If you are anything like most creative entrepreneurs, your business is your baby that you have nurtured and grown to what it is today. The thought of handing off certain tasks or pieces of your business to someone else can be a scary and overwhelming thought at first glance, however if you dig a little deeper you might just see how beneficial it can be, not only for your business but for your lifestyle as well.
I have rounded up some helpful tips on how to make working with a virtual assistant a breeze!
TIPS FOR HIRING A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
1. Plan, Plan and Plan Ahead
If you are already feeling that sense of overwhelm and feel like you are drowning in your to-do list it means you should have probably started outsourcing some pieces of the business a couple months ago. You want to try and think ahead, look at when your busy season is approaching and start the process of hiring a VA before you are knee deep in work. You want to make sure you have some time and energy set aside to train your VA in your processes and systems just as you would if you were to hire an in-house employee.
Related: 6 Things You Should do Before Hiring
2. Understand what it is you need help with
It is so important that you understand and determine what it is you are looking for and what your needs might be. Spend a bit of time thinking about those areas of your business that you currently don’t have time for, that you just don’t enjoy doing or would be better off left to a pro. Once you have those areas narrowed down, you can tailor your search to a VA that specializes in just those aspects of business.
3. Don’t pass up an initial strategy call or consultation
A consultation can do wonders in determining if you and your VA will be a match made it heaven. Things are becoming more virtual everyday and it’s always nice to either chat with someone over the phone or even better jump on a Skype call to really feel like you are “meeting” this person. It allows you to get a feel for their personality. This is also a good chance for the VA to determine if you would be the right fit for them as well.
4. Know who you are and how you work
This is something that I’m sure most might not even be able to describe about themselves when asked. What is your work style? How do you work best? This could be really beneficial when deciding which VA you want to work with. You want to make sure you are comfortable working remotely with someone, communicating over email. Do you like weekly updates or is no news, good news? Are you a procrastinator or do you work ahead? You get the idea! Know how you work best and find someone that can fit into that.
5. Communication is Key!
This is the final but probably most important tip – Communication! Specifically, when working remotely with someone you want to make sure you remain on top of email responses, ensure you give clear and specific deadlines as well as expectations for the project. It is more than likely you are not their only client so you want to make sure your dates are clear upfront so nothing gets missed.
Whether you are just beginning your search or are currently working with a VA, I hope that you can take a little piece away from this post to enhance your relationship with your team. Amazing things can happen when you free up that valuable commodity – TIME!
