(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
Loading ...Omigawd, I just have to vent a little here today…
You know, we work so hard to educate the public about Virtual Assistants… that they are experts who specialize in administrative support, not unskilled gophers and flunkies. And then those stupid fluff articles come out, written by industry outsiders who didn’t do their homework or talk to the right authorities, and we get a flood of contacts from business owners who really, in all honestly, are just looking for people they can exploit and take advantage of.
“Yes, I need someone who can take all the administration off my hands, grow my business, create my marketing plan, build me a website, perform all my social networking for me, ghostwrite my blog, manage my public relations, handle all my customer service functions and order fulfillment, and just generally be available whenever I call to do whatever else comes up. The person who fills this role won’t be paid until they start showing results (and I start making some money). Once that happens, they’ll be paid on a percentage basis (or $10/hr). This would be a great role for a work-at-home mom looking for some side income.”
Seriously! I’m not even kidding. I get garbage requests like that all the time through our Virtual Assistant Partnering service. We don’t even entertain them. I’m just not going to disrespect and devalue my members like that. My feeling is Virtual Assistants have a hard enough time trying to earn a living at this work and find clients who value them as professionals. They don’t need their professional associations perpetuating or condoning this kind of shit on their behalf. Gee, isn’t it great that there are Virtual Assistant associations out there enabling that mentality, making it even harder for VAs to create viable, sustainable practices?
Look, you unethical morons, Virtual Assistants are professionals who are running businesses–JUST LIKE YOU. They can’t be expending their time, energy and expertise for a pittance or only the promise of being paid later (and which is dependent upon whether you are even successful or not).
So tell me, when you go to the grocery store, do you think you get to pay later for the groceries you take home and eat today? Do you go to your accountant or bookkeeper or attorney and tell them they’ll be paid on a percentage basis? I think not. You’d be laughed out of their office as they politely (or not so politely) showed you the door.
I mean, really. Get lost! How do you even look at yourselves in the mirror? Granted, there are people out there who have no business calling themselves Virtual Assistants. But pay competent, qualified professionals their fees and quit devaluing them. It’s not their job in life to subsidize your business growth and success. That’s your responsibility and you don’t get to decide how or what they are to be paid for lending their skill and expertise to your business.
And let me ask you this, you completely selfish and self-absorbed person who wants to rip other professionals off of their time, skills and expertise–if you think like that about others, why on earth should anyone pay you for what you do? Hmmm?
Think about it. This really is big picture stuff here. If you want people to honor and value what you have to offer in the world, and pay you what you are worth, you have to be willing to extend that same respect to others.
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11 Comments
I used to build websites for small online businesses. Used to…..they expected $1000 work for less than $100..then bugged the toot out of you…then expected revisions…then expected maintenenace. But a MAINTENANCE CONTRACT??? Horrors…are you kidding? I only pay when I need you…..and not much then.
Bravo on something that needed said!
I hear ya, Lorian. And I tell ya, personally, I basically don’t pay any attention to online business owners just because of this. I work strictly with real-world businesses as they tend to be run more like true businesses. They get it more often. They know that expertise costs something, but what they expend–or invest, rather–returns to them multi-fold when they are working with a skilled, competent expert.
There’s just a kind of mindset that seems to be cultivated in Internetland, as I like to call it. It’s definitely not one of mutually beneficial business. They don’t get it and many (most?) seem to always want something for nothing. The Internet is sort of a double-edged sword… on the one hand it’s a great tool for being able to connect and work with more people and extends your reach beyond geographic boundaries. But it’s definitely a separate world; my preference is still the real world and real world people and businesses.
I have a client now who owes me money. I made a mistake and gave him a cut rate, 1/4 of my normal fees to build him a website. He paid half, but not the other half. Keeps saying he will pay it and of course stupid me keeps giving him chances.
It’s not like I am desperate for work either, I just was being nice as he was a friend of a friend. (probably my first mistake)
Thanks for this article you’re so right! I am contacted all the time from people just like this.
But to those who are reading, don’t do it, there is work, good paying work. Stick to your guns and charge what you’re worth.
Being treated as professionals is probably the biggest obstacle we face as virtual assistants. The fact that we are virtual makes it harder for clients to trust. The right clients will come when we maintaining our professionalism and integrity.
Danielle,
Right on, my sistah! Your message is sooooo on point. I am amazed and saddened by the job posts that come across my desk; the fees or income potential are embarrassing. I also get ticked off by the undercutting of income on the bidding sites. As Virtual Assistants we need to join together as a group and build up recognition NOT make our income potential worse than sweat shops. We are offering professional services. Just my two cents.
JJ
Hi Danielle. There will unfortunately always be assholes out there who think we are STUPID, PRETTY AIRHEADS who want to be paid too much for silly admin tasks then WHY THE HELL DO THEY SUCK @ IT WHILST WE EXCEL @ IT. It is good to vent as we all need to do it sometimes. You go girl and keep on educating us on the assholes out there. The traditional agencies best watch out because there are a DETERMINED BUNCH OF VA’s who are going to take over the ADMINISTRATIVE WORLD BY STORM. Have a great day further. I’m off to dance club to vent all my frustrations out there whilst oogling the male instructor, hee, hee
Speaking of professionalism and integrity, agencies that farm out workers should pay those workers on time and regardless of whether clients have paid yet or not.
Right on Danielle. I took an onsite assignment and the asshole even though he was onsite didn’t sign my invoice on time so no pay from the agency so I agree with you. It is now 3 invoices later and if he doesn’t sign THEN……………………. I’m not there to do him a favour even though his head is so high up his a…………… he wouldn’t know if it is raining or sun shining!!!! Okay, now I’m venting because I didn’t get paid for the month of October and have to max out my credit card to survive the month of November. He’s not doing me a favour the a…………… I provide a professional high-level project support service and expect fair compensation in return. Cheers
Ps.: I really don’t know if you are psychic as you seem to cover topics on what I am exactly going through. So no pay no work!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG Danielle, I almost spewed coffee out my nose reading the client’s request. Seriously!? That is hysterical. I just have no other word for it so leave it to you to put them in their place as you do such a great job of it! Vent on!
Speaking of professionalism and integrity, agencies that farm out workers should pay those workers on time and regardless of whether clients have paid yet or not.
To elaborate on this and my last vent, I wanted you to know that I have just sent a termination of contract to my agency who farmed me out to a company who didn’t respect my skills and take the time to sign my October invoice that I could have gotten paid and then for the past 2 weeks have been struggling with them to sign my 2 November invoices so in total it is 3 invoices that is awaiting signature that I may get paid and in the meantime I have to max out my credit cards and who is paying that interest.
I thank God for people like you coming into my life everyday Danielle and it informs me that the same S..H..I..T happens across the world and you are not alone in your struggles.
Well, to H..E..L..L with them. If they cannot respect my skills and even me as a human being then let them find some other skivvy to dangle a carrot in front of. I have a business to build and success to achieve.
Keep well and keep us informed. You rock.
Hi, Arlene. I’m so glad you find some support from my posts. Was this a temp agency you were working for or a Virtual Assistant staffing agency? When you use the term “invoice,” was that like a time sheet that you had to turn into the agency?
Sorry to hear about the troubles. Kind of goes along with working for someone else and not being in the position of calling your own shots about how things work.