SEO Project #1 – Hire a Virtual Assistant – Update #15

11 Responses to “SEO Project #1 – Hire a Virtual Assistant – Update #15”

1. June 18th, 2008 at 4:00 am
   Tim Reading Says:
   

   I have been working with this firm from india TasksEveryday.com. I have a part time 20 hours per week Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant. They have helped me to put my internet marketing plan together and also implement it. Helped me a lot to market my products sucessfully

2. June 18th, 2008 at 4:01 am
   Tim Reading Says:
   

   Ps: Tasks Everyday can be reached on http://www.taskseveryday.com

3. June 18th, 2008 at 9:17 am
   Brent Crouch Says:
   

   @Tim – Thanks for the link. So I’m guessing you are happy with the service? Are they mainly working on SEO type tasks?

   The person I am working with is actually charging me half of the top hourly rate on the tasks everday site.

4. June 18th, 2008 at 9:33 am
   Chantal Says:
   

   While I’m happy you found a VA that meets your needs, I am curious to know why you chose someone from India to help you with your business. No racism on my part, I am simply a VA myself struggling to find work on site such as elance.com and guru.com. I know these VAs can offer services at a much lower rate which can dramatically influence your decision however what other components were you looking for when you hired him? Knowing this, would greatly improve North America VA’s chances to win a few bids. Thank you!

5. June 18th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
   Kimberly Says:
   

   While I’m happy to hear that you’ve found the benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant and that you are pleased with the work that has been completed, I am dismayed that how much you pay seems to be one of the primary markers for deciding who to hire. It sounds like you were lucky enough to find someone who is doing work at a level that you seek, but people should also be aware that when hiring a Virtual Assistant at the lowest hourly rate available, you may just get what you are paying for. There are many Virtual Assistants available in the US, Canada and other native English speaking countries who are experts and professionals in their industry. There are several websites available that can help you locate one should you find that your overseas VA isn’t working out.

6. June 19th, 2008 at 12:00 am
   Brent Crouch Says:
   

   @Kimberly – I never mentioned cost as my primary concern. Sure it ranks near the top, but it isn’t primary.

   Primary for me is quality and price is secondary. My primary purpose for this assistant is link building. I’m sure you are great at what you do, but for this kind of task, why should I consider paying someone like yourself $32 an hour when I can get the same quality in this situation for $5 an hour?

   Now when it comes to article writing, I always use American writers. Even the best Indian writers can’t produce the type of quality content a native English speaker can.

   If I were looking for someone to answer my emails, once again I would choose an American VA first.

   @Chantal – With technology as it is, hiring a virtual assistant from India is not a problem. It is no different from hiring a VA from another state.

   We are able to stay in touch easily using IM, email, and Skype. The guy I chose speaks excellent English and is eager to work. In my mind, there isn’t a single negative about him being from India and not Chicago.

   Rate is a big consideration, but it isn’t the only one. My primary focus is on quality work and rate is secondary.

   I can imagine how frustrating it can be competing with someone on a much different pay scale. Have you ever thought of specializing in something specific?

   A good example is Garry Conn. Garry Conn builds some of the best Word press themes for only $250. If I were looking for a new theme, I could probably hire someone from India to code one for $50 – $100, but wouldn’t even consider it.

   Nobody builds WordPress themes like Garry Conn. He has built a name for himself as an excellent designer. I don’t know of another designer in India or the US for that matter that can provide the same quality that Garry does. Because he is specialized and provides quality that can’t be duplicated at a cheaper price, he has no worries about someone from India taking his job.

7. June 19th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
   Chantal Says:
   

   I posted a long reply and I see it did not successfully upload!

   I wanted to thank you for taking the time to answer our question! I was surprise to see Kimberly’s post right after mine however I am not the least bit shock that another VA had similar concerns.
   The #1 reason we all decide to be Virtual Assistant is because of today’s growing technology so I completely understand where you are coming from.
   Yes I do have a niche particularly in proofreading in both English and French, as well as translating however I offer a wide range of services and you’re right! It’s extremely frustrating to be competing against a lower pay scale!

   So again, thank you for taking the time to elaborate on the matter. Your explanation eases my mind that there are individuals who recognize the importance of a ‘job well done’!

   Virtually yours,
   Chantal

8. June 19th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
   Brent Crouch Says:
   

   @Chantal – I was surprised to see yours and Kimberly’s posts so close together too. How did you find my post?

   Sorry your other comment didn’t upload. There must have been some loss of connection somewhere.

   I appreciate you taking the time to comment and I love the “virtually yours”. That’s a first for me.

   Good Luck,

   Brent Crouch

9. June 19th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
   Chantal Says:
   

   How did I find your post: I have an automatic Google Alert set up and everything the words ‘Virtual Assistant’ appear in a blog, I get a notification. However I must be honest, I don’t leave comments often… your topic was simply very close to what I’m struggling with lately!
   Thank you for not taking offence and being so very open and honest.

10. June 19th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
    Kimberly Says:
    

    @Brent,
    I apologize for making it sound like I was assuming that was your primary concern. My point was primarily that for those who do use cost as their primary concern then they may be getting just what they paid for.

    Your response and some other reading I’ve done recently has got me thinking about my own pricing policies and structure. That is, perhaps just an hourly rate should not be the only option and that possibly it would make sense to look at per project estimated price. Your back links project would be a good example of this.

    This is why I enjoy reading blogs and especially appreciate comments from the authors as it provides thought provoking conversations.

    Thanks,
    Kimberly

11. June 20th, 2008 at 12:13 am
    Brent Crouch Says:
    

    @Kimberly – No apology needed.

    It may be a good idea to remove your hourly rate from your site and bid on a per project basis. Just an outside view from a guy that employs 8 full time people and just hired a single VA, if I ran across your site I wouldn’t even bother inquiring at a $32 an hour rate. Just being honest.

    Part of my sticker shock maybe the different areas we live in. I’m sure you probably have a much higher cost of living than I do in Tennessee. For what you guys pay for a single family home, you could come here and purchase a 10,000 sq ft mansion.

    Just curious, would you ever consider managing a group of VA types from India? I wonder if it’d be an option for you to have 4 – 8 people working for you completing VA work for $3 – $5 an hour, while you were managing the tasks and charging the end customer $8 – $12 an hour. It may be something to consider.

    Either way, I can understand your frustration. I can certainly see both sides of the issue and when it makes sense, my first option is to spend my money at home first.

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