Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)- What is a virtual assistant?
- What are the benefits of virtual assistance?
- What are the benefits of using Affinity Virtual Assistance?
- Am I a good candidate for working with a VA?
- What commitments will I have to make to the Client/VA relationship?
- What commitments will my VA make to me?
- Can I afford VA services?
- How do I pay for VA services?
- I'm interested.Now what?
- What if it doesn't work out?
What is a virtual assistant?
The International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA) definition: "A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis." More succinctly, a VA uses technology to free you for strategic business growth by taking the administrative monkey off your back.
A VA is not an employee operating from a remote location. Like an attorney, carpenter or financial consultant contacted to provide their expertise, a VA is the professional contacted to provide administrative expertise.
What are the benefits of virtual assistance?
VA's are affordable. Compared to hiring and maintaining an employee and also compared to your own per-hour cost of the time spent doing administrative work, VA services can actually save you money. This is even clearer if you include the value of business lost because you're too tied up to be out building your business.
VA's don't take up space in your environment, nor do you need to outfit an office for them.
VA's free you from the hassles and costs of employee management, benefits, employment taxes, insurance, and regulation compliance. Simple concept - they are not an employee.
VA's only charge you for actual time on work - unlike employees who are paid from the time they arrive through the time they leave, whether they are productive or not.
VA's don't just want to complete your tasks and be done with it at the end of the day. They want to get to know you, your business and your work habits very well. They want to build a relationship that will enable them to become a competent right arm for you.
VA's are available now and later. When you train a temporary employee for a recurring task, it is highly likely that they will not be available the next time you're ready to have the task completed. A VA learns the job and is available and trained the next time you need them.
VA's are not limited to your business related work. They can also help you organize and perform the personal tasks of your life that take time from growing your business - like vacation planning, doctor/dentist appointments, club/association responsibilities, greeting card mail outs, gift purchasing/mailing, check book reconciliation, event planning, etc.
VA's, as fellow business owners, understand the challenges you face as an independent entrepreneur and the impacts on your life and family.
VA's can become great sounding boards for the ideas and issues you have, because they have a vested interest in your success and are business owners themselves.
What are the benefits of using Affinity Virtual Assistance?
Many VA's serve niche markets, i.e. marketing, web design, or real estate, sometimes necessitating the hiring of multiple VA's. For a one-VA solution for the various administrative functions you need, Affinity brings over 25+ years of experience in a wide array of disciplines and industries, enabling us to service many of your business needs. While competent in all skills offered, Affinity does not profess high expertise in all industries. Our personal integrity would ensure that we would recommend another VA should your need exceed our abilities. For skill sets offered, see SERVICES. Past industry experience include sales, marketing, legal, retail, manufacturing and micro-manufacturing, web site design, service, freelance writing, material handling (ocean vessel and trucking), bookkeeping, oil and gas pipeline, metallurgical sales, ministry and more.
Am I a good candidate for working with a VA?
Not everyone will work well with a VA. Some of those who probably won't be comfortable in the Client/VA relationship are:
- Micro-Manager - a person who must dictate every step of every function
- Non-Delegator - Person who believes that it's better/easier to do things themselves
- Procrastinator - Tends to operate on "Why do it today when it can wait 'til tomorrow"
- Technophobes - Learning about computers/internet makes this person cringe
VA's are business owners with multiple clients and the ability to service all of them well depends on technological ease, a high degree of trust and the ability to work efficiently and seamlessly together. Without these qualities, the client and the VA attempting to serve them would both soon be frustrated. However, if you don't see yourself in the above tendencies, the VA Services may very well be your solution.
What commitments will my VA make to me?
- High confidentiality
- A vested interest in your success
- Respect for you, your business and your time
- Quality work products
- Continuous improvement in the skills necessary to serve you
- Timely turnaround of work products
- Open and honest communication
- Reasonable rates and ethical time reporting
What commitments will I make to the Client/VA relationship?
