The author, Tina Marie Hilton, gives virtual assistants a place to hang their hats regardless of the niche they serve or what the services are. All virtual assistants do ASSIST with something, be that filing, data entry, event planning, website design and maintenance, telephone calls….any task that can be assigned to someone effectively working off-site. Getting coffee might be a challenge. Getting ourselves clear about the way assisting works — as a service business absorbs any potential stigma of using the term virtual assistant.
The title of the book is intended to shock and get the readers’ attention, but the book keeps a promise not to hide the facts and truth about virtual business under a flowery blanket of filler. Hilton writes candidly about the various options for businesses who want to outsource tasks in terms of off-shore choices and the people/services available right in the community.
For new clients who are not used to working with an independent contractor to get things done, she spells out the pitfalls of micro-management in the view of the tax people. Too much control is an employee tag for taxes.
I like the section entitled: What if the Cow isn’t Really Purple? addressing the virtual assistance relationship gone wrong. Sometimes, even with the greatest careful research there are issues. Hilton encourages the client to look again at the situation and avoid kicking the VA to the curb or giving up on VA professional assistance altogether. Instead she encourages the relationship to:
- Allow for the learning curve time factor
- Be upfront with the virtual assistant that things aren’t working
- After facing the issues, give it another try
- If all else fails, check the contract and professionally end the relationship
While the section is aimed at the client, I would encourage professional virtual assistants to be sensitive to potential issues and take responsibility for addressing them. It is part of our professional skill to speak up if we need more direction or other information. Part of our job is to make the client look good!
Hilton points out pitfalls for the client who goes into a virtual assistant relationship without understanding the wide scope of ability that this independent contractor brings to the table. This misunderstanding can lead to worries about rates, concerns about getting tasks accomplished and a general poor perception of working with a virtual assistant.
From another point of view, Hilton encourages including more than one virtual specialist in the relationship as opposed to trying to find one person who will do everything.
For a business owner, this book is a good investment when developing a plan for outsourcing.
For the virtual assistant, the book has some good, solid identity opinions that can strengthen a virtual practice. There is a wide list of professions where Hilton has identified tasks that could very well be done virtually.
I enjoyed reading this book as a virtual assistant. I read it to learn ways that my services and communication could be polished for a better presentation going into a business deal with clients.
For $2.99 as a Kindle download, this book could become a valuable tool for other virtual assistants. I would be happy to be included in any book discussions about the Guide! Talk with me in the Comments.
Interested in getting your own copy of this book? Check out the ordering link here.
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JudyAnn Lorenz of Bar JD Communications has worked as a virtual professional since 2003. She brings websites and marketing strategy together for clients. “By addressing the desires of customers, search engines and the business/client’s own spirit, I help weave the tapestry of their Internet presence for this Big Three.”