The other day, my friend (also an entrepreneur) asked me how does one go about hiring their first Virtual Assistant when they already feel overwhelmed with everything?
This is such a common question.
And to me, the answer is quite simple.
- Know what your own strengths and weaknesses are and what is draining your time and energy. There are many different types of VAs – those who offer overall administrative support, some that specialize in a particular software, such as HubSpot or WordPress, while others are strictly bookkeeping and invoicing VAs. You get the point.
- Look for or ask for referrals to VAs who specialize in what you need.
- Take the time to get to know them – how do they work, what communication tool do they prefer, does it feel aligned to work with them? Just like anything else you invest time into – courses, networking, personal development, hiring a VA is a time investment that pays good returns.
- Once you choose, leverage the many communication and project management tools out there to help streamline the process.
- Take time to train. One of my clients closed their calendar for a few days to get me up to speed on what they needed.
- Be patient. There tends to be a learning curve but eventually, things will run smoothly and you will be happy you invested the time.
I totally get it. Between serving clients, marketing, attending networking functions, learning, etc. it seems like you are adding to your stress and schedule. Short term, maybe. But long term, you will be grateful you did.
If you have any questions or comments about hiring a VA. leave them below!