What is a Virtual Assistant?

Part 2

You can see from the above that a Virtual Assistant is a 'helper' in your business and should not be a decision maker. You run your business and the VA runs theirs. You come together in a partnership to assist you both to make money and improve your personal and business lives - this article continues on the next page - please read on...

 As the Virtual Assistant industry grows and offers more and more skills and support to small business owners, the more small business owners seem to expect from their VAs. I've heard of people that want their VAs to make important decisions on their behalf - decisions like how much to charge for speaking engagements and even an outline of steps for the business owner to take in order to increase profits.

A Virtual Assistant can certainly help you in researching these items and taking on specific tasks involved in these areas, however they are NOT decision makers nor business coaches and therefore should not be expected to do this on behalf of any business owner.

It's also important to note that all Virtual Assistants provide support in numerous different areas. Some offer expertise in web design, others know more about bookkeeping/accounts and others are more involved with e-commerce and internet marketing etc. There are even some Virtual Assistants that simply provide traditional administrative support such as word processing etc. Therefore, before looking for a Virtual Assistant to help you in your business, be clear with what kind of expertise you would like your VA to offer. Also, remember that even though they are proficient in the areas you have identified, they may not know the answer to every one of your questions or know exactly what to do in every situation - especially when it comes to ever changing technology options on the internet. What you can expect is that if your VA does not have the answer, that they can research, connect with other VAs and provide you with as much information as possible.

Most Virtual Assistants have a genuine interest in helping their clients succeed and in building a successful relationship with their clients. As the relationship with your VA strengthens, you may find yourself wondering how you ever ran your business without him/her!

Take the time to share your business goals and strategies with your VA and over time it will be obvious how valuable your VA is as part of your business team.

Article written by: Cindy Greenway who has been a Virtual Assistant since 2003

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