When running your startup company, virtual assistance can be a great help in overseeing operations. But signing them up is just the start. To get the most out of VAs, you need to know how to work with them accordingly.
And this is where you will likely encounter several challenges. Understanding these challenges and how to overcome them will give a strong start in working with your VA. Here are some of the most common ones that you should be familiar with.
Virtual Assistant Challenge No. 1: Communication
Being able to stay in constant touch with your virtual assistant is vital to working together seamlessly. As such, it is often one of the main criteria you consider when hiring one. However, even with a good initial setup, there are still instances when that communication can break down,
Image from Nulab.
For instance, their line might be limited or cut off due to technical issues. There are also inherent limitations of the channels that you might use. Since you are working from a distance, you might often rely mainly on textual modes of communication like SMS and email. These don’t have the verbal and non-verbal nuances that face-to-face communication does. Without these cues, it can sometimes be hard to determine the intent of messages.
Additionally, there are linguistic and cultural differences. For instance, they might understand a phrase differently from how you know them. These differences can create misunderstandings between you and them that could delay work.
Improving Communication With Your Virtual Assistant
The first thing to do to improve communication with your startup company virtual assistant is by creating a sense of openness. The idea here is to treat the VA as part of the team, rather than an external contractor. Give them all the information that they need to know about your business, including your professional goals.
Image from MIT Sloan Review.
Have a defined communication strategy for them as well. Create a schedule for meetings and video calls so that they can prepare in advance. But don’t just dump that schedule on them. Instead, involve them in developing these so they know how it would fit in with their workflow.
Virtual Assistant Challenge No. 2: Time Difference
Working with a virtual assistant located in another timezone has its advantages. Here, you can have them handle your startup company operations while you are out for the night. However, to get the most out of this, you need to deal with several concerns.
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One of them is work synchronization. Since you are up at different times of the day, it can be harder to meet together. It can create disruptions and slowdowns at work since you have to wait for them to be available first.
On the other hand, there is also the issue of VA health. Shifting their body clock so they can work simultaneously with you will put a significant strain on their overall health. This can even lead to burnouts, which will have an even more significant disruption in your operations.
How Your Startup Company Can Overcome This
Proper time management on your part plays an essential role here. When creating the above schedules, take your time differences into account. Give your virtual assistant some leeway so that they can have a good amount of rest before starting their shift with you.
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In Virtua Solutions, we make sure to facilitate that time management between you and your assigned agents. We select the agents that would best match your preferred schedule to ensure that they can work properly with you. You can also coordinate with them more directly to refine that schedule to what suits both of you.
Another strategy you can employ to deal with time differences is by introducing projects in advance. This gives your virtual assistant enough time to make arrangements and reschedule their other tasks accordingly. Be sure to break down these tasks into smaller goals to help your VA better assess how they will work.
Virtual Assistant Challenge no, 3: Scope Creep
Virtual assistants are very flexible and can handle a wide variety of tasks. But there can come a point where they might be handling a bit too much. This is known as scope creep and happens when your VA takes on tasks that were not agreed upon initially.
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Such situations can overwhelm your VA, resulting in less work done. It might also lead to disagreements that disrupt the workflow. And if not resolved immediately, it can even lead to the virtual assistant leaving your service.
How Your Startup Company Can Resolve The Issue
Solving this challenge goes back to the very beginning. When negotiating with your virtual assistant, be clear about the scope of the work that they will be doing. Note that this isn’t just about the initial lineup of tasks. You should also be clear about the guidelines regarding additional tasks they might take up in the future.
At Virtua, we consider these possible future tasks when assigning a VA to you. We choose a candidate that has the skills that match your overall needs. This makes it easier for them to jump into such tasks when needed.
But we also state the limits when it comes to additional tasks, as well as changing ones. Here, we typically use change forms that outline the process needed for the switch. They also give you clear information on how these changes will impact the project.
Virtual Assistant Challenge No. 4: Productivity Concerns
This might be last on the list but productivity is still a challenge when working with virtual assistants. The main concern here is that you might find it hard to track their performance since they work remotely.
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Even with different tracking tools, you might sometimes have doubts about whether your virtual assistant can deliver. As such, it can become tempting to micromanage their work. This can lead to a tenuous relationship between you and them.
How To Overcome The Challenge
Establishing trust is the key here. You sign up with a virtual assistant based on the track record they provided. As such, you need to be ready to trust their word. That does not mean you will sit back and relax.
Proactively engage your VA and find out which areas they are having issues with. You can also encourage them to provide suggestions on how to boost productivity. At Virtua, we champion that back and forth talk between us and our clients. It helps us to refine our processes and provide a more productive service.
Get The Best Value Out Of Virtual Assistants For Your Startup Company
These strategies are just some ways you can overcome the different challenges when working with a virtual assistant. And to go beyond that, you should partner with the right ones for your needs. Virtua Solutions can provide you with the best agents for those needs. Connect with us today.