VAs know how to do and they solve these types of file conflicts all the time. Another common problem is the transfer of large files whether they are data files, photos or video clips. There are special software programs to remedy this and the files can be sent to where they need to go without getting stuck in your “sent e-mail account”. Sometimes a client will request text files to be converted to PDF files and back again to a text document. This can be done with the right software. This requires another type of software. Some software is expensive, namely Adobe Acrobat which a lot of VAs use for these PDF files. There are other programs out there that will do the job too. This is part of the VA toolbox. This plus so much more is what you can expect from a VA since VA’s specialize in the latest technology. After all VAs are “virtual” and therefore must be “computer savvy”. Type of equipment and technology that VAs use Just as each VA provides their own unique set of services, they also have their own equipment which they use on a daily basis. If a VA offers podcasting or video services, they need to already have this equipment to get the job done. Of course every VA has the basic equipment in their office and when new state of the art hardware systems are rolling out, you can bet that your VA is thinking about upgrading their own system or just adding to what they already have in their arsenal. Software programs are constantly being upgraded and there is a never ending supply from different manufacturers in every category possible. Operating systems are upgraded every few years which means software programs then have to be upgraded also or they will not work with the new operating systems. VAs use a multitude of software depending on their services that they offer. All VAs have the basic software and for those that offer specialized services they need to have that software as well. A VA may have one version of a software program but in time it will be upgraded which means that the VA will need to purchase the newer version in order to  work with clients that have the older version and others who have the newer version. As you know, software is expensive but there are specific programs that such as graphic software that is much in demand and is out of the reach of many people. But VAs know that if they offer a particular service it is worth it to purchase the newer version of the needed software which clients probably would not have on their own. Some basic software used is Word, Outlook, Quick Books, Excel, Publisher, and Power Point. Specialized services means you are going to have to buy the software programs and don’t forget the books that are written for these software programs. Microsoft Windows and Macintosh use different software programs. Just recently Mac adopted Microsoft Windows in addition to their own operating system. Since everyone uses different types of software and different versions, VAs find it to their advantage to have as many versions as possible just to avoid conflict problems. This means that the VA is putting out a lot of change investing in all of these software programs plus the latest hardware in the marketplace. So their clients are benefiting from having the latest technology both in software and hardware and not spending one cent for it! You don’t even have to know how it works, no learning curve required! It all comes together in one package provided from your VA. Upgraded Equipment and Features Every VA is different and so works in whatever way is best for him/her. Some VAs use dual monitors instead of one monitor so they can see everything at once instead of enlarging the windows on the bottom of the screen. It's a time saver too so work can be finished faster and that means you save money. Digital scanning saves you from filing your paperwork. Its saves time, space and you don’t have to keep buying more file cabinets. Suddenly you have a lot more space in your office and you don’t have piles of paperwork to be filed. You have more room on your desk too. When a VA offers digital scanning there is a very expensive scanner some VAs will buy. This is not necessary but it makes it a lot easier when you have a massive amount of paperwork to convert digitally. This makes it possible to get rid of all those papers you have to file weekly which takes a huge chunk of time for this task. Convert it and then throw away the paper or keep it – your choice! There is even “collaboration software” which allows both the VA and client to enter a “chatroom” and collaborate on work and have access to files at the same time in real time. This can be done even if there are thousands of miles between the VA and the client. If you want to talk at the same time you can even use one of the many internet phone systems. There is Instant Messaging too. Internet Marketing Some VAs will buy the latest video equipment and post video clips on the Internet for their clients. This is known as Internet Marketing and this marketing strategy is rapidly replacing newspapers, radio and TV ads faster than anyone ever thought. This can be used to help the client market their business online in ways that were never possible before. Utube is probably the one site most people are familiar with but it definitely is not the only one. How does this sound so far? Pretty good right? Well, I'm not finished there's more to come. Employee Costs vs. Virtual Assistant Rates How does it make you feel when you have a slow day and your staff is sitting around talking to each other, taking breaks, and having long lunches? You know you are paying for this, it's coming out of your bottom line even though you don't see it since you are used to paying the same salaries all the time. Well, this NEVER happen with a VA. There is no DOWN time. You PAY ONLY for what you get. How about the waste of time when it comes to office gossip and people that have problem personalities. This happens in every office so I'm sure you know what I am talking about here. Another waste of time and money. This NEVER happens with a VA since they are working from their own office. If there is no work for them they don’t get paid, it’s simple. There are multiple ways to contract with a VA. You can pay hourly, flat rate, or retainer. Discounted retainers work well with clients that need a VA on a continuing basis. When a VA needs help - we all do sometime VAs have a lifeline and it extends all over the world. From the US to as many countries as far away as you can imagine. The whole world comes together just by logging on to a computer. VA's have no problems in getting help from other VAs and colleagues. Because VAs belong to online global communities. VAs have access to an invaluable resource of information and use it on a daily basis. Try comparing that to an office worker in your own office who has a question. Who will help them, especially if it pertains to new technology? The VA literally has this information at his/her fingertips on a 24/7 basis. How is a VA different from a Temp? If you hire temps when you are short of help you have to pay the agency a percentage. After all they have to be paid too. But, what if the temp doesn't work out like you hoped, do you get that money back or does the agency keep it? When the temp walks through your doors, are they ready to start working immediately or do they have to be trained? Do they know what your business is all about? Do you have to take time to train them? Take time away from what you are doing or have someone else train them? If you do, you are increasing the amount per hour than you are paying them. Another thing - when you hire a temp, do you always get the same temp the next time you need one? If you don’t, then you have to train the new temp which means you are spending money for re-training plus taking time out from your day to do this.   With a VA this never happens. You get the same person who knows your business. You show the VA once what you need, how you would like the work done and that’s it. The next time you don't have to do it all over again. All of the previous work is filed away for the next time or the next project. Remember this is the VAs business so it’s just as important to the VAs as it is to you. With a temp it's just a J.O.B. and working for you or for someone else doesn’t matter as long as they are getting the same pay. So who would you choose to do your work? The temp or the VA? Whether you need a VA only once in a while, for your busy season, for emergency help, project management, or on a continuing basis, your VA can be all these things and more. This is what VAs do. Do VAs keep regular office hours? Each VA has his/her own schedule. Some work regular hours and some don’t. This means that if you need something done past the normal working day your VA may be able to accommodate you without a hassle. Depending on the agreement you and your VA have worked out, it may even be charged at the normal rate. Most VAs are glad to handle these types of projects for their clients. How do I know what my VA is working on? There are many different software programs that VAs use. They allow clients to know exactly what work your VA has already finished and what work still has to be done. Also there is “time tracking” software which VAs use. This gives clients the advantage of knowing how long it takes the VA to do the work given. You don’t sit around wondering or guessing. You will know exactly the time it takes which is a big benefit for the client. A VA doesn’t wait for clients to tell them what the next step is. He/she knows your business and will anticipate the next step in your progress. Usually reminding you and preparing for it, not waiting to be told what to do next. After all your VA is not an employee but a partner in your success. Remember when you succeed so does your VA. So if you never thought of a VA before, don’t you think it’s time? Article written by JoCarole Carpenter www.shoreofficeservices.com info@shoreofficeservices.com or jocarolee@comcast.net (732) 820-1391 Copyright © 2008-2011 All Rights Reserved - Shore Office Services LLC