Two Sides To Every Story

Jonathan Roberts wrote a blog post, which is a rebuttal to my post, “Disadvantages of Outsourcing to Offshore Virtual Assistants.” You can read his rebuttal at Outsourcing to Foreign Virtual Assistants.

Apparently, there is a lot of discussion regarding this hot topic. What is your opinion?

Disadvantages of Outsourcing to Offshore Virtual Assistants

Due to the tremendous popularity of this blog post, I decided to republish it.

As an onshore Virtual Assistant and small business owner, I feel obligated to inform small business owners about the disadvantages of outsourcing to offshore virtual assistants (VAs).

When you choose to outsource offshore, you are going to encounter virtual assistants who are not familiar with our culture and language. Although, they speak English, generally, it is not their first language. This causes language barriers, communication gaps, and lack of understanding. Is the frustration worth the money you save? Keep in mind, offshore VAs’ cost of living is much lower than ours. They can afford to work for less money. If you choose to outsource confidential personal data offshore, it may not be protected. Firms in India currently are not equally subject to any extensive legislative or regulatory data-protection controls.

Offshore VAs work for an outsourcing firm and are not business owners. They do not have a vested interest in your business other than getting more projects. Most of us, onshore virtual assistants, are business owners; therefore, we understand the operations of a small business, as well as what is required to develop it. Our goals are to establish an ongoing business relationship with you in order to help you reach your goals. We want you to succeed in your business. Erin Blaskie of Business Services, ETC stated in her blog, “These companies are working day and night going through a wide variety of tasks just to get them back out the door. They aren’t spending the time to strategize and become a partner in your business. They are simply providing cheap labor.”

Another disadvantage is offshore virtual assistants can’t operate without access to the Internet. On January 31, 2008, India had an Internet outage due to snapped cables in the Mediterranean Ocean. You can read the entire article here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326988,00.html. Onshore virtual assistants’ Internet providers are their phone companies, cable companies or satellite providers. We are not at the mercy of a cable under the ocean.

There are several disadvantages to offshore outsourcing, including drastic differences in time zones. The one main advantage to outsourcing to offshore virtual assistants is saving money. The old adage is true. “You get what you pay for.”

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner

RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

FAQs About Virtual Assistants

Although the popularity of Virtual Assistants is growing, there are questions that yet exist regarding them. I will attempt to answer some of those questions.

Who is a Virtual Assistant (VA)? A Virtual Assistant is an entrepreneur and/or small business owner who assists other entrepreneurs and small business owners with everything on their plate.

What is a Virtual Assistant? Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) description of a Virtual Assistant is the following:

“A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a highly-trained independent entrepreneur who provides a myriad of business support services virtually via phone, fax and internet based technology to support and meet the growing needs of businesses worldwide.

Partnering with a VA reduces stress, protects cash flow, eliminates administrative hassles, and enables business people to find the success they originally set out to achieve.

A VA is your right hand person helping you to succeed in your business. The irony is you may never meet your VA as odds are they live nowhere near you!”

What can a VA do for me to ease my workload? Business owners’ workload consists of administrative tasks, attracting new business, converting leads, and servicing current clients. A VA can take care of the administrative portion, as well as assist you in the remaining areas.

Why should I work with a Virtual Assistant? If you are an entrepreneur and/or small business owner and you find yourself spending more time working in the business rather than working on the business, you should retain a Virtual Assistant. He or she can assist you with your daily, time-consuming tasks. These tasks are generally administrative in nature and require attention; however, they divert your focus away from working on your business. Working on your business requires just as much concentration and is necessary if you want to grow your company.

When should I retain a virtual assistant? When you find yourself spending more time working in the business rather than working on the business, it is time to retain a VA.

Where can I find a VA? There are several virtual assistant forums, which have directories listing their members and how to contact them; for example, Virtual Assistant Networking Association and International Virtual Assistants Association.

Where does a VA work? Virtual assistants complete their clients’ tasks from their own offices. It is not necessary for our clients to provide equipment, space, or supplies.

How do I tell her what to do? How do I train her to handle my affairs? Technology has created the ability for us to virtually communicate. Communication can take place via telephone, teleconferencing, Instant Messaging (IM), e-mail, SKYPE, PDAs, and the list goes on. In addition, VAs don’t require training; just an explanation of how to handle your tasks.

