Fair warning − this post won’t be the most amusing to peruse. I’m doing whatever it takes not to portray an Amazon VA as the best thing ever for an amazon FBA business. Overall, however, I will give you as many valuable facts as possible in a relatively short post. This is to assist those owning an eCommerce or other online store who might believe this to be the right move for you.
Contents
What is an Amazon VA?
In Amazon terms, a virtual assistant (VA) is somebody who works in some capacity in your Amazon FBA business. Such a person can either be utilized full-time, part-time or on a per-task basis. There are many tasks a VA can do, from administrative to content creation and item obtaining; in fact, anything that your imagination can stretch to.
Is a remote assistant ideal for you?
I accept that everybody will profit from at least one VA in their business venture − regardless of whether this is only one individual aiding for a couple of hours or several days per week. Your time is important − you ought therefore, not to be spending it on dull administrative assignments. That being said, it is a tedious errand to find an online assistant that will help you. Such a search is also very time-consuming.
What really can be done?
Re-evaluating your tasks by delegating many to a remote assistant will save you time. Your time can then be spent on other, more urgent responsibilities or on something essential yet non-business related. Ponder how you could consistently manage an extra five hours a week, at least! An excellent idea is to chart for a week what you are dealing with at regular intervals. This is an exceptionally successful method of delegating tasks to an assistant. To help you – ask yourself: should I be doing these tasks? You will have to agree that the long hours spent on certain monotonous tasks could be better spent on something more productive.
Tasks easy to delegate to a virtual Amazon assistant
1. Procurement sourcing
Procurement sourcing absorbs a great deal of any business owner’s time. Nonetheless, indeed, this is likely the most troublesome errand to delegate to a VA. Much training might be needed here. However, the deal sheets are among the least demanding chores to assign to a virtual Amazon assistant.
2. Client assistance
Virtual assistants might not run the most complex tasks, but they can take care of 99.99% of your Amazon orders. This would mean that VAs can deal with order inquiries of an Amazon FBA business. A VA can provide clients with more information on your various products and answer typical questions about deliveries and returns.
3. Administrative work
The admin work is one of the most frustrating chores that demands your time. Such a mundane task is ideal to outsource to a virtual Amazon assistant. The good idea is to make a video showing a remote assistant how you deal with, for instance, shipment. Naturally, it will require some investment to train a virtual Amazon assistant to do the work the way you want it done. Having a video makes it easy for the assistant to check on methods without constantly referring to you. Subsequently, it will be more straightforward for a virtual Amazon assistant to tackle administrative undertakings. Such work, although routine, is always vital. In the event that you don’t do stock changes, shipment estimating, and so forth, your productivity will definitely decrease.
Virtual Amazon assistant training
You have three choices: Either train the virtual assistant yourself, pay for private training, or recruit a pre-prepared Amazon VA. That said, in most cases, a combination is a good compromise. You would naturally prefer a trained virtual assistant; however, you would have to provide them with at least some training so they can complete the work to your satisfaction.
Also, communication is key. Therefore, make time for one-on-one sessions with your virtual assistant team. You can do this via Skype or Zoom, for instance. This is a good way to manage people and to help to build trust between you and your virtual team.
Managing a virtual assistant
Consider which day you will be paying your virtual team. This will make it easier for you to ensure this is done on time and regularly. Ideally, payment can be made monthly, for instance, on the 15th or 25th of each month.
Regulations and Customs
Different countries have different rules and customs. For example, in the Philippines, workers receive a thirteenth paycheck per annum. You will therefore need to decide whether you will accept this custom. If your most important focus is English, opting for a native English speaker may be a more critical priority.
Criticism
Consistent communication with your virtual team is key for the ongoing enhancement of the business. Ensure that you accept all inquiries and grant your Amazon VA time to talk to you. In most cases, virtual assistants will only ask questions if they really need to. Just a recommendation − compliment in public, but keep any criticism private.
Time tracking
There are many choices available to deal with time tracking. Time-tracking software will take screenshots, recording the time the virtual assistant is working. This is one way of managing a VA, especially if they are working abroad, for an Amazon FBA business.
The bottom line
Developing your virtual team is not an easy undertaking. This process will mean time investment by you; however, the rewards will be worth it. Also, it is best to begin with, one virtual assistant. When you are settled, take note of any challenges; you may decide to hire more virtual assistants. The first virtual assistant for your Amazon FBA business will most likely be an admin assistant. This is a good choice and will free up a great deal of your valuable time.