- Timely turnaround of information requests and work products/supplies
- To understand & respect that your VA is an independent business person, not your employee
- Cooperation in doing your part to set up the selected tools for communication and to establish the work product transfer procedures
- Complete a signed work agreement for each per-hour project or a fixed term retainer agreement for retainer packages
- Prompt payment of all invoices
Can I afford VA services?
The first question usually asked is "how much do you charge". We wish it were as easy as just quoting an hourly fee, but with the diverse range of Affinity's services and the uniqueness of each potential client's business, each opportunity needs to be discussed and individually quoted. However, Affinity is sensitive to your need to know up front if VA fees will fit into your budget. Following is a simple method for determining a ball park estimate of what your VA services might cost. This method does not take into account possible discounts, changing work/project scopes, or reimbursable expenses.
Start out by making two lists: The first list will contain all of the on-going monthly administrative functions that you currently handle (include those that need doing, but that you just can't seem to get around to). The second list should contain all the one-time projects that are constantly on your mind, but have yet to be done.
Next, for each list, determine approximately how many hours per month you currently spend (or think you would spend) on each function or the total number of hours to complete each project.
Then, prioritize each item on both lists in order of how important it is to you personally and to the growth of your business for you to get out from under a particular function or project quickly.
Once you have the prioritized lists, you're ready to determine if: 1) You want to start out with one or more of the most important projects on a per-hour fee, or 2) You wish to enter a retainer agreement for so many hours of work for a set fee, usually discounted from the per-hour fee. If you decide to go on a retainer agreement, then your lists will help you maximize the retainer hours over the work most important to you.
Finally, multiply the estimated hours of the functions or project you select for completion by an average VA base rate of $50 per hour. (In reality, VA services range from base rates of $35.00 - $75.00 per hour, based on niche market and specialization.) This will give you an ESTIMATION of what your VA budget may be. This estimate only covers VA hours and does not include any reimbursable expenses (i.e. work/project-related supplies, express mailing costs, postage, etc.) which are billed to the client. Also, remember that the base rate is a factoring number only. Actual hourly rates may be slightly lower or higher and will be quoted based on your specific project or work scope. Affinity Virtual Assistance currently uses a base rate of $40.00 per hour for fee and discount calculations.
How do I pay for VA services?
PROJECTS: All project work is quoted on an estimated basis using Industry Production Standards (IPS). Projects require an advance deposit of 50% of the estimated project fee. An invoice for actual hours and expenses, less the deposit, will be issued on completion and is due upon receipt. Full payment is due prior to release of work product(s).
RETAINER FEES: Retainer fees are due in advance by the 15th day of the month prior to the month of service being paid for.
GENERAL: Affinity prefers to receive payment via credit card through PayPal. Other payment arrangements may be made on an individual case basis.
I'm interested. Now what?
Call Affinity for a free, no obligation consultation. We will ask some basic questions about you and your business and spend some time chatting together about your business needs and Affinity's services to see how we might fit. Once you're convinced that using Affinity's services is just what you need, then simply ask us to submit a quotation on your project(s) or to prepare a retainer agreement for your signature.
If you choose a retainer plan, then we will work together to set up the best means of routine communication and work product transfer. This process will be based on several factors, including available/compatible software and your level of comfort with the computer and the internet.
What if it doesn't work out?
It happens. Some people click. Some don't. Administrative needs change. If you begin to feel that Affinity is not the VA service for you, it's possible we may be thinking the same thing. However, it may be that we are simply not aware that we are not meeting your expectations, so we ask that you first communicate honestly with us about your concerns and/or issues. It's possible that a simple procedural change or other adjustment could restore your enjoyment of our services. If you still feel that Affinity is not the right fit for you, we simply ask that you honor the two (2) month minimum required with new retainer plans and give us written notice prior to the first day of the last month of your prepaid services of your intent to discontinue our services.
Modesto Bee
"It does seem that it is definitely a trend, and it seems more people are entering the field," said Rick Stroud of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. "I think it is certainly a viable career choice. Some futurists say we may all be independent contractors in the future."
About 80 percent of administrative work will be outsourced in 2009, according to a 1999 study by the association's marketing research arm.