How to decide what work to delegate to a Virtual Assistant?

Basically you can delegate the non-core functions of your business.  Tasks that do not require your focus to get done.

I suggest during the course of the next few days, write down the tasks you are doing.  Then take a good look at the list and determine how much value is being added because you are doing it versus an assistant.  This should help determine what tasks can be delegated.

Perhaps your list has several repetitive items done daily or weekly:

• Invoicing clients
• Writing and mailing checks to pay bills
• Entering monthly bookkeeping transactions
• Updating your contact list with new business cards

Or maybe you have a short term project:

• Preparing an annual meeting presentation
• Pulling together conference material
• Finding a local vendor
• Mailing introduction letters to prospects

If you want to try out the arrangement, start small, say 5 hours of work in a month and see how it feels.  I suspect you will find more tasks to shift to the Virtual Assistant and you gain more time for your business, your family and yourself.

How do I work with a Virtual Assistant?

Once you decide which tasks to delegate, plan on:
An intital  consulation to discuss your business needs.
An agreement on expectations, deliverables and billing.
Signing a service agreement / project contract.
Sending a deposit for work to start.
Submitting information needed for the task.
Using traditional (Post Office, Telephone) and technological methods (Fax, Email and Internet) for communication.
Results.

                                                                                                                                                        


                                                                                

How much do the services from Your Virtual Office Support cost?

There are three approaches:

Hourly
$19.00 to $27.00 per hour... billed in 5-minute increments depending on the service needed.

Project Based
Negotiated depending on the scope of the project and time involved.

Retainer Service Plans:

Starter Plan        10 hours/month    30 minutes free
Business Plan     20 hours/month     60 minutes free
Executive Plan    30 hours/month    90 minutes free

There are benefits to each approach.

The HOURLY approach is for:

• The new client who is testing the waters about using a Virtual Assistant
• Sole proprietors who want help on one time creations; such as business cards
• Individuals who's strength lies in selling the product and not creating a brochure about it.

Clients who use the PROJECT BASED approach are likely to:

• Outsource one or two projects a year.
• Have a task which will take many days to accomplish during a business 'crunch' time.
• Be experiencing a short term leave from a full time employee who will return.

The RETAINER SERVICE PLANS approach:

Established clients who consistently utilize services for similar tasks each month will prefer these types of plans.  The service is paid for at the beginning of each month and your company is guaranteed time each month for the number of hours contracted.  A detailed report is provided to help analyze time and adjust as required.

Concerned about the hourly rate?

As an independent contractor, you will not list me as an employee.  You are not responsible for payroll taxes, FICA, insurance, sick time, vacations or other 'regular' employee benefits.  Nor are you responsible for my office space, computer, software, electricity, or office supplies. 

Let's compare:

Employee	Description	Virtual Assistant
$12.00	rate of pay per hour	$19.00
4.20	Fringe Benefits @ 35%	0.00
6.00	Overhead @ 50%	0.00
$22.20	Total Hourly Cost	$19.00

Fringe Benefit examples:  Health Insurance, Pension Plan, Life Insurance, 401(k) matching contributions, etc.

Overhead Cost Examples: Office Equipment, Office Supplies, Human Resource Support, Payroll Taxes, FICA, Worker's Compensation Insurance, Vacation Pay, Sick Day Pay, Company Parties, Telephone Charges, Electrical, etc.

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NOTE:  A 25% premium above the standard rates will be charged for rush jobs with a turnaround time less than 48 hours.