Im Home Early

I’ve been through my fair share of virtual assistants. The first few providers I tried were horrible!  As well as being terribly expensive, the biggest problem was the time it took to find and recruit another virtual assistant. It was almost enough for me to give up on the concept of personal outsourcing. However, that all changed when I met Kitty.

Kitty was everything a virtual assistant should be. With her support, I was able to reduce to reduce my working hours from 80 hours to 4 hours. I went from being completely overrun with emails to not checking my inbox for a week at a time. I’m currently traveling through Asia without a worry in the world. But all this would be completely different if Kitty - the Super VA - wasn’t here to help me. Its true what Jim Collins said:

“People don’t make the company, the right people do.”

Inspired by Kitty, here is my list of essential qualities of a good virtual assistant, just incase you are also looking for a super VA of your own!

1. Intelligence

Intelligence is very important. But by intelligence, I don’t mean that they have to be a Harvard Scholar by any means! Street-smarts and quick thinking is what impresses me. Kitty is smart, and smart people know what to do and how to do it.

2. Dedication

Kitty has works 6 days a week for me. Though the set time is 9-5, Monday to Saturday, she often works into the early hours of the morning and reports in on Sundays. She is also on-call every night just incase something unexpected happens. Oh, and she has also never complained about her workload!

3. Honesty

Kitty’s role as my assistant means she sees a lot of sensitive information, both business and personal. At first I was a bit worried but she’s proven herself as being a very trustworthy person. Even the best virtual assistant in the world is no good if you don’t trust them. Honesty counts!

4. Initiative

At the start, I wasn’t too sure of what work I should give Kitty. There were often extended periods where she had nothing to do. Considering that we are thousands of miles apart, she could have sat there and hoped I didn’t give her any tasks. Instead, she consistently used her initiative to come up with tasks of her own, like updating the business website and sorting out my inbox.

5. Professionalism

Professionalism is perhaps the most important quality of them all. However, I can’t define what professionalism is…it’s a mixture of courtesy, integrity, class and excellence. It’s Kitty’s professionalism which allows me to depend on her. Either your assistant has it or she doesn’t. Whatever it is, professionalism is paramount!

Heard about the 4 hour work week? Ready to join the new rich and hire your own virtual assistant?

Here are my 10 best personal outsourcing tips ever:

1. Take the time to shop around

Use Google, Elance and other resources to find a list of potential outsourcing providers. Narrow them down to those that you feel comfortable with the most.

2. Due diligence matters

Most providers require payment upfront, usually on a monthly basis. Make sure you find out as much as you can about the provider before committing. Ask for testimonies from their clients, check their feedback, and look them up on search engines.

3. Always ask for a trial

Indian providers in particular have a habit of inflating their promises (and your risk of disappointment). Insist on a trial/discounted period to see how professional and able your virtual assistant is. It minimizes the risks significantly.

4. Clarify the terms before starting

Before you send the money, read over the written agreement and raise anything that appears not right (e.g., working hours, required skills, etc.) This will definetly save you a lot of headaches.

5. Be persistent

Most providers require you to wait a period of time as they process your application and appoint you an assistant. This ranges from a week to a month after you pay. Some providers are notorious for delays during this period. Be persistent and make sure they commit someone as soon as possible.

6. Get to know your virtual assistant

Even though your assistant might be thousands of miles away, they are still human beings. Rather than jumping straight into it, take the time to get to know your new assistant and find out more about them. Share some common interests to make the experience better for everyone. A healthy working relationship equals healthy productivity.

7. Be clear and concise

English may not be your assistants first language and you should keep this in mind. Be as clear and precise as possible when assigning tasks. Be concise by breaking down tasks into its simplest form. Send tasks individually rather than all in one go. Communication problems are inevitable in any working relationship but you should try to minimize it as much as possible.

8. Setup the parameters early

One of the most common problems with virtual assistance is that tasks don’t get completed on time. When assigning tasks, make sure your virtual assistant knows the deadline early. Tell them straight-up and tell them clearly.

9. Work out concerns immediately

No one is perfect and your virtual assistant will certainly make mistakes. Often, the assistant does not know they were wrong. It is up to you to address the problems quickly and professionally. Don’t get angry, but make sure they know what to do in the future. If it is a serious problem, let their supervisor know.

10. Benefit of the doubt

Your virtual assistant is the catalyst for your stress-free lifestyle. They are here to increase your productivity and handle the mundane tasks. Find the right balance: not too strict but not too playful. Review their work consistently but give them the benefit of the doubt - encourage them to use their initiative. Hiring an assistant should be less work for you, not more.

In the past, good help was expensive. Then came the internet and ushered in the concept of personal outsourcing. Now, outsourcing your worries to a virtual assistant has never been easier or cheaper…especially if you are outside the United States.

Over the past few years, the US Dollar has gradually declined against several major currencies. The graph below shows the value of the Australian Dollar against the US:

What this means is that - as most outsource providers charge based on USD - the cost to hire a virtual assistant has declined in proportion to the rise in the value of the AUD.

Compared to 5 years ago, the value of the AUD grown by over 40%. Thus, the cost of hiring assistants has fallen by almost over 40%. To show you how much an impact the exchange rate can have, consider my example:

At the start of this year, I hired a personal assistant for US$10. This amounted to roughly AU$13.5 an hour. As of now, the same assistants fee only costs approx AU$10.5. A saving of $2 per hour. This amounts to a saving of 22% or $70 per week.

Still think finding good help is expensive?

Recently, the Australian Federal Government has stalled the distribution of Blackberries into the country for fears that it could jeopardize work/life balance.

Perhaps there is some genius behind this madness. After all, Australia has the second highest working hours amongst OECD nations. The influx of Blackberries might just make it number one.

Weekly working hours have increased consistently in all major countries since 1980.

However, I think the Australian Government is overreacting. Gone are the days where working late was a badge of honor. Blackberries may increase working hours, but more importantly, it gives people freedom. Freedom to choose when and where to work.

Welcome the age of the new-rich. Where working less but working smart is the aim.

If you are an executive, a business owner, a working parent, or just a busy person, then this site is for you.

This blog is all about living the new rich lifestyle and outsourcing away life’s annoyances. It will detail my own experiences in personal outsourcing and how you can do it too!