After thinking things over for the nth time, you finally decided to hire a virtual assistant. So you go to your all-time lifesaver Google and search how and where to hire a virtual assistant. Search results yielded a lot than what you expected and you can’t help but feel overwhelmed. Like with any other hiring process, you will meet a lot of different personality with different skills. Most business owners have tried at least a couple of virtual assistants before finding “the one”, your ideal virtual assistant.
Hiring the perfect VA, or someone fit for you is very important. Changing from one VA to another in short spans of time is expensive, not just in the monetary aspect but with time as well. Hiring a VA with a clear knowledge of what you want and how you want them to help you is very important. It will save you lots of money and time.
The recent global health crisis changed the way we do business and with technology progressing, the business world has become more competitive than ever. So business owners need every bit of help they could use. But, unfortunately, hiring full-time employees are not always possible, especially for small business owners. Part-time workers, unfortunately, aren’t always up to the task.
That’s where virtual assistant comes to save the day. If chosen well, a VA can help you make it. Moreover, a good virtual assistant can help you make it big.
Read on, and you will find out what they do, the benefits of hiring a VA, and how to find the perfect virtual assistant.
What Is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant is a person ready to take on any challenge you agree upon hiring. Whether it’s administrative work, marketing tasks, event management, or even personal errands.
VA’s are typically remote workers that take on any “odd or menial job” your business needs to stay efficient and progressive. Some virtual assistants work with specific skill sets, so they might be just the person you need in your team.
On the other hand, you might need a sort of “jack of all trades” VA, a General VA, a versatile multi-tasker to deal with whatever minor issue comes a day in and out.
In either case, I have great news for you. Nowadays, there are many talents to choose from, and I will show you how to find the perfect virtual assistant.
What Do Virtual Assistants Do?
Virtual assistants can do all sorts of jobs to help you scale your business. Whether responding to emails or managing social media, it’s all up to you and your business’ needs.
Typically, VAs deal with many different tasks, including:
- Administrative work
- Social media management
- Content writing
- Report writing
- Event management
- Marketing
- Personal tasks
Truth be told, the list could go on and on. This is excellent since many skillful people are out there to choose from.
How Do You Know You Need a Virtual Assistant?
Easy. Once you learn the benefits of having a VA to help you grow your business, you’ll be ready to go on the quest to find one for yourself. Here are the benefits of hiring a Virtual assistant:
They Can Take the Load off Your Team’s Back
As you probably already know, there is a well-spring of mundane tasks that can eat up a big chunk of time from you or your team. Hiring virtual assistants lets you focus on more demanding and more pressing tasks.
VAs Are Cost-Effective
Outsourced work is usually less costly, so business owners often use virtual assistants for small jobs.
Virtual Assistants Save Your Time
As we all know, time is money. So, no explanation is needed here, hopefully.
Where to Find a Virtual Assistant
There are a lot of unique and talented humans out there, they’re everywhere. However, not every person will be fit for the job or your business needs. Also, some of them might not be up to the task. That said, there are still many great sources online. The most apparent solution is finding your VA from reputable sources such as virtual assistant companies. Those online agencies for virtual assistants can help you choose the perfect VA for your enterprise.
On the other hand, there are many job postings on freelance websites like Fiverr and Upwork, with thousands of postings daily. But having said that, you need to prepare to sift through hundreds of replies on a posting and be ready for some not so reliable applicants.
Still, thanks to the digital revolution, it’s never been easier to build the perfect team for your business. Even if some of its members work remotely. You just need to follow a few steps to get there.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding the Perfect Virtual Assistant
Decide on Your Business Plan
You can’t find the perfect VA if you don’t know your business’s exact needs. So, the first step is to put up your business plan with the essential requirements your new virtual assistants can help you with.
Once you have a business plan, you will know what organizational needs will have to be addressed the most. Then, you will have a clearer image of what you need from your virtual assistant.
Know the Tasks You Need to Outsource
If administration eats up too much of your precious time, you already know what to look for. Or, suppose you need a content writer.
Hiring the right person from the vast pool of candidates can be challenging, but knowing what will help you be productive will shine a light on precisely the VA you need.
Figure Out What You Need Your VA to Do for You
Decide on the tasks, priorities, and timeline for your virtual assistant. That way, you will be able to choose from the candidates with different skills to find one suitable to help you scale your business.
Be Crystal Clear on the VA Job Description
This is one of the critical steps in finding the perfect virtual assistant and the first thing you should do too. The key here is to be very clear about the job and tasks you need your VA to handle and be realistic about your expectations. Your job here is to be loud and clear on those. Do it by writing what you expect of your virtual assistant daily, weekly, or monthly.
Decide on Your Ideal Virtual Assistant
Once you decide on your ideal VA skills, you should also look for a person you will like working with. For example, some business owners need strong communicators, meticulous organizers, or other VA types.
Be clear on what you want and need, but also be aware of two things:
- Whatever kind of business you lead, you want someone who will be a long-term fit.
- No less important, you need someone who learns quickly and has a growth mindset.
Although it’s not critical, hiring a virtual assistant with experience in your specific niche is a wise move. However, choose the right person with the right mindset, and you could be very positively surprised.
Conduct Interviews and Tests Projects
There is no better way to pick out the perfect virtual assistant than to assess their skills. So conducting appropriate tests and comprehensive interviews is a sure-fire way.
Coming up with some test projects depending on the candidate you need is an even better solution. By testing your potential VA, you will get valuable insight into how they process their tasks and what they can come up with. Please do note that if you’re going to test them with actually using their skills, like writing, it would be fair to provide payment for it.
Look for Referrals and Testimonials
If you can get a recommendation, that’s excellent. However, the simple truth is, client testimonials are the best way to gauge your potential virtual assistant skills, strengths and weaknesses, and personality.
Define Your Pricing
Typically, most virtual assistants are paid hourly or by subscription. Before defining your pricing structure, do market research to get a clearer idea of setting your prices.
The best thing to do is opt for subscription-based pricing with several packages for various levels of services.
The Bottom Line
Virtual assistants can be a tremendous help to businesses, whether large or small. These versatile people can help you manage many challenges on your path. So, finding the right one is critical to growing and scaling your business.
Make sure you follow the guidelines listed above, and with a bit of effort and some luck, I’m sure that you will find the perfect virtual assistant. Good luck!
