Finding a Fantastic Virtual Assistant

That site's home page sported a large "Featured VA" box in the middle of the page, with an easy link to contact "Michele" directly. I clicked, posted my query via email for database and marketing support help. I never got a response.

Then I found a listing with an organization I'd heard of before: IVAA, the International Virtual Assistants Association. This site looked professional; most listings gave specific details about areas of expertise, and it had a rating system that included an ethics check, a certified VA and VAs with real estate expertise.

Within a couple clicks I was surfing through a long list of VAs with database experience. I emailed or called five women from Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. I was particularly struck by No Worries Virtual Assistance.com, a company owned by Lynne Wells, in Bethlehem, Pa., where lovely classical music played in the background before I could leave my voice mail.

A few hours later, I hired two women (who provided several references with good feedback): Lyn Toomey, founder of Virtual Market Support from Londonderry, N.H., and Marsha Kopan, founder of Executive Secretarial Services from West Allis, Wis. I had easy conversations with both women and felt fairly confident I'd made good choices because both women would charge me only for the time they spent on my project, meaning no minimum contracts. Typically, rates for IVAA resources range from around $20 on up, and project deadlines and the intensity of tasks will all factor into the final price.