HOW DO I PREPARE FOR ADDING A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT (VA) TO MY TEAM?

Are you burned out from doing mundane and repetitive tasks? Do you consistently find yourself missing deadlines because you have so much on your plate? Maybe you didn’t give yourself time to plan strategically for your business to grow.

Delegating tasks can help prevent burnout and help you focus on areas where you shine brightest. Stop doing tedious things and instead start doing core level management strategies that will help your business scale. As other people say, do your best and outsource the rest. 

Outsourcing might be scary for you, but real change is never easy. Take a risk but be smart with your moves. We created a guide to help you feel ready to hire a virtual assistant.

Determine the need.

Virtual assistants can lessen your workload and increase your productivity. Before hiring someone, write out everything you are doing in your business and categorize the repetitive and tedious ones from the high-level things you are doing. The list will give you an overview of the things you can delegate and things that need most of your attention.

Create a solid system.

After creating the list of tasks you are ready to delegate to a VA, create a solid system on how you want them to be done. Even top-notch VAs can fall short if there is no proper workflow to follow and no manual to guide them. Make onboarding training modules for your future VA and integrate them into the applications you use. This way, VAs will know how you want them to deliver the tasks assigned to them.

Moreover, if you are going to add another VA to your team, you already have a solid process that they can follow and resources to train them.

Determine a time-tracker application to use.

How will you know that your VAs are doing the work efficiently and effectively? How can you be sure that the VAs are doing what you’ve paid them for?

By using an online time tracking application, you can ask your VAs to send you the timecard reports every day, every week, month, or whatever is most convenient to you. Having this kind of system will keep your VA accountable for the time you are paying them for.

Set your budget accordingly.

Consider how much you can and should pay a VA. The rates of a virtual assistant vary by location and experience. Some countries offer relatively high rates, while some provide the same quality of service at the same price. Additionally, VAs that have been in business for a while will charge more than someone just starting.

Explore your options. You can hire a VA overseas at a lower cost or a local VA at a higher cost. Also, you can hire a VA through an agency or a freelancing website. Look for one that suits your budget and can still deliver high-quality work. 

Determine the time commitment. 

Determine how long you need a VA to work for you. Are you hiring short term, long term, or project-based? After deciding on the time you need, ensure the applicant can commit. This will also help the VA plan for their own business.

Also, most virtual assistants have more than one client. So if you want an exclusive VA, do not forget to discuss this with your VA and make necessary agreements.

Don’t expect too much, be realistic.

Don’t set the bar too high for a VA. Do not expect a week’s worth of tasks to be done within a day. Remember, even the best VAs are still humans and not superhumans. Understand that VAs can get overwhelmed, and it might take them longer to complete tasks at first because they are still learning how to use your systems, processes, etc. Be patient with them. They are learning and growing.

Clarify your requirements. 

Be clear and straightforward on the job descriptions and the tasks it entails for a VA before and after onboarding to ensure that both parties are on the same page. This way, the VA can have a full grasp of expectations for them.

Set a standard means of communication.

Establishing a means of communication is important for both parties. Let your VA know when and how you prefer to communicate. Create a clear line of communication when sharing files and delegating new tasks through project management applications, like Asana.

With the things mentioned above, you should have a clearer idea of how to prepare yourself and your business for a virtual assistant to join your team. Allow your business to grow by hiring a virtual assistant. Invest your time for core level management strategies and your money to a virtual assistant that can help you achieve triple productivity in your business. 

Ready to start delegating your tasks to a VA? Grab your free copy of “Questions To Ask When Hiring A VA” now!