Many virtual assistance companies charge variable rates. A few, like LongerDays, charge a “flat rate” for all services. When looking at the rates on various virtual assistant websites, you come across phrases like Basic, Premium, Executive Assistant, and other rates. This means the rate charged by the virtual assistance company varies, depending on what type of task is assigned. What are the pros? With a variable rate...
Read MoreWhat a terrific task to assign your virtual assistant: having them create and plan your meals. Recently, a client assigned this task to us – and the more I think about it, the more I’m appreciating just how smart it is! It will save that client a considerable amount of time and money. We created an Excel document that breaks down the menu for the week – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – taking his dietary...
Read MoreLately, virtual assistance has been getting a considerable amount of media attention. As a fairly new way of doing things that not many people are aware of, it is great that the media is helping to spread the word! This post is simply a round-up of some of the coverage: Esquire – My Outsourced Life by A.J. Jacobs > U.S. News & World Report – How to Find a Virtual Assistant > CNN – More Firms Use Virtual...
Read MoreHigh performers are always in search of a way to squeeze extra productivity out of their day. They consume blogs, books, planners, gadgets, and hacks to produce the optimal workflow and maximize their efficiency. Inevitably, they experience a point of diminishing returns — having an organized to-do list, a prioritization system, a calendar, and a smartphone account for the 20% of productivity practices that make 80% of the difference....
Read MoreSet expectations up front: It’s okay to set ground rules and communicate what is important to you – your virtual assistant will appreciate knowing how to keep you happy. Just be sure that it is done tactfully, as the person you are working with (like anyone else in the world) will be put off if they are being talked down to. Help them see the big picture: Rather than assigning random work to your virtual assistant, tell...
Read MoreIn a virtual assistant article by r3r.com, the author raises an excellent point: the low barrier to entry means that the market is becoming flooded with people that have little training or experience – and the client is ultimately the one who suffers. This is unfortunate because virtual assistance as an “industry” is new, and the public’s overall opinion of its usefulness and practicality is still being...
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