Do you need an extra hand for your business? But you can’t yet afford to hire someone full time. You are in luck. A virtual assistant may be just what you need. A virtual assistant can help you move your business forward without the extra overhead. Jess Ostroff wrote an informative book about the do’s and don’ts of working with a virtual assistant. This book is Panic Proof: How the Right Virtual Assistant Can Save Your Sanity and Grow Your Business.

Jess Ostroff is an owner of a virtual assistant company and this book is a detailed business card. Panic Proof is 366 pages long and arranged in 14 chapters along with an introduction and conclusion. The chapters include:

• Time to Take Off That Superhero
• Do What You Love (or At Least What You Like)
• First Relegate, Then Automate
• Fact: Your Virtual Assistant is Not a Robot
• 10 Common Misconceptions About Virtual
• Pick Your Poison: Analog or Digital?
• Know Your Options: The Freelancer, Agency, VA, Hybrid Decision
• Meet Your Va Soulmate
• Fact-Check Your Gut Instincts
• It’s Not All About the Benjamins
• Put the “Me” in Team
• Whatever You Do, Don’t Be a Shitty Client
• Just Keep Swimming
• You Raise Me Up
• Conclusion: Keep Calm and Carry On
• Finale: You are Supporting an Economy of World-Changers

In Panic Proof, Ostroff shared her journey into the world of virtual assistants along with her lessons learned as she developed a virtual assistant agency.

The topic of virtual assistants and freelancers has become more and more noticeable. During a recent ATD conference presentation, Tara Deakin spoke of the “gig” economy and the increasing use of freelancers. The number of freelancers will continue to rise. In the book Robot-Proof, Joseph E. Aoun, President of Northeastern University, also discussed the shift of using full-time employees to freelancers.

Ostroff is very protective of virtual assistants. She wants potential bosses to understand what they will get from a virtual assistant, how to properly treat them, and how to best use them.

She began her book by pointing out why you might need a virtual assistant. She provided an activity to help you sort out what you are doing and if you are the right person to be doing it. She doesn’t immediately jump to using a virtual assistant as a solution. In fact, she also explored the use of automation to help streamline processes. This is something I have done with a number of my processes. I try to automate as much as possible.

Contrary to popular belief, VAs are not mindless workers who you can dump work on. They are caring people who can help you get your business get to the next level. Ostroff does a great job stressing this point.

Ostroff also highlighted the benefits of working with a virtual assistant agency. When you are working with an agency, you are getting more than a virtual assistant, you are also getting a manager to help with issues.

Finally, Ostroff provided detailed insight into what makes a successful VA-client relationship. Naturally, the key is thorough and clear communication. But there is more. She also shared templates that she uses as well as software programs to help manage the relationship.

Panic Proof has a wealth of great information for anyone interested in using a virtual assistant. The tips and strategies shared will also help individuals who are interested in becoming a VA. I have started to use others for freelance work. This book is a useful reference to strategies that I might apply in the future. I definitely recommend this book to others who are interested in this subject.

Additional Reading

• Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek
• Book Review: Virtual Freedom: How to Work With Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business

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