As the Virtual Assistant industry grows and offers more and more skills and support to small business owners, the more small business owners seem to expect from their VAs. I've heard of people that want their VAs to make important decisions on their behalf - decisions like how much to charge for speaking engagements and even an outline of steps for the business owner to take in order to increase profits.

A Virtual Assistant can certainly help you in researching these items and taking on specific tasks involved in these areas, however they are NOT decision makers nor business coaches and therefore should not be expected to do this on behalf of any business owner.

It's also important to note that all Virtual Assistants provide support in numerous different areas. Some offer expertise in web design, others know more about bookkeeping/account and others are more involved with ecommerce and internet marketing etc. There are even some Virtual Assistants that simply provide traditional administrative support such as word processing etc. Therefore, before looking for a Virtual Assistant to help you in your business, be clear with what kind of expertise you would like your VA to offer. Also, remember that even though they are proficient in the areas you have identified, they may not know the answer to every one of your questions or know exactly what to do in every situation - especially when it comes to ever changing technology options on the internet. What you can expect is that if your VA does not have the answer, that they can research, connect with other VAs and provide you with as much information as possible.

Most Virtual Assistants have a genuine interest in helping their clients succeed and in building a successful relationship with their clients. As the relationship with your VA strengthens, you may find yourself wondering how you ever ran your business without him/her!

Take the time to share your business goals and strategies with your VA and over time it will be obvious how valuable your VA is as part of your business team.

Cindy Greenway has been a Virtual Assistant since 2003, working with reputable clients in various professions. In 2005, Cindy and her partners started the Multiple Streams Team which offers a team of Virtual Assistants that provide quality support to small business clients. To learn how a Virtual Assistant can help you build your business, visit www.multiplestreamsteam.com and sign up for the free "Boost Business with a VA" Report. Virtual Assistants can learn more about the skills the need to have, as well as how to build and sustain a profitable VA business by visiting www.growyourvabiz.com and requesting the free 10 Critical Skills ecourse. cindy@growyourvabiz.com

Becoming a Virtual Assistant hopes that you enjoyed this article and that it gave you some insight into just how important the partnership between VA and client is and that the client must at all times instruct the VA in the work and scope required. Failure to do this can result in time wasted and upset for both.