Hire A Virtual Assistant

Everyone wants to work fewer hours and still accomplish their goals. But how do we make it happen?

Too often, we get bogged down and continue to do tasks that take up time but don’t produce much value.

Instead of trying to do everything yourself, a virtual assistant can help lighten your workload and change your day to day routine.

So let’s take a look at how to hire a virtual assistant to make your life easier.

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant is type of freelancer that works remotely online helping you with daily tasks. They are contracted by you to lighten your workload.

It is common for new business owners and entrepreneurs to hire VA’s as they are inexpensive and work only as needed.

VA’s do not take on entire functions of your business as a traditional employee might. Instead, they work on the exact area of focus you need to get through certain tasks more quickly.

In recent years, more VA opportunities have come up due to the rise of e-commerce. Today, virtual assistants can also provide more technical and creative services like social media management, customer service, content creation, and even search engine optimization.

Relinquishing control in any area of your business might seem strange at first, but hiring a VA to take care of the tedious jobs that are bogging you down will only make your business grow in the long run.

Why Should You Hire a Virtual Assistant?

Many new entrepreneurs get bogged down with the start of a new business.

The biggest difference between individual entrepreneurs and large businesses is having a team. Having people that you can delegate tasks to lightens your workload. Most new business owners try to do everything on their own and end up getting burnt out.

Hiring a virtual assistant can give you experience in task delegation and people management. Having a virtual assistant gives you the power to use your time effectively and remain organized.

Outsourcing tasks to a virtual assistant gives you more time time to focus on the jobs that require your expertise and less time on tedious work.

So, if you are feeling like your time is being eaten away by monotonous daily activities it might be time to consider getting a VA.

What Does A Virtual Assistant Do?

A VA can help you in so many ways. You are the boss so the tasks that you want to take care of are really up to you.  That being said, many people think that they are the only person who can handle a task, but that way of thinking only hinders success.

Delegating to a virtual assistant will ease the stress of your day to day when you assign them smaller daily tasks.

The most common type of VA is the general virtual assistant. These virtual assistants can aid you in tasks like simple data entry, schedule maintenance, e-mail consolidation, and other repetitive daily tasks.

A specialized virtual assistant is someone that has a special skill set that you can utilize. They tend to be a little bit more expensive due to their skills and knowledge. Specialized virtual assistants can help with tasks such as bookkeeping, project management, or website design, just to name a few.

Some other project tasks to consider when hiring a VA are things like:

• Research-hunting down project information
• Personal errands- sending out invites or mailing gifts
• Cold calls- Generally done with a script you have provided
• Manage your social media- Curating posts, replying to comments, etc
• Customer service- answering calls and emails from your customers

At the end of the day, your VA is there to lighten your workload and give you more time to spend on the tasks that require your expertise.

How Much is a Virtual Assistant

Generally, most Virtual assistants are inexpensive. They work as independent contractors with rates that vary by the hour, monthly, or by retainer.

Depending on where your contractor is located, the rates may be drastically different.

For example, a VA in North American would cost significantly more than a VA in the Philipines.

International VA’s can be found for between $5 to $10 per hour. In North America, you can expect rates from $12 to $75 per hour with some specialized VA’s pricing higher for specialty jobs. You can read our blog post here for more info: How Much Do VA’s Cost?

Overall, the cost varies depending on what you need, but remember, you generally get what you pay for.

Where are VAs Located:

Virtual Assistants are located all over the world!

When deciding what location you want to hire your VA from, it’s important to take the following points into consideration:

1. Timezone

2. Communication Skills

3. Stability

Here are some of the most common countries you may hire a VA from:

• United States of America
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Spain
• France
• Italy
• Croatia
• Philippines
• India
• Costa Rica
• Brazil

How To Find a Virtual Assistant

There are many websites that help entrepreneurs find virtual assistants, but quality can vary.

You may have to interview lots of candidates to find a good fit.

Fortunately, with FreeUp, you don’t have to wade through a sea of resumes. Instead, FreeUp will pre-screen the virtual assistants so you know you are working with a talented person.

To request a virtual assistant, just sign up for free and put in a request.

Identifying your individual needs as a business owner will help you in selecting the right virtual assistant for you. Consider the following when hiring a VA:

• What is your budget? Add up the amount of time you are spending on small tasks and compare that to the reward financially. If you are finding that these tedious jobs are eating up a large part of your work-day it is probably time to hire a VA
• Be clear. When describing the jobs you will need assistance with, be clear and to the point about what the task will entail. Create a standard operating procedure to save the headache of repeating yourself.
• Be realistic about the outcomes. You are hiring a virtual assistant not a full-time employee. They are there to help you will specific jobs/tasks, so it is best not to expect the same level of loyalty or engagement as you would from a salaried employee.
• Identify what your strengths are and where you want to focus the majority of your time. This will help you when it comes time to create a description of the job you will need help with

One of the premier benefits of outsourcing for a VA is that you are not restricted to the local talent.

Virtual assistants can work from anywhere so long as they have a solid internet connection. This gives you the chance to outsource the best of the best for your business.

When you are not stuck with choosing from just locals, your chances of finding a stellar VA are much higher.

How to Hire a Virtual Assistant

Choose the Right Tasks to Delegate

Every job has a dollar value and it is your job to decide which activities yield the highest value to your business, and then spend the majority of your time on them.

Calculate a target hourly rate. Once you have a set rate separate the tasks that fall below that rate to be delegated to your VA.

High-value jobs are ones that directly contribute to increasing income. Low-value jobs would be things like customer service, bookkeeping, and data entry.

Delegating the smaller day to day tasks will free you up to focus more on the big picture.

