Access to virtual assistants is an amazing opportunity for Australian companies outsourcing overseas. But it would be a lie to say that it’s a perfect market because there’s no such thing. People get scammed by freelancers and bogus virtual professionals all the time. The good news is that you don’t have to let that stop you from outsourcing well and growing your business.
Hiring online contractors provides a lot of benefits to your company. Maybe you’ve considered getting a virtual assistant Instagram growth expert or a virtual assistant video editor, for instance, to save money and get the best quality the world has to offer. It does, however, come with risks.
If you want to build a virtual team that will help scale your business, you need to be aware of the dangers of online scammers and how to avoid them. Founder of Outsourcing Angel, Linh Podetti, has had her own share of bad experiences with scamming contractors. She shares some tips that will help you avoid being tricked by online contractors.
1. Check for proof of work
It’s always a great idea to do a background check on freelancers you want to hire. Have they successfully worked with other companies? Do they have a good track record? Another great way to check their work is to start with a test task before you jump into anything major.
2. Pay at the right time
Payments are the most sensitive part of online work relationships. When it comes to this area, timing is everything. You want to pay at the right time. But when is the right time? You have two options: Pay after the completion of the project or pay on milestones. This helps protect your payments so that people don’t run off with your money.
3. Take time to build trust
If you’re the type of person who trusts easily, you need to make an exception for online freelancers. It’s not that most of them are not trustworthy. But because you never meet face to face, the risk is just so much higher. So make sure to take time to build trust. To avoid getting scammed by freelancers, don’t give too much responsibility right away. Build it up through time.
4. Ask for proof
There might be instances where freelancers might ask for advance payments to cover for their medications (if they’re sick) or emergencies. When they do, it’s not wrong to ask for proof. Do your due diligence before lending a helping hand.
5. Hire an Agency
Lastly, the best way to minimise and even avoid risk is to get help from experts. That’s why a lot of companies find success in working with virtual assistants when they get our help at Outsourcing Angel. An agency like ours will have access to trusted virtual professionals who deliver the results. That way you never have to worry about being tricked online.
Don’t Let Risks Stop You from Winning
Anything that’s worth doing will have some risks attached to it. So don’t get discouraged when you get tricked by online contractors. Instead, equip yourself so that you can take the opportunity to scale your business by building virtual teams without having to worry about getting duped by scammers.
