Feeling overwhelmed at work? Well, every entrepreneur feels the same way. The great news is that you can amend the situation—introducing a virtual assistant.
You’re the leader of the company; you’re not there to create a new job for yourself. Bring in a remote professional to support your business in achieving its highest potential.
Let go and grow, successful entrepreneurs say.
Whether you’re a startup taking off or an established firm somersaulting in progress, there are a variety of ways to benefit from collaborating remotely.
But before you start scouring the talent pool, learn how the virtual assistant for hire works and why VAs are the right option.
A virtual assistant is mostly responsible for managing your day-to-day activities. These tasks include making calls, setting reminders and filing reports. However, VAs with expert knowledge can also carry out digital marketing campaigns or come up with engaging content.
Here’s a list of daily functions that a virtual assistant can take over:
There are two main types of remote assistants that you need to outsource:
This remote assistant serves as your technical support. Repetitive tasks like data entry and market research are their areas of expertise.
These remote professionals play a more complex role with a very specific skill set. Since they have job-specific skills, their hiring price is a bit steeper.
Yes, very.
And if you want to know why the demand is staggeringly high, scroll below.
It doesn’t matter where your office space is; renting a physical working area is not cheap.
However, hiring a virtual assistant removes all the expenses drama. You can build a global team without so much of an investment.
Yes, you may have to spend on tools and applications, but other than that, you only need to concern yourself with paying for your VA's hours of productive work.
A virtual assistant is ready to collaborate with you, armed only with a laptop and the internet.
Hiring talents hailing from another continent increases your chances of finding the right VA who perfectly matches your unique job description.
Finally, you can pick your assistant based on skills and not on who has the shortest commuting distance.
Generally, virtual assistants are self-employed professionals who work on flexible contracts.
Depending on factors such as location, their rate is impressively lower than that of a local office employee. Why? Because the U.S. dollar is stronger in countries like the Philippines (a go-to virtual assistant destination) with a low cost of living. That’s why VAs from these places charge lower, even though they deliver the same quality work.
If you’re short on funding, it’s worth your while to start searching for a virtual assistant for hire.
Letting go of control is a huge leap for someone so used to doing everything on their own. But as the boss, you can’t afford to take on more responsibilities beyond your ability and availability.
If you do everything, you’ll burn out before your business can even grow. You’d be so drained, with no mind space for innovation or other areas of your life.
Hiring additional help is not just to ensure seamless operation; it’s a means to build a healthy work life.
Don’t try to master everything. Instead, concentrate on the things that you’re good at and passionate about.
For the tasks that you don’t have the ability to do, there is someone out there who is more equipped to handle them.
So, why be the jack of all trades? When you seek help from a VA, you allow yourself to pay attention to areas of your firm that only you can do.
Without money, your company can’t survive. When you hire a remote professional, you can work on revenue-generating activities to boost your profit.
It’s hard for you to see the bigger picture with all the auxiliary tasks clouding your vision. Pass the admin stuff to a reliable virtual assistant and focus on growth ventures.
Related article: The Big 6 Reasons Why Virtual Assistants Are Important
Looking for your first virtual assistant? You have exactly three options.
Ask for a referral from people you know and trust.
Connect with a virtual assistant agency like VAV Remote.
Scour freelance marketplaces like Upwork and LinkedIn and look for freelancers.
Most virtual assistants take multiple clients. This means you may not always be “number one” on your freelancer's list of priorities. That’s why we recommend using a virtual assistant company to ensure stability and consistency.
Remote professionals don’t become your employees; they’re team members. You collaborate with them online. They play a very specific role in your operation, making the recruitment process slightly different from what you’re used to.
Here are the simple steps to hiring a virtual assistant:
Create a task list. Determine all the time-draining processes that overwhelm you. You can start by listing the tasks that you’re doing by yourself that do not necessarily require your attention.
After you’ve properly documented all the tasks that you want to delegate, create job requirements for the position.
Take a look at the checklist below for what should be included in that job description.
When you have your job description ready, make a post and start receiving proposals from various virtual assistants.
You should scrutinize your VA's references and work samples to determine their suitability for the role.
P.S. If you work with an agency, you can skip this step altogether.
Schedule a video interview with your best candidate. This is critical, so you will know beforehand if you can effectively work with them. Does their style of work match yours? Is your VA easy to converse with?
It’s super important to team up with a remote assistant you’re comfortable working with.
This is a special step that you should take to make sure your remote professional will be successful in their role. Pick a task that is part of their actual work and ask them to complete it. This way, you can determine their ability to fill in the position.
A trial period is a way to protect you from fully committing to a wrong hire. This phase will give you the chance to see whether your virtual assistant has the right personality and skills that fit your business.
Check out these tips to create a mutually beneficial working relationship with your remote assistant:
Schedule quick check-ins regularly.
Ask your assistant to send weekly reports on how they spend their entire week.
Never micromanage. Instead, trust your virtual assistant and set expectations with them.
Encourage open communication, share ideas and raise questions.
From business owners and coaches to fledgling startups, any person who’s short on time to cover their expansive tasks needs a virtual assistant in their life. This way they can prosper in both their personal and work lives.
Most full-time remote assistants work the same hours as office employees, 40 hours a day. However, you can also hire them for part-time work or one-off projects, around flexible hours depending on your current needs.
Yes. Most virtual assistants work from home, which is their most comfortable working space.
You might think you can handle everything on your own, but that is far from the truth. The reality is that you’re not hitting your bottom lines and your growth is stalled. The only way to experience growth is to think innovatively and strategically.
A virtual assistant for hire is waiting for you to tap on. They’re exactly what you need to compete and stand out in the fast-paced digital world.
Work around a team and make a greater impact as a leader.
Start outsourcing your first virtual assistant at VAV Remote.