Comments on: Virtual Assistant Needed http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/ About the Virtual Assistant industry for VAs and for clients Fri, 18 May 2012 01:32:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kathie Thomas http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-85980 Kathie Thomas Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:20:51 +0000 http://vadirectory.net/blog/?p=209#comment-85980 Hi Amanda, if you belong to any of the VA forums you will see very soon a message from the VA Standards Committee about this very thing. With all due respect Elance isn't a VA forum or VA network - they're about any type of work and it attracts people from all over the world - professionals and non-professionals. If people are going to shop by price only then they will be choosing non-professionals in many cases. There is no way you should be dropping your rates at all - stick to your guns. Your expertise and ability to get the job done should speak for itself. And no-one should be telling you to drop your rates - that isn't their prerogative. Hi Amanda, if you belong to any of the VA forums you will see very soon a message from the VA Standards Committee about this very thing.

With all due respect Elance isn’t a VA forum or VA network – they’re about any type of work and it attracts people from all over the world – professionals and non-professionals. If people are going to shop by price only then they will be choosing non-professionals in many cases.

There is no way you should be dropping your rates at all – stick to your guns. Your expertise and ability to get the job done should speak for itself. And no-one should be telling you to drop your rates – that isn’t their prerogative.

]]> By: Amanda Silverman http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-85976 Amanda Silverman Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:03:50 +0000 http://vadirectory.net/blog/?p=209#comment-85976 It has come to my attention recently that the rates are dropping everywhere for Virtual Assistance. In 2005 I began bidding jobs easily at the rate of $25/hr and now it seems everyone is wanting to pay an assistant $8/hr. I wish we could see a standard out there somewhere or appropriate ettiquete for employers to follow. I've got some great business ideas for publishing a community for the business owners in search of a VA to guide them to greater relationships that last longer at a higher quality. Putting them into play is going to cost serious time and money investments. As an end result I hope to help everyone in my field earn a more respectable income. Elance is even starting to go way down in payouts. They now force you to place an hourly rate of at least $10 per hour, but providers quote less than that in their text. Cheers to growth! Amanda Silverman http://virtualofficeleader.com amandabox@gmail.com It has come to my attention recently that the rates are dropping everywhere for Virtual Assistance. In 2005 I began bidding jobs easily at the rate of $25/hr and now it seems everyone is wanting to pay an assistant $8/hr. I wish we could see a standard out there somewhere or appropriate ettiquete for employers to follow. I’ve got some great business ideas for publishing a community for the business owners in search of a VA to guide them to greater relationships that last longer at a higher quality. Putting them into play is going to cost serious time and money investments. As an end result I hope to help everyone in my field earn a more respectable income.

Elance is even starting to go way down in payouts. They now force you to place an hourly rate of at least $10 per hour, but providers quote less than that in their text.

Cheers to growth!

Amanda Silverman
http://virtualofficeleader.com
amandabox@gmail.com

]]> By: Jayant http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-65505 Jayant Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:03:08 +0000 http://vadirectory.net/blog/?p=209#comment-65505 <p>Kathie, </p> <p>Thanks for starting the topic. You are very right and exactly this is the problem. I have personaly seen that the buyers want to pay lower than minimum wages and if you bid for $10 per hour, they won't just respond.</p> <p>Many times, after the work is done, the buyers won't make a payment. I have seen this at reputed marketpalce like Elance. </p> <p>Regards,</p> <p>Jayant<br /> http://www.cwind.net</p> Kathie,

Thanks for starting the topic. You are very right and exactly this is the problem. I have personaly seen that the buyers want to pay lower than minimum wages and if you bid for $10 per hour, they won’t just respond.

Many times, after the work is done, the buyers won’t make a payment. I have seen this at reputed marketpalce like Elance.

