#177 – How to Hire, Assess, and Manage Full-Time, Global, Virtual Assistants

<p><span data-contrast="none">Do you want to save time?  Be more focused on what’s most important?  But you have too much to do and not enough budget to hire a full-time assistant?</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"335551550":0,"335551620":0}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">I (David) was in that position a year ago.  We decided to try a virtual assistant working in another country.  It worked!  I now have more time to serve clients and work on our strategic initiatives.  The key is the company who provides the person, who you hire, and how you manage the person.   </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">In this podcast, I interview </span><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-cohen-a4b77113/"><span data-contrast="none">Andrew Cohen</span></a><span data-contrast="none">  the CEO and Co-Founder of </span><a href= "https://www.workbetternow.com/"><span data-contrast="none">Work Better Now</span></a><span data-contrast="none">.  His company supports small businesses and entrepreneurs with affordable virtual assistants from Central and South America.  Andrew has owned a number of businesses, and this led him into a consulting position with both the Small Business Development Center and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program. </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"335551550":0,"335551620":0}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">His company now manages about 200 virtual assistants (“VA”) globally.  His company interviews VA candidates carefully and stays involved with the VA to help keep them focused after they start working for a Work Better Now client.  Their company mantra is, “A happy VA is a happy client.”  Therefore, they follow proven processes to regularly communicate with both their clients and virtual assistants.</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"335551550":0,"335551620":0}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Andrew and I discuss the pros and cons of virtual assistants, how to hire them, and how to work with them.  How do you make it work for the VA?  How do you keep them focuse