Having a great “first time” finding a Virtual Assistant isn’t always that easy, so here are some tips and tricks for starting out with a Virtual Assistant website or firm to make sure you don’t end up with a bad Virtual Assistant Experience.

While obvious errors make the response you see below a clear-cut “no way,” not all VA providers are as easy to spot.

1) Take your time: You can search for days, why wouldn’t you?  You’re a quick start entrepreneur, you’re among the first to implement . . . otherwise, you wouldn’t be hiring a Virtual Assistant!  Fight the urge to dive right in.  Instead, take a week to look into who is a right fit for you.

2) Read the fine print:  I was all ready to sign up with a VA firm that looked and sounded great on paper.   Then I asked if there were any other fees.   Yes, there was a $395.00 fee for an assessment and match with my dedicated VA.  While that may make sense to a seasoned VA user, it certainly wasn’t what I had in mind when I heard that I could get started “for as little as 5 hours a week.”

3) Present a scenario and get an answer:  The same reputable firm offered a “month by month” contract, which sounded great.   When I finally asked them, “So I can literally just keep this service for one month, then quit?” they informed me that in spite of the “month by month” agreement, there is a 60 day notification period to stop the service!  By the time I could get it cancelled, I would have spent an additional $1,600.00.

4) Document, Document, Document:  Note that you read the fine print, asked about other fees and presented scenarios about what would happen if you were to stop the program, who you spoke to, and what time.  Hopefully you won’t have to use it, but it just takes a minute, and you can tuck it away in case you ever do.

5) Play hard to get: Again, it may go against every fiber of your being as an entrepreneur, but if you can fight back the urge to get started today, you can probably negotiate a better deal.  VA firms are notoriously consistent with their follow-up.  Take their calls, let them know you’re not sure if you’re ready to move forward, and ask them if they (or their manager) can come up with a better deal.  Often, you’ll be glad you did.

6)  Use Amex:  In my experience, the folks at American Express stand behind their cardholders.  If you follow the steps above and STILL have a problem, you can show your documentation to cardholder services and they will get right to work to help you resolve your dispute.

Remember, people are human, you can’t blame a whole organization for one person who was trying a little too hard to make a sale.