There’s a “new kid” in town

The "Ghost Busters" are occupied; nonetheless, you've discovered you need someone "like now" to relieve the gnawing pain of stress that's wrapped itself around the nerves in the pit of your stomach; someone to assist with the niggling list of things that have somehow managed to plant themselves on your "to do" list.

And, "who you gonna call?"

You've recently read about a fairly "new" Industry (Virtual Assistant), from which you think you could possibly benefit, but how do you go about securing a VA—the "new kid" in town; what criteria do you use for "lookin'"?

Although the VA industry has been around for a good number of years, sometimes under different names, it's just now beginning to really come "into its own". The VA "population explosion" increases the playing field, yet makes it all the more vital to use considerable forethought before choosing a VA for your general, administrative, or executive support needs.

For the benefit of someone unfamiliar with the concept of a VA, the simple (but not all inclusive) description of a Virtual Assistant (provided here, "loosely", in part) is that he or she "is self-employed, a business owner—if you will--who provides some form of administrative support services to a client from his or her own office in a place somewhere away from the client". How far away, may remain a mystery. From there, though, it becomes somewhat more complicated and more precise depending upon the VA you select.

Make a list and check it twice. Then once more, for good measure!

Selecting a Virtual Assistant is very much like deciding upon an in-house employee, but with an odd wrench or two thrown in since generally you're not able to meet the person face-to-face. Unfortunately, this negates the opportunity to observe "body language" and similarly related identifying markers at the time of an interview.

The VA does not generally supply a resume as is typically requested from a regular employee. Thus, it behooves a prospective business person in the market for a VA to seek a VA candidate with a previous "employment-related background" that suits your specific business and style.

There are, however, factors you can look for to help you in your selection process. For instance, how much "experience" does the VA have? Five years? 15 years? 20 years? So what does the "x" number of years of experience mean? A really, really experienced VA will have, say, five years of upper level support proficiency, knowledge, and skills, which include computer skills and general business acumen. Unfortunately all the expertise in the world won't be worth much if it's not compatible with your needs; a great many years of experience for one business might be less than satisfactory for another.

In addition, a number of VAs have the distinction of having worked hard for and achieved specialized certification. Yet, it may be inappropriate to disregard an otherwise highly qualified VA who lacks that certification.

Assuming you want someone with "office know-how", conceivably "your" ideal VA will first be familiar with and proficient in carrying out some sort of customer service activities. The VA would not just "be proficient", though, but rather would be verbally articulate, and able to communicate well enough to interrelate with you and your customers. This is especially important since interactions are typically done via telephone, email and correspondence.

The highly qualified VA in demand, of course, is involved with more than customer service. In fact, her repertoire of responsibilities can range from word processing, database management, editing, desktop publishing, newsletters, bookkeeping, and the like, to name a few. Thus, it's imperative to carefully evaluate the specific needs of the position you wish to fill and the qualifications of the VA you are assessing.

When you telephone or email the prospective VA, how much time passes until you receive a response? If the VA is either slow to respond (more than 24 hours) or does not reply at all, it may be wise to rethink your proposed choice.

A choice Virtual Assistant has knowledge of 21st century technologically; her computer and other equipment are up-to-date, as is her software, and such systems ought to be compatible with yours.

Will the VA be able to suggest insightful and problem-solving solutions that might strengthen your company's goals? Is she competent; how about trustworthy? Can the VA get the job done in a timely, efficient manner? And really do it without supervision? After all, she's not your employee and won't be in your office.

During your conversations and even throughout the back and forth email paper trail,look for and listen to clues. Do you sense a compatibility with her? Is her attitude complementary to the image you wish to project? If you're accustomed to hitting home runs and it seems like she's more inclined to "punt", you may be better served by a VA who instead knows how to catch.