Virtual assistants (VA) have become increasingly popular over the past few years with entrepreneurs and small business owners, taking advantage of technology and the ability of being able to hire an assistant without the additional costs of hiring an in-house employee.
To ensure you are utilizing your virtual assistant to the best of your ability it is important to ensure that the tasks you are outsourcing are the repetitive tasks that you don’t have time for or simply don’t enjoy doing.
But, there are several factors to consider in order to find the virtual assistant that’s best for you.
1. Define Your Needs
You know that you have too much on, your to do list is never ending and you need help. Ask yourself, if you had an virtual assistant start today, what tasks would you have them complete?
To get the results you are looking for, start by deciding what tasks you want your virtual assistant to do, what tasks you shouldn’t be spending your time on and what tasks you don’t want to do. Ensure you also list what access they will need to programs, etc to be able to complete these tasks.
Things like email management, creating forms and templates, data entry, newsletter & social media management are just a few examples of the types of tasks that you could hire a virtual assistant to do.
Taking the time to define what you will delegate, and how, will ensure that you don’t waste any time once you have found a virtual assistant to work with.
2. Decide What Service Features are Important to You
Now that you know tasks you would like to outsource to your virtual assistant, you can begin to find the right virtual assistant to fit your needs.
There are so many options available that finding the right virtual assistant may seem a bit daunting. But, you can narrow your search considerably by defining your needs beyond the basic task list.
Time
Think about how much time you’ll need with your VA either daily, weekly or monthly, and what times you’ll need your VA to be available. Most virtual assistants work with several clients at the same time, but there are some who dedicate all of their time to just one client or company. If you need your virtual assistant to work solely with you then you will need to be clear about this from the start.
Australian-based or offshore based?
An important consideration is whether to use an offshore virtual assistant or an Australian based virtual assistant.
Using a virtual assistant based in areas like India and the Philippines cost less but there can be issues when it comes to familiarity with language, as well as cultural and time zone differences.
In this case it may be an example of cheap is not always better. Remember like most things you get what you pay for and while you are saving money the quality of an offshore-based VA may not be the same as an Australian based VA.
A high quality virtual assistant is also a good choice because they will generally require little input from you, and most VA’s are probably more experienced with the tasks that you are outsourcing to them.
Experience, Flexibility, and Terms
As you search to find the right virtual assistant for your business, remember to consider:
- Their experience
- The flexibility to use more or fewer hours as you need them
- Whether you are locked into a contract or can cancel at any time
Keep in mind: more specialized needs, experience, and service requirements may possibly more cost. Be honest with yourself about what your deal-breakers are, and discussing them beforehand will ensure you get exactly what you want in the end.
3. Ask the Right Questions
Once you have a short list of Virtual Assistants that seem like a good fit for what you are after and what best fit your needs, take the time to discuss the key tasks required with the VA.
Be sure to give the VA an outline of what they will be doing and find out if there are any tasks on the list that they do not offer or do not have the experience with. For example you would not hire a VA to update your website if they had not had the relevant experience before. But keep in mind also there is nothing wrong with teaching your VA any specific skills that may be required. This can help create a loyal relationship between you and your VA as they may see you are willing to invest time into them.
It is also a good idea to confirm the VA’s methods of communication to ensure that they will be able to communicate in the way you prefer (phone, email, text, chat, etc.). Some VA’s are happy to communicate via phone and email but draw the line at social media messaging and being contacted outside of business hours.
4. Set Your Relationship Up for Success
Now that you’ve found the perfect virtual assistant, don’t make the mistake of giving them a task list and then disappearing.
It is integral to remember that relationships take time and can mean the difference between a great working relationship or frustration and confusion for both of you.
Be prepared with info they will need to start
Be prepared with information that your virtual assistant will need to start your tasks right away. Giving details such as login details, required passwords, font and colour preferences, basically any information that they may need to know in order to complete the required tasks will allow them to start the tasks without stopping to ask for this information.
Provide feedback
Once your VA has completed the required tasks, take the time to review them and provide feedback on the results. This is especially important in the beginning. Your virtual assistant will be thankful for any feedback that you can provide at the start.
Be clear on priority and urgency
When assigning tasks ensure you are clear about the urgency of the task, and the expected turnaround time. This will help the VA know which tasks to prioritize.
If you want regular updates, be sure to let your VA know you’d like a progress report at the end of the day/week outlining the status of each task and when it will be completed. This update also allows the VA a chance to ask for any clarification or additional information they may need from you for the work.
At Ms Virtual Assistant we can assist you with all of your general administration, website, SEO and social media requirements. To find out more about our services you can contact us at info@msvirtualassistant.com.au or visit our website www.msvirtualassistant.com.au