Create A Job Description

When looking for the right virtual assistant you will need to provide an accurate description of what you are looking for in a candidate. This is the first step in finding a good fit for you and your business.

When writing a job description, be sure to include things such as:

• Language requirements
• Previous skills that will help them on the job
• The size of the business
• Apps or tools they will need to know how to use while on the job
• Specific tasks they must perform

A clear job description will help you in finding an appropriate fit. Be sure to also clearly outline the amount of time you will need them to commit. Determining the amount of time you need your virtual assistant helps you to budget and helps them with their scheduling.

After you get a few applicants, review your top picks, and begin conducting interviews. This is a great opportunity to get experience in management as you will need to be leading the interview.

Consider conducting video interviews. You will be able to quickly tell whether or not the VA applicant is a good fit. If a candidate doesn’t want to do a video interview it could be a warning sign that they are not a match.

Ask them questions about their goals and work values. The interview process is the perfect opportunity to figure out if there is going to be any conflicting ethics.

Test Your Candidates

Before you make a final commitment to a new virtual assistant consider giving them some tests. Many people will seem good on paper and even in a video interview, but when push comes to shove, they may not be up to par with the standards you have set.

Try giving them a mock assignment. Task them with a job that they would likely be performing if they were working for you. Pay attention to the time it takes them to complete the task, the care they put in, and if they complete the job without much help from you.

Another test you could try is a personality test. There are many free tests online that can help you in deciding whether or not a candidate’s personality will fit your needs.

Do a Trial Run

Even though a virtual assistant might be competent it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a good fit for you and your business needs.

Start them off with a length of time that will allow for any issues to be worked out, but still short enough that ending the business relationship will be painless. During this time the VA should be able to showcase their skills or reveal any weaknesses that would prevent them from performing.

Many virtual assistants work by either an hourly rate. Consider hiring a VA on an hourly basis in the beginning and then move on from there.

Once you have found the virtual assistant that works for your needs you can start to spend more time on your projects and enjoy a shorter workweek.

Protect Your Information

Depending on the job your virtual assistant will be performing, they may have access to your personal information and accounts.

Keep in mind that sites like PayPal you can give your VA user permissions that will allow them to make payments while keeping your credit card information private.

Furthermore, you can assign specific roles on your email and social media accounts that will allow them to create content and respond to specific emails on your behalf.

In the long run, you should trust your virtual assistant but it is always wise to keep your personal information secure, especially in the business world.

Maintain Accountability

With your busy schedule keeping track of your VA’s work can be tricky. Enforcing time tracking early on will help eliminate issues down the road.

In an ideal world, your VA should be working independently without you having to check in on them frequently.  You should still check-in periodically to offer suggestions on streamlining or work improvements.

As time goes on your VA should be getting more comfortable with their tasks. You might find that they are offering suggestions that can end up helping you.

The more your VA shows accountability, the more you should consider expanding their roles or giving them new tasks.

Delegate Your Tasks

Relinquishing control to a VA can be nerve-wracking, but at the end of the day, that is the goal. You are working with a VA to free up more time for yourself.

As an entrepreneur, you must be able to split off parts of work into capable hands and trust that you have done a good job in the hiring process.

Outsourcing doesn’t mean that you do not work hard. It means that you are working smarter not harder.

Once you have vetted and found a virtual assistant that you trust to manage the tasks you have assigned take a step back. Let the VA do the job that they were hired to do.

Taking a Step Forward

Understanding how to hire a virtual assistant before you start the process is paramount. You are taking a huge step in the right direction for yourself and your business. Finding the perfect candidate doesn’t have to be a time consuming or daunting process, but you should choose carefully.

You’re in control of your business and your success. With the proper delegation, you will find yourself with more time to grow the business and more time to enjoy your friends and family.

So, take matters into your own hands! Find the VA that is right for you and make your dreams a reality today.

How to Manage a Virtual Assistant

Set Clear Expectations

When working with a virtual assistant, it is important to set expectations from the start. This means being clear about what tasks need to be completed, when they need to be completed, and how you will communicate.

One way to set expectations is to create a work schedule that outlines when tasks need to be completed. This can be done weekly or daily, depending on your needs.

You should also include time for breaks, as well as any deadlines that need to be met.

It is also important to be clear about your communication style. Do you prefer email, messaging, or video calls? Let your virtual assistant know so they can adjust their communication style to match yours. Finally, be sure to provide feedback regularly.

This will help your virtual assistant understand what is working well and what needs to be improved.

Communicate Clearly

When communicating with virtual assistants, it is important to be clear and concise in your requests. This means providing specific instructions and avoiding ambiguity. For example, instead of saying “can you help me with this project?” It would be better to say “I need you to research X topic and compile a list of resources.”

This ensures that the virtual assistant understands exactly what is being asked of them. It is also important to be patient when communicating with virtual assistants.

They are not mind readers, so if something is unclear, it is best to explain it in a different way rather than getting frustrated.

Remember that virtual assistants are there to help and make your life easier, so take the time to communicate clearly so that they can do just that.

Tools To Manage VAs

There are a few key systems that can help managers keep track of their VAs and get the most out of them.

First, consider using a project management tool like Asana or Trello to help you keep track of tasks and deadlines. This can be especially helpful if you have multiple VAs working on different projects.

Second, think about using a time tracking tool like Toggl or RescueTime to help you see how your VAs are spending their time and which tasks are taking up the most time. This can be helpful for identifying areas where you can improve efficiency.

Finally, consider using a communication tool like Slack or Zoom to help you stay in touch with your VAs and give them clear instructions. This can be helpful for making sure everyone is on the same page and for quickly getting feedback or answering questions.

By using these systems, you can make sure your VAs are productive, efficient, and well–informed.