In the busy entrepreneurial world, virtual assistance is rapidly becoming popular. Most of the businesses operate more on the digital level now, which makes it easier to get work done by virtual assistants, who operate from remote locations. Be it outsourcing the repetitive admin tasks, getting research done or requiring content or design related tasks – virtual assistants are taking up everything with aplomb. Which brings us to the most important question – is trusting a VA with so much of your business work a good idea or is it a risky proposition? Read on to find out!
The possible risk factors for hiring a VA
Unprofessionalism at work: If the VA you hire does not uphold standards of professionalism in his work then it will reflect poorly on the person or organization that hired him. Now, to be fair, hiring the wrong person is always a risk factor. What makes it riskier, in this case, is the fact that here you’ll be hiring someone you’ve never met in person. This is why many entrepreneurs shy away from hiring a virtual assistant.
Low work quality: This is one of the prime concerns of most while hiring a VA. Here you’ll be paying the VA for the hours they put doing your work. What if the work quality itself is low? This can affect your overall work quality as well.
Security issues: While working with a virtual assistant, you may often need to give them confidential company information in order to get certain tasks done. So, it is often the concern of many business owners, whether it would be safe to do so. The last thing you would want is to have your records and information in the wrong hands.
Communication issues: With a virtual assistant, all your communication will be virtual. It can never really be the same as in-person communication. Also, VAs often operate from other remote parts of the world and there may be substantial cultural as well as the language barrier in some cases, which will lead to further issues in communication. Without clear communication, getting work done to your satisfaction would be tricky. This is another area of concern for many entrepreneurs.
Risk Mitigation
From the above, it may seem like hiring a virtual assistant is way too risky to be given a shot. But that’s not true! In fact, hiring a VA is the same as hiring any other employee. And the screening process needs to be the same as well. That is to say, in order to avoid the above potential risks, there are certain steps that you can take.
Find out more before hiring: There are many virtual assistants out there, offering their services. Before you hire any, it is imperative that you get as many details about them as possible. Just like you would look for the background information of any prospective employee, get more details about the VA so that you know what you’re getting into.
Look out for client feedbacks: If you’re worried about the professionalism of your prospective VA, check out the feedbacks by their past clients. Look for the credibility of the clients as well. This will reassure you regarding the trustworthiness of the VA.
Communicate with them: Be it over the phone, on Skype or in an email, talk with the prospective VA to find out if they’re compatible with your communication style. Check for any language barriers or difficulty of understanding requirements – as these will remarkably affect the work quality you get. Only go for VAs with whom you can hold a clear and comfortable conversation.
Hire on a trial basis: Worried about the quality of work by your VA? Instead of investing in them for the long haul, first go for a trial. For instance, TASK VIRTUAL offers a FREE TRIAL where you can hire a VA for a limited period of time and see for yourself the quality of work as well as the experience of working with a virtual assistant. This minimizes your risk and gives you a chance to test the waters of virtual assistance before diving in!
Virtual Assistance can be a game changer for you
Hiring a virtual assistant is not a risky venture. You will need to apply the basic caution while choosing the VA for your business. A good track record, past work samples and a trial run should be helpful to choose VA. A VA can remarkably lower the costs of running your business. Also, they provide you with a plethora of specialized services, free up your time by taking care of the repetitive admin tasks and other personal tasks most importantly, help you run your business in a smooth and glitch-free manner! Give virtual assistance a try with TASK VIRTUAL and see the difference for yourself!
