HOW TO FIND AND HIRE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
It’s true. There is nobody out there that will care about your business as much as you do. It’s your baby. You’ve worked so hard to build it and the thought of someone else having their hands on it is a little scary. But the fact is, you know it’s time (if you’re still not sure, check out this post). You’re overworked and hiring a VA could be the best decision you’ve ever made. How do you take that first step? How do you hire a stranger to control a part of the business you’ve worked so hard to build? In this post, I will provide you with some steps to hire a virtual assistant that is the perfect fit for you!
WHAT MAKES A GOOD VA?
A great virtual assistant may not have years of experience or an impressive resume. You might click with someone who is brand new, and that’s totally fine! Find someone who is a good personality fit. Someone you connect with on your initial call who seems like they truly care about your goals. An amazing VA will be willing to learn and eager to make your load a little lighter.
Don’t be afraid to chat with someone who is just starting out! Sometimes, those people are willing to go above and beyond because they are new and want to do a great job. Even if they don’t have experience using the programs you use, they may be willing to learn and, sometimes, that’s even better. It’s almost like building yourself a custom assistant for your business.
WHERE TO LOOK FOR A VA
It’s always a little easier when someone is referred to you by someone you know and trust. That goes for anything in life (doctor, restaurants, beauty products, etc). The fact is, that’s not always how it works out. Here are a few other ways to go about finding a VA.
Post on social: There is a really good chance there is a VA in your social media audience. And if there isn’t, I guarantee you’ll get a referral! Post that you’re hiring and see what kind of response you get. Make sure to post what qualifications you’re looking for. If you’re not interested in training someone, say what kind of software they need to have experience with. If you go this route, I suggest having a system in place for what happens after you get a bunch of DMs. After all, you’re not trying to create more work for yourself.
Hashtags: There’s a good chance you use them when you make a post, but have you ever used them? Don’t be afraid to get niche-specific with them. After all, you’re looking for the ONE, so you don’t need 1.1m search results, right? Here are a few you might look into:
#virtualassistant #virtualassistantservices #virtualassistantforhire #virtualassistantlife #virtualassistantneeded #virtualassistance #virtualassistantbusiness #virtualassistanceservices #virtualassistantforcreatives #virtualassistantforentrepreneurs #virtualassistantforphotographers #outsourcingservices
Facebook Groups: “They” say that Facebook is for old people nowadays. I’m here to tell you that Facebook is a very powerful tool for an entrepreneur. If you haven’t already, join some communities in your industry and ask those groups if they have recs for a virtual assistant. You might even consider looking for groups specific to VAs. Here are a few to check out:
Virtual Assistant Savvies
Pinterest VA Hangouts.
Virtual Assistant Jobs.
Social Media Manager Collective.
Virtual Assistants Canada.
The Boss Goddess Tribe.
Women Helping Women Entrepreneurs.
Your Virtual Assistant BFF.
Ask my VA: Even if my virtual assistant is fully booked, she is connected to a wonderful community of freelancers and would gladly send you more information. Here is her website.
WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK
It’s a good idea to brainstorm what tasks you might want to pass off before you chat with a potential VA, but if you have no idea where to start, tap into their experience and allow them to help guide you, if you’re willing. Remember, they’ve probably had clients in the past and know how they’ve best served previous clients. When you hop on the initial call with them, I suggest allowing the conversation to move organically. Tell them what your biggest struggles are and listen to how they can offer help. Don’t be afraid to have a few questions prepared as well. Here are some suggestions:
Have you worked with photographers (or insert other industry) before?
What kinds of tasks have you done for your clients?
What tasks do you most enjoy doing for clients?
Have you used my programs?
How do you communicate best? Email? Text? Voxer?
Chances are after you chat with them about all of the things they can take off your plate, you’ll be ready to hire them ASAP! If you don’t feel like they are a good personality fit, don’t worry. There are plenty of other VAs out there and you just need to keep looking. Be honest with the VA you had your call with and tell them you didn’t feel like it was a good fit, but you wish them the best. There’s a good chance that if you didn’t feel like it was a good fit, they didn’t either!
Well? Are you feeling ready? Are you feeling excited? You should be! By outsourcing certain tasks, you are about to free up so much time to grow and scale your business. Perhaps there’s a creative idea you’ve been dying to try, but it always gets pushed to the bottom of the list. Now is the time! Hire the help you deserve, so you can be free to pursue your dreams!