5 Tips for Working with a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants provide amazing benefits for business owners and I’m not just saying that because I am one. They save you time, money, and energy. However, no one virtual assistant is right for everyone. So, here are a few tips to help you choose the right assistant and decide if now is the right time to hire a VA. 
 
1. Communication
 
It’s important that you have a clear idea of what you want your VA to do. Set your expectations in the beginning and talk to them about what services you will need and which you don’t. Don’t hire a VA that specializes in top level website development, when your focus is boosting your social media presence. Maybe you need a jack of all trades and that’s fine too. There are a lot of general virtual assistants that can help you out. Be clear about your needs, your budget, your preferred method of communication, and how often you want to communicate.
 
2. Know What You Need Done
 
What are you really hiring this person to do? Hint: if you don’t know, they are going to struggle to figure it out. 
 
One mistake to avoid is hiring a VA too early. To avoid this, keep track of the tasks that you do daily that are repeatable and teachable. Develop a systematic way of doing each task that you can teach someone else. Then keep a running list of those tasks to add to a list of things for your VA to take over when you are ready. This could be scheduling appointments, listing items, answering customer service calls, creating monthly newsletters, processing returns or creating ads. 
 
3. Get a Contract
 
Contracts protect both business owners and virtual assistants. It also helps create a clear understanding of exactly what is expected from both parties. If you are using a freelance site, then pay attention to their terms of services (don’t just check the box without reading. Yes, I’m guilty of this too sometimes). 
 
4. Start Small
 
Most people have no clue how much time they need a virtual assistant to work for when they first start out. My advice is to either start them off on a small, independent project or hire a VA on an hourly or weekly basis until you work out how often you will actually need your VA. This also allows you time to build trust between you and your virtual assistant. 
 
5. Find Someone that can Buy into Your Vision.
 
I understand that your business is your baby and in business you need reliable partners. Your VA needs to know what your business is about and why it’s important to you. Whether you need someone to knock out a specific to-do list or a partner to air out ideas with, this partnership works best when everyone is passionate about why they’re doing what they’re doing.
 
To learn more about how a virtual assistant can help you and your business, schedule a free consultation today. You will learn about the services I offer or other options that may be better for where you are now. Click here to learn how a VA can make your business more efficient. 

​By Keisha Boykin
CEO of Virtually Keisha
​Virtual Assistant/ Content Creator/ Marketer