What You Need to Accomplish With a First Project
If you have been reading this blog for awhile you know that we don’t recommend outsourcing one-off projects.
Instead we recommend that you find someone you can work with on a regular basis, who can handle a variety of similar projects for you.
When you are looking for someone you can have a longer relationship with, [...]
Free this week - Checklist of what to give a new virtual assistant
Continuing in our year-long crusade to make outsourcing easier for everyone…
This week the template we are giving away for free is one we call “First Project.”
This is a checklist of the things you need to give someone BEFORE they do their first project for you.
It also includes a list of questions you should ask AFTER [...]
Getting Started with a Virtual Assistant
Are you thinking about hiring a virtual assistant, but worried about coming up with a steady stream of projects for her to do?
It can be a real burden to have to come up with new ideas all the time. And then it takes time to find all the materials that are needed, explain what you want done, do the training, and then answer questions. If you had that much free time, you probably wouldn’t need an assistant.
Here’s an approach that works…
Virtual assistants tend to be very organized, very methodical. An ideal way to use an assistant is to help you systematize your business.
What part?
Systematize marketing.
This is the best place to start for most businesses.
Customer service might also work…
What makes a perfect first project for your new virtual assistant?
I’ve heard a lot of people say they don’t know where to get started when they hire a virtual assistant. What should they have her do first?
You could give her the assignment of getting to know you and your company - reading your website, for example.
That’s fine, but it isn’t actually productive work. Most people learn best when they are doing something useful. Besides, both you and your assistant will be happier if you are making progress on your goals.
So, what makes an ideal first project?
An ideal project is one that has these 10 characteristics:
1. Requires relatively little background knowledge about your company and its products/services,
2. Does not need a lot of training or education from you,
3. Has a process that is fairly simple to explain or is already defined somewhere,
