When Is A Virtual Assistant Not A Virtual Assistant…!!?

March 30, 2011 24 Comments

Virtual Assistant

Chris: Here is the first post from our new Regular Contributor, Michelle Dale. Michelle is an extremely successful virtual entrepreneur in her own right, and is on board the VBL Team to add additional insights in the world of outsourcing and entrepreneurship in general.

Most entrepreneurs, especially those pursuing an online business venture, will at some point consider investigating how hiring a Virtual Assistant – or even many Virtual Assistants, could benefit them and their business.

For those of you who are new to this concept and still trying to learn what a “virtual assistant” actually is, you will undoubtedly find a lot of different options available for you to choose from, and not every virtual assistant option maybe right for you, so here is a quick “VA 101” which I have put together for you which is based on the wide variety of Virtual Assistants I have come across in my own career.

If you find a VA online, they could be one or many of the types of VA listed below, for example, you may find a solo-VA working offshore, or an online business manager who is also a consultant and has a multi-VA team. The absolute best combination I have found is to work with a variety of different VA’s and use a combination of the possibilities out there for different areas of your business, especially if you are looking to utilise outsourcing for all of your staffing requirements. Once you have worked out what you need, you can then choose your Virtual Assistant or combination of Virtual Assistants wisely, based on how you would like them to fit into your business. Once you have the combination right, that’s when your business can really reap the benefits of this awesome industry.

In a nutshell, independent virtual assistants are generally business owners just like you, and they assist all kinds of individuals online with their businesses. I have listed the most common ‘types’ of virtual assistant below, but each one is essentially a virtual assistant in some way, shape or form.

Solo VA’s

This I believe is where the industry began many years ago, traditional PA’s and administrative assistants found a way of working from home and servicing a client base over the Internet, thus allowing them to step out of their role in the workplace and into a virtual role. Solo VA’s have since come a long way, and they have branched out from the more general services such as diary management, call answering, customer support, transcription etc… into offering online marketing services, and in some cases creative and technical support. They generally work alone, servicing a small client base, which allows for a more intimate one-on-one service with their client. Solo VA’s can be excellent multi-taskers. The downside of a solo VA is that if they truly are solo, then the times when they are away from their work, you may need to seek an alternative until they return. In some cases the VA may have a plan in place for handling work while they are away and you will need to ask them about this directly.

Multi-VA Teams

These are usually teams of VA’s who collaborate online for a single VA company. They will either be groups of VA’s with similar skills, or different skills depending on the company hiring them. Almost always the multi-VA team is made of up freelance independent business owners and they can either work full-time, part-time or on an adhoc basis for the main VA who developed the team. Most multi-VA teams will have a primary VA, the one who developed the team, and more often than not, they will be the primary point of contact for clients at all times, and may still also provide services themselves. The good thing about multi-VA companies is that they often have resources available to “step in” during holidays, so there is no disruption to any ongoing services.

Offshore VA’s

Offshore VA’s have come to be known as the VA’s who work in countries with a lower cost of living, generally “offshore” from the western world. Two very popular countries where offshore VA’s can be found are the Philippines and India. Whilst of course many of them do not speak native English, you can find offshore VA’s who speak excellent English, and they are able to communicate with you very well. Particularly, VA’s who have come from call centre environments are often able to speak conversational English surprisingly well.

The benefits of offshore VA’s mean that entrepreneurs and start-ups can cost-effectively get the support they need within their businesses, and for anyone on a shoestring budget, this is an ideal solution, because rates tend to be lower to match the economic climate where the VA lives.

Online Business Managers

Online business managers have likely taken on the role solely as a manager, and generally won’t be the ones performing the VA services anymore. In many cases, they have a multi-VA team themselves who they will utilise in order to provide a wide range of services for a larger number of clients. Online business managers often started out as virtual assistants and they moved into hiring a multi VA team - they should be very experienced in working online, and have excellent project management skills for those looking to carry out larger scale projects and business expansion, which they need more of a right hand kind of support for. This solution is ideal if you have a variety of tasks you need doing and don’t want to spend time on training and quality control. A skilled online business manager can do this for you, perfectly.

Virtual Consultants

Virtual consultants will likely have had a great deal of experience as a virtual assistant, and over time, they developed more of an “expert” status after handling a multitude of tasks and clients. Some online consultants will remain solo, while others may have multi-VA teams with them. The consultant will want to work with you more as a partner and advisor, and they will often charge clients based on their experience and ability, rather than on a skill or service set. You will need to talk with the individual, sometimes in great depth, to find out how they are able to assist you with your business.

