F.A.Q.’s around Remote Partners, VA's or Virtual Assistants

leadership remote partner system Aug 25, 2022

Here are our answers to a few F.A.Q.’s around Remote Partners, VA's or Virtual Assistants
…with links to Resources & Recommendations

F.A.Q.'S

Q: What is the difference between a REMOTE PARTNER, Virtual Assistant and VA?

A: Other than the name… NOTHING!!

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Q: Why does Cultivate Wins use the term REMOTE PARTNER instead of Virtual Assistant or VA?

A: We believe that we are going into a genuine partnership and relationship with anyone that we are working with and hope to add to our team, and they just happen to be remote. We just feel that that the term Virtual Assistant and/or VA doesn’t truly speak to how we see these relationships.

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Q: What should I be looking for when using a 3rd party to help me find a remote partner?

A: We could go on and on when it comes to answering this question, but here are at least two areas to take into consideration when choosing an organization to partner with.

It is becoming much more common that these 3rd party groups will provide the following two “benefits.” We would recommend that you thoroughly interview the organization before you consider interviewing any of their candidates.

Do they provide full health benefits for the remote partner, and some will also provide additional coverage for at least one family member
Do they have a bonus policies that allows the remote partners (VA's) to keep 100% of any bonuses that is awarded to them (no splits on bonuses)

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Q: It is common that an organization may want to honor or surprise their remote partner with a gift or gift card... What kinds of gifts should I give and where can I purchase them?

NOTE: This is something fun outside of a bonus… remember that this is not in place of any bonuses, but rather something fun or special you want to give a team member on their birthday, wedding anniversary or the like.

A: You may refer to this blog (see below) for a list of resources and recommendations or this document (click link here) for full list of possible instructions on how to complete and orders. The PDF document can guide you through the necessary steps and process in buying a gift for your remote partner. It also has a list of recommended online stores you can visit to browse different kinds of gifts you can buy for your remote partner. Most of them offer worldwide delivery service and some of them are electronic gift cards which you can easily purchase and send.

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Q: What kind of "task" would you have a VA do?

A: Chrixy's answer (Chrixy is a remote partner with Cultivate Wins) - “UGHHHHHHH”

A: David's answer - I've never truly understood this question. We are simply talking about hiring crazy amazing and talented humans that are not working in our office. I could hire a remote partner (VA) for any ROLE that I would hire a remote team member for here in the US that does not work from a desk in our office, and I could hire them for any ROLE that they are qualified for. We hire to a ROLE and not simply "task-doers". I repeat, we hire to a ROLE. So ensure that you have determined and defined the ROLE you are hiring to, and then perform the appropriate hiring process for that ROLE regardless of whether they are a "VA" or local hire.

If you are asking this question we also would recommend that take the time to go through our LEADERSHIP course that has been specifically designed around leading and working with remote partners (VA's). Here is a link to the course (click here to go to the course). The course is just $38 and an investment both you and the team you are building.

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Q: What other resources might you recommend to help us to dig deeper into the topic of leading, working with, hiring or onboarding remote partners?

A: This is a huge topic and passion area for us at Cultivate Wins, and so you will find that we have course, blogs, videos and even a YouTube playlist devoted strictly to these types of topics. So here are a few Cultivate Wins based links and resources that we would recommend:

YouTube Playlist that is specifically devoted to topic of and interview with remote partners and their leaders (click HERE to go directly to the playlist)
As mentioned above we have created a LEADERSHIP course specifically designed to cover these topics (click HERE to go directly to the course)
And of course we are a coaching organization, and this is an area that we feel passionate, qualified and strong in - Please feel free to reach out to us if this is an area that you'd like to dive deeper into (click here to learn more about our coaching or to schedule a 30 minute discovery call)

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Links to some of the more well known organizations that help business owners find, vet and hire remote partners for their teams

PLEASE NOTE that we do NOT recommend that you go at this alone, and yes, there is a lot of background behind that statement and recommendation.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE FOLLOWING:
We do NOT endorse or support any of the following organizations - We simply have done the some of the leg work for you… Listing out some of the organizations that you would most likely come across through either a simple Google search or by searching for opinions and recommendations within a number of industry specific Facebook groups.

Here are a few 3rd party “agencies” or service providers that can help you find and hire a remote partners (VA’s) . These are simply listed in alphabetical order with no preferences shown:

Assistantly - https://www.assistantly.com/ - LINK
Assistantly & Open To Close - https://www.go.assistantly.com/opentoclose - LINK
BRIVITY VA - https://brivityva.com/#services - LINK
Cyberbacker - https://cyberbacker.com/ - LINK
Level - https://asklevel.com/ - LINK
Magic Virtual Assistant - https://getmagic.com/ - LINK
MyOutDesk - https://www.myoutdesk.com/ - LINK
MyVirtueDesk - https://www.myvirtudesk.com/ - LINK
Our Virtual Team - https://ourvirtualteam.com/ - LINK
REVAGLOBAL - https://revaglobal.com/ - LINK
Sphere Rocket - https://www.sphererocketva.com/virtual-assistant - LINK
VA.EST Virtual Office - https://www.vaestvirtualoffice.com/ - LINK
VIRTUPAL - https://yourvirtupal.com/ - LINK

For more lessons like this, visit our website: https://www.cultivatewins.com
Or sign up for our Membership: https://www.cultivatewins.com/membership
We also offer coaching, leave us a comment or message if you are interested https://www.cultivatewins.com/contact-us

YouTube Playlist Around Remote Partners (VA's & Their Leaders)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLckEkZa4MxRb-r69xeDkE_mh0i0Q6r800

✅ Click HERE to watch a couple of video lessons around remote partners or virtual professionals (VA).

