Frequently Asked Questions by Entrepreneurs When Hiring a VA for the First Time
Virtual Assistant services are now widely known. They are especially used by entrepreneurs or startup businesses who need the extra help but can’t afford to invest in a full-time employee. For a first-time entrepreneur looking to hire a VA, he/she may have questions or reservations. To help you, we have collected four frequently asked questions and answered them in detail.
1. Where is the best place to hire a Virtual Assistant?
A simple Google search for Virtual Assistant will give you over a million results, but we do not recommend that you choose solely on search engine results. There are a number of ways to find a Virtual Assistant:
- Partnering with a Virtual Assistant Agency. Probably the easiest and safest way to hire a VA is to partner with an agency like ours. It’s safe because you have a legitimate business to hold to account if things go wrong. It’s easy because the agency will handle the recruitment side of things for you. All you have to do is let your requirements be known to your agency and they will handle the rest.
- Social media. Yep, there are thousands of VA’s on social media. David Risley, a janitor turned successful entrepreneur hires his VA’s on Twitter. He says; “I realized that I needed to tackle this. So, in a very modern approach, I turned to Twitter. I simply tweeted out that I was looking for a VA again. As it turns out, virtual assistants are ALL OVER Twitter. I had several reply to me fairly quickly…”
- Job boards. You can also go the traditional route by posting an advertisement on a career site or job board.
- Freelancer websites. One of the popular ways for finding a VA is through freelancer websites such as Fiverr, Freelancer, Guru and UpWork. What’s great about these sites is you can post a project with the exact requirements for the job. Payments are secured too.
2. Do I have the right resources to work with a Virtual Assistant?
Before you hire your first Virtual Assistant, you must make sure that you’ve properly set up the resources she will need to complete her work. The main resources needed are:
- CRM system
- Email management
- Call management system
- Productivity tracker
- Password sharing tool
Depending on what else your VA will do you will require additional resources. If you’re not sure which resources you will need for a particular project, send us an email at hello@vaconnect.co.za and we’ll be glad to help you.
3. How will I communicate with my Virtual Assistant?
Communication is key in a virtual work environment. Most entrepreneurs prefer to communicate via email and messenger apps like Slack or WhatsApp. You can communicate using any method provided that it works for your VA as well.
4. How do I pay a Virtual Assistant?
Paying your VA is easy if you’re in the same country, but if she’s in a different country, simply depositing money into their account may not be the easiest. If you’re still set on depositing money into their local bank account, however, you will need your VA’s bank code, bank name and bank account number. Inquire with your own bank on how you can best set this up.
The most popular methods for paying internationally are:
- PayPal is widely used worldwide and is easy to set up. All you require is your Virtual Assistant’s email address. Your VA can use the money instantly or transfer it to their local bank account. If they choose to transfer, they will get the funds within 2-5 business days.
- Skrill is popular in Western Europe and is also easy to set up.
- Payoneer is similar to PayPal, but just with added functionalities like an ATM card that your VA can use instantly.
- Payza works just like Payoneer.
To choose the best method for your business, compare the fees you will pay with each one. PayPal, for example, removes a large chunk of your VA’s funds when transferred for “goods and services rendered”. If you’re using a freelancer website to hire your VA, you will have to abide by their payment rules.
If you’ve got any further questions, do drop us a mail at hello@vaconnect.co.za