Small businesses benefit from virtual assistants because VAs can help complete routine administrative tasks more efficiently, freeing up time for business owners to focus on creative projects. Some tasks well-suited for outsourcing include lead generation, social media management, and responding to routine emails. When hiring a VA, businesses should take time to define tasks, screen candidates, conduct interviews, and have a trial period to ensure proper fit.

1. 14
Why Small Business Need
Virtual Assistance?
Prepared By
Imran Hussain

2. An increasingly popular administrative help which become the most important
element for the small business Industry
Every person has some responsibilities in his/her life which he/she may like to delegate
his easiness. The same can be considered for business industry. Before going to make any decision
regarding the virtual assistance you should know
 Usually you work on weekends just to keep up your routine administrative tasks.
 You are unable to create and organize your follow
up-to-date client database.
You may not have all the above situations but few of them. If it is, then you must start thinking
on given below points:
Are your expectations realistic
An increasingly popular administrative help which become the most important
element for the small business Industry
responsibilities in his/her life which he/she may like to delegate
his easiness. The same can be considered for business industry. Before going to make any decision
regarding the virtual assistance you should know why you need it.
 You have exciting work projects
your business and every time you want to work on
it, unfortunately you couldn’t because of your busy
schedule.
 Most of the times you want to do some
creative work for your business but you couldn’t
because your routine work does not allow
think extensively.
weekends just to keep up your routine administrative tasks.
You are unable to create and organize your follow-up with clients because you have not
date client database.
not have all the above situations but few of them. If it is, then you must start thinking
Are your expectations realistic?
This may not good idea to start your new project without
having a trial period or some results. Set some procedures,
processes and standards for your project. Also, you have to
set some deadlines to get it officially on board.
your outsourced efforts to be perfect right out of the gate.
You’ll need to plan for a trial period and graduall
An increasingly popular administrative help which become the most important
responsibilities in his/her life which he/she may like to delegate because of
his easiness. The same can be considered for business industry. Before going to make any decision
exciting work projects or ideas for
your business and every time you want to work on
it, unfortunately you couldn’t because of your busy
you want to do some
creative work for your business but you couldn’t
e work does not allow you to
weekends just to keep up your routine administrative tasks.
up with clients because you have not
not have all the above situations but few of them. If it is, then you must start thinking
start your new project without
Set some procedures,
processes and standards for your project. Also, you have to
set some deadlines to get it officially on board. Don’t expect
your outsourced efforts to be perfect right out of the gate.
You’ll need to plan for a trial period and gradually inch your

3. way into outsourcing over an extended period of time, say twelve months. Then you’ll need to
communicate clearly and often with your VA and make adjustments as you go.
How VA can be
There are some tasks or responsibili
outsource like Lead generation activities, like blogging, publishing newsletters, submitting articles
It’s important to keep in mind that not all tasks are well
things that are simply easier to do yourself and would
attempted to delegate them. Generally, these types of tasks take too long to teach someone else
how to do them, are too complex to outsource completely, or require too much oversight on
your part to justify the cost in time and money.
How can I Hire VA?
If you are thinking to hire a VA, make sure to give yourself enough time to plan for the effective
way into outsourcing over an extended period of time, say twelve months. Then you’ll need to
communicate clearly and often with your VA and make adjustments as you go.
can be Helpful OR Afford
responsibilities that can be done in a more efficient way if
ead generation activities, like blogging, publishing newsletters, submitting articles
to directories and maintaining social network profiles
(Twitter, Face-book, LinkedIn etc.).
Also VA can be helpful for administrative tasks, like
responding to routine emails (you create the canned
responses, and the VA customizes them; this would
work especially well if you routed all responses from
web forms to your VA).
Compiling quotes for your services, requesting guest
posting opportunities with other bloggers (incoming
and outgoing), etc.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all tasks are well-suited for outsourcing. There are certain
things that are simply easier to do yourself and would actually take longer to complete if you
attempted to delegate them. Generally, these types of tasks take too long to teach someone else
how to do them, are too complex to outsource completely, or require too much oversight on
in time and money.
How can I Hire VA?
If you are thinking to hire a VA, make sure to give yourself enough time to plan for the effective
use of virtual assistant services.
should have to list-up given below
tasks in order to hire VA
i. Discover the rou
are unable to keep them properly.
way into outsourcing over an extended period of time, say twelve months. Then you’ll need to
Affordable?
that can be done in a more efficient way if they get
ead generation activities, like blogging, publishing newsletters, submitting articles
to directories and maintaining social network profiles
administrative tasks, like
responding to routine emails (you create the canned
responses, and the VA customizes them; this would
work especially well if you routed all responses from
r services, requesting guest
posting opportunities with other bloggers (incoming
suited for outsourcing. There are certain
actually take longer to complete if you
attempted to delegate them. Generally, these types of tasks take too long to teach someone else
how to do them, are too complex to outsource completely, or require too much oversight on
If you are thinking to hire a VA, make sure to give yourself enough time to plan for the effective
use of virtual assistant services. You
up given below
tasks in order to hire VA
Discover the routine tasks you
are unable to keep them properly.

4. Decide whether these tasks can be managed by yourself or you want to delegate them to
VA. Once you have decided to delegate the responsibilities to VA, Start searching
potential VA’s for the tasks.
ii. The best place to find-out VA is your own network. Send an email to your business
partners, colleagues and other resource (they suppose to be helpful).
iii. You may get the some potential applicants for the situation vacant under your
supervision.
iv. Screen the applicants, you consider the best suitable, for your tasks, List down the skills
you want to keep your work properly.
v. Prepare a test for the required tasks and give it to applicants. Start call for interview to
those who passed the test with highest scores.
vi. Ask some important questions like :
a) Do you have experience in handling (insert task you want done)?
b) What are your hours (times, days) of operation?
c) What are your fees? Do you bill hourly, by project or on retainer?
d) Do you have the time availability in your schedule to take on my project?
e) How quickly will you get back to me when I email or call you?
f) Do you have a team to support you? If yes, will I be working directly with you, or
will I occasionally work with other members of your team?
g) What services do you provide (and what services don't you provide)?
h) Can you give me an overview of how you work with clients?
i) How long have you been in business?
j) Are you in full-time or part-time practice? etc

5. vii. Hire slowly, fire quickly. Doing your research up front helps minimize problems down the
line. However, on occasion, once you begin working with a VA, you may find that
despite a brilliant start, things turn sour. If your VA misses several deadlines, makes the
same type of mistake again and again, or is difficult to deal with, you may decide to call it
quits. "It's best to put the request to terminate the services in writing," says John. "Be sure
to include the date on which the services will cease and any work already paid for that
you expect the VA to complete prior to that date."
Imran Hussain