Greetings from Virtual Writing & Communications Solutions!  I'm pleased to present here a series of articles relating to the definitions and uses of the Virtual Assistant industry in today's business and professional worlds.

It's fairly rural where I live, so it's understandable that no one here has ever heard the term, virtual assistant.  But even the current web presence of this intimately internet-connected field is relatively small - though it's also growing at a breathtaking rate! 

Virtual Assistants are revolutionizing the working world.  I hope you enjoy reading about my take(s) on this wonderful, sensible phenomenon!

I invite you to visit my business website, as well, at http://www.asthemoonclimbs.com.

The Virtual Assistant industry is all about finding truly satisfactory solutions; structures and relationships that work very well for both (or all) parties in the agreement.

As a business owner or entrepreneur, you’ll find that VAs generally are extremely upfront about what they can offer.  What’s more, most will go the extra step of recommending alternatives if the work’s not right for them.  Why?  Because VAs know only a really great match will satisfy all parties involved.         

Punching in Virtual Assistant at Google gives well over a million responses.  Since a VA can often provide indispensable services to you even if s/he is located on the other side of the earth, it’s helpful to know where to start your search for the perfect match for your needs.

Of course, if you need someone you can occasionally meet with in person, you’ll want to narrow your search to your geographical area.  At www.VA4U.com and other host sites, you can find long lists of VAs in your area. 

Alternatively, you can type in Virtual Assistant (your state) at Google.  There, you’ll wade through the host sites as well, but individual services are also shown in the usual order.

Still, this kind of searching takes a long time, right?  Hopefully you have a really good idea about what you want a VA to do for your business.  So the best keywords to enter are probably Virtual Assistant (websites, or executive assistant, or marketing, or whatever the specialty you seek)(your state).            

Now, suppose you get this far and still can’t figure out what’s best.  Websites can be deceiving, after all. If you’ve narrowed your search down as far as possible and are still uncertain, there are several possibilities.

• Try to figure out how long the Virtual Assistant has been in practice, either as a VA or in the field in which they work.  Longevity always suggests a good amount of respectability!


• Call or email some on your short list of VAs and have a good long talk.  Ask lots of questions.


• Choose a few of the VA businesses, contact them, and ask for a proposal or information packet, or for samples of their work.  Compare the ones you receive.


• Contract for a very short time, or initially just give some trial work to the VA.  Continue your relationship based on your satisfaction with the product you receive.  VAs are used to an incremental process in partnering with clients.


• Maybe the most straightforward way to find a really great Virtual Assistant is to list your opportunity on one of the VA host websites.  Some excellent sources are http://www.ivaa.org, http://www.virtualassistants.com, the aforementioned http://www.VA4U.com and http://www.VAnetworking.com. There are many other host sites as well.  On these sites, you simply list your needs and contact info with the host and then wait for VAs to respond to your Request for Proposals (RFP).

If the VA is not in your area, of course you will be unlikely to meet in person.  But you can still use the above tools to select an excellent candidate and begin work on a trial basis, even if you’re emailing to France or the South Seas! 

If you can appreciate spending less and getting more, working with VAs is the way to go.  After a short while, as you experience the services and support of a VA, you’ll come to feel that you trust him or her explicitly, even though you’ve never met!

Next time I’ll consider in more depth the various ways a VA can take over your office tasks. 

                                            See You Online!             
                                                                           

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