From a subcontractor's stand point I'd like feedback from multi-va firms. As you hire team members what do you feel the majority are stuggling with the most?

Would it be proposals, interviews, knowledge, professionalism or anything else?

Are you asking what the team members struggle with? With in my company, I think that what we struggle with the most is under valuing ourselves. I have found numerous times that my VA's have not accounted for all the time they have spent on a clients job. For instance, they "forget" to account for the times that a client emails them and asks them to do some task or another, and my VA hasn't accounted for the time, because it only took them a few minutes to do.

Yes, exactly what I'm asking for. My goal is to provide content to assist team members in improving their skills, attitude, communication and anything else that goes along with providing their services to the multi-va.

I subbed some time ago for several subcontracting organizations and before I went out on my own I struggled collectively with:

Incompatibility of work assignments with my skill-set
Turning down assignments which did not fit my skill-set and then not being offered assignments later on.
Inability to raise my rates as I became more valuable to the client
Being treated like an employee as opposed to an independent business owner
Lack of recognition for loyalty to the contractor
Being paid exceptionally low rates
Holding back wages if the client was dissatisfied through no fault of my own.
The final straw was being offered a $1.00 an hour raise after subbing successfully with clients who stayed with me for over 2 years. And when I questioned the 'raise' it went up to $1.25 per hour. Insulting.

The upside:

learning how to get started in the VA business
learning new skills and programs
getting paid was typically not a problem

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Originally Posted by Pro Bookkeepers Inc

Are you asking what the team members struggle with? With in my company, I think that what we struggle with the most is under valuing ourselves. I have found numerous times that my VA's have not accounted for all the time they have spent on a clients job. For instance, they "forget" to account for the times that a client emails them and asks them to do some task or another, and my VA hasn't accounted for the time, because it only took them a few minutes to do.

I can relate to this. Though the emails only take a "few minutes" of your time, it adds up significantly over the course of a month. Thanks for pointing this out!

I think the things we are struggling with being on the same schedule. My partner and I both have other jobs aside from our business (Our business is still is start-up mode but slowly and surely moving forward). He works from 8-5am and the weekdays and During that time I am going to network meetings are working on clients work are marketing our business. And then when my partner is home from work at 5 I usually got to work any day around 4 and 5. I am a waitress so it requires me to work nights. It is hard for us to meet up and really buckle down and focusing on getting some things done. Like our website or just simple tasks that need both of our attentions. Usually I will make sure I get a few nights off so we can work together when he gets off and then we have an entire Saturday ever now and then. Once the business is making the profits we want it to start making in the beginning, I think we will both quit our day jobs and watch our business grow.

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Alyssa
CEO, Co-Owner of Assist My Business

I can also relate to this. I have caught myself not counting the minutes I have used to reply to clients emails. It might not be much time, but it does add up after a while.

Thank you everyone for your feedback. This is so helpful to know what you guys need some good resources for in making your multi-VA or subcontracting business improve.

Good luck! I think that is a loaded question. Why are you in a team if you are struggling. Is it a personal struggle or skill set struggle?

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Christine Thomas -"It's that Simple"
Assistants Made Simple

My team members struggle the most with collaborating tools. I welcome input from my VA colleagues and team members. If someone knows a better way to communicate and share documents, I listen. But often, one member will know exactly how to jump into it while another will struggle with the technical end of things. This results in members giving up on using the tools I have in place. So off the top of my head -- it would be technology.