Affordable Way to Hire Virtual Assistants to Increase Productivity

People ask me every day how do I manage to have full-time employment, freelance clients, consult work, blog and run a household. It isn't easy. However, there are cost-effective ways to get assistance with your work. For example, I decided to look into options for a Virtual Assistant. 

What does a Virtual Assistant (VA) do?
Well, I am sure that you are very familiar with Administrative Assistant duties. You know the person that comes into an office and assist the department head professional of a company such as a Director or CEO.

A Virtual Assistant does some of the same things. They work from home or remotely and sometimes they can live in a different country. A Virtual Assistant typically works with entrepreneurs, bloggers, and even freelancers. Anyone can hire a Virtual Assistant. 

The idea of hiring a Virtual Assistant or Virtual Assistant company has been on my list for over five years.  However, I wasn't ready to hire and train someone to help with my workload. I didn't have the time or patience to commit to a personal Virtual Assistant for myself.

Besides, let's be honest most Virtual Assistants and Virtual Assistant companies are a bit on the expensive side. I wasn't ready to give anyone $600 or more per month.

​I discovered a company called Fancy Hands in 2015, and I am hooked. This
​company hires assistants based in the United States. 

FH packages (March 2017):

Here are some ways I use Fancy Hands:

• Scheduling meetings using Google calendar
• Making purchases on my behalf
• Setting up conference calls for me with my clients
• Serving as an editor for documents and copy
• Assisting with my social media efforts including loading my Buffer and Pinterest accounts
• Dealing with billing issues and tech problems
• Picking out and buying gifts for family members
• Helping me find key people in organizations to speak with
• Researching travel options at the lowest price point
• Arranging Zoom meetings with my partners and adding them to my calendar
• Locating STEM schools and programs in a given city
• Providing assistance with graphics after I created a general template to follow
• Comparing services of internet providers in my area
• Finding professionals to speak at conferences and events
• Researching professional associations to join
• Locating and comparing vacation homes

Here are other ways people are using Fancy Hands:

Tips for Working Effectively with Fancy Hands:

• Don’t assume an assistant will understand. Provide as much information as you can and include examples.
• Communicate how you would like the final deliverable. I suggest google sheets and google docs.
• Make sure your profile is 100% complete. This step will save a lot of questions assistants could have doing your tasks.
• Use the personal touch option if Fancy hands will be contacting people on your behalf. It will make you look very professional with a dedicated email and name for the assistant to use.
• Connect your Google calendar so that the virtual assistants can help you schedule meetings and events.
• Know that using one task is equal to 20 mins of work. If you know your task will be longer go ahead and approve your request for more credits to prevent delays. 

Final Thoughts: 
In all, Fancy has helped me with my productivity efforts in the last two years. The turnaround of most of my requests are the same day, and at most the next day (even on the weekends!) I pay for this service out my pocket and believe it is worth every penny. This service can be helpful for anyone who needs extra hands with their professional or personal life. 

I suggest you check out the Fancy Hands service. Trust me you will thank me later. Click here to save 50% off your first month. 

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