Are you wondering how to fit more hours in the day? Feeling a little overwhelmed?
Hiring a VA is a HUGE step forward for a business, but one that few business owners end up regretting….especially when it’s done at the right time. Think of this as an investment back into your own business!
Put it this way….. if you are at the point where you need to hire a VA, this means your business is likely growing. Woo hoo! Cheers to you.
Keep reading to find out more about…….
– Signs that it may be time to hire VA.
– What kinds of VA’s are out there, and what tasks they can do.
– How to find the perfect VA.
*Not Sure What A Virtual Assistant Is? Keep reading… or you can also check out What Is A Virtual Assistant & Why Do I Need One?
1. You’re Spending More Time on Administrative Tasks Than on Building Your Business
Have you been noticing that your days are filled with responding to emails, answering calls, setting up meetings, trying to figure out what to post on social media?
Before you know it, the day is halfway done and you haven’t even started to get any other work done. The most important work….. like looking for new clients, or working on new ideas to keep your business growing.
All of the tasks listed above are PERFECT tasks to outsource to a virtual assistant.
2. You’re Focusing On Tasks That you ABSOLUTELY Know Someone Else Could Do Better
Is the bulk of your time spent doing tasks that you KNOW you aren’t really that good at? Do they take you longer because of it?
For Instance:
- Managing Your Inbox/Customer Service
- Writing blog posts
- Creating social media and blog graphics
- Posting to social media
- Planning events or trips
- Creating spreadsheets and documents
- Doing your own accounting
If you love doing these tasks and are good at them, that’s awesome!
But if you’re spending way too much of your time, and are only doing a half-assed job in the process…. it may be time to outsource.
3. Your Friends & Family Are Complaining They Don’t See You Enough
You’ve spent most of your day dealing with admin duties, and you still have hours of work for clients to do. Running a business is time-consuming – there’s no doubt about it.
If your family is complaining about missed dinners and late nights, or your friends are upset because they haven’t seen you in ages….. it might be a good time to share the workload with a VA.
Time is precious babe!
4. You’ve Lost Some Of Your Passion As A Business Owner
Getting bogged down with paperwork, or getting pulled into emails all day can really suck the creative spirit right out of you…. and quick.
Doesn’t it just make sense to delegate some of those tasks to someone who actually enjoys and LIVES for these types of tasks? I think yes.
I have no doubt that if you do, your passion for your biz will come back with a bang and you will have more time to focus on the bigger picture aspects of your business.
5. There Is Never Enough Time In The Day- You’re Always Behind
Feel like you never can make headway on that to-do list? Do you never feel DONE for the day.
A good VA can help take some of that load off of your shoulders, and help you bang out tasks off of that to-do list in no time.
A peaceful nights sleep sounds good right?
6. You have clients or customers in other time zones
Are you a business owner that needs support or customer service at all different hours?
If you have customers or clients in different time zones, or internationally, a good VA can help to bridge that gap so that you are always servicing their needs, without personally doing it all yourself….. at all hours.
7. You Are Having Trouble Being Innovative Or Creative
This is the biggest pain point that I hear from business owners.
I often hear them say that they USE to have so many big ideas. They USE to have the energy to be amazing at acquiring new clients. They USE to have time to care about what is happening in their specific industry, and think of new ideas to keep moving forward. Sound like you?
If so……. hiring a VA to help you with some of your more time consuming tasks could really help give you the space and mental clarity to get back in the game again!
You can find a a virtual assistant that can help you out with pretty much any task that you need.
But it is important to keep in mind, that not all virtual assistants specialize in the same area of focus. Many will have a niche or area of focus.
Here are some of the most popular niches:
GENERAL VA
These VA’s are like your office assistants. The only difference, is that they are working virtually. They can help you manage your emails and calendars, make reports and presentations, set appointments, research, and many many other tasks. If you need help with mainly admin tasks, you should look for a general VA.
TECH VA
A tech VA on the other hand, handles all of the ‘tech’ behind your business. Website updates (and maybe build one if they have that skill set), setting up sales funnels, sales pages, email marketing, putting courses together… I could go on. Many times tech VA’s will also dabble, or be experienced in social media management.
CREATIVE VA
Creative VA’s help you with anything that has to do with brand awareness. For instance, graphic design, marketing, copywriting, re-purposing content. Typically many creative VA’s are also savvy in social media management.
SOCIAL MEDIA VA
In my personal experience, I have found that most tech VA’s or creative VA’s, are also experienced and talented in social media management.
That being said, if you have multiple social media platforms that you need help with, I suggest hiring someone that specializes just in social media management (SMM).
Many social media VA’s specialize and consider themselves experts in various platforms. So it is important to ask them what their specific niche is.
ACCOUNTING VA
These are the financial virtual assistants and bookkeepers who can help you manage the cash flow of your business, and keep your books organized.
You may find all levels of experience and expertise here. You will find that some are actual CPA’s or money managers, while some just specialize in helping you keep track of your expenses and incoming payments on a lesser scale, via a platform like Quickbooks.
UNICORN VA
Last but not least….. the UNICORN VA (this is not a real term, it’s just one that I use). This is a magical being in the virtual world.
Someone that is skilled in a majority of the tasks listed above, and who can pretty much do anything you throw at them, or be willing to learn how.
If you are lucky enough to find a VA with such a broad range, be prepared to pay a little higher of an hourly or retainer rate. But just remember, you get what you pay for. And with these types of VA’s, you get ALOT!
There are many different avenues to find a competent VA, and I will list those below.
REFERRALS
This is by far the best way to find a great VA.
Ask other business owners, or friends or family for recommendations. This way you will know that you are hiring a VA that is capable, and already has a proven track record.
FACEBOOK GROUPS
This is also a GREAT way to find a capable VA.
Check out and join relevant Facebook groups that cater to virtual assistants, freelancers, digital marketers etc. You can easily post a job opportunity in most of these groups.
Some Quick Tips About This:
1. Be sure and read the group rules before posting. Most groups embrace and welcome job opportunities, but they all have their own rules about it.
2. Be specific about what you are looking for. In some of the larger groups, be prepared to get TONS of responses from a wide range of VA’s. List some of the duties and expectations you will require, or approximate number of hours per week. By being specific, you will weed out responses that are not suited for you and save you time!
Some Of My Favorite Groups:
You will find ALOT of talent in this group. They teach people how to be VA’s and are one of the most reputable resources out there. You will find a wide range of beginner’s as well as seasoned VA’s.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT AGENCIES OR FREELANCING SITES
There are several other online agencies and freelancing sites that cater to finding VA’s for clients. You can easily do a Google search to find agencies that specialize in finding VA’s for business owners.
You will find that there is a wide range here. There are the larger freelancing sites like UPWORK (be prepared to wade through ALOT of candidates), and smaller agencies that have a few contracted VA’s on staff.
Of course…. last but not least…….
I couldn’t write a blog post about finding a VA, without mentioning that I also work as a virtual assistant.
In fact, I like to consider myself one of those UNICORN VA’S that I mentioned above.
I am proud to say that I am experienced in a wide array of skills that range from from administrative, design, social media management, web design, copywriting, email marketing and more.
I would love to help you!
To See If I Might Be A Good Fit & To See A Detailed List Of My Services…….
ALSO STAY TUNED FOR THESE NEW AND UPCOMING BLOG POSTS…….
—Tips On Hiring A VA-Everything You Need To Know To Do It Right
—How To Onboard Your VA- And Get Them Ready For Success
