Originally posted by @Edgar U.:
@Cal C. the best ways to use a virtual assistant no matter the source, elance, upwork, etc. Is the amount of training you are willing to provide them. Some come with training for what you want to do, others need to be held by the hand till they are ready to go. Again all about training.
@Glen Gaidos most will use their own VOIP software ,whether it's Skype, ring central, 8x8 like some poster mentioned here. It's most important to know how good of a quality their internet connection is. I tried training someone from Manila, Philippines, but her connection was horrible and had lots of outage. So internet service is first then focus on type of software for VOIP.
@David Briley have you tried setting up a Paypal account and just using the email to pay using this. It has worked for me in the past (provided the supplier accepts Paypal). Otherwise, we have a way where the VA saves the invoice and then the owner pays for it later with a reminder task.
Exactly correct! Thank you for pointing this out, Edgar. It really depends on what your needs are, and if the VA has experience in doing what you need. If not, be prepared for lots of training. It can take a VA up to a few months to get acclimated to perform the job up to the level you need them performing at.
Reliable technology and reliability in the VA's character are essential.
