Saw an interesting post a little while ago with the title ‘The Tale of Two Assistants‘. It was apparently about an ‘actual assistant’ and a ‘virtual assistant’. I wasn’t sure what they meant exactly by the ‘actual assistant’ as it seems that the ‘actual assistant’ had other clients anyway, so it would seem they were not an employee but someone they outsourced to.
So, I wonder what made the difference between the AA and the VA?
They were able to prove that the VA they hired was more efficient timewise and costwise than the AA however, not knowing what an AA is, makes it a little hard for understanding the comparison.
What did stand out to me was the extremely low rate they were paying the VA which they say was an American sourced through elance. The US based VAs I know do not charge $9 an hour and have a good understanding of their worth and the work that they provide.
I see so many people writing about our industry but having very little real knowledge of what the industry is about. If you’re seeking a Virtual Assistant or are wanting to become a Virtual Assistant, seek out the industry based networks that are there to assist you. They help clients find the right VA and they help VAs learn about the industry and develop a successful business.
Chantal Livingstone says
Funny, I read the same article and thought the same thing. I don’t quite understand the AA they mention. I assumed she was a local VA while the ‘VA’ was web-based!
Tim says
As you hinted at in your post, it’s all about the “right” VA for the task. If an outsourcer needs an assistant to contact clients, write copy, or peform more complex tasks, she’ll probably want a native-speaking, trained VA. If she wants somebody to research a task online, however, a $9/hr. VA from India will probably do the trick.