How do we exchange my projects? Lynette Chandler recently wrote a blog post on GoogleDocs, which is an online office suite. Please visit Tech Based Marketing to read her informative post. In it, she explains what GoogleDocs are and the many benefits associated with them. You and your VA both have access to the documents created with GoogleDocs. A VA creates the document and at that point, it can be saved to your computer or remain online. Another option is you can submit your project to your VA as an e-mail attachment, and he or she returns the completed document to you via e-mail attachment. There is also the option of a VA accessing your computer to complete certain tasks. GoToMyPc and LogMeIn are programs that provide a VA the capability of gaining access to your computer.

I hope these answers help you in your quest to find the right virtual assistant to work with.

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner

RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

Are You An Entrepreneur or a Small Business Owner?

We use the terms entrepreneur and small business owners interchangeably. I decided to do some research to see if they are the same or if there are any differences. I found this definition at QuickMBA:

Entrepreneurship vs. Small Business

Many people use the terms “entrepreneur” and “small business owner” synonymously. While they may have much in common, there are significant differences between the entrepreneurial venture and the small business. Entrepreneurial ventures differ from small businesses in these ways:

1. Amount of wealth creation - rather than simply generating an income stream that replaces traditional employment, a successful entrepreneurial venture creates substantial wealth, typically in excess of several million dollars of profit.
2. Speed of wealth creation - while a successful small business can generate several million dollars of profit over a lifetime, entrepreneurial wealth creation often is rapid; for example, within 5 years.
3. Risk - the risk of an entrepreneurial venture must be high; otherwise, with the incentive of sure profits many entrepreneurs would be pursuing the idea and the opportunity no longer would exist.
4. Innovation - entrepreneurship often involves substantial innovation beyond what a small business might exhibit. This innovation gives the venture the competitive advantage that results in wealth creation. The innovation may be in the product or service itself, or in the business processes used to deliver it.

In addition, I found a blog post entitled The 10 Crucial Differences Between Being a Small Business Owner and an Inspired Entrepreneur written by Nick Williams over at SuperWAHMZ’s blog. It gives a more detailed listing of the differences.

According to the above definition and blog post, which are you? Are you an entrepreneur or a small business owner? I look forward to reading your comments.

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner
RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

Disadvantages of Outsourcing to Offshore Virtual Assistants

Due to the tremendous popularity of this blog post, I decided to republish it.

As an onshore Virtual Assistant and small business owner, I feel obligated to inform small business owners about the disadvantages of outsourcing to offshore virtual assistants (VAs).

When you choose to outsource offshore, you are going to encounter virtual assistants who are not familiar with our culture and language. Although, they speak English, generally, it is not their first language. This causes language barriers, communication gaps, and lack of understanding. Is the frustration worth the money you save? Keep in mind, offshore VAs’ cost of living is much lower than ours. They can afford to work for less money. If you choose to outsource confidential personal data offshore, it may not be protected. Firms in India currently are not equally subject to any extensive legislative or regulatory data-protection controls.

Offshore VAs work for an outsourcing firm and are not business owners. They do not have a vested interest in your business other than getting more projects. Most of us, onshore virtual assistants, are business owners; therefore, we understand the operations of a small business, as well as what is required to develop it. Our goals are to establish an ongoing business relationship with you in order to help you reach your goals. We want you to succeed in your business. Erin Blaskie of Business Services, ETC stated in her blog, “These companies are working day and night going through a wide variety of tasks just to get them back out the door. They aren’t spending the time to strategize and become a partner in your business. They are simply providing cheap labor.”

Another disadvantage is offshore virtual assistants can’t operate without access to the Internet. On January 31, 2008, India had an Internet outage due to snapped cables in the Mediterranean Ocean. You can read the entire article here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326988,00.html. Onshore virtual assistants’ Internet providers are their phone companies, cable companies or satellite providers. We are not at the mercy of a cable under the ocean.

There are several disadvantages to offshore outsourcing, including drastic differences in time zones. The one main advantage to outsourcing to offshore virtual assistants is saving money. The old adage is true. “You get what you pay for.”

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner
RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

RJ’s Virtual Assistant Services Blog Has Moved

My blog URL address has changed from http://rjswordprocessing.wordpress.com/blog to http://rjswordprocessing.wordpress.com. Thank you for your continued readership.

