Virtual Assistant Industry Survey FAQs

Q. Why does the VACOC differentiate between Virtual Assistants and virtual staffing and/or team VA businesses.

There are many kinds of administrative business models out there: secretarial services, virtual staffing, team "VA" businesses, etc. They may all provide administrative services in some form or fashion, but that does not make them all Virtual Assistance. Those businesses are selling solutions and operating in ways that are completely different from a Virtual Assistant practice. Virtual Assistance is a very specific brand and model of administrative support. Where secretarial services are selling line-items services and projects and virtual staffing and team VA firms are in the business of farming workers out, what a Virtual Assistant sells is ongoing, right-hand administrative support. The one-to-one, ongoing dynamic is inherent to the model and key to the success of what is being sold—the relationship itself.

We are concerned with helping solo practices operate more profitably and make more money. Given what we hold Virtual Assistance to be, as well as where our interests are in helping Virtual Assistants improve their income and operations, it's logical then that we are only interested in results that reflect what true Virtual Assistants are doing in their businesses and do not want the results skewed by businesses we do not consider to be true Virtual Assistant practices.

Q. One question in the survey asks about regulation. Does that mean the VACOC endorses regulation of the industry?

Let me clarify this… although we might as a question, that it not necessarily mean we endorse something one way or the other. For the record, both personally and as founder of the VACOC, I do not endorse regulation of the industry. Those who fail in their business or provide shoddy service will fall to the wayside. The market will separate, however imperfectly, the wheat from the chaff. However, that does not mean that those shoddy service providers do not do damage in the meantime to the reputation of the industry. That furthers damages and demeans our efforts to help the marketplace understand that ours is a skilled profession. Therefore, I think it's very important to try and guage the perceptions and understandings of those in the industry.

Q. What are these standards all about?

As indicated previously, I do not endorse regulation of our industry. However, I do think expectations can play just as powerful role in helping shape the perceptions and understandings of newcomers. Expectations help guide behaviors. Expectations tell people that ethics are honored in our industry, that we hold what we do in high esteem and feel it's important for the marketplace to view our industry as a skilled profession.

Q. What if there is bad information that doesn’t make our industry look good? How is that going to affect what is reported?

When you receive the survey results (that is, if you participated and then signed up for the mailing list), you will see that our license of the survey has very specific parameters. The report is only for each participating Virtual Assistant's personal viewing and use only. It is not permitted for anyone to distribute or publish the report or the results in any manner whatsoever.

This is because:

a) we only want those who participated to benefit from the results; those who didn’t contribute to the effort are not entitled to the information (at least not for free);

b) we don’t want the information going into the wrong hands such as industry outsiders/exploiters or reporters who may not interpret or extrapolate the results correctly; and

c) there will be information and commentary—private industry insider conversation—that was given in confidence and just doesn’t need to be viewed by the general public. If anyone is caught violating the terms of this license, they will hear from our intellectual property attorney.

There will be an abridged version of the survey results we will publish later that can be freely distributed and posted publicly. If you’re on our mailing list, we’ll let you know when that is ready, and you will be free to post those results anywhere you like and use them whenever you speak with the media.

If you have a question about the survey, feel free to submit it to me by email at thevacoc@hotmail.com.

To your success!

Danielle Keister
Founder & Virtual Assistant Expert
Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce