Chris Ducker

Expert Business Growth, Virtual Staffing & Personal Branding

Entrepreneurial Outsourcing – Tips from the Trenches!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTznTW_wwJc

Over the last couple of Monday’s, myself and Dan Andrews have been talking about different aspects of the Virtual Business Lifestyle concepts, or the VBL CORE4 as I call them. In week 1 we covered Virtual Entrepreneurship, last week it was Passive Income and so, here we are for the third Monday in a row (and you’re still coming back – amazing!!! LOL) to talk about a subject that we are both super passionate about – Outsourcing, specifically entrepreneurial outsourcing.

As some of you will no doubt already know, I am the owner of an outsourcing services provider company, based in the Philippines, with almost 250 people working for me (and their respective clients worldwide) full-time. I’ve been in the business close to ten years and I’ve trained thousands and thousands of virtual workers. I love this industry and everything regarding working with virtual staff.

Dan attests the use of entrepreneurial outsourcing, and working with virtual assistants in his business to the ultimate growth of his company and everything else that happens to him as an entrepreneur. In this video, amongst other things we discuss:

  • The importance of working with VAs to grow your business.
  • How to train VAs to maximize their productivity.
  • Brainstorming on new business ideas together.
  • My Virtual Staff Finder service and some of the top internet marketers and pro-bloggers that have used the service to find their virtual assistants.
  • How I removed myself from the service and WHY I thought it as important to do so.
  • Why entrepreneurial outsourcing should not be overlooked, regardless of company size.
  • Lots more stuff!

Outsourcing to many people that visit the VBL Blog is not a new subject. Whether you heard about it through the pages of the 4-Hour Work Week, or on this blog (or anywhere else for that matter!), the most important thing is that you know about it, and what it can do for you as a business owner.

If you have absolutely any questions at all on the subject of entrepreneurial outsourcing, please jot them down in the comments section below. I’m more than happy to help. Next Monday will see the final part of this video series, where we’ll be talking about Super Mobility!

How to Work with Virtual Assistants (3 Top Questions Answered!)

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I’ve been running my outsourcing business, the Live2Sell Group, for just over 5 years now. We started out as a telemarketing provider, then branched into customer service and support and then, in the early part of 2008 we launched our virtual assistant services (even though we had been providing them to existing clients since 2006, literally, in some way shape or form).

Then, last year I launched my Virtual Staff Finder service, where we help entrepreneurs, online marketers, niche and affiliate marketers, business owners and basically anyone that wants to hire virtual staff, but doesn’t want to go through all the searching, interviewing, background checks, etc., to get the little diamonds in the rough they need to help promote and build their business.

I have written tons of posts on the subject of virtual assistants, recorded a full series of free video tips on the subject for my YouTube Channel, and been interviewed time and time again on the topic. Yet, the subject of VA’s and how to find them, train them, work with them, etc., is probably still one of the most requested topics of conversation from me, than anything else.

This month, so far, has been no different, with a surge in sign-up’s for Virtual Staff Finder and a ton of emails on the subject. It seems that people just can’t get enough tips and tactics on working with virtual assistants. So, in this edition of ‘Ask Chris’ I answer the following questions, which have been collated from a whole bunch of you smart, savvy VBL Followers!

  • What is the best way to train my virtual assistant?
  • How do I keep my virtual assistant motivated and happy to work for me?
  • How much do I pay my virtual assistant?

I figured this would also be a good opportunity to dip into the VBL Archives a little, and produce a little link-juice for you all – so check out these popular past posts on the same subject, too!

Hope you enjoy the answers, and be sure to comment below with your questions for the next edition!

Ask the Readers: What’s Your Number One Virtual Assistant Tip?

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Live2Sell Family

Part of the ‘VBL Core4’, as I have recently started to refer to them as, is Outsourcing. When it comes to lifestyle design, we look more towards personal outsourcing, rather then the huge call center outsourcing that takes place so much nowadays. And, when we think personal outsourcing, we think of virtual assistants (on which there is 33 archived articles on this blog alone – click the link to see ’em!).

I’ve been involved with outsourcing for so long now that it is part of my daily life, more than most people can comprehend. Sure, I run an outsourcing company – but, I also provide content on the subject for many magazines, associations, business groups and other media sources, too, based on my 10 years of experience in the industry. However, personal outsourcing and working with virtual assistants has become such a huge topic that I now get more emails on this subject alone, when it comes to outsourcing, than any other aspect on the topic! I’ve even recorded a ‘short and sharp’ series of 10 related videos, which you can check out, too, if you like!

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Going the Cheap Route and Learning along the Way: How NOT to Hire Virtual Staff!

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Guest post by Jaime Tardy

This guest post by Jaime Tardy is part of the VBL Guest Post Month!

I only work 20 hours per week. Recently, I thought a virtual assistant could push my business forward faster. I coach local entrepreneurs but wanted to branch out online. I wanted to find a virtual assistant that was computer savvy and could help me grow my audience online. I hired my first Virtual Assistant this past May.

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