Regards,

Jayant
http://www.cwind.net

]]> By: Donna-Marie Coggins http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-62238 Donna-Marie Coggins Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:22:23 +0000 http://vadirectory.net/blog/?p=209#comment-62238 Well said Kathie. I recently met a lady who has a lot of voice recordings of a series of books she has written that she is now wanting to publish. However so far, she has been getting the work done through a job bidding board and for her first two books she paid just $5 AUD/hour and the person who has done this work has English as a second language. She's really happy with the price, although she then "just goes over it to correct their spelling mistakes & typos." It doesn't make sense? Why not just pay a fair and realistic price to someone who will do the job professionally and will spell correctly and use correct grammar? As VAs, Mums and professionals , I believe we need to support each other, educate others and not under-value our services. Well said Kathie. I recently met a lady who has a lot of voice recordings of a series of books she has written that she is now wanting to publish. However so far, she has been getting the work done through a job bidding board and for her first two books she paid just $5 AUD/hour and the person who has done this work has English as a second language. She’s really happy with the price, although she then “just goes over it to correct their spelling mistakes & typos.”

It doesn’t make sense? Why not just pay a fair and realistic price to someone who will do the job professionally and will spell correctly and use correct grammar?

As VAs, Mums and professionals , I believe we need to support each other, educate others and not under-value our services.

]]> By: Kylie Short http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-61755 Kylie Short Tue, 31 Jul 2007 02:35:24 +0000 http://vadirectory.net/blog/?p=209#comment-61755 I have to say I was disappointed to read that job post on 'do my stuff'.I don't know who they expect to get for that rate. There is so many web sites and blogs that claim to have all the secrets for WAHM's. It's a job post like this that gives the wrong impression about the worth of Virtual Assistants and WAHM's in general. I'm both and yet I won't be putting my hand up for this job. Why? Because I value my skills and experience more highly than that. I will be interesting to see the posts I predict about how using under qualified VAs or undervaluing your VA can be detrimental to your business. It's through experiences that we learn and so too will this job poster. Continuing to make virtual personal... Kylie Short Tilda Virtual Services I have to say I was disappointed to read that job post on ‘do my stuff’.I don’t know who they expect to get for that rate.

There is so many web sites and blogs that claim to have all the secrets for WAHM’s. It’s a job post like this that gives the wrong impression about the worth of Virtual Assistants and WAHM’s in general. I’m both and yet I won’t be putting my hand up for this job. Why? Because I value my skills and experience more highly than that.

I will be interesting to see the posts I predict about how using under qualified VAs or undervaluing your VA can be detrimental to your business. It’s through experiences that we learn and so too will this job poster.

Continuing to make virtual personal…

Kylie Short
Tilda Virtual Services

]]> By: Jill Chongva http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-61738 Jill Chongva Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:00:42 +0000 http://vadirectory.net/blog/?p=209#comment-61738 Exactly Kathie! I blogged about a similar one this morning, where a site claiming to be about helping work at home moms was advertising for an Executive Virtual Assistant and was offering $2 - $5 per hour to start. So what is the message that this blog is giving work at home moms? That they are worth less than the minimum wage? If you want something for nothing, you will get what you pay for. Jill ;) Exactly Kathie!

I blogged about a similar one this morning, where a site claiming to be about helping work at home moms was advertising for an Executive Virtual Assistant and was offering $2 – $5 per hour to start.

So what is the message that this blog is giving work at home moms? That they are worth less than the minimum wage?

If you want something for nothing, you will get what you pay for.

Jill ;)

]]> By: Leah Maclean http://vadirectory.net/blog/2007/07/31/virtual-assistant-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-61718 Leah Maclean Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:24:10 +0000 http://vadirectory.net/blog/?p=209#comment-61718 You make a very important point Kathie! I also see the same thing with web and blog design, as well as other types of technology advising and even many coaches that know. With these "job boards" being global there are many people who will find the exchange rate conversions between there local currencies and the USD$ or AUD$ very attractive. Unfortunately this then gives a false indication of the real cost of running a professional business. It takes more to be a VA than knowing how to type and browse the web. Just like it takes more to design good webs and blogs than just having a copy of Frontpage. Keep up the great education of VAs and the marketplace! You make a very important point Kathie! I also see the same thing with web and blog design, as well as other types of technology advising and even many coaches that know. With these “job boards” being global there are many people who will find the exchange rate conversions between there local currencies and the USD$ or AUD$ very attractive. Unfortunately this then gives a false indication of the real cost of running a professional business.

It takes more to be a VA than knowing how to type and browse the web. Just like it takes more to design good webs and blogs than just having a copy of Frontpage.

Keep up the great education of VAs and the marketplace!

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