We’ve got a guest post today by Andrew Krebs-Smith, a Social Media Marketing Consultant. He has implemented national marketing campaigns for clients including Pfizer, Medifast, and The National Aquarium. See his LinkedIn profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkrebssmith .
I’ve been dying to use a virtual assistant for a while now. I’ve heard amazing stories of virtual assistants working for extremely affordable rates and providing top-notch work. It’s like paying minimum wage for graduate-level work, right? Well, let’s just say I haven’t lost hope…
I decided to use Elance as my VA portal, because of its proven track record and built-in security and management tools. You can deposit funds in escrow and only release them when the work is completed to your satisfaction. It’s pretty cool, and works well.
So I submitted a request for proposals, and sent it to specific workers or companies that I thought looked good. I ended up picking an assistant based on her credentials (degree and experience in writing) and her location (America). My project required knowledge of cultural business practices and I didn’t think it would behoove me to hire help from abroad. (Note: I have heard, though, that although there are sometimes syntax and culture differences, VAs from abroad can actually be quite effective and helpful).
TIP: Don’t hire someone with no experience and no past completed jobs!
Right about now you are probably wondering why I was even allowed to write a blog entry if I didn’t already know this. This advice is even posted on the Elance website, for goodness sake! I know, I know, I think I’m just nice to a fault, and when I saw her assertive and well-written proposal, I really wanted to give her that first job. I don’t regret it either; I think I learned more than she did through the experience.
Anyway, back to my willy-nilly hiring practices. Her credentials looked good and she was quick to get back to me – good enough, right? Wrong. Ask for work samples – emphasis on the plural. If he/she doesn’t have any, high-tail it out of there. The first small projects were fine, but soon her work was obviously flawed.
Thankfully I realized my error relatively soon. I cut our project short and we both went our separate ways. Am I afraid to use another VA? Heck no, I’m actually more excited than the first time around. Now I know how things can go sour, and I’ll be prepared for it.
If you are looking into trying out your first VA, here are my tips:
- Use a portal that allows you to protect yourself. Even worse than paying a bad VA is paying one that just steals your money.
- Don’t hire someone without a proven track record. Look for someone with glowing recommendations and that has made a decent amount of money as a VA.
- Don’t just take someone else’s word for it. A degree, recommendations, and past projects don’t necessarily mean that he/she is right for you and your project. Ask for specific samples of work, that relate to the work you need done. If you just need administrative tasks handled, maybe you should ask for a list of references to whom you can speak.
- Monitor progress and completed tasks. If I hadn’t constantly checked out her work, I might still be paying my VA, assuming the work was all up to the standards of her original work.
Ok, that’s it. Hopefully my experience will help you land a great VA the first time around.
…and beware of the Elance VA with one job completed and decent writing credentials.
