You are probably reading this because you could use the services of a virtual assistant. It is now easier to hire and work with a virtual assistant than ever before because of the way that technology has been evolving and competition in the marketplace. Because of globalization you are just one step away from freeing up your time, reducing costs and generating more profits than ever by learning to work with a VA.
You should be focusing on your high pay off activities, that generate revenue so you can reduce your stress levels and allow your virtual assistant do the repetitive tasks that hold you back from growing.
Here are five things to consider when hiring your first VA:
- Know what you want them to do.
You probably have an idea of what you would like to have your VA do for you on a regular basis, but have you written it all out? Many people hire a full time VA and don’t know how to fill up their 160 hours in the month. It is important that you invest some time before making the hire to have an idea of all of the task you would like them to do, this way they will constantly be working and not have to wait for the next task. This list will forever grow; the key is to have enough for them once they get started. - Know how you are going to communicate with them.
There are many options on the method in which you will be communicating with your VA, the key is to know that method before you get started. You will want to have your system that works best for you and then set that expectation for your VA. Skype, Google Docs and Email all are free and are a great system to implement. Also know when you are going to communicate with them and what the expectation of response time should be. - Crawl before you can walk
Many people hire their VA and give them a To-Do list that is extremely long. Don’t worry, your VA will finish ALL of those tasks, but assign those tasks in bite size chunks. They are like any other person working for you, it can be overwhelming if you give them everything at once. So give them one task at a time or post the list online in a place where they can always see what the next task is, but what’s most important is that they are working on one task at a time. When they get used to working with you over time, that is when they will be juggling many tasks at once, they will get there, but start off slow. - The dollars are in the details
Most people just want to start telling their VA about the many things they need done, and just want to give the basic idea of what needs to be done and go on to the next task. This can be dangerous if you do not provide enough detail about the task, you cannot assume that your VA knows everything about the task as you do, so it is better to give more details in the beginning then less about a task. Over time you will find the comfortable medium as to how much you should explain each task. - Encourage creativity
Your full time virtual assistant wants to make you happy and provide good work, so that is why it is imperative that you follow these last four tips. You will also want to set the expectation from the beginning that perhaps you don’t know all of the answers and encourage them to get creative and come up with solutions also. They very well may help you in a way that you never expected. It is always best to have a second pair of eyes on your work especially from someone one who is so involved with it.
You are about to embark on a wonderful journey with your new full time virtual assistant, so be sure to make the most of it and start off on the right foot. The possibilities are endless as to what you can have them working on, such as marketing, web design, customer service, bookkeeping, sales, appointment setting, internet research, data entry, web programming, personal tasks and so much more. To learn more about the other services you VA can handle, click here.