I was thinking about using subcontractors in my business and wanted to know from people who use subs on a daily basics, What type of screening process do you have for your subcontractors and if you use any type of screening software?

TTOYAA

I just saw this...sorry. I use subcontractors myself and I am the lead subcontractor for another VA and supervise/coordinate/whatever you want to call it all her subcontractors.

Personally I only hire subcontractors that I personally know or have worked with. Because of working with this other VA I meet a lot of qualified people and am able to use them in my own practice. I also have some local people that I know and utilize if the project calls for it. My local VAs I haven't worked with them before so I give them smaller projects and the last one actually worked in my house the first few times so I could observe.

I only provide bookkeeping services so that's a little different than some other services that are provided. The VA I work with will sometimes give a subcontractor a test project. She doesn't tell them it's a test just gives them information and has them do it then reviews it. Otherwise I just work closely with them and double check everything at first.

The main thing with hiring subcontractors is to still only offer services you yourself can do. I can't tell you how many times I've had a "great sub" only to have them flake at the last minute with no work completed. That just means late nights for me doing what they were supposed to do. Unfortunately, it happens a lot more often than I thought it would.

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Lanel Taylor, CVA ~ Virtual Bookkeeper
Taylored Office Solutions
Custom fit solutions for all your office needs.

I too only do sub-contract work.

I work FT outside the home and do VA work PT. Some of the companies I have done small projects to see if we worked well together and others give software tests. I honestly felt better knowing I was doing a trail project to see if I'm a good fit with the VA subcontracting.

Please don't think all subcontractors don't follow through on projects. As a subcontractor it is very important to me to keep the communication up on status of projects. If for some reason, there's a problem letting the VA know right away so it can be resolved is only fair.

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but by sub-contract do you mean that you work for another VA instead of having your own business? If so, how do you go about getting work like this?

I am new to the VA world, and while I have been reading and researching starting a VA business, I'm also struggling with taking the plunge of "starting a business." I know that I have the skills to do work like this, but I have never started a business and it seems like such a huge step for me. Maybe working for another VA would help me "get my feet wet" so to speak.

Can you recommend any legitimate websites that hire VAs?

Thanks,
Sandy J.
Louisiana

Sandy,

Yes, you basically work for another VA supporting their clients. Its a great way to get your foot in the door and also to learn best practices from a seasoned VA. There are calls for this type of assistance in this forum (not sure if you have to have a certain amount of posts to see it) and also in other forum that host RFPs, such as the International Virtual Assistant Association (IVAA), but you must be a member of IVAA to see their RFPs

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Tamika R. Johnson, MBA, Principal
administrative partners, llc
www.administrativepartners.net | http://adminpartners.blogspot.com

Tamika,

Thanks for the clarification on sub-contracting. Can I bother you for another clarification? RFPs?? I work for a commercial general contractor and RFPs stand for "Request for Pricing" in the construction world. Is it the same in the VA world?

Maybe working for another VA would help me gain the confidence I need to work in the virtual world and eventually to start my own business. When I first found this forum I was really just looking for something to supplement my current income. I never really thought I could do something like this fulltime, but now.....that is my goal. Guess I'll have to keep looking around in the different sections of this forum to find these opportunities.

Thanks again,
Sandy J.
Louisiana

Originally Posted by VAstResources

Tamika, Thanks for the clarification on sub-contracting. Can I bother you for another clarification? RFPs?? I work for a commercial general contractor and RFPs stand for "Request for Pricing" in the construction world. Is it the same in the VA world?

Yes, this means the same thing

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Kim Beckers
Online Business Manager

Thanks, Kim! I thought it probably was, but just wanted to confirm.

Sandy J.
Louisiana

If interested I can give you my mentors information and you can see it below or PM me. Her program walks you through starting your own VA practice and or subcontracting. I only subcontract and do it just to supplement income. Still not quite ready to take the full plunge. That too is my goal soon.

Just recently I read an article that discussed they look for enthusiam from a sub before experience. How many of you contractors do the same. I thought it was a wonderful tip to bring up to subcontractors. Sometimes I think they get discouraged when they don't have a certain skill set.

I too have all these years of experience and just a newbie here. There is no stupid ?? and you will find all kinds of answers to ?s you didn't even know you needed to ask - right here on THIS website. I would be interested also in obtaining subcontracting work for other VA as I believe that is the best way to be the best VA possible. We all seem to go off into our own little niche eventually so I don't see that as a conflict (fighting for the same jobs) but rather VAs enhancing the profession.

