12 Things to be aware of before hiring a Virtual Assistant Company
Trusting a Virtual Assistant Company to do our task isn’t an easy thing right? With our 10+ years with Virtual Assistant Companies, we now have a shortlist to select the right company. The good news is I’m here to share it with you.
Trusting someone doesn’t seem to be easy until we get to know them personally. But you know there are some guidelines which will easily enable you to select the right Virtual Assistant Company.
After being in this industry for a big-time we have learned things from our experience and we would like to share those guidelines with you. To be frank this is one of our secret and we are happy to share it with you.
Before going ahead let me make it simple, A Virtual Assistant Company that I would like to hire should be a better me, that’s it. Don’t you think the same?
OK! let me run you through these guidelines
1. Integrity
This doesn’t apply to Virtual Assistant Company alone, but to any business hire, right? Yes, the company has to be integral to always tell us the truth whatever the outcome may be. Because they will be handling your stuff and your client’s things which matter your client a lot. You are not going to trust a person with your bank account details, your confidential documents, and other things unless he proves himself to be Integral. You can train him for your works but Integrity can only flow from within him.
2. Experience
The Company should have at least 7+ years of experience in the Virtual Assistant Industry. The VAC should have served at least 500+ clients before you. So, they can use their experience to whatever business you would trust them too. Yes, you always would like to bid on the horse which is a champion.
The Company should have good managerial skills to take care of your business and handle the pressure at any cost. That VAC should be able to handle the challenges in the project instead of getting back to you for every problem. Only a company with good experience can do this for you. We cannot trust a new one though the bid seems to less. So, experience matters a lot, so they don’t learn from your project but put their learning into your project.
3. Client Retention
Before I get into their hall of fame; I would simply like to peep into their Client retention rate which can save my time easily. But I don’t think they would display them on their website. As far as I have seen there are very few Virtual Assistant Companies who are transparent in this area.
You can gently pitch in this question within 5-10 minutes of your conversation and can get a rough picture of who they are. Isn’t that a great idea? If they neglect to tell you then there is a clue for you to decide. By the by this is a simple proof of their quality and service.
4. They should prefer Relationship over Money
Do I sound too old? But Old is always Gold. I know we all work for money but if money is going to be their sole intention then you are in danger. They may leave you half the way when they are offered a better project. Their priority should be to serve you better. I know such companies who serve in such a manner.
5. Virtual Assistant Company should serve a different kind of Business
I mean to say that they should not just be into one single domain. For a say, if they are purely into Web Designing. The Virtual Assistant seem to have limited experience though they have the best talents with them.
Yes! You should prefer a Virtual Assistant company that is serving different streams. This will be a sure sign that they have better experience handling different businesses and they can implement those ideas into your projects.
I don’t know about you I would always like to approach a company which gives various services. VAC company should offer different services under one roof. That proves their capability to handle the challenges. So usually such kind of Virtual Assistant Companies would have most of their employees who are an expert in a different domain which is also a clear sign that they can manage the challenges with the job.
6. Hiring Process – virtual assistant company
Every Virtual Assistant Company hires its employees who will be working for you either from their office or right from their home. The most important thing that you should look into is to see how they hire their employee whom we call Virtual Assistants. Your Virtual Assistant should have a good experience in the domain.
A Novice cannot be entrusted with an important task. As the Virtual Assistance Industry is growing rapidly there are 100000+ employees out there. Do they have the best one for you? And not only that your Virtual Assistant should have great skills and should not be limited with one specialization rather he should have wide knowledge about the things related to your task.
Your Virtual Assistant should be Innovative, Dedicated, Persistent, Trustworthy and have all other good qualities that you would expect. Of course, his communication skill is important above all. Maybe, I will write a detailed article on How to Hire the best Virtual Assistant? later.
Anyhow, recruiting their talents matters a lot to you. Ask for the resume and previous projects of the Virtual assistant. That will help you understand their talent better. You can even ask for a basic Interview call with the Client. This way you get to speak to him and understand your Virtual Assistant better. But these kinds of calls may not be allowed for one hour or ten hours hire. This is only possible if you hire them for some good big projects.
