If you’ve accepted that you need help in your business – well done, you’re over the first hurdle! Now you’ve made that decision, it’s important you take some time to find the best virtual assistant to suit your specific business needs. I want to share my top tips to ensure you don’t fall short of some common mistakes when you decide to take the leap and hire a virtual assistant.
I’ve heard so many success stories of people who find the best virtual assistant for them and it really improves their business productivity, but on the other hand, I’ve also heard many horror stories…
When hearing about these failed attempts, it got me thinking… why don’t things go to plan when small business owners work with a virtual assistant?
I want to share my top tips and why you, as the business owner, need to put in a little effort to find the best virtual assistant, and mention a few things you may wish to think about.
I urge you to consider the following points to get the most out of your relationship.
- What are your expectations of a virtual assistant?
When outsourcing, you might expect to hire an experienced professional at an affordable price that can offer you a solution to all of your problems. But are you expecting too much?
Trying to hire someone that can do everything in your business is going to be a difficult task… the stories I could tell you of all the weird and wonderful things I’ve been asked to do that don’t align with my skills as a virtual business manager.
While each virtual assistant will have their own speciality, it’s worth shopping around to find the best fit for your business.
You need to set realistic expectations… if your business operates with niche software or skills, it may be that you need to look at hiring different virtual assistants to cover different areas. You could create an outsourcing team, each with their own skills to bring to the table.
- Focus on attitude, flexibility, and background to find the best virtual assistant
Your natural instinct is to look for a virtual assistant with the specific skillset you need for your business. But I would like to challenge you to not solely focus on their skills and what they can’t do, as skills can be picked up and learned.
You are more likely to find the best virtual assistant for you if you focus on other aspects such as their behaviour, culture, flexibility, and background knowledge.
Let me explain:
Your VA’s behaviour and attitude
When talking to a possible new virtual assistant, do you get the impression that they are passionate about what they do? Do you feel like you’ll get an enthusiastic response when you ask them to do something?
Are they keen to learn? Most skills can be picked up, so having a good attitude to learning is vital and arguably more important when looking to find the best virtual assistant.
Your VA’s culture
On a personal level, will they fit into your business or with your team?
When you are looking to work with a virtual assistant, you have to be aligned in your beliefs and get on personally as you’ll be spending time with them (even if only virtually!). You also have to trust them to get on with things independently.
Your VA’s flexibility
Another thing that can’t be overlooked is, will they have the availability you need? Are they flexible enough in their working approach in a way which will suit you?
Ask them questions about what times they work to if that aligns with your own schedule to find the best virtual assistant for you… for example, if they work mornings and you work evenings, that might not be a good fit.
Your VA’s background knowledge
What is their background and what skills can they bring to the table? Are they knowledgeable in areas that complement your business needs?
You shouldn’t expect to find someone with extensive knowledge of your niche or specialist industry, but by asking them a few questions you can determine their knowledge and evaluate if they grasp what you do easily.
If all of these values align with yours, then it sounds like you’ve found a great fit!
- Be prepared before hiring a virtual assistant
Once you’ve managed to find the best virtual assistant for you, taking all of the above into consideration, you should make sure you are prepared to begin your work together.
A virtual assistant is usually hired when you reach a point of being too busy for certain tasks or the feeling of overwhelm has caught up to you. So, don’t worry, I’m not saying that you have to have a full how-to manual for your whole business prepared, but it’s good to have a few things in place.
If possible, clear some time in your schedule when you start working together to show your new virtual assistant around your business systems and processes. Explain how you operate so that they understand your business early on.
If you haven’t already, share your expectations with them. It’s a good opportunity to share your business vision with your new virtual assistant, explaining where you are trying to take your business and what part they pay in this plan. Most virtual assistants will appreciate this insight and feel more involved in your business if you share this.
The key to a great working relationship with your virtual assistant
Remember this – above everything, communication is key to ANY good relationship. This applies to finding and creating a meaningful working relationship with a virtual assistant. They will be there by your side day-to-day, so it’s important that you can communicate clearly and are the right fit.
Hopefully this will have helped you know what to consider in your search for a virtual assistant. But, if you do have any questions about how to find the best virtual assistant for your business, please get in touch. You can find out about our services here.