Virtual Assistants

Recently I needed to get some work done, but I didn't have the expertise nor the time to do this. Basically, I had to photoshop tens of pictures for distribution. Now this is not my trade. I CAN do this, but it would take me hours, that I wasn't willing to give up, sooooooo I hired a virtual assistant or VA.

I was a bit apprehensive because this could be one of those deals where you get some shoddy work back or you pay and the guy never does the job. Well, it didn't work out that way. I went to freelanceswitch.com and posted a job for hire. Within a couple of days I had several offers. Some offered samples of their work, some were very advanced, and some, it seemed were stay-at-home entrepreneurs. In the end I think I picked a guy looking to make a little extra scratch, in India! I thought that was pretty cool. I outsourced my work! hehehe

We talked about price, how much I was willing to pay and how he'd get paid. Once that was settled, it's been back and forth with getting these jobs done. You have to remember that you're the boss, and you have to communicate clearly about what you want. You have to be able to delegate tasks. This is good practice if you ever would like to become a leader or manager one day.

I'm not sure about becoming a manager. I like where I am and what I'm doing. My point of view has changed on the subject of VA's. I kind of like them. It's similar to hiring an accountant to do your taxes, but difference is, is that you may not know if he's doing a good job. You just have to review his work and hope the IRS doesn't get picky. With a VA, you work in a truly free-market. You negotiate price and pay what you both think the labor is worth. Truly, it was worth the money.