I have finished reading a book about using VAs rather than employees and thus making employees obsolete. The author feels very strongly about using VAs who are associated with "agencies" to insure accountability. He says beware of those that are out there "on their own" because you won't know that you are getting quality work. The goal is to get the most value for the buck. I understand that but what about those of us VAs that don't wish to use the "agencies" .

It seems that whenever it is talked about in the news or other medi they always mention that to find a VA or even start a VA business go to such and such website, usually a pay site.

I am not associated with an agency and know that I could probably find work on them but I have seen many posts here talking about how little the pay is etc..

So if the news and this author, who does not mention VAF (though I don't see VAF as an agency because we don't have to pay or somehow contract with) who really does have the best VAs, (makes me hope the his readership is low and yet the book is good and helpful to know what businesses think about outsourcing) "teach" businesses about finding a VA who should be linked to these agencies, if you want the best, (he also says to go with the high ratings and even details how to look for the "best") how do the rest of us get business. Okay, that is exteme but I get a little concerned since I am basically starting out and haven't had the chance to get "ratings" or testamonials, yet. I am working on getting experience through some volunteer work but still the idea of "agencies" keeping a VAs income low kinda bothers me.
What do you think?
diana

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Diana Buchanan
When You Don't Have the Time

You know, there will always be people who want to make money off of other people's creativity. I feel the same way about agencies as I do certification - pppffffttthhh!

This is my personal opinion, and it's ok to agree to disagree with me, I think a lot of people are making money telling VA's what they should and shouldn't do, and what their practice should look like, instead of VA's making money by doing their thing (or thang if you've got a twang )

The potential of getting completely overwhelmed, instead of booking one project, one client at a time until you're as booked as you want to be, is there until you are completely sold on your own skills and value.

I have been doing this for almost 6 years now - some very prosperous times, and some very lean times. I was back at zero clients in March and April, and now have rebounded and have plenty of work...there's still room for project work here and there, but not a regular client without some serious juggling. It's new clients that friends referred, and a former client that I actually charge more now than I did before March. My business may not look like what you want, I work on site for a client twice a week, something I would never have considered when my daughter was an infant and I started out.

This is a completely doable business - you just have to decide what you want your business to look like Don't get too hung up on how other people think the industry or your business ought to be.

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Cheryl O'Neil
Southern Orange County

Well Said Cheryl I agree totally, build a relationship with the client. it's not just the completion of the "project" its satisfying their comfort level too. Agency work would feel too much like being an employee.

Cheers!!

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Bernice
Energy Virtual Assistant

I agree as well Cheryl! I will not work with an agency for the same reason Bernice posted. It would feel too much like being an employee. But, if you are wanting that type of work I won't say don't do it. It is all in what you are willing to do and what YOU want to do with your business.

Have a great weekend everyone

Andrea~

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

It's like everything else, there are clients that will believe that working with an agency is the way to go and it does have a few benefits, I'm sure. But there are many clients out there that believe that a one-on-one relationship with the VA that completes their projects is the best way.

Personally, I have done both routes and prefer to work for myself.

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Vivi Gonzalez
www.VirtualBusinessPartners.com

A lot of these agencies hire people overseas and pay them peanuts.

I've been to some of the agency websites and they have hourly fees as low as $4.00. I believe you get what you pay for.

My clients like that when they call they will get either me or my assistant on the phone and not someone different each and every time.

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Jeanette
http://www.WestCoastVA.com

(Thanks everyone! great responses. I agree with you, I would rather go it on my own. What I am concerned about is that the author I mentioned is writing to a business owner readership basically telling them they should only go with VAs that are with agencies. I agree, that it is our responsibility (all VAs) to tell businesses about our profession.
di

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Diana Buchanan
When You Don't Have the Time

I agree with the others, those agencies are a bunch of crap.

What gets me is people who are NOT in the Virtual Assistant industry think they are qualified to tell the world how a VA should run HER OWN business, how she should set her rates and with whom she should be associated with. Who do they (whether it be news media, bloggers, whomever) think they are?

These same people wouldn't dare try to set "industry standards" for other service industries such as consultants, coaches, lawyers, etc., would they? I think not, so why do they do so to ours???

Sorry, getting off the soap box now.

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Blessings,
Carol

Carol,
I agree and I guess that is why I am so worked up about this author. What if the only exposure to VAs that business owners have is that published book. Most of the books out there that are written about VA are the ones that are directed to virtual assistants and becoming a VA. And.. the title obsolete employee can be attractive to business leaders. Except for his insistance on using agencies I think the book is interesting.
diana

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Diana Buchanan
When You Don't Have the Time

Originally Posted by ladydianab

how do the rest of us get business.

