Hiring a virtual assistant can seem daunting, but the benefits are well worth it. The following are a few tips to help you get started:

First of all, it’s important that you know exactly what you’re hiring them for and how much you can afford to pay them. It is a good idea to write it all down in a contract type form so that there won’t be any surprises.

You can start by posting about your exact needs on elance or guru so that freelancers can find you. You can also choose to post on Craigslist or post on forums. If you express that telecommuting is OK you may find that your ad will appear in many work from home websites and job boards.

It is a good idea to check on the future applicant’s work and website. Check for appearance and professioanlism on their own sites and ask for portfolios or testimonials from past clients.

It may take awhile to find a virtual assistant, but well worth it. You’ll find yourself less stressed and overwhelmed, and most importantly, your business will grow faster and more efficiently.

Angei poses the question. When can you honestly say “I have made it?”

Sarah writes about her experiences as a stay-at-home mom.

Elpasotimes.com writes about the growing phenomenom of companies offering house based positions. The companies screen their potential customers to see if they are suited to working at home. Employees working from home allow businesses to save up to 30% on investments.

IDC estimates the United States now has 150,000 outsourced home-based agents, and says the number is projected to grow to 300,000 by 2010.

Datamonitor, a London business information company, estimates that more than 47,000 outsourced home-based agents working at least 20 hours a week are employed worldwide, more than 90 percent of them in the United States. It
Advertisementprojects that number to grow to more than 223,000 by 2012.

The numbers from both forecasts are for home-based agents working for call-center contractors. They don’t include home-based agents working directly for product and service companies, such as airlines, banks and telephone companies.

Even with the dramatic growth in home-based agents, traditional call centers are
expected to continue as the biggest chunk of the customer-contact market.

This dynamic creates a friendly workable environment for disabled and home bound employees.