Great topic! As someone who has trasitioned into the "multi-VA" model, I have had some ups and downs with subcontractors.

Tess is exactly right when she said that subs need to remember that the lead VA IS their client. That seems to be my biggest problem as some subcontractors I've dealt with don't seem to take the projects I hand over as seriously or treat with the same sense of urgency or attention to detail as it is not THEIR client that they are doing work for. That drives me crazy.

But some additional tips to those that want to subcontract
1. Read the instructions or directions for a project thoroughly. Many lead VAs have worked painstakingly on those task instructions so that they do not have to repeat themselves. And one missed detail can mess up a whole project.
2. Do not leave a lead VA hanging when a challenge arises after agreeing to take on a project. Nothing is worse than having a sub take on a project and when things get sticky or they can't figure out a part of it, they just give up and say "I couldn't figure this out, sorry!" and vanish. Be proactive and help find solutions.

I must say overall, I have assebled some great team members now and I am looking forward to growing further. I've made some mistakes along the way but it has been a great learning experience.