5 Steps: Selecting the Right Virtual Assistant for Your Business
So you’ve opened your small business, you’ve done all the boring legal things to be legit, and now you’re ready to start doing what you love - the entire reason you opened a business to begin with! But then PO’s pile up, you haven’t had time to promote your business on Instagram in two weeks, and that pesky annual filing is coming up.
Is it time to hire help? Can these jobs be outsourced to someone else? Is this what a virtual assistant is for?
We get asked all the time “what exactly does a virtual assistant DO?” and honestly, we do a little bit of everything!
A virtual assistant (VA) can help with:
Tedious tasks like inputting data
Managing your social media platforms so your ideal customers can find you
Organizing your company’s systems so your day-to-day operations are more efficient!
Email management / calendar management
Project management
But how exactly do you find the right VA and know what they should be doing for you?
It can be daunting bringing in a new employee and trusting them to achieve your business goals. But taking that leap can be the difference between feeling like you’re drowning and feeling like you are strategizing a successful future for your business!
Finding the right virtual assistant really comes down to evaluating skills, experience, work styles, and communication preferences. You want to find a VA that you feel understands your business goals and can help you achieve them in the style and timeline that you prefer.
First Step: Understand Your Business Needs
Start with creating a list of your day-to-day responsibilities, then rank them in order of “I don’t mind doing this everyday” to “I hate this so much, I procrastinate it every week". Your ideal virtual assistant should be a pro at the items you don’t have time to think about, let alone do.
Not all VA’s are the same, some excel in social media management while others are better with back-end office tasks. Narrowing down what work you need help with will help you narrow down what kind of VA you need.
With those tasks in mind, how often do they need to be completed and how long does it typically take? This is where we determine if you need to hire your VA for full-time, part-time, or just on an as-needed basis (project based).
If the responsibilities are daily customer account maintenance then a full-time virtual assistant is the way to go. Conversely, if you just need help each quarter to prepare your taxes, then a VA on stand-by for projects is the answer!
Lastly, what is the goal from hiring a virtual assistant? Do you want more time to spend on what you actually love about your business? Are you in need of taking what you already have in place and making it more efficient? Having this goal in mind and sharing it with your potential VA can help them understand and work towards the same goal.
Second Step: Key Skills and Experience to Look For
There are several areas of skill to keep in mind when searching for the perfect virtual assistant. The top three to consider are technical skills, industry skills, and specialized skills.
Technical skills are going to be any experience they have with specific tools needed to complete the job. (Examples: CRM systems, email marketing tools, scheduling software, design software, and even website building platforms.) Think about what tools you use to complete the jobs needed and make sure your potential VA has experience working with similar tools
Industry skills are gained from their work in the specific industry that you are in. For example, if you run a construction company it would be beneficial to find a VA that has worked in/with construction. Note it may not be necessary for a VA to have specific industry skills, if technical skills are transferable
Specialized skills are important, especially if you are looking for a VA to complete very specific tasks such as content writing, cleaning up your website SEO, or increasing engagement on your social media channels. If you’re tracking KPIs related to these tasks, it’s important to explain expectations and ensure your VA feels confident in meeting them. Make sure you ask any potential VAs for a portfolio of past work or case studies.
Third Step: Evaluating Work Style and Compatibility
Next, you need to determine how and when you prefer your virtual assistant to work. Do you need them working during specific times of the day to help answer customer support questions? Are their tasks a little more flexible in that you just need a certain amount of work done by a specific deadline?
Other items to keep in mind would be…
What is your preferred method of communication?
How do you prefer to deliver feedback to your VA?
Does the VA fit within the culture of your company?
These questions may not be deal breakers right off the bat, but it is good to keep in mind so you can make sure they are a good fit all around.
Fourth Step: Communication Preferences and Availability
Do you want all communication to come through via email? Do you want quick interactions over text? Do you want a standing weekly meeting to go over all items for the week?
What are your expectations for a VA to respond to you or any of your client’s needs? Do you need a VA that can be fully available at any given time, or do you need a VA who can be given multiple projects and completes them during their work day as they see fit?
It is beneficial to both you and your VA to set these expectations early on. This NEEDS to be discussed during the interview process.This will help reduce time in the long run.
Fifth Step: Red Flags to Watch Out For
Not all virtual assistants are created equally, and therefore not all VAs will have the same work ethic. Always ask for references or testimonials from past or current clients. The most underrated method of determining a good-fit hire is by seeing what past clients have to say about them.
If the VA’s work history doesn’t seem aligned with your industry, or they seem to bounce from one client to another, this could be another red flag. It’s best to hire a VA that has worked in your specific industry and can show that they can work with clients for considerable amounts of time.
Lastly, a big red flag to watch out for would be if something feels too good to be true. If a VA seems to be promising a lot of highly technical work for well below the average pay or if they are promising to complete an exorbitant amount of work in very little time it could indicate they are not as experienced as they are advertising.
Here at Iris Partnering we are a collective of virtual assistants with a wide range of skill sets. You can find each of our dedicated consultants and exclusive partners here. This page gives a quick look at each lady's skill set and background. When you hire any of our consultants you gain access to our entire team’s knowledge base!
TL;DR:
Considering hiring a VA and need some tips on where to start? Start with:
What tasks do you need a VA to take off of your plate?
How often do these tasks need to be done/ how long does each task take to complete?
Look for a VA that has skills and experience in your field
Be open and honest about your expectations
Set clear communication boundaries
Ask for references or portfolio work
This list will help you narrow down your search and make finding a VA quick, easy, and pain-free!
