Think Before You Leap: 10 Things You Should Consider Before You Contract a Virtual Professional

Whether I am working onsite or remotely, I always appreciate working with an individual who knows exactly what they want to accomplish. It is easier to plan, process, and proceed with an action with a little direction. Unfortunately, I assist more business professionals who “don’t know” what they want to achieve rather than those who do.

Here is what I suggest every business professional considers before they decide to contract a virtual professional:

1. Research the net so you have a better understanding of what a virtual professional does. For example, a virtual professional and a virtual assistant are one of the same. Well to some level! The term “virtual assistant” or “virtual professional” refers to a professional who provides a wide variety of administrative services from a remote location. Individuals who support small business owners and internet entrepreneurs with executive level support, like project management, will choose the title “virtual professional” over “virtual assistant” to brand themselves as an Executive Professional Assistant.

2. Research the going hourly or annual rate for an individual locally that holds this title and works onsite. Often you will discover that it is a lot less to contract an assistant than pay for employee wage fees. This will give you some idea of what you can expect a virtual professional to charge. For instance, if a data entry clerk makes $10 per hour when working 40 hours a week onsite, you can expect a virtual assistant to request $12 per hour. This is still less than what you would pay the government to hire an employee, especially when you factor in the cost of utilities, equipment, and benefits.

3. Understand what it is you want the virtual professional to do for you. Are you looking for someone to delegate the tedious daily tasks? Will you need an assistant that is an expert in accounting, marketing, or web development? Take a few minutes before you start your hunt and jot these things down.

4. Budget for a virtual professional. How much does your budget allow for? If you only desire a part-time assistant to help you organize your agenda, follow up on phone calls, and update your blog; a small monthly budget of $250 could be all you will need. Just remember that whatever you budget for stick to it.

5. Seek out a reputable bidding forum or job listing website to post your request for proposal. There are several sites that you can use like Guru, Elance, Odesk and Lime Exchange. Make sure your request is detailed. The more information you can provide; the better your chances of finding the ideal candidate.

6. Go directly to the source. An even better idea is to go directly to the source when looking for a virtual professional. Use Google to seek out virtual assistants and visit each site. By seeking out a professional assistant in this manner, you get a glimpse into their writing style. If the site has misspelled words or poor graphics, you know immediately that this is not the person you want.

7. Ask for references; not a RESUME. When you hire a virtual professional, you are not hiring an employee rather contracting a service. Therefore, a resume is not necessary. Instead, ask for business references and samples of prior work.

8. Prepare to let go of your confidential material. For a virtual professional to perform with excellence, they need to know the ins and outs about your business. This includes confidential passwords, user identification, and credit card information. You should be prepared to relinquish every document that is needed. The best practice is to have your virtual assistant sign a Confidentiality Agreement to protect you from any unlawful action.

9. Keep a business relationship. Since you are contracting an individual to perform business tasks on your behalf, you must be prepared to agree and sign a Service Agreement. This agreement often lists the project scope, expectations, responsibilities, payment terms, liability and other key business terms. It is a good practice to complete this agreement in its entirety.

10. Expect your virtual professional to request an “OPEN DOOR POLICY”. Simply put – you must communicate. Without the proper communication, this new relationship will not work. A good virtual professional will be able to guide you through what has worked for them in the past with other clients and provide you with some communication options. This often means the use of IM programs like Yahoo! IM, Skype, or email.


You want to be completely prepared when you call a prospective contractor. If you take the time to review these ten key points, you will be able to supply the information necessary to make this new business relationship work.