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What are the cons of being a Medical assistant?

What are the pros and cons of using a virtual assistant (VA) over an in-office assistant?

  • Pros & Cons. What has worked for you and what hasn't? If using a VA, from where? Europe? NA or India?

  • Answer:

    Pros: Pay for what you use -- A VA is on-demand, meaning you only pay for the time you are receiving for their help (although some require a small retainer and then hourly fees). Economics -- The hourly rates in a country like India are very low compared to the U.S. Intelligence pool -- India invested heavily in the past 2 decades to build strong universities to train their population -- there is a huge pool of talent there. Work ethic -- The work ethic and hunger to use their skills and thankfulness to have a challenging job is not dismissed. Timing -- 12.5 hours time difference means work is getting done while you're sleeping. Connecting with other cultures -- It's rewarding to work with someone who is excited and who can teach you things about yourself as you learn about them and their part of the world (and you teach them about yours). Cons: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate (and, oh yah, Communicate) -- Much more communication is required -- with a VA you cannot simply duck into their office to say, "By the way, you should also do <this> for the project." Also, hallway / ad hoc discussions are missed when you don't work in the same office. Many times when I was working in India, I'd be walking past an office and hear something important about something I was working on and would stop in to find out that plans needed to be amended. More planning -- More up-front planning is required: really think through an idea, be clear on what it is that you want, make suggestions on how they could get started (while encouraging them to follow a process that works for them), and have key deliverables. Cultural differences -- You need to be more aware of cultural differences -- people in different cultures are typically on their best behavior with one another. In an employee (VA) / employer relationship, the employee wants to agree with you (the boss). Encourage pushback and request their thoughts on proposals. No body language -- You cannot "read" someone to see whether they understand what you're saying. To overcome this challenge, though, have people repeat back what they understood. Make corrections to any misunderstandings and have it repeated again. Then, either have them (preferred) or you send a summary email explaining what was asked, what's being delivered, the timeline, etc. More mindful of expressions -- Requires you to be more mindful of how you speak: colloquialisms can be confusing across cultures (e.g., "this issue is the canary in a coal mine"). You can use them, just be ready to explain the meaning and origin of those expressions.

Tom Arnold at Quora Visit the source

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is terrific. All I can add is for you to perhaps give them a small project to start on a trial basis and see if it's a good fit. Insist on a weekly 'catch-up' meeting via phone/Skype. What not many people realize is that often when you hire an overseas VA, the learning curve can sometimes get in the way. I've tried it and had zero success. However, an American or Canadian Virtual Assistant can hit the ground running and usually complete your task extremely fast and with zero headaches. Sure, they're more expensive hourly but what if they can finish in 5 minutes what may take another VA an hour to complete? Food for thought.

Cheryl Allin-Bergstrom

Since Tom has beat me to the punch and answered your question brilliantly, my answer will focus on how you can find a reliable Virtual Assistant. In regards to finding a reliable Virtual Assistant, you can either go the Do It Yourself (DIY) or the Done For You (DFY) route. Going the DIY route: 1) Check out Virtual Assistant Forums such as http://VirtualAssistantForums.com and http://VaNetworking.com. VirtualAssistants from around the world hang out on sites like this to network and exchange ideas. You can go on there post your job request. 2) Check out Freelancing sites such as http://Odesk.com, http://Elance.com and the great thing about sites likes this is that you can get to review the feedback left for the providers and ratings on similar work that they have completed. 3) Make use of Job Boards like and if you are specifically looking to place ads for Philippine based Virtual Assistants, check out http://Jobstreet.com.ph and http://BestJobs.ph. Just be ready for a flood of responses. Going the DFY route: 1) Virtual Assistant Placement companies such as http://VirtualStaffFinder.com for a one time fee will help you find a VA who matches your requirements and can get the job done. 2) Virtual Assistant Services Providers are firms like http://ContemporaryVA.com. http://AskSunday.com and http://www.HireYourVirtualAssistant.com (full disclosure - this is my firm) who provide Entrepreneurs with a team of VirtualAssistants and also project managers to handle all you time consuming business tasks so that you can focus on what really matters in your business. My final point is that even though you find a Virtual Assistant to help implement the work, you have to realize that you have to monitor and manage the process so that you get the outcome you want. It's never going to be totally hands off don't believe the hype! That said when you hire the right VA, or team of VAs they will make your experience pleasant!

