The options available to your company when you hire a virtual assistant are endless. Some of these VAs work on their own as freelance workers, while others provide their expertise through agencies. Although some of the similarities make it seem like it is the same to hire a virtual assistant, their differences are remarkable.
In this blog post, you will find the answers to all the questions you have been wondering when you are going to hire a virtual assistant. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to contact us through our message board, we will be happy to help you and provide VAs that will release your company's full potential.
FAQ: Hire a Virtual Assistant
What is a Virtual Assistant?
Virtual assistants are experts in their fields that can help your business in any task your regular employees or yourself don't have the time to do. They are trained in several areas like marketing, sales, customer service, graphic design, and much more. Depending on your company's needs, you can find several VAs willing to do those tasks for almost half of the price.
How much does a Virtual Assistant charge?
While virtual assistant fees may vary from worker to worker, the fact is that hiring a virtual assistant is cheaper than a regular employee. They will only charge for the amount of work you assign them, and you do not have to worry about benefits, equipment, software, training, or medical fees.
Freelance VAs or Agency VAs?
The answer to this question depends on what your company needs. If you know exactly what your business is in need of and want it to be done as quickly as possible, perhaps a freelance VA is best for you. If you are unsure what your company exactly needs, agencies might be able to help you in this process. By asking the right questions and assigning your business a VA that will be able to help your current employees by taking relevant tasks off their hands.
For how long can I hire a virtual assistant?
You can hire a virtual assistant for an indefinite time. Some VAs have a project-based schedule and will only work for you for the project's amount of time. In comparison, others can work on your core tasks for an indefinite time. The more time your company hires a VA, the more you will save in the long run versus hiring a new employee.
What skills does a VA have?
Virtual assistants possess a wide variety of skills that can be used from the moment you hire them. Although their skills will vary from person to person, they have the same general skills overall. Below, you can find a list of general VA skills that you can get when you hire a virtual assistant.
Empathy
Active listening
Proactivity
Time management
Scheduling
Invoices, reports, and result measurement
Communication
Self-motivation
Resourcefulness
Reliability
Organization
Detail orienting
You can get many of these skills when you hire a regular employee, but a virtual assistant's availability and money-saving have no comparison.
What about the screening process?
When hiring an employee, the prospect has to go through several filters for you to assess their compatibility with your business. When hiring a freelance VA, the process is the same. You will have to go through several pages of prospects in apps like Fiverr to identify which freelancers will work best for your company. In contrast, hiring a virtual agency eliminates the screening process since the agency already did the screening process before assigning you a VA. A virtual assistant agency will ask for information regarding your company's needs and then provide a virtual assistant suited to them.
Can I use a VA as a regular employee?
Absolutely! Virtual assistants are team workers. If you decide to add a virtual assistant to your workforce or device to make your workforce a team of VAs, these experts have no problem leading a team or following directions. Making the communication possibilities between departments seem seamless.
How can I reach my virtual assistant?
Virtual assistants can use several means of communication depending on the initial deal when you hire one. They can provide you with an email, a chat, and even a phone number for emergencies. In addition, some of them are available in different timezones, making your company open to your customers 24/7.
How do I keep track of hours worked?
Many freelance VAs only work on a project-based system, so they will measure the time differently from agencies. On the other hand, agencies traditionally use software that can keep track of the tasks in progress and the number of hours worked for a specific client. These VAs also respond to managers that can help them with any doubts they have and provide them with a schedule depending on how many companies they are working for at any given moment.
What if I don't like my virtual assistant?
If you do not like specific processes or results a virtual assistant provides your company, you can always talk to their manager, and they can provide you with a solution for your problem. This reason is why agencies were created. Most agencies look for the perfect candidate after you provide certain information to them. If they do not have someone already in their workforce who can help you, they will hire extra personnel for specific tasks your company may need.
Hire a Virtual Assistant
These are just some of the most common questions New Age Cubicle gets asked most of the time. If you have a particular question you need the answer to or would like to try the service for your company, you can schedule a Free Consultation and get all of your doubts cleared before deciding to hire a virtual assistant.
Here at New Age Cubicle, we want your enterprise to succeed in all matters. Whether it is marketing, sales, customer service, bookkeeping, medical billing, or a personal assistant, we want your company to feel victorious in your everyday tasks. Hire a virtual assistant today.