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner
RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

Information for Entrepreneurs in San Diego

As usual, when I come across information, which I feel may be valuable for you as small business owners, I share it with you. A business associate of mine, Denice Games, is CEOSpace Club President for San Diego. She states, “CEOSpace is an organization of investors, inventors, and a diverse group of business owners who get together five times a year to help each other become successful. Members and instructors make up some of the top trainers and corporate mentors in the world. Business education is provided along with valuable capital language instruction to allow business owners to raise necessary capital for their businesses. Teams and alliances are formed, contracts written, and business is completed!”

Although this chapter is for San Diego, CEOSpace is an international organization. To learn more about CEOSpace, please visit http://www.ceospace.net or contact Denice Games at 951-837-0858. They also have local meetings to find out more about the organization. Following is a list of meetings to be held next week April 7-9, 2008:

Monday night Michael Peak on Persuasion, 5030 Camino De La Siesta, Ste, 220, San Diego. 92108 7 PM

Tuesday Lunch at Rossi’s Pizza, 156 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, San Marcos. 12-1 PM. Free to business owners

Tuesday night at 7 PM a concert at Rossi’s Pizza, 156 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, San Marcos.

Wednesday a CEOSpace instructor from Phoenix, Maria Simone, sharing How to Recession Proof your Business. 7 PM at the Encinitas Terrace Apartment Clubhouse, 454 Requeza Street, Encinitas.

There is no charge for the events; however, please RSVP Denice if you plan to attend.

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner
RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

Are You Blogging Yet?

Obviously, we as entrepreneurs and small business owners do not have large marketing budgets like big corporations. However, blogging is an affordable marketing tool. Are you blogging yet? I recently read a blog post, which emphasizes the importance of blogging when trying to brand your products, services, and/or company. The blog post is entitled, “Social Media Works for Small Business.” In it Ryan Moede also talks about how to use social media tools as marketing strategies.

On the other hand, one of my favorite bloggers, Grant Griffiths, wrote a blog post called, “Blogging is More Than Just Simply Marketing.” He talks about how we can use blogging to engage our clients in conversations regarding our products or services, as well as other important discussions.

Blogging presents us with the opportunity to level the “marketing playing field” with large businesses. It doesn’t cost us anything but our time. You can also outsource your blogging project to a Virtual Assistant who specializes in writing and has experience in blogging. Are you blogging yet?

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner
RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

A One-Stop Shop For Small Business Owners

You have decided to start your own business and you need administrative assistance, as well as specialized services. You need someone to create and format business correspondence and documents, to setup and manage your contact list(s), setup and manage your bookkeeping, as well as someone to create and maintain your website. You also need someone to submit your articles, update and maintain your blog, and send out e-mail marketing campaigns and sales letters.

You have heard of this up-and-coming concept called virtual assistants. Perhaps you will retain a Virtual Assistant for each function. A more feasible, practical solution would be to retain a Virtual Assistant who operates a multi-va practice. Multi-VA businesses consist of virtual assistants who have specialized skills in different areas. They each possess a particular expertise, which complements each other. Also, these types of operations generally offer discount customized service packages saving you money. In addition, you will save time dealing with one company to complete your tasks rather than several different virtual assistant businesses.

If you need more than one type of virtual assistant service, you will save money and time when working with a multi-va business as opposed to a single-va practice. Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing business, a multi-va company is a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner
RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073

Marketing Tips For Small Business Owners

I came across an interesting blog, which contains 10 marketing tips for entrepreneurs. The author points out how market segments are shifting and desiring the same things out of life, especially more time for themselves. Nowadays, different socio-economic segments have access to products and services that were in the past only for the affluent market. This fact affects our marketing strategies. One example of this shift is cell phones. When cell phones were introduced to the market, the non-affluent market could not afford to purchase them. Now everyone has a cell phone, including adolescents and teenagers. Here is an excerpt from the blog:

“As an entrepreneur, what can you learn from the luxury travel industry? Actually, quite a lot! By examining the trends that are taking place in the luxury travel market you can see ideas and business segments that are emerging amongst some of the world’s most affluent shoppers.

Why? These trends, which may start out in the luxury market have a habit over time of making their way into other demographic markets as well. Like luxury travelers, other consumers realize that not only is time money, but money is time. And we’re willing to spend our money on time.

Let’s take a look at some of the trends and see how you, as an entrepreneur, can use them to help grow your business.”

Please visit http://homebizblogger.com/2008/03/12/entrepreneurs-what-every-business-can-learn-from-the-luxury-travel-industry/ to read the entire post.

Rita J. Cartwright, Owner
RJ’s Word Processing Services
Your Business Success Is Our Success
http://rjswordprocessing.com
866-651-3073