When it comes to finding a Virtual Assistant, there are a number of places you can look. They all have their benefits and drawbacks, some more than others. Here’s a list of some of the places you can look – and the positives and negatives of each:
Search Engines
Just pop on over to your preferred search engine and type in Virtual Assistant or any combination of words you think describe what you’re looking for. You’ll probably come up with several pages of listings for virtual assistants who all look equally good.
That’s where the negative side comes in – you then have to find a way to evaluate each site to find the one that will be best for you. Even then, it’s a bit hit and miss as you’ll probably be only looking at the first few results – and the perfect VA might be on the second page or later…
Yellow Pages & Local Directories
If you’re after someone local, try the Yellow Pages or local business directories. You can look for someone in your suburb, area, town, state or country. Often, the listings will be under “secretarial services” instead of virtual assistance.
As with search engines, the major negative of these sites is the inability to assess which of the Virtual Assistants listed will best suit your needs.
Freelancer Sites
Freelancer sites are handy in that they let you describe your job in detail, give an idea of your budget and to be able to select the Virtual Assistant who best suits your needs. You also have the sites system to help safeguard the quality of work you receive with things such as progress reports, feedback from previous employers etc.
Drawbacks include the fact that only Virtual Assistants who are registered on the site will apply and if you’re outside of the US, payment will probably be required in US dollars so there may be issues with exchange rates.
Virtual Assistant Industry Sites
The Virtual Assistants on these sites generally have to meet some sort of criteria to register – generally meaning that you can be certain that they have previous experience as an Adminsitration professional . Another benefit is that the Virtual Assistants registered with the site will probably be able to work as a team. So if your Virtual Assistant is unavailable or unable to help, they have a team who can provide backup and advice.
The only possible negative with this method is again, that you’ll only only be able to choose from the Virtual Assistants who are members of the site. However, you can be fairly certain that you will be getting an experienced professional.
Social Networking Contacts
I’m really talking specifically about the business networking sites, social networking sites that are more fun based may be useful, you may have contacts who are Virtual Assistants or who can recommend Virtual Assistants but you’re far more likely to find what you need through sites that are more often used for business networking.
Drawbacks to these sites are minimal. A recommendation is a great way to know that you’re getting someone with experience who can suit your needs.
So which is the best way to find a Virtual Assistant? Any of them will work for you depending on your needs. If you have a quick document to be typed – then any should be able to assist and using the easiest search option would be fine. If you have a project that’s a little more complicated, freelance sites and industry groups give you the scope to explain the project and get a few different quotes. If you need someone with experience in your industry, then social networking or industry groups are the most likely to be able to find you someone with a suitable background.
