Misconceptions About Virtual Assistants That You Must Get Rid Of

If you are a business owner or online entrepreneur, you have probably heard so much about working with a virtual assistant; the good the bad and the ugly. With all the talks about what a virtual assistant is and does, it is quite easy for anyone to be misled.

But not anymore!

Here are five of the most common misconceptions about working with a virtual assistant so that you can make business-decisions that are based on reality and not rumor.

1. A VA can do everything with no training

It’s one of the most common causes of headache for both business owner and VAs. Do not expect your new virtual assistant to be able to hit the ground running on Day One. Surely, a good VA will be able to catch on fast, but there should always be an onboarding process as well as an orientation period. Remember that there are things that they must learn; your preferences, goals and desired upshots before they can do the work.

2. VAs are available all day

If you don’t care when the work gets done as long as it gets done, you’ll have a lot of qualified virtual assistants interested in working with you. Some VAs do their work in the evenings and on weekends, with some VAs working part-time hours on weekdays. The flexibility is one of the things that draws many to virtual assisting in the first place.

If you need a virtual assistant who’s available during regular business hours, you’ll certainly be able to find one at The VA Hub. If you want to be able to call, text, and/or email your assistant any time of day, send us a message.

3. Working with a VA is not secure

There’s no way around the need for access in a remote work setting but there are things you can do to lessen the risks you’re taking.

First, check all references the VA offers and ask how those people feel about the candidate’s reliability and ability to keep things confidential.

Next, write a solid non-disclosure agreement to make your expectations absolutely clear right from the start.

Look into using a platform such as LastPass to grant someone the ability to use your login information at any specified site, without revealing your actual credentials.

Finally, for your social media accounts, get Social Media Managing sites like Hootsuite, SocialSprout and more for content posting so you don’t have to give them your username and password.

Alternatively, you can hire from a VA company like The VA Hub. The VA Hub takes data security seriously. We require our VAs to sign data protection documents to safeguard us and our clients, have secure data management tools and have regulations set in case breach occurs.

4. Virtual assistants aren’t real professionals

Whether they’re running their business around a day job, childcare, or other obligations, VAs are to be taken seriously.

While it’s easy to be contemptuous of anyone who doesn’t spend a full-time work week in an office, you can’t think about your potential virtual assistant that way. All it does is undermine your working relationship and set you on a course for failure. They work from home during normal business hours but that doesn’t make them any less of a professional.

Having second thoughts about hiring a VA because of any of these misconceptions? Let one of our business advisors lead you into making the best business decision of your career!

Call us now at 1-888-923-9323

Email us at businessadvisors@thevahub.com