Finding a Fantastic Virtual Assistant

Written by Pattie Simone

Like most entrepreneurs I've met, on a typical day I spend way too much time doing a range of tasks that I shouldn't. While it's important stuff -- following up on networking leads, contacting people I've met at my workshops or cold calling speaking resources -- these critical to-do's were getting out of control, and my office piles were starting to spill out onto my dining room table. So the timing could not have been better when I got this assignment.

With a budget of $100, I set out to find and hire at least two different virtual assistants, to help me gain control of the burgeoning piles. I approached this like any other time-challenged business owner; I wanted to retain someone with an established track record, at a fair rate. I have a decent amount of experience hiring independent contractors, so I started off with high expectations, despite a tight turnaround time.

My main project was to create a simple database on an Excel spreadsheet, with the names, company name and email address from 150 business cards I had been given at various networking functions. I would provide a note that my VA would email to each contact. Here's what I discovered:

Getting Started

I got a lead on DoMyStuff.com, and three minutes after choosing a password and security question, I posted my project. Nine minutes later, I got an email confirming my task listing; 32 minutes from signing on, I got my first bid. I also received an ominous "warning" -- a post on my thread that advised me to check out the site's blog.