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Searching out for a virtual assistant is an important task. Here are some of the important things that you need to know before hiring one.
There are two kinds of Virtual Assistant Service: Individual Freelancer and VA Firm. Choosing might be a bit of a challenge. It is better option to go with a virtual assistant service. This ensures that your needs are covered at all times. As an example, the well-known author Tim Ferriss uses a particular VA firm (AskSunday™) for almost 80% of his tasks.
Here are other details to think about.
Price: Getting a lower rate for this service does not guarantee a good deal. Lowest priced VA's tend to produce sub-par work.
Language Barrier: You should always ensure that there is no language barrier. Verify your VA’s English Comprehension.
Reliability: Give simple and repeated task to test if they are able to complete it on time and gradually increase complexity of task.
Reputation: Ensure a solid reputation for customer service and accuracy.
I'm going to plunge into the details of the service that I use for most of my tasks, along with Tim Ferriss, see The Four Hour Work Week, and many other busy entrepreneurs.
AskSunday™ is a VA service based in New York City. They offer personal assistants and concierge service rates based on a tier-based structure. Pricing is offered as 20 hours, 40 hours and 90 day plans. Corporate plans are also available.
AskSunday™ offers two types of services: Dedicated Assistant and 24/7 Assistance.
- Dedicated Assistant – a specific assistant is designated to help you with your ongoing needs, such as data entry, web research, phone calls, scheduling, etc. Available 10:30am-7:30 pm EST by email and phone.
Plans range from 20-160 hours per month.
- 20 hours/month: $279
- 40 hours/month: $549
- 80 hours/month: $1087
- 24/7 Assistance: The 24/7 personal assistant plan provides you with access to a team of assistants available by email, phone and the Internet on an as needed basis.
Two plans are available for this option including:
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- 90 Day Silver: Includes 45 requests for $97 plus $3 per additional request
- 90 Day Gold: Includes 90 requests for $147 plus $3 per additional request
The 24/7 assistance requests are for tasks that less than 30 minutes. Anything over 30 minutes gets kicked up the AskSunday™ Project team, for $15/hr. If you feel that the assistant can work for you on a regular basis then I would suggest you get the Designated Assistant.
AskSunday™ offers a wide range of incredible services. These include Internet research, data analysis and data entry, phone calls to clients, vendors and others, as well as the ability to setup a repeating task that you need to perform on a regular basis. You can request an answer in less than 60 minutes, or set a different priority. AskSunday™ remains one of the top ranked in the world. This is the best reason why you should choose AskSunday™. They assure you of high quality service, offers an excellent range of services, so therefore valuable for both business and personal needs.
You can give them a try first and you can always request a refund once you realized that you would need a dedicated assistant than 24/7 assistance.
Finding a virtual assistant is an important task. There are numerous pitfalls that can crop up, as well. If you fail to make the right decision, your life can be seriously affected. What should you know about choosing a VA? Where should you turn?
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