What Business Owners Say About Virtual Assistants

Business owners are looking for some help but aren’t always sure exactly what they need. They contact virtual assistants but aren’t sure how a virtual assistant can help them. And many times virtual assistants find it challenging to educate business owners with information about how they can benefit the business owner.

However, there are business owners who have been able to define what they need from a virtual assistant. They may have had an unpleasant experience in the past and now have finally found the virtual assistant for them.

So instead of trying to explain to you, the business owner, how we virtual assistants can help you, I thought you might like to hear from these business owners who have used a virtual assistant.

If you are a business owner, I hope the comments from these business owners will help you more clearly understand how a virtual assistant can help you with your business needs. And if you are a virtual assistant, perhaps these comments can help you define to your prospects just how you can help them.

Excerpt from Successfully Start Your Business:

“For business owners with limited resources they are a great option as you can delegate a task to them with a deadline…no on-the-job training, no payroll taxes, no sick leave or unplanned absence – they take care of all this themselves. You get to define your problem, compare the solution you see with them, and let them take care of the rest.

“For somebody starting a business that needs a Business Plan, Sales and marketing Plan, advertisement, series of spreadsheets, a sales flyer or similar one off project, a Virtual Assistant can be a great option – especially if you find one that understands what you do and doesn’t need extensive training.”-Andrew Rogerson,  Successfully Start Your Business: Expert Advice from a Business Broker

Testimonials of Business Owners Who Finally Found the Virtual Assistant for them

“I just love having an assistant that is knowledgeable and gives thoughtful consideration to our projects. My only previous experience is with assistants that just did what I told them to, but contributed very little input and really didn’t add any value.”–”Yo Pal” Hal Elrod, Best Selling Author, Motivational Speaker, Life Success Coach, Sacramento, California

“I have had a really hard time finding assistants who can meet my high expectations. I never have to worry about projects getting completed accurately or on time because she always delivers. She has an excellent attention to detail and a contagious enthusiasm for her work. “–Stephanie Chandler, Author and Speaker, Sacramento, California

I’d love to hear your comments, both from business owners and virtual assistants.

How do you respond when asked – what is a virtual assistant?

The virtual assistant industry is rapidly growing. However, there are many people that still have never heard of the term and do not know what a virtual assistant does. One of the goals here at Chief Virtual Officer is to educate people about what a virtual assistant can do to assist them in their business.

There are several definitions I’ve come across and yet many still do not convey to the solo professional just what a virtual assistant is and how a VA can help them in their business. Part of that may be because there are such a wide variety of tasks that virtual assistants do and some VAs only do specific tasks.

I like to try to make it as simple as possible for a prospect to understand the term virtual assistant by using terms they are familiar with. Most business people are familiar with the terms administrative assistant, executive assistant, secretary, office manager. A virtual assistant can be one or all of those things from their own office. The business person does not need to provide office space, equipment, or benefits. A virtual assistant works as an independent contractor and pays their own taxes. If the business person only needs assistance a few hours each month, a virtual assistant can provide those services and the business owner doesn’t have to pay for a part-time employee.

So, how do you respond when asked – what is a virtual assistant? I’d love to read your replies. Help us educate the world about the virtual assistant industry.

Building Your Network of Fellow Virtual Assistants

I know you think you can and should do it all. I disagree. You’ve developed your niche market and your specialized skills. That’s great! Now your client asks you to do a task that you have no experience doing. Instead of taking on a task that you don’t know, why not enlist the assistant of a fellow virtual assistant?

I have a client that has a half dozen different virtual assistants working on her team. She recognizes that each one has specific skills and talents. Imagine you are a small business owner starting a retail business. Would you really hire one person to be your accountant, attorney, salesperson and business coach? No. You would hire individuals specializing in each area so that the work they each did was the best and made the best use of their time.

I encourage you to build a network of fellow virtual assistants and then freely refer business to each other. There’s plenty to go around. Instead of getting stuck and caught when you cannot accomplish a task you don’t have the skills for, your client will be impressed that you were able to find someone that specializes in that particular skill.

I have found that I love the general administrative tasks that involve lots of typing, data entry and ten-key. Several clients have had me compile spreadsheets of contacts to include names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, websites, and additional notes. Many find this type of work tedious and boring. So give me a call if you need someone to handle that type of work.

On the other hand, I have not had extensive experience with setting up shopping carts. Yet many solo professionals now need this type of work. If that’s your expertise, let me know so I have someone to refer those prospects to when they approach me for that type of work.

Working together, virtual assistants can grow their businesses. There is enough to go around!