My Experience with Virtual Assistants and outsourcing

Hey, Nick… nice post! I like better what you wrote in your Tips for “hiring” writers, as you talk about nurturing relationships. I think that’s something most people considering working with virtuals don’t at all get.

So, to all that you’ve said, and because you’ve said that you don’t work with VAs, but writers, I’d like to add (to make sure YOUR readers know) that while all Virtual Assistants are virtual professionals, not all virtual workers are Virtual Assistants.

In truth, for someone wanting to really get the biggest bang–for the buck, for the time investment, for the emotional investment (and we’re ALL invested emotionally in what we do in our businesses)–the best use of VA is in finding one and choosing one to be a right hand person, rather than looking for task-based people to do specific project/piecework. And in that shift, the way to choose him/her changes dramatically, as does how a client would delegate to him/her.

The project/piecework outsourcing model is really commodity-based. There’s a task, someone has the skill, between two seemingly samely qualified people, the one with the lowest price for task wins the work. It’s the same way people buy cans of tomatoes, or gas.

Because no time is spent in getting to know the person whose work is being retained, first, there can be no trust going in. Also, there’s no expectation of longevity of relationship, or collaboration, or anything beyond the transaction. As a result, what you speak of with giving small tasks and gauging success before moving forward, becomes necessary.

But…when wanting to work with a Virtual Assistant–a *professional* Virtual Assistant, rather than someone working in an offshored version of a sweat shop, a client should choose for fit (of personality, nature, meshing with one’s own company’s culture, work ethic, sense of humor–and several other ways of fitting) first, and foremost. Skills…*any* skills, can be gained/taught/learned.? Finding the right person to serve a person and his business long-term and collaboratively–a knowledge worker who can get handled the tasks of today (*whatever* them may be–quite literally!) *and* help him look out at the big picture and plan/strategize for the future–is where the magic happens.

And those people? They don’t audition. They don’t do trials. They don’t start small. They aren’t begging for work–from anyone. They probably charge in excess of $50 per hour (the best VAs I know are easily earning closer to $100/hour). They are fabulous professionals who are better than their clients at the things they’re going to be taking off their clients’ plates, and that makes them leaders (among other things) worthy of respect, and in many, many cases, deference to their suggestions for their clients’ businesses.

I’d caution your readers: Instead of looking for cheap labor, look for relationships with professionals. There’s so much more to be gained, there.

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