The emergence of virtual assistants (VAs) presents a significant potential for business owners that outsource their operations. To say that there is a perfect market, however, would be misleading, given the reality that there isn’t one. There are business owners who have been taken advantage of by freelancers and bogus virtual experts who prey on their inexperience. The good news is that you do not have to allow it to prevent you from properly outsourcing, increasing profits, and expanding your business operations.
Why you should hire a virtual assistant
Virtual assistants can do a wide range of tasks, depending on their skill set. Depending on your requirements they may be an extension of your marketing efforts, a helping hand with more technical issues, or just the person who can assist you tie up loose ends. A virtual assistant is responsible for a wide range of tasks. You cut costs on your operations while obtaining the top quality the world can provide. It does, however, present certain risks.
If you want to create a virtual workforce to support the growth of your business, you must know the common VA schemes and how to prevent them. Avoid negative encounters with incompetent virtual assistants who are not capable of doing their work efficiently.
Here are some pointers on how to avoid being taken advantage of by online contractors.
Do a background check.
It’s usually a good idea to do a background check on prospective VA. Verify their proof of work and reach out to their former clients. Here are some guide questions to help with background check:
- Have they collaborated effectively with other businesses?
- Do they have a proven track record of success?
Another excellent approach to test their capabilities and skills is to give a simple assignment before moving on to something more involved.
Pay at your VA on time.
The most sensitive component of ANY work agreement is payment. Time is of importance when it comes to this issue. You want to make payments on time. However, when is the proper time? You have two payment options: pay upon completion of the task or pay on a milestone basis. This helps protect your payments and prevents you from scams.
Require proof.
There may be times where freelancers want advance payments to cover the cost for urgent matters (like if they are ill) or other unexpected expenses. When they do, it is acceptable to request proof. Ask for payment proof and outputs as proof of work. Conduct thorough diligence before providing assistance.
Give time to establish trust.
If you trust people easily and comfortable with it, make hiring a VA an exception especially if you are new to outsourcing. It is not that the immense majority of them are untrustworthy. However, since you may never meet each other face to face, the risk is higher. Therefore, it is critical to invest time in developing and establishing trust. To prevent being conned by virtual assistants, avoid immediately delegating too much responsibility. Gradually give responsibilities and assess if you can trust your VA. Build it over time.
Hire from VALUE Virtual Assistants
Finally, getting the support of professionals is the safest and most practical way to reduce, if not eliminate, risk. That is why many businesses discover success in working with our virtual assistants at VALUE Virtual Assistants. A company like ours will have access to competent and trustworthy virtual specialists that can provide expected results. You’ll never have to worry about getting scammed online again.
Don’t let the possibility of failure keep you from succeeding.
Anything worth undertaking will come with some level of risk associated with it. So don’t be discouraged if you find yourself tricked by a virtual assistant. Instead, prepare yourself so that you can take advantage of the potential to develop your business by forming a virtual workforce without having to worry about being scammed by fraudsters or being taken advantage of.
Find out how we can help you scale your business and increase your time to do more important things by talking to us – obligation free!
Learn why VALUE Virtual Assistants are the trusted VAs for general administrative, social media management, accounting and bookkeeping, web design, marketing, and tasks that take up your time or tasks you hate. We provide more than competent virtual assistants – we are VALUE Virtual Assistants.
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