7. Simple Processing
The Virtual Assistant Company should not take you a lot of time to hire a person for your task. Because the very intention for you to go to a Virtual Assistant Company is to save your time. So, the process of hiring should be easy, not time-consuming. There should be simple steps to hire your Virtual Assistant. You are not ready to beat around the bush. There should be three to four simple steps before you hire your Virtual Assistant.
8. Economic plans
The big benefit that you have when you go for a Virtual Assistant Company is no payroll, no paid holidays, no tax difficulty, no extra problems. But still, you need a company which offers you the best service at the best price.
Yes, I would recommend WoodBows who offer a wide range of Virtual Assistant Service. WoodBows serve all range of clients like small, medium business owners, entrepreneurs, and executive with an affordable cost where you get your dedicated Virtual Assistant from $8.99 to $25 per hour. This is one of the cheapest prices in the Virtual Assistant Industry. They also have a cash-back offer. WoodBows don’t have a set-up fee but they offer you a free consultation where you can get to know their service better.
Do you like to request a free consultation today? Click the below button
9. Client Support
Client Support is the other important factor when you hire a Virtual Assistant Company. They should give you good client support. In the USA we have good Virtual Assistant companies but they seem to work from morning 8 to evening 5. That doesn’t seem to be a big benefit to you, isn’t it? Some companies can offer you 24/7 client service.
You got to choose one of them. Who can dedicate themselves to take care of your work load? At the same time, you can get 24/7 support for all your needs. Yes! though you are sleeping someone is working for you, who is taking care of all your business who is giving you rest from all the mundane tasks and allowing you to think other important things for your company.
10. Credentials
The Company should have good credentials in the industry. They should be ranked in the authorized websites. You can check their testimonial on their website which will help you calculate them better. Of course, the best one is alone there. Therefore, I recommend you to check their ranking in the other trusted website.
11. Access to Virtual Assistant
Access to Virtual Assistant Company is one thing but the most important thing is you having your access to your Virtual Assistant. Because he/she is the one who is going to work for you. Usually, Virtual Assistant Companies are insecure and they don’t give you direct access to your Virtual Assistant. So, ensure that you will have access to him/her both via. calls and emails. Not only that, you should have the freedom to change your Virtual Assistant in case you are not satisfied.
12. Familiar with Management Tools
This is also a very important factor where your Virtual Assistant Company should be familiar with Management tools. There are many management tools to do your work better which is based on your needs. Your Virtual Assistant should be familiar with handling those tools. The industry is getting updated day by day. Check if the Virtual Assistants are trained in a particular domain.
Till now, we saw the points that you have to be aware of before hiring a Virtual Assistant Company, Now, I would like to add some more points as a checklist for you before you approach your Virtual Assistant Company. Every business has two sides and both of them have to be aware of their part, right? So, here are some points that would help you make a better deal
1. Be Crystal Clear about your expectations
Let them know what needs to be done. If you really can’t figure out the exact need, you need not worry. A Good Virtual Assistant Company will understand your needs and offer you the choices for your solution. You will simply have to select the best one. But let them know everything that you need from them. So, it works better on both sides. Let every expectation be documented as an mail to them. So, tomorrow we can avoid all the hassle.
2. Make sure they understand your business better
Ask them questions related to your domain. Ask for their previous experiences with the clients and their testimonials from previous clients which may help you to find better talent. Ask them to explain to you in detail about their previous projects. Ask them doubts and see how they clarify. Their answers to your questions will be their understanding of their project.
3. Set up a Communication Platform
It is vital you have a particular medium to speak to your Virtual Assistant. Which is the must to avoid any miscommunication. So, you can use that platform to contact them at any time and they can also contact you in the time of need.
4. Check the progress
Though you have delegated the task. It is still needful that you ask them to give you a regular update. Ensure that they update you regularly.
5. Ask for the Submission Date
You should ask them for the working hours and estimated budget for your project. Also, ask them to assure you of the submission date. In this way, you can have a clear picture of your deliverable.
Choosing the Virtual Assistant Company – Conclusion
Choosing the Virtual Assistant Company is wisdom but choosing the right one is super wisdom. I have given you the best guideline which we learned from our 10+ years of experience. I hope this one helps you. I would also like to know if you would like to add some more points, can you kindly comment them down for me? so that I could learn some new things from you. Here we have Top 30 Virtual Assistant Companies from which you can select the one that suits you. I wish you all the very best for your company.