Virtual Assistants are an incredible help, especially when they know what is expected of them. And really, this is the same for all virtual employees. It is important to create guidelines and expectations that are applicable to the role that each plays in your business.
Create a job description for each of the virtual positions you will be filling, even one for yourself if you are a home-based 
business owner. Laying out the information in this format will help structure work by creating scope and boundaries.
Next, use this job description to generate a list of concrete expectations. In other words, the job description might say: “Communicate regularly through email, phone and in person meetings.”
And your expectation might be:”Will attend weekly meetings, send summary email once a month and will call daily.”
It is important to sharply examine all of your expectations and get it out on paper. Review these compared to the job description and ensure that they fit well together. Also compare expectations to time allotted. If you have contracted someone for 10 hours of work each week, but expect them to do 20 hours worth of work, you are bound to be disappointed.
Often communication suffers in virtual working relationships. Strive to make sure you are communicating regularly. Be flexible with methods, there are many new tools out there that can make it easier. Be willing to explore instant messaging, conference calls, emails, voice over Internet protocols (like Skype) and others. By taking the initiative, you can head off future problems and build a strong relationship with your virtual employees.
