TheresaThe small day-to-day tasks in managing a business are crucial to its success. But as a solopreneur or small business owner, these tasks can take away from the time better used for business development. Instead of spending precious work hours on these tasks, there are various ways to find help by searching for an upwork virtual assistant or even from fiverr.
Virtual assistants are people who offer technical, creative, or administrative services to clients remotely. VAs offer a combination of the following services:
- Email management
- Scheduling meetings
- Cold calling
- Bookkeeping
- Travel bookings
- Social media management
- Freelancer recruitment
- Online research
- Data entry
- Answering support tickets
- … and more depending on your business needs.
Virtual assistants usually offer their services to several clients at once, although some VAs work full-time or on retainers. Their flexibility makes it easy for solopreneurs and small business owners to access their services at a reasonable price quickly.
The most challenging aspect of hiring a virtual assistant is finding the right one. Here are some of the top recommended ways to find your VA.
Upwork, VA Company or Freelancer: Which is the Best Option?
Upwork, VA companies and Freelancer are three of the most recommended places to find a virtual assistant. They all have extensive portfolios of new and experienced VAs. But how do you decide which option is best for your needs? Here are some things to consider.
Range of Services
The duties of a virtual assistant can range from answering calls and emails to scheduling meetings, bookkeeping, online research, database entries, and so on. While anyone can perform some of these tasks, some others require specific skill sets.
Upwork and Freelancer
An Upwork or Freelancer virtual assistant may perform general tasks but also offer a specific skill set. However, most VAs offer just general services. If you require something specific like industry-related research, you may need to divide your job among more than one VAs.
VA Companies
These companies usually work with different VAs who have different skill sets. They provide access to a large pool of talent who can handle possibly every task you throw at them. With a VA company, you may have several VAs assigned to you, depending on your needs.
Availability
Your working terms should indicate the number of hours per day or week, which your VA should be available. Not to forget, time zones are also crucial if their tasks will include business calls and email management.
Upwork
An Upwork virtual assistant will generally indicate their available working hours per week on their profile. Before hiring an Upwork VA, you’ll have a good idea of how much time they can commit to your tasks. Issues such as timezones can also be discussed directly.
VA Companies
The availability of their VAs will depend on the agreement between your company and theirs. You may choose to have a by-the-hour VA, a part-time VA, or a full-time VA.
Freelancer
Virtual assistants on Freelancer generally work with several clients at once. You’ll have to reach out directly to inquire about their availability.
Support
While working with a VA, communication is vital. You probably have a specific way to get things done and will have to get your VA acquainted with it. At the beginning of your working relationship, you should expect a lot of correspondence. Easy access to your VA will make this process a lot more bearable.
Upwork and Freelancer
With Upwork and Freelancer, you can communicate directly with the VA when needed. You can also reach them easily if you have any concerns about their work and work preferences. These platforms provide several options, including chat, voice calls, and video calls.
VA Companies
It’s not often that VA companies put their clients in direct contact with the VAs. Usually, you will be assigned a project manager. This person will be in charge of delegating your tasks to the available VAs. Communication with a middle man could be tedious. However, if you’re assigned one long-term VA, then you can easily reach out to them directly.
Your Move
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