Virtual Intermediaries

Virtual intermediaries are companies which are set up to introduce you, the client, to a suitable virtual assistant. They will generally have a significant database of independent professionals, for which they will take down information from you on exactly what you’re looking for, and then they will carefully consider your requirements and find a suitable match. The great thing about these introducers is that it cuts out all the leg work for you; they’ll generally screen the VA’s beforehand to meet a minimum standard, and keep profile and rates information on file. If they don’t have someone suitable within their database, they will set to work in finding a match for you using their resources.

Example: Chris is the founder of the brilliant service “Virtual Staff Finder,” which can help you find pre-qualified offshore solo-VA’s, for almost any requirements.

Whatever it is you’re searching for, there is a virtual assistant out there for you. Questions? Comments…? You know the deal – go for it, below..!

Filed Under: Outsourcing, Productivity, Virtual Assistants

Comments

  1. Martha Christie says:
    March 30, 2011 at 5:22 pm  (Quote)

    Hi Michelle

    I love this post – There are so many people (in general) who do not know exactly what a virtual assistant is or indeed exactly what they do. There are also miss conceptions about the different types of virtual assistant companies that are out there.

    In my view, I feel that if someone is just starting out in business with a very low budget then a solo VA is the way to go. These can easily be sourced however, doing your research is always best. Having a resource like Virtual Staff Finder is an extremely time saving cost effective way to find your ‘offshore VA’. For those that have a slightly larger budget and don’t want to manage a selection of Solo VA’s but have a variety of business needs then either a Multi VA Team or an Online Business Manager is the best way.

    I started out as a Solo VA and a good few yearsago – Further down the line, I am well on my way to having a Multi-VA Team. This all came about because I was loosing direction and then one day I stumbled on your Blog. It had amazing advice, not only for VA’s but entrepreneurs also. Attending your VA Apprentice Course has given me the knowledge, tools and mentorship to drive my business forward to the next stage in development “Online Business Manager”.

    Thank you Chris (it’s great to see Michelle is now one of your regular contributors) & thank you Michelle for another awesome blog post :)

    Reply
    • Michelle Dale, Virtual Miss Friday says:
      March 30, 2011 at 5:50 pm  (Quote)

      Hi Martha,

      Thanks so much for the comment, and sharing your experience.

      I started off solo myself, and have pretty much been through most of the list above, even an offshore-VA when I was living in Egypt. The beauty about taking on so many roles over time is that you gain valuable insight and experience into the industry as a whole, and how it helps clients from all walks of life achieve their goals.

      Virtual assistants, no matter which type of VA they are, can be a fundamental part of any entrepreneurs VBL :)

      You are well on your way to an OBM.

      Reply
    • Chris C. Ducker says:
      March 30, 2011 at 9:17 pm  (Quote)

      Hi Martha

      Michelle is on-board for a reason… She knows her stuff..!

      Glad you liked her first regular post.

      C

      Reply
  2. Tracy Baker says:
    March 30, 2011 at 5:49 pm  (Quote)

    Hey Michelle :-)

    Good sound advice as always my dear lol. Excellent insight for people as to the various different types of VA and how they can assist entrepreneurs and business owners alike.

    As you know, I am currently a small team VA Company aspiring to be the business owner in ultra quick time and through completing the VA Apprentice Course I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will do this. The information, systems and tools as well as the immaculate way it is all provided make it truely unique.

    Chris … completely agree with you, Michelle is “ground breaking” and thank you very much for providing this guest post I always look forward to seeing them appear in my inbox lol

    Reply
    • Michelle Dale, Virtual Miss Friday says:
      March 30, 2011 at 5:57 pm  (Quote)

      Thank you kindly Tracy, that really means a lot. It’s a very broad guideline to VA’s and I suspect there are many more types out there, those are just the ones I have had personal experience of. I know you are all set, and ready to rock your business, I can’t wait to see it grow!

      Lol, at the ground breaking in my bio, I am pleased you agree with it, my husband put that bit in :D

      Really appreciate the comment Tracy.

      Reply
    • Chris C. Ducker says:
      March 30, 2011 at 9:18 pm  (Quote)

      Hi Tracy

      Excellent stuff! I hope you enjoy seeing MY posts pop in your Inbox, as well as the guest ones!!! :-)

      Ground Breaking, Michelle – you’ve “arrived”..!!!!

      C

      Reply
  3. Steve Wyman - SEO swindon says:
    March 30, 2011 at 8:22 pm  (Quote)

    Hi Michelle

    A usefull summary of the different types of VA that opens the mind to possibilities.

