I just finished Tim Ferris’ excellent book The 4-Hour Workweek and it’s already had a significant impact on my life: It’s given me more free time.
The best tip I picked up from the book was hiring a virtual personal assistant (PA). Everyone has those annoying things on their to-do list that have been there for months, which just aren’t getting done. They’re important but you just don’t have enough fricken time to finish them.
Enter a ‘Virtual PA’. If you’re running a small business like Gill and I, you can’t justify spending £18K-£30k on the luxury of a PA. However, with the advent of the global marketplace, you can get a quality PA who works remotely, at a very affordable price.
I signed up with Get Friday, a reputable service in India. I’ve been assigned a PA named Shinu and he’s been very professional and helpful with the two tasks I’ve given him so far. The rates start at $15/hour and if you use them enough (160 hours a month) you can get that down to $7/hour.
Tips for using Virtual PAs:
- Make sure their English is excellent (let them know you’ll need to speak to them over the phone)
- Clarify exactly what the task is - don’t assume anything
- Give them a deadline
- Tell them how long they should take
(By the way, I took the above photograph while I was at the pub tonight. I just picked up a new Casio Exilim Card camera, so expect to see some more photos in the future.)
Rob Smith
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:35 pm
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Hey Ryan - what jobs have you given him so far?
Jason
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:08 pm
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I would love to know the same.
Andrew
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:10 pm
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What a good idea - not heard of this kind of service. Let us know how you get on.
Ian
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:52 pm
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PA sounds like what I am doing. I recently started a small business, but to supplement income while it is growing I work/consult for two small businesses in the financial sector who needed a hand. I most recently completed research for their new office and have been in charge of setting up a VOIP PBX and all the networking, etc. I also do the less glamorous job of preparing their excel docs and random jobs they need to be relived off for more important issues.
Ryan, if you need another assistant, I would be glad to work for you or any of your readers!
andrew
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:28 am
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Virtual PA in India? That’s bizarre.
Mitch Cohen
May 23rd, 2007 at 2:10 am
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Hey Ryan - Just wanted to let you know that we offer a similar ‘virtual PA + live-chat software’ bundle for live-chat on websites. Feel free to drop me a line if you’d like to use our service on any of your sites. I had talked with you about launching this service at SXSW and we’ve finally gone live :)
Kylie Short
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:23 am
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Hi there!
I am a Virtual Assistant based in Australia and yes, using a Virtual Assistant/PA is a great way to ensure those tasks that need to be done, get done. Being virtual, your assistant can be located anywhere around the world.
If located in a different time zone, you could send your tasks to your VA at the end of your work day and by the time you wake, they could be in your in box ready for your approval.
Virtual Assistance is an exciting industry and I do recommend that you carefully screen your VA to ensure that you will work together well. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and communication is the key to a successful relationship.
Good luck with your VA!
Stefson
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:01 am
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What kind of tasks do VA do then?
Kylie? Since you’re in the business …
Hendrik
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:07 am
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I’m also interested in the kind of tasks you assign your VA!
Most tasks I’d like to outsource couldn’t be done by a _virtual_ assistant. Things like “wash my car”, “do grocery shopping”.
I can only imagine something like “check my expenses”, “find a cheaper insurance for X”. But are these worth the “setup cost” of outsourcing them? They aren’t that regularly performed, are they?
farrell
May 23rd, 2007 at 1:43 pm
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Ryan, I have GetFriday working for my firm as well.
They just started this week, but so far they’ve been great. Good luck with your outsourcing.
Aaron Dragushan
May 24th, 2007 at 6:33 am
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Wow. The whole world seems to be reading this book right now.
Ryan - definitely keep us up to date on what you’re getting help with and how it’s going.
Ryan Carson
May 24th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
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I had my VA do two things so far:
I wasn’t super impressed with the first item (but it was still helpful) but the second task was done brilliantly!
Dan Marques
May 25th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
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I know this is off topic but I can’t get past anything other than the home page on Amigo?? I was going to buy an ad campaign and the site keeps breaking at any page beyond the home page.
» The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss Review - Web Publishing Blog
May 28th, 2007 at 12:47 am
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[…] The second lesson is don’t work yourself to death. The old work 40 years and retire attitude is a bad deal. Those of us in our 20s will need 4-5 million dollars to retire comfortably anyways; most of your friends will work until they die. Spend more time with your family today by hiring a virtual personal assistant to take care of other redundancies, like dealing with customer service for 45 minutes (more info here.) […]
Aaron Dragushan
May 31st, 2007 at 12:02 am
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Following up…
I just got off the phone with Get Friday, after I didn’t hear back from them after submitting an inquiry on their site.
It seems they’re thoroughly overwhelmed by demand generate by the Tim Ferris book, and now accept clients after a 15-20 day waiting period instead of the usual 24 hours.
I asked if they were hiring like crazy and she laughed nervously. I’m hoping a mad hiring spree won’t lower their standards but it’s probably inevitable.
You’re lucky you got in when you did Ryan!
Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce
July 4th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
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If any of your readers are interested in outsourcing their administrative headaches, they can find qualified Virtual Assistant professionals at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce at http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com
Of interest:
Virtual Assistant Directory: http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/directory/
RFP Center: http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/rfp-center.php
Client Guide to Virtual Assistance: http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/client-guide.htm
How to Hire a Virtual Assistant: http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/how-to-hire-a-virtual-assistant.htm
Alastair McDermott
July 8th, 2007 at 12:28 am
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I first contacted GetFriday on the 28th of May. I still haven’t got set up with them, and they’re talking about another 3 weeks so I guess I’ll have to have more patience than usual.
