Outsourcing Tips from a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants (also known as VAs) are a great alternative for small business owners looking for support. Outsourcing provides all the perks of having employees without all the costs and responsibilities that come along with it.

Here are some tips that will help you with your next outsourcing experience:

Have Patience

Working with an outsourcing company requires a bit of patience. Small business owners often go into this type of relationship with unrealistic expectations. It is important to understand that you will need to give your new assistant some time to learn your business processes and systems.

Be Respectful

Your virtual assistant is not your employee nor is she/he your servant. Everyone deserves to be respected and treated with kindness. Your virtual assistant is a business owner just like you. The performance level and work quality tends to be high when there is a great level of respect between the VA and the client.

Mean What You Say and Say What You Mean

VAs are not mind readers so be very clear when you are submitting your project or task requests. Poor project communication is often the common culprit when it comes to bad quality work. Here is a sample outline of how your task should be submitted.

1. Project Title

2. Project Description

3. Expected Turnaround Time

4. Expected Outcome

5. Resources Needed

6. The best way to reach you if there is a problem with your project or tasks.

About the author: Trena V. Stubbs is the Business Solution Expert behind Apex Virtual Solutions, an Atlanta, Georgia based virtual assistance company building a reputation for trust and consistency since 2007. Apex Virtual Solutions offers a variety of services including virtual assistant support, website design and online marketing.