I'm looking to hire a Virtual Assistant to help with some administrative tasks. I know that a general administrative VA can be hired in the Philippines starting around $350 or so per month full-time. I don't have enough to keep them busy 40 hours/week so I don't want to incur that expense and struggle to keep them busy. That'd defeat the point of hiring them.

Are any of you using a VA? If so would you be open to sharing the expense of the VA for a portion of their time?

Are any of you thinking of hiring a VA but like me can't justify having one full-time? I'm open to discuss sharing one. Let's talk.

Here are a couple of links that may be useful:
http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/hiring......ourcing/
http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/virtualstafffinder

Michael -
I work with VA's a lot. When I started, I would advertise the project, take bids and interview. Had mixed results when starting and got better at the interview.

At one point I tried going the personal assistant route - so I wouldn't have to get bids on each individual project. The first two were dismal failures. I now have someone who works as needed on a per hour basis. She is office work only - still job out video and graphics.

This situation is also a plus and minus. Some things she is great at and flies through, others I have to tweak the results. Since she is not full time, she has other clients and while an occasional project can take priority - most of the time I have to provide a decent lead time to insure the work is done on time.

When working with VA's in other countries, I find the cultural and time differences can take a toll on the work and relationship. A good US based VA can run anywhere between $10 to $35 an hour.

The best advice I was given was to check with friends and see if anyone was looking for work. I made a mention on Facebook and within a few hours had a PM from a close friend. So I ended up hiring someone I knew and it has been great for both of us.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.
Tom

Tom,

Thanks for the insights.

Michael,
I've experimented using a VA. Try Elance, guru, or some foreign sites. Tim Ferris has a lot to say about VAs in his Four Hour Work Week Book, which I highly suggest.

Depending on what you need, you might try getting one in India. Like Tom said, there are positives and negatives about working with them, and it might take time to find one you like.

Hope that helps!
Kevin

I started using a virtual assistant but, using ideas in the FHWW book referred to above, simplified by business and business processes to the degree that I no longer needed the help. This saved me a lot of money and hassle. But everyone's business is different.

Thanks again guys. I'll have to review the Ferris book again to see if there is more I can automate/eliminate, etc.