    I particuarly like the idea of Multi-VA ive always been concerned with having just one VA working on each of 5 tasks. I’d much raher have a team of 5 able to work on anyone of the tasks organised by themselevs.

    this way if one or more are ill or on holiday they can rebalance the load to the top priorities

    regards

    Reply
    • Michelle Dale, Virtual Miss Friday says:
      March 31, 2011 at 1:18 am  (Quote)

      Hi Steve,

      I am really pleased you found the post useful, multi-VA companies are certainly becoming increasingly popular, for the reason you mentioned. Basically that’s how I work, I mainly deal directly with my clients to understand what they need, and then organise my team and sub-contractors to help me implement the assignments, thus keeping things nice and simple for the client, and everything gets done by one reliable and trusted source.

      I think it all depends on the individual entrepreneur or business owner, their requirements, and of course the scale/size of their business as to which type or types of VA are best suited.

      Thanks very much for the comment!

      Michelle

      Reply
  4. Chris C. Ducker says:
    March 30, 2011 at 9:26 pm  (Quote)

    Hi Michelle

    Thanks again for putting together such a great post to start off your regular slot here at the VBL Blog.

    I have been involved with the outsourcing industry for a long, long time. I’ve seen many changes – some good, some bad. And I’ve noticed how VA, in particularly have evolved, especially over the last few years, to be way more important and required to virtual entrepreneurs, than ever before.

    Fact of the matter is that the demand is UP. And the quality of VAs can suffer from time to time (accept for if you find them through Virtual Staff Finder at http://www.virtualstafffinder.com – plug over!!! LOL). However, savvy biz owners are becoming more and more turned on to utilizing the skills of a good quality VA.

    Thanks again for great insights.

    C

    Reply
    • Michelle Dale, Virtual Miss Friday says:
      March 31, 2011 at 1:27 am  (Quote)

      Thank you Chris, my pleasure :-)

      VA’s are definitely more in demand, I agree with what you said, quality providers have become a real challenge to source, especially for people who are not really sure what they should be looking for, which is why VSF is such a valuable service, it cuts out all the hassle.

      Thanks again Chris!

      Reply
  5. Ella Pelayo says:
    March 31, 2011 at 2:29 am  (Quote)

    As always, VBL never fails to bring such a great and informative post. Will definitely bookmark this and send this link to potential clients who wonders what a VA is…

    Reply
  6. Marty says:
    March 31, 2011 at 7:48 am  (Quote)

    Wow… this is timely. Great post, someone just asked me how to explain the difference and I had no idea. This also gave a few new ideas that I need implement, Especially the Virtual Intermediaries.

    Thanks
    Marty

    Reply
    • Michelle Dale, Virtual Miss Friday says:
      March 31, 2011 at 4:56 pm  (Quote)

      Hi Marty,

      I must be psychic :)

      I am really pleased you found the post helpful, the industry has evolved to keep up with the demands of clients, and the intermediaries are now becoming a really key part of the hiring process.

      Thanks very much for the comment.

      Michelle

      Reply
  7. Martin van Rensburg says:
    March 31, 2011 at 8:26 am  (Quote)

    Thanks Michelle,

    This definitely changes the mindset of the role of VA’s.

    Appreciate your insight.

    M.

    Reply
  8. ruzanne says:
    April 7, 2011 at 4:24 pm  (Quote)

    Hi there, Michelle! Hello to you, Chris! This is a great post; certainly a “go to” if ever someone asks me all else that I cannot explain. I’m like, “been there, done that” with my long experience. But still, it’s a surprise how VA work can be categorized into even more specific roles. I’d like to think there’s bits and pieces of me in those roles. Though right now, Id like to focus more on sharing information on how to be a VA and for other folks to find the right VA for them. The best I could do would be write about it. If they seek more information, well, they’d be directed to you guys! :)

    Reply
  9. Nica says:
    October 12, 2011 at 8:12 am  (Quote)

    Thanks for this excellent post, Michelle! This proves that virtual assistants aren’t just virtual secretaries, we’re definitely more than that! We can be online business managers and virtual consultants. I am hoping to get out of my solo VA status and become an online project manager soon!

    Reply
    • Chris C. Ducker says:
      October 12, 2011 at 6:24 pm  (Quote)

      I’ve always said that really GOOD VA’s class themselves as entrepreneurs, not VA’s. It’s just a term people use.

      We shouldnt put the term in a corner with a label on it.

      Great comment, Nica. Keep rockin’.

      C

      Reply
    • Michelle Dale says:
      October 13, 2011 at 12:11 am  (Quote)

      Thanks for the comment Nica! The VA industry is so vast now, that the potential to branch out into an entrepreneurial path on your own is a very real possibility. Good luck with your expansion :)

      Reply

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