Like you, I have, in my past, succumbed to the idea of paying for a home security service. You know, the kind where they put a sign in your front yard and add some monitors to your windows and doors. I've never found it to be an amazing service, but I'm sure some people have.
The thing is, I normally do it when I've just bought a new house, feel like I need to protect it, and sign up for a year of service. Somewhere around two or three months in I realize that I'm not arming the alarm – which means I'm paying for nothing.
So either I pay up front to cancel the service (a cancellation fee) or wait until the year is up (whichever is cheaper) and I move on in life. Like I said, I've fallen into this dynamic two or three times.
A virtual assistant made me $400 (in an hour)
I tell you all that background to explain how frustrated I was, after a year or two, that I was still getting billed for home security service after having cancelled my account. I mean, seriously – who keeps charging you after you've cancelled (expect AOL, Comcast, and others I can't stand)?
I would see the charge and get livid, and call them to complain, only to be left on the phone for 45 minutes before I couldn't stand it anymore and I would hang up!
This would happen every few months. And each time I didn't have the wherewithal to stay on the line long enough to figure out what was going on.
So I hired a virtual assistant. And she got on the phone and waited. And waited. And then she waited some more. And finally got on the phone.
And when she did, within a twenty minute call, she was able to get the whole thing sorted out, and get me a check for $400 from the security company.
How?
She found out I'd been paying (for years) for a previous house I owned that I had cancelled back when I sold it. They had the record of canceling the service but they had still been charging me.
Virtual assistants help me make money in other ways too!
I've used virtual assistants to do more than just make phone calls to cancel services (though that's a favorite). I also use them for the following:
- Arrange phone calls
- Confirm appointments
- Transcription
- Do research
But the most recent way I've worked with them is to help me edit my writing. They don't just edit transcripts, but they provide feedback and insight into what I'm writing.
And all of that saves me time—which goes into doing other, more revenue-generating activities.
Can I recommend one to you?
I know you're likely thinking that this is risky because you don't want to hire someone in a faraway country that you can't / don't trust. Well I have good news for you. You don't have to go offshore to work with a virtual assistant.
There are several groups I've tried, and several folks that have worked well. But there's one here in the US that I really like. She's smart. She's sassy. She's trustworthy. And she's great and easy to communicate with.
Did I mention she's also an accountant?
Her company is Balance Virtual, her name is Brianna Norcross.