Here’s an article I wrote and published today in “The Portable Business™.” If you’d like to subscribe, go here:

Continuity Is the Name of the Game

Virtual Assistance is all about continuity, where ongoing administrative support is the name of the game (“ongoing” being the operative word here). Administration isn’t a project. It’s not something that is done once and presto! you’re done. It is a collective group of ongoing tasks, functions and roles that keep your business organized and running smoothly. This is precisely what separates Virtual Assistance from piecemeal secretarial services.

Said another way, Virtual Assistance is a relationship. In order for it to work—indeed, for the magic to happen—it requires the active participation of both client and Virtual Assistant. This means you, as the business owner, are an integral part of the equation. If you are absent from the relationship, it won’t work and you will end up dissatisfied. Following are three critical ingredients you must bring to the table to ensure you get to experience the most fruitful and rewarding aspects of working with a Virtual Assistant:

1. Show up regularly. Your participation is needed. A Virtual Assistant can not care more about your business than you do. If you disappear on your Virtual Assistant for long periods of time, and then all of a sudden show up on her doorstep with a flurry of requests that you need done yesterday… well, that just isn’t going to work. A Virtual Assistant has other clients to serve who are just as important as you. Don’t expect her to disregard her previously scheduled commitments; you’ll have to wait your turn.

2. No dumping. I’m not going to beat around the bush here–Virtual Assistance is not about dumping on your Virtual Assistant and then walking away, leaving her with a mess to sort out. You will be required to follow some sort of process or procedure for submitting work so that it can be managed effectively and accomplished in the most timely manner possible.

3. Be respectful. A Virtual Assistant is not your hired help. She is an administrative expert and collaborative partner. Business owners who can’t extend common courtesy and mutual respect are not a good fit for working with a Virtual Assistant. You show your respect by:

• Paying on time without any hassles;
• Making your meetings with your VA a priority, showing up prepared, and canceling with appropriate (not last second) notice when you can’t;
• Answering her questions and returning your feedback and input in a timely manner; and
• Observing the policies and procedures she has in place that allow her to give great customer service to her clients (all of them, not just you) and make her business (and yours) run smoothly.

RESOURCE: For more tips on creating a successful relationship with a Virtual Assistant, be sure and check out the VACOC’s Client’s Guide to Virtual Assistants.

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