✅ VISIT & JOIN The Cultivate Wins TC Support Community - FACEBOOK GROUP

https://www.facebook.com/groups/cultivatewins

✅ Links to some FREE Tools & Resources - Cultivate Wins Free Goodie Bag Page - What will you find there (all for FREE)

https://www.cultivatewins.com/digital-goodie-bag

✅ Learn more about becoming a Member of Cultivate Wins TC Support Group - LINK HERE

https://www.cultivatewins.com/membership

Q: Do you have any suggestions if we would like to send our remote partners in the Philippines a gift or gift certificate?

Here are a "few" links that Chrixy put together per my request. It was based off of all the times that I get asked "Do you have any suggestions if we would like to send our remote partners in the Philippines a gift or gift certificate?"

The following stores delivery the various countries, including the Philippines. I have attached screenshots of the website home page or products page + some check out pages. Overview of the stores, directions on how to use or navigate the store and where these stores deliver have been written below as well.

Happy shopping!

ONLINE RETAIL STORES

Lazada (Delivers to Southeast Asia https://www.lazada.com.ph/)

Lazada Group is Southeast Asia's leading eCommerce platform. With a presence in six countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – they connect this vast and diverse region through technology, logistics and payments capabilities.
Lazada accepts all major international and local credit and debit cards that are supported by VISA, Mastercard, JCB, and American Express.
Your Lazada account information and credit card information (name) must match. for security purposes, Lazada only allows orders from the Credit Card holder. Please make sure to use your own Credit Card when creating a transaction.

Zalora (Delivers to India, Middle East, South America, Russia and Philippines https://www.zalora.com.ph/)

Zalora is a shopper’s delight, with fashions for men, women, and kids in all the latest trends. Choose from numerous top quality designers.
ZALORA is the leading name in online shopping for fashion, carrying an ever-expanding line-up of top local and international brands tailored for consumers
Accepts locally and internationally issued Mastercard, VISA, or JCB credit or debit cards for payments and ensure the proper measures to keep your account details safe.
As of today, Global Fashion Group operates in 27 countries. They have a presence in India, Middle East, South America and Russia. Through ZALORA, the Global Fashion Group is able to access the market in Southeast Asia while we legitimise ourselves as the voice of fashion in the region.

Amazon (Worldwide delivery https://www.amazon.com/)

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world", and is one of the world's most valuable brands.

ALIEXPRESS (Worldwide delivery https://pl.aliexpress.com)

AliExpress is an online retail service based in China and owned by the Alibaba Group. Launched in 2010, it is made up of small businesses in China and other locations, such as Singapore, that offer products to international online buyers.
Worldwide delivery: We support 5 languages and ship packages to over 200 countries and regions around the world.

Other online retail service:

EBay - https://www.ebay.ph/
Sephora - https://www.sephora.com/

FLOWERS, SWEET AND CUTE THINGS

GiftGONow - https://www.giftgonow.com/ (Delivers to Singapore, UAE, Philippines)

GiftGoNow is an online gift delivery service in the Philippines.
Send Fresh Flowers to Philippines. Bouquets, Roses, Sunflowers, cakes & more.
Free Shipping. Express Delivery. Free Nationwide Delivery. Secure Payment. Types: Flowers, Gift Baskets, Personalized Gifts.

Other flower store options:

Flower Store - https://flowerstore.ph/en
Flower Chimp - https://www.flowerchimp.com.ph/
Flora 2000 - https://www.flora2000.com/
Ferns N Petals - https://www.fnp.com/philippines

GIFT CARDS OR GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR LOCAL STORES

Gifted.ph - https://www.gifted.ph/ (Delivers only in the Philippines)

Send personalized electronic gift certificates from over 150 well-loved brands in the Philippines with Gifted.PH!
This is for gift cards. You can easily purchase and send it electronically.

Other gift card or gift certificate options:

Choose your online shop and make sure you have the complete details you need before you browse through the different gift or product options.

Step 1: Choose your store. All stores will require you to create an account in their website/app

Step 2: Login with your credentials (username/email & password)

Step 3: Do the following steps: not necessarily in order

Start browsing products, shopping and adding to your cart before checking out
Add preferred mode of payment (all stores accept local and international credit cards, some accept paypal or other e-wallets), input your card number and personal details
Add the delivery or shipping address of your recipient in your account, whichever store you choose to use (make sure the full name and full address are complete and put in the note additional remarks: who will be receiving the package, directions to the address or landmarks in the area, etc.)

Step 5: Check out and purchase your gift

Step 6: Monitor package’s progress (all stores have monitoring/updating of the package location)

You’ll need to get the following information from your remote partners:

Full name (the person who will receive the package)
Contact details (local phone number)
Complete Address (with zip code)
Special notes for the address and delivery like directions, landmarks, etc.

Special note from Cultivate Wins: Yayza! This is very exciting, we are happy that you want to share some love with your remote partners (virtual assistants) and we want to help you make the process more smooth. These are the list of stores (in no particular order) that you can visit. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or clarifications.

Rest assured that this simple act will have a big - big - impact on your remote partners. Sending gifts and showing your appreciation goes a long way, having them realize that you care for and remember them from time to time not only builds a stronger connection, it also shows compassion, builds camaraderie and loyalty and gets you a step closer to a more genuine relationship.