With regards to the discussion on subcontracting, and the nightmares it can bring I would love to hear some of the great moments it has created for your businesses as well; when approached properly.

I'm curious if there were expectations laid out prior to the work commitment, and if so, was it in the form of an agreement? And, when you subcontract work out, are your clients aware that you have subbed out a portion or all of this work?

Each of our clients have different expectations, communication skills and the amount of knowledge in not only their fields of expertise, but also ours, and what it takes to complete any given task or project... even if we're dealing with multiple clients from the same industry. With that said, only we know what their preferences and expectations are, and as a lead VA we need to make sure we're communicating those expectations and preferences to any subcontractors we choose to work with. I'm curious to know how many of you, who are currently using subcontractors, are passing along a profile of expectations and preferences of a client to the subcontractor, highlighting in writing your expectations and the ramifications if they are not met (missed deadlines mean discounted or non-payment for example), and are staying as the communication liaison vs. authorizing direct communications on a particular project. I've even gone as far as informing my subcontractor that they were responsible to getting me copies of their work for pre-approval, prior to the customer's desired deadline so I know we're working in the right direction. If it's not working out at that point (after any adjustments during a grace period) I've taken the project back into control and paid out any fair percentage for the work done up to that point. I've not had to completely decline any payments (knock on wood) as of yet.

Even under the best of intensions things can go wrong at times, it could happen to the best of us. And, even if we've taken some good measures (as highlighted above) you cannot gurantee a successful working relationship with a subcontractor -- nor have there always been perfect experiences on the behalf of a subcontract with the lead contract. But, I believe if we keep good, open communications with all parties involved, you can ensure a better experience for the end client - and that is the one we need to be most concerned with. That is our bread and butter.

Good subcontractors are a GREAT find. Bad subcontractors are BAD for business. But we, as Lead VA's also have to remember to always do our due diligence because, ultimately, it's our name on the line.

-Tanya