Maintaining an online business alone is difficult. You may be able to survive the first few months of your business alone, but there will come a point when you will eventually need someone’s help. The manner in which you will ask for help depends on many factors as well as the quality and quantity of extra work that you will need.
However, there are two possible types of help that you can get online, constructive and destructive. Getting constructive help is getting the help that you need, when you need it and eventually creating professional relationship that opens the possibility of future help from such freelancer. Destructive help on the other hand is getting the help that you need at the present time without any more possibilities of getting help from the same freelancer again due to problems and disputes during your first trial.
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Here are some tips that you can follow in order to get the best help that you need, when you need it at a budget that is within your business capacity.
Treat your virtual assistant just like how you treat a real person
Do not lead with your chin. The person you are getting help from is an actual person with feelings. No matter how frustrated you are or angry with the freelancer that you get, he or she is still a real live person. You might not be able to get help from them in the future if you treat them badly. It is not like a TPG internet that will not react or will get offended no matter how hard you treat them.
Always be polite
It is important to stay courteous even with the people you ask help from online. You will most likely create a good professional connection with these people if you treat them with courtesy and can be helpful networks for your business.
Keep your requests short and exact
Avoid too many extra details that are not necessary in the execution of the tasks that you send to your freelancer. Most people do not have time to read and write long messages to figure out what you really need. Be exact and clear with what you really need to avoid wasting each other’s precious time.
Always say thank you
When you receive the help that you need, a simple thank you or thanks would be a great way to show appreciation to the person you have asked help from. This can also open the possibilities of working with them longer or working with them in the future.
Always treat the person that you work with, offline or online with due respect. Be polite and try not to “put your chin up” when dealing with these people. Being pleasant and polite to work with will make it easier for you to find the help that you need when you need it.
Sean's Lair 