Owen McGab Enaohwo

Tom has done a wonderful job of answering your questions. However I must add that Pakistan is also a fast emerging market for VAs. Try TimeSvr (http://www.TimeSvr.com) if you are looking for a VA firm. As for the many benefits, think a full-time office assistant for $12/hr or cheaper without having to worry about taxes, office-space, health benefits, Xmas bonuses ... ! Language could be a problem at times but only with expressions that are not widely used. You won't come across a lot of literature using expressions like "chirping crickets" or as Tom mentioned, "canary on a coal mine". So be as specific as you can be.

Maria Umar

I completely agree with Tom when he mentions that virtual assistants can be more cost-effective as they are hired on demand. Furthermore, they need no supervision or training and can get to the job at hand as soon as they are hired. At the same time, culture differences as well as lack of face-to-face discussions may lead to mis-communication if the projects are too elaborate and remain to be an ongoing process. In that case a dedicated team within the organization is a far more sensible approach. You could read more about the pros and cons of virtual assistants at the link below: http://invensis.net/blog/bpo-basics/virtual-assistant-services

Malabika Mukherjee

I have a few, mine are based around using Virtual PA services in the UK and USA where I have offices and like to have two virtual PA's due to timezone coverage. I don’t use cheap assistants like the ones offered from India and the Philippines as I wanted  a more traditional PA, but virtual. As such I use Zirtual http://www.zirtual.com/  in the US and http://www.avirtual.co.uk/ in the UK. Both of these companies interview and employ their virtual PA's and they only recruit from within the  UK and US but I think you get what you pay for and its still cheaper than an in-house PA. Pros You only pay for the time that you need us No employment legislation, NIC’s or PAYE No holiday or sickness costs No training or development costs No need to provide additional office space or equipment Cons Not part of the team, does not buy into the culture Cannot do those urgent jobs that need someone at the door Ablity to grow in the organsiation

Richard Walton

I sincerely hope people in the U.S. who need a VA keep their search to the U.S.   Two excellent places to begin that search are: - Administrative Consultants Association (ACA): http://administrativeconsultantsassoc.com/directory/ - International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA): http://ivaa.site-ym.com/search/

Karen Taylor

A Virtual Personal Assistant is not a regular employee but bears the more or less same responsibility.  Virtual PA is only paid for the worked hours while regular employee paid regularly even if he has no work.  While hiring a Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA) this requires completely a different approach and mindset than an administrative work in the non-virtual world.   Virtual assistants work for independent professionals who are struggling to manage their tasks and are low on time.   A dedicated virtual personal assistant equals individualized and personalized service without the added expenses usually associated with a new employee and there is no need to worry about technology costs, office space, health insurance and much more.   Virtual Personal Assistants (VPA) are independent entrepreneurs who work remotely and use technology to deliver services to clients locally as well as globally.   Clients are most likely to hire virtual assistants to save money. Virtual assistants pay for their own equipment, taxes, training, healthcare and insurance and only charge clients for the worked hours. for more detail you may please visit tradecall an Indian website for Virtual PA Services.

Satyavir Singh

For me, the biggest difference was in the legal obligations. When you hire a in-office worker, you have to be completely familiar with all the laws of your country. That includes laws about what you have to consider when hiring, how much you have to pay, what kind of work you may not require, what work environment you must create, and what taxes you are responsible for paying. I'm very glad that I started working with VA's instead. I feel that you can hire VA's and still be responsible and fair as an employer. I've also found that these employees can be very hard workers without needing a lot of motivation. At least, that's what I've found to be true from the people I hire from http://www.yourcityoffice.com. You don't have to get someone there though, you can find VA's all over the place if you look hard enough.

Jeb Robinson

Hi..the obvious advantage of VA services is that it helps in reducing operaional costs but at the same time it may lead to ineffective time management due to the constant need to interacting with the virtual assistant. You can find more information in this blog post titled "Pros and cons of Virtual Assistant Servcies" http://invensis.net/blog/bpo-basics/virtual-assistant-services

Nivesh Jain

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