There are plenty of fish for all of us. The VA agencies fill an obvious need. I think that's good. It means there's a place for their clients to go. Their clients are not your clients, nor do you want them to be.

In order to attract clients for yourself it's important that you niche, that you specialize. Specializing is what sets you apart from the rest, it's what makes you different. Focus on what you do best and then go about telling the world what you have to offer that is unique. Focus on making your business the best it can be. Know your competition. The VA agencies are not your competition unless you are a VA agency.

Study your competition. How are you different from them and why? Capitalize on that! Become the best at what you do. Engage in inbound marketing. You'll get clients. It's impossible not to when you're the best at what you do.

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Shari Sultana
Online Business Manager (marketing for retail ecommerce)

As long as we don't get agencies confused with the Industry associations and networks available out there for VAs. A VA has the right to choose their own rates and their own clients but an industry association or network will often help their members get clients and do take RFPs on their sites for members to respond to.

An agency, in my eyes, employs virtual workers and they dictate how much their workers get paid. I don't like that they call themselves VAs too but there's little we can do about it. What we can do is ensure that we conduct ourselves as professionally as possible, align ourselves with reputable VA associations and networks and know we have backup support instead of being a 'stand alone' in times when it's needed.

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Kathie M. Thomas, VA Coach
A Clayton's Secretary, VA Blog

I could not agree more on this topic....I think I can speak for a good majority of people on this thread and even many other VA's that one of the main reasons we do what we do is so we can work for ourselves...not for someone else. Not for someone else to tell us how we MUST run our business in order to do our job for others. Ridiculous! Keep doing what your doing!

Jennifer

Lately I have also been getting sick of the "hire a VA for 800 a month" ads that appear on google. This has been the way of our society though for ever, hire people as cheaply as possible in order that I can make more money.

These VA agencies though - they are headed for trouble trust me on that. The IRS is cracking down on people who call their workers Independent Contractors yet treat them like Employees. There are many agencies that have been mentioned on this forum who fit this bill. They will be required just like employment agencies such as Manpower are, to call their workers what they are, employees. This will cause them to have to up their prices and their pay, so it is just a matter of time.

Now for the over seas labor farms, that is something we're going to have to deal with forever. But personally I prefer working for and with people who find that type of activity immoral. So, someone who would want to hire someone for slave wages, I don't want to with with them anyway.

My clients like the personal attention I give them, and they treat me well because I demand to be treated well. If we all do that, we'll be fine.

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Stephanie L Watson - VA

I recently had one of the Asian VA groups contact me. They wanted me to outsource my work to them so I could make lots more money - their words, not mine. I told the guy that if his VAs wanted to join my team the same way the other VAs I work with did, then I'm happy to outsource work to them. But I don't outsource work to anyone who hasn't gone through the same process. It is annoying at times. I lost a long-term client to this same company because she can now get a VA for dollars per month at a lot less than she was paying me, and she's also getting paid to promote that company. Which is why I think they approached me - she must have told them to.

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Kathie M. Thomas, VA Coach
A Clayton's Secretary, VA Blog

I agree with Stephanie in that these "agencies" are online versions of offline temp agencies. Temp agencies in my area charge $25.00 per hour and pay the temp $10.00. I did not go into business for myself to put money in other's pockets.

It's a fact that in a global marketplace we will always compete with overseas $4.00 per hour VAs. The current trend among Internet Marketers is to outsource to highly educated, English speaking VAs in the Philippines who can afford to work for $4.00 per hour because their cost of living is nothing like the US. Many actually feel they are helping these countries and not acting immoral at all. This does make places like elance and odesk nearly impossible for us to make a livable wage.

While this can be frightening to many VAs, particularly those just starting, we need to network our services and charge what we are worth. Do not succumb to the pressures of the current economy or overseas competition and don’t lower your rates to an unfair level. I think many clients find agencies attractive for the convenience of having them find a VA for them because many still don't know much about VAs or how to find one. It can be unnerving for a business owner to have an assistant work off-site, but companies have been outsourcing to web and graphic designers, marketing, business, legal consultants etc. for years with no problem.

I believe that a native born and educated English speaking VA from the US, Canada, England, Australia etc. will always be able to offer better quality services than any overseas VA and there will always be clients that will pay for quality. If you have ever seen the work from some these overseas VAs, then you know what I mean. Keep in mind too that "Internet Marketers" are not looking for VAs as partners in business, they are looking to outsource easy projects to cheap VAs and that is not what most of us want to do.