In today's world, there are many more people who join the adventure of forming their own business. Entrepreneurship is gaining strength, even in developed countries - for example, in the United Kingdom the rate of entrepreneurship has increased by 16% in the last 6 years .
All this, thanks to the fact that there have been many entrepreneurs who have opened the way to this whole world of new business, and with that, institutes for small businesses and entrepreneurs have even been created; as well as the change of certain legal regulations, which have given way to making the process of starting a business easier than it was before.
People are increasingly motivated to found their own companies, one of the main motivations is the idea of being "our own boss" and having a "unique" type of business, something that was born in our thinking and that we will enjoy materializing .
Nowadays we can start a business taking full advantage of the fact that we are part of a "global village". We live in a great world where we can order from sports equipment to a ham pizza, with a single click. Similarly, we can find marketing assistance services, graphic design, business in general through the network.
The subcontracting or "outsourcing" of virtual assistants servcies more than a fashion, has become in a short time in a primordial need of young entrepreneurs and also of established companies, since costs are reduced and productivity is increased.
In the case of new companies, virtual assistants are - or should be - one of the first services to consider, since at this point our company does not have enough structure (or probably funds) to hire someone full-time , or there simply are not enough tasks to delegate someone we hire for 8 hours.
There are many aspects to take into account before hiring a virtual assistant services, these are the most important according to my experience:
1. Tasks to delegate
The idea of having assistance is to help us have more free time, get rid of the repetitive tasks that we take away from us . Time that we could dedicate to other areas of the company, or to our family. Then, the first step will be to write down all the tasks that we do during the day that do not generate any sales for the company, and that nevertheless leaves us long hours sitting at the desk.
Example: customer service emails, calls to confirm appointments, purchase of inputs, social networks, searches, accounting, categorize transactions in quickbooks, translations, audio or video transcriptions, designs for social networks, logo design, etc.
2. Create a Procedures Manual.
All these repetitive tasks are a process, and you have to document it. You do not need to make a manual according to the ISO 900 laws, but all the processes and tasks that your virtual assistant will be doing need to be framed.
This manual needs to include passwords and screenshots if possible. We must remember that we will not hire someone who comes to our office, but someone who will work from the other side of the monitor and who will surely need to have support material when performing these tasks.
3. To the search!
Now, you can already dedicate to look for a company of virtual assistants with credibility, and that adjusts to what our business needs. There are companies that provide specific services, for example assistants for real estate, accounting, graphic design, administrative, etc.
Listen to your friends, they may already have an assistant and they can recommend someone.
It is good to prepare a profile of all the features that the person who will be your assistant needs, here you must include personal aspects, after all, you will be your ally in the growth of your business!
In this step it is essential to review the options you have and compare prices and the services they offer. If possible, you can ask for a trial time or a "sample" of the work they do; In general, these companies have already categorized their virtual assistants and only need to give them the profile they have created, and in this way they complete the process of choosing the person that best fits.
4. Training
Take as much time as you deem necessary in training your assistant. Check with the company providing the service if this time is included in the rate.
This trial period is very important to adapt to the new member of your company and to dictate the way you want to continue with the tasks delegated to you. There will be tasks that are robotic and that can not be modified, but there will be others in which you need creativity; let him know what they are, and guide him so that he knows his tastes as far as the rhythm of work.
For example, if you are looking for a new supplier of pens for your company, you can say "blue is my favorite color in this case, however if it were clothes, I definitely go with the color red" in this way, when you need to order promotional t-shirts, your assistant will surprise you with the options you have for you!
4. Build a relationship with your assistant
See your assistant as your ally, build a relationship with her and exchange opinions on how to perform certain tasks. Remember that it never hurts to try new ways of doing the same task. Ask about new technologies you can use in your company.
Do not forget communication, it is essential to reach the point where your assistant almost read your thoughts and take full control of the task you are doing. Take advantage of technology, use Skype, Google Talk, etc., which, in addition to being Free, are effective ways of being in touch with your assistant.
5. Enjoy your free time
Once you have an excellent working and personal relationship with your assistant, the free hours will be longer and the earnings will be bigger. It sounds incredible, but it happens, it has happened to me and it has been key to the success of my business.
I think the key is to know how to choose the right person, it's not about being lucky but knowing exactly what our company needs and being very emphatic about it; Another key point is knowing how to choose the company of virtual assistants.