Have you ever wished for more hours to help you get through your workloads? We may already know that “time is money,” but it is more than that. Time is the most valuable asset a person can have because no one can ever bring back lost time.
As a business owner, you never want to be stuck in the day-to-day operations as your business is growing to the point that you have too much to do with so little time to accomplish them. It might seem like a blessing at first because you are the most efficient in completing the tasks, and you want to keep the quality of service you have established with your clients so as not to disappoint those who have already invested their trust in you. However, in the long run, it hurts the potential growth of your business.
Do not let your business stay small because you don’t want to delegate tasks to someone else. You can always hire someone better than you are at certain things and still offer quality service.
Bringing in a virtual assistant to your business will save you hours of work and get you back on track to focus on tasks that matter most. You’ll be maximizing their talents effectively and managing your time working with them efficiently and strategically.
Before hiring a virtual assistant, consider the following factors first.
Write down the roles and responsibilities
Before you start looking for a virtual assistant, you should know the specific tasks and goals you need them for. Write down every single task that you are performing on a day to day basis. Once you’ve done it, highlight tasks that you don’t want to spend time on anymore. This will be your list of tasks that you will delegate to a virtual assistant.
After creating the list, determine the skills that each of the tasks requires. That will be your guide on who you should look for to become your virtual assistant.
Consider the timezone
Since virtual assistants are working remotely and may not be in the same timezone as you are, you should be open to a discussion concerning this matter. Are you open to having someone work at any time of the day or of the week? Do you prefer to have them work for you at a specific time? Consider how important these factors are to you.
Determine if you are hiring for a long-term or short-term contract
Deciding to hire for a long term or short term commitment is dependent on the tasks that you can delegate and your budget. Hiring a virtual assistant can save you time and money, but make sure you have enough to delegate.
Ask for referrals
Is this your first time hiring a virtual assistant, and you don’t know where to start? You can always ask your friends or ask for referrals in a Facebook group. Many virtual assistants promote themselves in Facebook groups, so you will likely get many responses there. Agencies can also give you referrals for a virtual assistant that is suited to your needs.
Hiring someone you don’t know can be scary. Lessen that fear by asking for referrals or testimonials. Having a testimonial will give you a snippet of how the person works and gives validity to their skills.
Conduct interviews
Get to know the person with whom you wish to work with. Have an interview over a virtual call to discuss the job that you are offering in detail. Ask the person how they would feel working with you and explain the process of working within your team. Try connecting and discover if the person meets your needs.
If you’re still unsure of hiring the person, you can ask for free trial work or paid work to test their skills before coming to your final decision.
Do a test trial
Some virtual assistants offer a free test trial for you to try out their skills to see if it meets your standards before you get them onboarded on your team. If you have interviewed someone that offers a free test trial, there’s nothing wrong with trying it out first. Always ask to see if this is something they would be comfortable offering.
If you don’t have time to look for a virtual assistant, consider asking an agency to look for a virtual assistant for you. They are experts at matching virtual assistants with business owners.
Gain more time to focus on attracting clients, bringing in sales, and scaling up your business with a virtual assistant to back you up with your daily tasks.
Be strategic now and get your free copy of “Questions To Ask When Hiring A VA”!