How does one deal with staff that he never gets to see?

Specifically for outsourced employees, the fear of constantly thinking that the virtual employee does not measure up to his qualifications could be very daunting.

If one is the manager of a project and oversees the work of his virtual office team, there are several ways for him to become successful in managing them.

Give them clear instructions with an email documenting and explaining the task in detail. Never miss giving them a deadline. Check back a week with them before it is due. You allow your virtual assistant team to handle the task their way and give them feedback after. Offer necessary guidance at all times.  Read more

Working with an offshore Virtual Assistant will provide you some early cultural challenges that takes some time and effort to master. The last thing you need to add to the mix is the vast array of challenges that you will face if you engage a home-based Virtual Assistant instead.

Firstly, there is the obvious issue of supervision. While some software companies have developed fancy spying technology that takes screen shots of your Virtual assistants PC every 3-5 minutes, this is hardly a viable solution. By installing this software, you are saying to your Virtual Assistant “I really want you to be engaged and enrolled in the vision of my company, but I really don’t trust you”. Let me ask you, would you be happy if screen shot of your PC was taken every 3-5 minutes?

Secondly, there is the issue of local infrastructure. While your business is probably located in the 1st world, your Virtual Assistant is likely to be located in the 3rd world. Infrastructure is spread very differently in the 3rd world when compared to the 1st world. For example, black-outs occur daily and for sustained periods of time in residential areas. Very few homes are fitted with air conditioning making working conditions very uncomfortable to those who are not equipped with it.

Thirdly, there is the issue of loyalty. The vast majority of home-based virtual assistants are contractors who often work part time. In situations like this, the virtual assistant is highly motivated to constantly look for more stable, high paying clients that provide them with the stability that can be found mostly at office-based jobs. The result is that home-based staff will often jump from job to job, providing employers with a succession-planning nightmare.

Finally, and most importantly, is the legal issue. When engaging with a bricks and mortar virtual assistant firm, you are engaging with a legitimate business that will provide you with a contract that safeguards your investment.

While you may pay a premium for an office-based Virtual Assistant, the benefits of supervision, infrastructure, loyalty and safeguarding your legal position far outweigh the incremental costs. Read more

Juggling tasks such as answering calls, editing several papers and containing all the messages in your emails at the same time sound so exhausting and stressful. If the to-do list is way overwhelming for one person to do it all, then it is high time you realize that you simply cannot do it all by yourself. You simply cannot seek out opportunities for growth and expansion if you are glued to your desk all day.  Read more

From speciality web-based shops, a home-based car service, to your own chiropractic clinic or massage parlour, running your home business can involve meeting registration requirements and other issues such as marketing and billing. A professional answering service may be invaluable for organisations of any size. Here, we look at the main issues you need to consider for running your own home-based business. Read more

As a small business owner, there are two central ways in which outsourcing can add value for you and your business. First, there is the issue of time. You may be able to do the task yourself but it’s much more convenient for you to outsource the function to focus on your core business activities. Second is the issue of expertise. Outsourcing lets you access expertise at a fraction of the cost required to hire a full-time skilled employee. From a virtual assistant to debt collectors and accountants, we look at the functions that you may find useful to outsource and why. Read more

Small businesses are more vulnerable to the downturns of economic cycles. As a small business owner, there are many steps you can take to minimise your exposure and generate greater profits for your business. For example, instead of having a full office with administrative staff, you can choose to use an outsourced answering service or use second-hand and refurnished equipment and furniture that will serve your purposes just as well as completely new goods. Here we look at the top six strategies for profit maximisation for your small business. Read more

You quit your job and have entered your first month as a small business owner, or perhaps you’re in the planning stages of starting up your own small business. From having a virtual assistant to making use of effective marketing techniques, we bring you the top seven keys to achieving small business success in your first year. Read more

Providing a good service that makes your customers feel valued, while maintaining efficiency, is a tricky balancing act for any business. Outsourcing to an answering service or virtual assistant is one way to ensure that the person dealing with incoming calls is focused on that particular job, but this alone is not enough. You need to make sure that customers never feel rushed, but no one issue should be allowed to drag on, costing you money. Achieving this takes skill and practice. Here are a few tips to help you get the balance right.  Read more

Businesses should always be looking to operate more cost effectively. As soon as you take your eye off the ball inefficiencies start to creep in. There are countless ways of reducing office expenditure. Some are obvious, such as employing a virtual assistant that works from a remote location; some, like going green, are perhaps a little more surprising. Here are few of our favourite ways to streamline how your office operates.  Read more