Deb, that is a great way to look at things - hiring another VA to "be the best VA possible." That is the right attitude. What I hear in that is that you would consider hiring another VA to "fill in" areas where you may not have the expertise on a client assignment. Or, where you are swamped and need another pair of hands to assist you so that you can maintain your relationship with your client.

I'm just starting out and am currently taking the VA Certificate program at Red Deer College. It is fantastic! I don't graduate until June 2011 and already have vision, mission and core values statements, a business plan and a marketing plan.

What really concerns me here is that so many people want to learn from the "lead" VA. Yes, of course you will learn things from them but you should not want to learn how to be a VA or a business owner from them. But it so often sounds that people are looking for a mentor/coach to teach them how to be in business and they think a "lead" VA will do that. I don't think that is what being a VAs VA is all about. It is about having your own business, your own goals, your own strategies and the "lead" VA becomes your client like any other client. If you need a mentor/coach, hire one - there are many qualifed coaches to VAs out there.

Thinking that you can learn the business from a VA who you subcontract to puts you in a subordinate position and the "lead" VA in a position that they don't want to be in either. As a business owner doing work for another business owner, it should be a "partnership." The "lead" VA hires the "sub" VA to do work, the work gets done, the invoice is received and the "lead" pays the invoice. It should be as straight forward as that.

If you have the administrative skills necessary to be a VA and you are interested but don't know where to start - start by researching. This is a great profession and the community is so willing to share. Google "Virtual Assistants." Look into VA training if you don't feel confident about the business end. Educate yourself before you start out. Check out VA websites, read blogs, look at VA associations and join forums such as this one. "Virtual" is the point and the internet is a wealth of information.

As for being a business owner, again start on the internet reading articles, blogs, forums, etc. I am in Canada and the government has lots of information on starting a business on their website. The US government has the Small Business Administration, right? I bet there are lots of federal and regional programs that people can look into for getting the education/information on how to start a business, like community colleges, the local learning annex or even evening courses through the locas school board. If you don't know software, take courses. There is a cornucopia of information out there.

We all need to remember that being a VA is a profession. We all need to be professionals as VAs and VA business owners. You can easily start part time without quitting your day job. It takes time and effort to educate yourself but it doesn't necessarily need to be expensive. Taking the time to learn (often from other VAs through their blogs or articles) before jumping in is worth your while. Hoping to learn business "on the job" while subcontracting to another VA, sets up everyone for failure. "Lead" VAs get burned by "subs" disappearing. "Subs" get burned by accepting lower pay. Knowing your value comes from taking time, learning, thinking and being serious about what it is that you want from the endeavour.

I don't know much about it but it seems to me that if you just want some extra cash and have the skills, the idea of freelancing may be a better fit. There are lots of freelance sites where you can bid on jobs and that may be a good place to start.

If "lead" VAs are posting "jobs" on freelance boards and not doing their due diligence, then they may be getting what they are asking for. I have checked freelance boards and wanting to pay $7-$10/hr is, in my opinion, heinous. Don't devalue yourself, your client or the work. And in these cases, remember that you get what you pay for.

Through the process of networking online or off, VAs know other VAs and should find working with each other a satisfying experience, not something where you want them to work for free to see if they are any good or give them trial work and that kind of thing. Going in, you aren't trusting them and devaluing them from the get-go. And they are accepting much less than they are worth too.

Just my opinion, of course.

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Sandra Milligen
SJ Milligen VA

I liked what you had to say Sandra. I see the sub as sharing the project. If I had aspects of a project that covered areas that I felt an associate (or sub VA if you prefer) had more expertise in and I did not have the time to devote - I would give that portion of the project to that expert. Of course, I would be responsible for the entire project and would oversee it. When I do real estate descriptions or legal contracts - one of us will read the others' material. I feel that is the team pulling together to get the project done.

Deb, you are so right. Using the word "associate" is good too. Calling someone a "sub VA" sounds like they are either under water, or substandard. But that is just my take on it.

Hiring an expert to complete a portion of your project is exactly the way it should be. As the "lead" VA, it is your client, your project and you are bringing someone on to enhance the value for your client. That sounds like that way it should be.

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Sandra Milligen
SJ Milligen VA

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to comment on Lanel's note about VAs flaking at the last minute. Although I am sure this happens I think it is a terrible way to present yourself and then hope that you can find work. I'm not sure what they are thinking by doing this. Unless there was some great emergency, then there should never be a time when the project doesn't get done. Sorry this has happened to you Lanel.


Happy Holidays everyone!!!

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Simone M. Pohl
Executive Virtual Services