Every once in a while we want to take a behind the scenes look at who our ZAs are. In addition to being rockstar assistants, these ZAs have awesome stories we want to spotlight. From award-winning photographers to amateur athletes to multitasking mothers our ZAs are as unique as the clients they represent.
Name of the rockstar Zirtual Assistant: Chris P
Where does he live? Alexandria, VA
When did he start at Zirtual? January 2014
Food he couldn’t live without? Crab Bisque from his favorite spot Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington – yum!
What does working for Zirtual allow you to do that a traditional job couldn’t?
Ssh… Want to know what I’m wearing right now?! My work clothes and my gym clothes are one in the same!
But in all seriousness, while others may have children they get to be home with, for me, Zirtual offers me the flexibility to run errands, and be the man of the house, even without children. I really enjoy cooking so it’s been nice to have the time to try different recipes and go grocery shopping, and really shopping in general, without the crowds.
How has adjusting to teleworking been for you?
Late last year, I took a large leap of faith and left the regular rat race to move from project to project across the country with my partner. Knowing that I wouldn’t stay in one area long enough to hold down a steady job, telework was/is a must for my current lifestyle.
At first, it was a bit weird, developing “e-relationships” with people I hardly knew, and at times it seemed a bit lonely working alone. But through time, I’ve been able to really build rapport with people who I’ve never met, allowing me to care, anticipate and know the needs and interests of my clients and my fellow ZA’s alike. It’s like one big happy family around here!
Why should someone get a virtual assistant with Zirtual.com?
Having worked with many entrepreneurs, small business owners, and busy professionals, I’ve seen first hand the benefit of having a virtual assistant on your team.
A) Cost. Having a virtual assistant is a lot cheaper than paying for an in-house assistant. Zirtual offers dedicated assistants you can keep on staff for as long as you need, training them, and keeping the costs lower than having an in-house assistant (think paid vacations, overhead for downtime, payroll taxes, 1099’s, hiring/screening). Yes, while it may require you to get your own coffee, you never know, that virtual assistant might be able to find a service that can do it for you!
B) Time. Busy professionals work 9-5. Who has time to sit on hold with the cable company who are only open during standard business hours? True story: I arranged quotes & delivery for an emergency HVAC unit that died in my client’s rental home – in the dead heat of summer! The HVAC dealers were only open during normal business hours. Without a ZA it would’ve been goodbye to his lunch hour!
C) Lower Stress/Freedom. Work can be draining, so much so, that when you get home from work, you just want “good mail” to come to your inbox. Take for instance, you’re in the planning stages of big vacation (after all, you deserve it!) you’re not ready to jump the gun on making a decision yet, but need some help getting information to help make that big decision. How exciting would it be to shoot off a quick email to your virtual assistant, who can prepare a great introduction to get you super excited about your vacation! Heck, they can even find and research the best pricing, book all travel arrangements and make reservations on your behalf, all you need to do is show up for the flight.
Get started with your very own virtual assistant as awesome as Chris over on Zirtual.com.