Do you use a virtual assistant?

Hi,

As a virtual assistant you can expect to be dealing with customer support. There are other things such article writing, blog commenting and many more tasks that get outsourced. You can offer your services on sites such as Elance.

If you do a Google search for "become a virtual assistant" you can find a ton of information about it.

Hope that helps

kerry

I myself was a VA some times back and later on due to cost issue, my client do not want me to work for them and so..I quit and become a webmaster .

Do you guys think it's a viable way to learn the ropes and network with more experienced marketers?

I've seen people ask to be mentored, but without having anything to offer.. Would offering some help as a virtual assistant be a good way to get my foot in the door? Perhaps helping a Warrior develop products, or doing other work, in exchange for access to products and being able to pick their brain? Would this appeal to anybody?

I've only once used a VA, and that was for article submission to several article directories (boring task).

The guy didn't do the job properly, so I had to repair his errors, which took more time as was more boring than just doing the initial work myself.

I have nothing against outsourcing. I pay a proofreader to go through my articles and even a few important blog posts.

But if I have tedious tasks, I don't want to do myself, I will probably not hire a VA again. I'll either skip doing it... like at the moment, I only submit articles to EZA after my own blog... or I will use some kind of script that does the work for me (like boosting backlinks).

As for handling support, I do it myself. It takes one really, really, REALLY clever person to do other people's support the right way. And the last thing you need is bad support, stupid questions asked to your clients, or demands for useless, unnecessary tasks that takes up your clients time.

If you can't find a GENIOUS to customer support, do it yourself.

You would like to offer your work as an exchange for knowledge. I think that's a good idea, and a win-win situation.

I once had a student who said that she so much wanted to purchase my course, but couldn't afford it. I knew she had some HTML knowledge, so I offered a swap.

Unfortunately, I never heard from her again. Pure freebie-seeker, it seemed. She'll probably not go very far in internet marketing.

Thanks for your insights, Britt.

You're correct, I'm looking to offer services in exchange for knowledge. I don't expect freebies at all, I want to work for it and gain knowledge through my efforts. I'm dedicating my first few months almost entirely to networking, making connections, learning and building a solid foundation.

Is there a specific section of the forum where I should look for a warrior who may be interested in this proposal? I have thought about sending out some PM's (Once I have hit 50 posts), but I'm not sure how to tell who may or may not be interested.

Yes, basically u just have to see what tasks they require u to do.

And see if it fits you.

VA covers a very broad set of tasks.

Rates can vary too.

It can go from $100 a month to $1000s.

I see people asking for $500 a month just to read emails. [to me that is a joke]

Not as of now but, will certainly do in the future.

I don't really like the idea of relying on someone else for something. I do everything myself and wouldn't like to have a VA doing different aspects of my work - even if it's easier and quicker.

The tedious tasks are irritating but I know that I will give 100% to everything I do. I can never be sure that someone else will do the same. It's not their business that's at risk if it goes wrong - what have they got to lose?

Im a firm believer in outsourcing - there is only 24 hours in a day and you can not even hope to grow your business without good help!

In saying that - not many can afford to hire people to help them until they are making a solid income from their online business so its a bit of a catch 22 situation!

I am lucky enough to have a great staff in place now but it did not come easy!

It took lots of time to find, assess and either let go or train up to the appropriate skill level.

I also learnt alot along the way about online staff management as it is VERY different to offline staff management.

I admit that the majority of my staff are from countries that have a low wage expectation but high education and dedication to their company - therefor by paying above the average wage expected plus bonuses, I get great loyalty and excellent output from a very dedicated team that focuses on helping me grow!

and ya gotta love that!

I have put a great structure in place where everything is monitored without effort and kpi's and tasks and assessments/trainings are surpassed. I have management in place that oversee/instruct and guide then compile reports for me to allow for ongoing advancement and growth while giving me the time to focus on growth and money making strategies.

I honestly couldnt survive without help - and anyone who is thinking they are going to kick butt in IM or any other business by themself is dreaming! One person can only do so much!

I think you have a great attitude to wanting to learn the ropes etc but you may find it hard to make that worth your while with competing countries wage systems so much lower than your own.

My advice would be to grab a few cheap video series and teach yourself basic skills needed for IM and then.... seek a trade off because with your newly learned skills AND your good attitude and willingness to swap/learn etc - you will have more to offer at the start which will better place you to negotiate an acceptable outcome for yourself while you are still learning.

Very good luck to you

Kym

Thankfully, I'm in a position where I don't need to worry a lot about how much I earn for the time being - I have a bit of a cushion which will allow me time to learn. That's why I'm hoping to provide services in return for knowledge, if any warriors are interested in making the exchange.

What's in it for me is some kind of an ally in this IM world that has already made the mistakes I'm hoping to avoid, and information on some of their strategies they have developed over time. What's in it for them is someone to take some of the work off of their plate. I'm hoping somebody recognizes the mutual value in this offer.

I use a virtual assistant.

She is virtually in the next room. Actually she is literally in the next room, so I guess she is a literal assistant. (My wife). She won't get me coffee though - or be my Facebook friend.

Having said that, there is a need for this service. It is a great learning ground too.

Yes i do. My VA is been working with me almost 3 years now. A VA must know everything especially about SEO, Internet Marketing, etc. So far my VA works well.

The purpose of hiring VAs is to cut costs and save time but you also have to think and know which activities you need to outsource. There are things that you cannot outsource and there are things that you can, which your VAs can do. You can download my free ebook here Guide to Outsourcing - The only outsourcing guide you will need. | Outsourcing Autopilot! and check out some tips about where and how to hire VAs at very cheap rates but can still do good.

Some time ago I used to be Virtual Assistant. My task was to manage all ad swaps. I had to find them, set up the campaigns and track delivered clicks. Pretty easy and not very time consuming activity. And the salary was also pretty good. But then I expanded my own business and left the position.

I have used VA's for many years. I started my software company in 1993 and have been hiring on and off ever since. I have hired software developers, SEOs, PPC experts, writers, designers and more.

The biggest tip I can give for your success is that the work is clearly defined and spec'ed out. If there is a lot of room for interpretation then your customer may not like what they get.

That leads to a solid contract. You need an agreement that covers all of the bases. I'd research this well before signing on the bottom line. Your customers will recognize your professionalism when you hand them a solid agreement. Use your letterhead on it.