How to Hire your very first Virtual Assistant

This is probably what you’re currently thinking when someone says you need to start delegating : “I know my business and I get to run it exactly the way I want to, I understand my product / service offering and all my clients have built a relationship with me, so how could I possibly get an outsider to manage all of this for me?!”

The beauty of outsourcing anything is that you get to choose which tasks you want to outsource, and to whom. Perhaps you are new to the world of Virtual Assistants, where you hire a remote worker to assist you in developing your business.

So let’s remove that veil of distrust and insecurity when it comes to delegating tasks to a remote working VA and let us help you understand when is the right time to hire a Virtual Assistant, where to find them and how to ensure they are a great match for your business!

The right time to ask for help

When is the right time to ask for help? Probably when you feel like you’re swamped with tasks and to do lists, you’re feeling overwhelmed, when there’s not enough time in the day and it honestly feels like the year is running away from you. If this is you, you need to start delegating immediately! Rome was not built by one man. You need to grow and develop your business, and the best way to achieve this is to delegate tasks that don’t make you money directly so that you outsource them to your Virtual Assistant.

Where do I find the best Virtual Assistant?

Now that you have made peace with the idea of delegating your workload, you are probably wondering where do you go to find the best Virtual Assistant for your business. Do loads of internet research, get testimonials, check out potential Virtual Assistant’s websites, see what they are doing on social media. Ask around in your community for referrals as well as at business networking events. You are either going to find your Virtual Assistant digitally or by referral. However you come by your VA, be sure to interview them, ask for a reference and for samples of their work. You can even negotiate to do an hour’s free trial run to ensure the skill set and experience on offer is what you are looking for.

Set up a detailed Job Description

Once you’ve decided it’s time to outsource admin tasks, take a 2 week period and make notes of everything you do. Then look at the list you’ve put together and determine where the money tasks lie and delegate the rest. Do what you love and really enjoy, and assign the remainder of the tasks to your Virtual Assistant. Be sure of where you require the most assistance and then hire your weaknesses. Write a detailed job description and understand exactly where your VA will fit into your business. Remember, even though your VA is virtual, she is still a very essential part of your team.

Get delegating!

Now the fun really begins! The more comfortable you get with the idea of having an additional team member, the easier it will become to delegate. Now you have a robust service offering, where you have the right support in the office, which means freeing up your day to do the things you derive the greatest pleasure from – developing and growing your business!