Work From Home Moms!

[luckofthedraw]

(or Dads) Who do you work for (ie: where do you get your contract positions) and WHY?

My business is growing to the point that I need to hire one or more virtual assistants. There are so many agencies out there, and it's hard to tell which ones are legit and which ones are scams.

 

[seashoreCM]

Can you hire people yourself, by putting a classified ad in the newpaper or putting a note on a supermarket or library bulletin board?

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm

 

[luckofthedraw]

The skill set that I am looking for is kind of specialized, so I'm not sure how much response I would get from the local paper. Probably none. I have thought about posting on Craigslist, but I can't figure out how to make it a nationwide posting. LOL...hence the reason I need a virtual assistant.

 

[pixiewings71]

What kind of virtual assistance do you need? I'd love to work from home.

 

[taylor3297]

There are many people that would love to work from home, including myself. What type of work do you need?

 

[momof1princess]

count me in as well. would LOVE to be a virtual assistant. i am a former legal secretary, so i'm fully versed in the assistant role.

 

[mrsboz]

I would also love to work from home. What kind of help are you looking for?

 

[llori7]

I would also LOVE a work at home job!!

 

[MELISAZACK]

Me too!

 

[luckofthedraw]

Ehhhh, well I'm not sure I should make this a job posting. But I'm looking for one or more people who can negotiate real estate short sales with different banks. (I'm the buyer.) There's not enough of me to go around to handle negotiations plus everything else.

Now if someone could kindly point me to a good employment intermediary, that'd be great. I found Odesk a little while ago. Does anyone have experience with them? Good? Bad? Ugly? Any other suggestions?

 

[momof1princess]

OP, you might try:

http://www.serenityva.com/
http://www.electric-quill.com/
http://www.topshelfva.com/
http://www.txvirtualassistant.com/
http://www.miracleassistant.com/

 

[taylor3297]

Have you tried Monster.com? That is where my neigbhor found someone to hire.

 

[luckofthedraw]

Have you tried Monster.com? That is where my neigbhor found someone to hire.

For some reason, I think monster.com would give me a monster of a problem keeping up with and interviewing applicants. LOL...wonder if there is a smallmonster.com or lizard.com out there....

Momof1Princess, thanks for the additional suggestions. I'll look into them.

 

[lexntaysmom]

I have worked over 7 years online as virtual assistant. The best sources to post online would be elance.com or odesk.com that's where I tend to find my work.

If you would like to talk more you can always PM me. I am also looking to take on more clients if that would help as well. =)

Melissa

 

[SarahKate]

Virtual Assistant here! Although I do not specialize in real estate.

It would really be in your best interest to find someone with a niche for real estate. And there are many out there, they go by the name "Real Estate Virtual Assistant".

There is a website called www.revanetwork.com. It's a membership organization and there you can find a Directory of those VA's who specialize in real estate.

Also, try www.virtualassistantforums.com. It's a very active bulletin board with VA's from all over the world. There is a board for REVA's and you as someone looking to hire can also put a request on their site.

I'm not sure of the pro's or con's of going through a VA firm. It seems like you may end up paying more since it's a subcontracting situation. If you were to post something on the board I mentioned above, I bet you would get all sorts of responses and you can start to determine who would be your best match. I am pretty sure that it is a free service.

There are many people out there starting businesses as VA's but don't truly have the skillset, which makes it more difficult for those of us who have a good thing going. So many people want to work at home (for good reason!), and so they open up shop but really don't have a grasp. You want to be sure and see some testimonials, see some examples of work they've done (if possible!). Maybe even see if you can contact one of the VA's clients.

OP - if you need any other feedback, just PM me! Best of luck!

 

[luckofthedraw]

Thanks SarahKate! Those are some great suggestions.

Elance is looking promising too. I guess I need to decide the best way to proceed. Most negotiators are paid as a percentage of the spread on negotiated deals. Most of the suggested intermediaries are set up on a salary-only basis. That may be counter-productive to what I am looking to accomplish.

 

[luckofthedraw]

I might need a legal assistant to get me through the terms and conditions of Elance's billing and payment services. But at least there are candidates there who have some experience.

And for everyone who has offered to work, thank you! I appreciate your eagerness. However, this is not something that I can easily teach you how to do. It takes persistence, organization, and a thorough knowledge of the process.