I’m looking forward to seeing how good their services are, it’s a cheap experiment that could pay big dividends.
reggieCasual
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:02 pm
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Just curious if after using Get Friday for a while now, if you’d recommend them.
I’m in search of a PA myself, and would be curious to know what’s worked well and what’s worked less well.
» Der virtuelle persönliche Assistent :::macophilia:::
July 30th, 2007 at 10:05 am
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[…] Auch Ryan Carson hat nach der Lektüre des Buchs von Timothy Ferris bereits erste Erfahrungen mit dem VPA gemacht, die er in seinem Blog teilt. VPA-Provider wie Get Friday haben mittlerweile Wartezeiten von mehreren Wochen, seitdem die 4 Stunden-Arbeitswoche die amerikanischen Bestsellerlisten anführt. Aufgaben werden abends per Mail nach Indien geschickt, am nächsten (amerikanischen) Morgen sind die Ergebnisse in der Mailbox. Zum Teil sind die Ergebnisse so beeindruckend gut, dass einem Angst und Bange um die eigene Wirtschaft wird, so ein Kommentar von einem Nutzer dieser Services in Ferris’ Buch. […]
Kylie Short
August 19th, 2007 at 11:40 am
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(Mental note to self - check back on various blogs when I have left a comment just in case someone asks me a question)
What kind of tasks can a VA do?
Well for me, being a VA describes how I work and not necessarily what I do. I am a qualified Bookkeeper (Australia) so I offer bookkeeping services, lead management, web site management including edits, design and hosting, complex documents including manuals, procedures, spreadsheets, powerpoint presentations etc. The bulk of my work lately has been designing e-newsletter templates.
Depending on which VA you use, it depends on what services they offer. Some VAs are marketing experts and others are bookkeeping experts. Then you have writers/editor experts and you have human resource management experts.
Most VAs have at least 10 years corporate experience with many of the ones I know having 15+ years. I’d be interested to read about everyone’s experience in using a VA for $5 an hour. My rates are what they are and I don’t apologize for them. I have the experience, knowledge and expertise that you would expect of my rate which is by no means exorbitant. Its just more then $5 an hour.
My only advice to anyone using a VA or contemplating using a VA is to ensure you communicate effectively. Make sure they know exactly what you want and when you want it done by. Give feedback on tasks so they can get to know you, your business and your expectations as much as possible. Communication is the key to any relationship and your business relationship with your VA is no different.
charmaine
September 20th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
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hi!
I’m a Filipina and a business consultant here in the Philippines.I am working for a british company whose into outsourcing too.As what i’ve seen on this page you are all into virtual pa’s and outsourcing.Well,to tell you more about this, in Philippines there are a lot of outsourcing companies,U.S. and british call centers too.I personally looking for a job as a virtual pa.Anyone who might be interested in hiring my services..Please contact me anytime!
cheers!
Rob
December 15th, 2007 at 3:40 am
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I’m glad you’ve had success with a VA! Also, some great resources in the comments above. For those people (like me) that can’t commit to a full time VA (see my issues here: www.outsourcedmylife.com ) I suggest you look at a service like www.oDesk.com. You can get virtual assistants for just a few hours a week and you can see reviews and ratings for them. Hopefully some day I’ll have the time and work that I can employ someone full time, but just not yet.
Please keep the suggestions coming on what types of work you’re having your VA’s do!
Ann Crosby
January 6th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
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A message to all busy entrepreneurs! Please contact me if you need executive secretarial skills on line! I have extensive experience having spent fourteen years working as an executive PA in the UK for high profile companies such as R. J. Reynolds International and McCann Erickson Advertising. I am a Powerpoint and Excel wizard and can efficiently provide very creative presentations which will effortlessly promote your business. Complex mail merges are second nature to me. I have audio typing skills and also take shorthand should it be necessary for you to dictate correspondence over the telephone for same day turnaround. I also have a wealth of experience arranging the logistics for executive conferences involving hotel accommodation, transport, conference dinners and secretarial support for busy, travelling executives. I am proactive rather than reactive so if you allow me to control your diary, you will be where you need to be when you need to be. I am based in Southern Ireland with state of the art office and communication facilities. I look forward to working with you.
Virtual Personal Assistant | innovagon.com - Marketing Blog
March 12th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
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[…] In Zeiten zunehmender Vernetzung kommt irgendwann garantiert der Punkt, an dem man seine virtuelle Identität physisch und psychisch nicht mehr im Griff hat. Zeit für den “Virtual Personal Assistant (VPU)“, den es natürlich in den USA bereits schon gibt… […]
Steven Squires
March 25th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
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Can they make sales cold calls or find the right person to talk to in organizations?
Link Builder
March 31st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
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Right! virtual assistants must have good communication skills, in order for them to interact with your clients well, but you must also consider that finding one could be the hard part. but there’s a solution for that, you can conduct tryouts so that you can separate the good from the best.A good VA is critical in achieving a good business.
Angela
July 1st, 2008 at 2:53 pm
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Hi there
Does anyone know of any good resources/websites/links/information etc for Virtual Assistants in the UK, a lot of the useful information seems to be in the USA. I am just starting out and would value any input.
Thanks
vijay kumar
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:18 am
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hi,am vijay kumar