We’ll consider graphic design again. In this case, your goal is to find somebody who has done quite a significant amount of graphic design (successfully) in the past, in which case he/she will have great reviews and good ratings on projects. For example, let’s assume you put a project on freelancer.com, with the goal to have your company logo designed in the next 36 hours. You can’t hire a writer to do the logo job, simply because he or she likely won’t know how. You need to look for someone who specializes in the area you need — in this case, graphic design. You’ll need to use freelancers selectively. In the case of a virtual assistant, a person who will work on a full-time basis for you, you’ll hand them many different and diverse projects. Let’s say you need someone to build your website, but also write articles for the site, and then do some graphic design work, respond to people’s questions, do customer support, and monitor the Facebook account. As the number of projects delegated increases, VAs will spread themselves thinner, resulting in quality reduction. This is especially true if VAs don’t have a lot of experience in all the areas for which you need help. Maybe they’re excellent in graphics and do a good job at web development, but they’re just not skilled with customer communication. Please take this into consideration. If you decide to trust VAs with multiple projects, they will likely require training. If I intend to hire somebody for a specific project, I go for the best in the field. For example, I currently work with four or five graphic designers for selected projects. If I want one to enhance photos of homes or edit those pictures, then that’s all the designer will do that day. So, naturally, I want to find a freelancer who possesses skills in graphic design. Graphic designers should know their way around Adobe Photoshop, inDesign, Illustrator or any other graphic design program. Of course, you must check applicants’ specific skills before hiring. If you plan to use VAs for multiple tasks, review their skills. You’ll also want to get a general idea about their intelligence, ability to think on their feet, and ability to learn quickly. If you plan to assign work in a variety of areas, you should carefully weigh each hiring decision. Consider offering and providing training to VAs. This is often a very good opportunity for them to enhance marketable skills, and can be a big motivation for them. If you intend to have work that you need done on a regular basis, and it’s repetitive, then I advise you hire a virtual assistant.
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