Outsourcing: Buyer Beware!

Are you feeling overwhelmed and need some help?  You are the perfect candidate for a virtual assistant.  However, I have two words for you when you decide that you want to outsource your work: "Buyer Beware".  What do I mean?

While doing research to find the right virtual assistant to handle your affairs, you may come across ads promoting VA services for as little as $4 per hour.  When the standard for an experienced US-based virtual assistant is much higher than that, $4 sounds like a steal.  That's less than minimum wage.  How can they afford to charge so little?  Because companies like this outsource to places like India, where they pay their employees pennies a day.

For the most part, the companies that outsource their virtual assistant work to other countries only do so for basic data entry jobs.  If you need more extensive work, such as website management, SEO or social networking expertise, you need someone who can think "outside the box" and not simply recite from a script.  There can be many approaches to an issue or project.  You need someone who will know the best way to support you and can provide the proper guidance in tackling your goals.

Just this morning, I found that one of the widgets on one of my clients' websites was no longer valid because the website that it originated from had been shut down.  Not only did I inform the client that this was the case, but I did the research to find her a few options to choose from to replace the widget.  She was unaware that there was an issue on her website, chose the widget she wanted to go with and thanked me for being so vigilant.  That's not the kind of service you get from someone reading a script.

Since you entrust your personal information to your virtual assistant, ie logins, passwords, credit card info (in some cases), you want to be wary of where that information is going.  While there is just as much of a chance of someone stealing your identity in this country, you have legal recourse to go after the thief here.  And that can be a long and arduous process.  When you throw in the fact that the identity thief lives and operates in another country, that takes identity theft to a whole other level.  (This is not to say that all foreigners are thieves.)

Finally, you have to understand that when you hire a VA, you are paying for experience, not just time.  Sure, a college student may be able to do some of the virtual assistant work you require for less than an experienced VA.  But, they will only be able to do exactly what you tell them.  A qualified virtual assistant can tell you that there may be a better way to approach it and give you four or five options at the same time that may be even better than what you thought of in the first place, giving you a better rate of return.

Consider this: if you pay $4 per hour for a virtual assistant, you're only going to get $4 worth of work.  If you pay an experienced virtual assistant to do the work, your return on your investment is much higher.  You get a partner who has your best interest in mind...someone who will work with you to accomplish your real estate business goals.  Remember this when outsourcing: Buyer Beware.