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Where and how do I find the best VA for me?
Hello and thank you for asking Wonder! I understand that you are seeking a method to use to hire a VA that fits your needs, and a list of 5 suggestions of where to start. In short, MyTasker, TaskVirtual, TimeEtc, UAssistMe, and Zirtual are all great options based on your needs. Let's take a look below.
METHODOLOGY
To find the top service companies I looked for the most recommended services across several sources. One site focusing on the VA industry and included a tally of published reviews and ratings for the VA service companies. I looked through the most highly recommended companies to find sites that met your criteria or that would be of interest because they met some other criteria. See the Recommendation section to see this annotated list.
I also searched the web for helpful information on how to hire a VA. Combining what I found most useful in those posts or articles with what you wrote in your "How you are going to use this" section (and with my own experience with the hiring process), I sketched out a search method that should meet your specific needs.
CUSTOMIZED SEARCH METHOD
After looking through the sites and several other sources, I selected these steps to clarify your thoughts during the hiring, if you want to go that way.
First, review your current needs one last time. The ones that you have stated seem to be fairly standard for an experienced VA - a little bit of everything, but nothing overly technical. However, take a minute to think about the foreseeable future. Will your business grow? If so, will it need extra technical support that you don't have in-house? Do you anticipate building a new website, or a lot of copy writing, or design work for a new project? Also, do you expect to become so busy that a VA that takes a vacation for two weeks would be a significant disruption. Your answers here might influence whether you want to hire directly or through a service.
Second, assess your highest risk. From your discussion, you seem to identify your highest risk as being trust with your personal information. Before you hire, do you want to put some systems in place to mitigate that risk. For example, LastPass, a password protection software, allows you to let another person access a site to use a credit card, without actually seeing the actual number of the card. Neither a service or hiring directly can guarantee that your data will be safe.
Third, you identified an English-speaking VA, but do you need native-English speaker for the tasks that you need them to do? There are many non-natives who speak English or write English really well, but the market price for a VA living in the US or Europe is likely to be higher that a VA living in India or other offshore locations.
Finally, with the above points in mind, it is time to decide if you want to use a service or go look for a freelancer on your own. There are several reasons to use a service. First, some services offers a backup VA (for vacations or in times of illness). Second, certain services offer a variety of specialties: VA, web design, back-end coding, design work, project management, a one-stop shop for technical expertise. Third, a service has a reputation to protect; they often through a variety of steps to vet the VAs that they offer, and you should be able to relax somewhat about the quality of your new hire.
There are also arguments for hiring a freelancer and not through a service. The right individual is more likely to build a personal relationship with you. A freelancer is loyal to you first, and not their actual employer.
If you choose to look for a freelance VA directly (through Upwork, for example), I suggest that you go through similar vetting steps to those that the services provide for you, that is, a) set your own standards clearly (college? experience - and how much? English speaking?); b) require references and check them; c) check out their website or the equivalent; d) do a phone interview, e) run a background check; and f) have a testing phase. (Note: The template you requested is included in the link.)
RECOMMENDATIONS
MyTasker - Based in India. Started as a service on Freelancer and then converted to a online service company. Rates for 40 hours in 30 days is $400 ($10/hour). Left over hours expire at the end of the month. Tracking software for remaining hours is available online. Company offers other services as well. Top Rated VA Services Company.
TaskVirtual - Based in India. Rate for 40 hours is $360/month (~$9/hour) - for a Business Assistant or $13/hr for Pay as You Go. Offer a 3 hr. free trial. Top Rated VA Services Company.
TimeEtc - US and UK based. Rate for 40 hours per month for VA is $880 ($22/hour). Unused hours can roll over. They hire only college educated VAs with minimum of 5 yrs experience. Free trial. Rated Best in category of Small Business.
UAssistMe - Based in El Savador, with offices in Miami, FL; consider themselves "nearshore". Rate for 2-4 hours per day for a VA (estimated 63 hours per month) is $749 ($11.9/hour estimated). Advertise that the VAs have excellent English skills. Back-up VA service. Unlimited phone calls. Rated Best in category of Small Business.
Zirtual - Based in USA. Rate for $698 for 24 hours in one month ($29/hour). Staff goes through rigorous vetting (including a background check); college education required. No roll-over on hours; all VAs take off US holidays.
SUMMARY
From my research, and based on your request for the best way to look for a VA, and where, I have created enough information for you to hire a VA with more confidence. If you chose to hire directly, I have provided a brief set of (decision point) clarification steps. If you chose to go through a service, I have provided a list of 5 companies that each offer a good place to start.
I hope information proves to be useful and good luck with your search. Thank you for using Wonder! Please let us know if we can assist with anything else.