Remote work opened the doors to millions of people working freelance online. And as digital industries such as e-commerce and digital marketing grew, the demand for digital employees also increased exponentially throughout the years.
Are you a business owner or a manager in need of support? Virtual assistants (VAs) are the perfect solution for entrepreneurs looking for a reliable extra pair of hands. But how do you exactly hire a virtual assistant? To give you a better idea, here’s a quick introduction and guide to hiring and managing virtual assistants for your business.
Why Hire a Virtual Assistant?
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Some entrepreneurs and business owners struggle to give up even the tiniest bit of control over their businesses. Being hands-on with your business has its advantages. However, people should know that there’s a thin line between being a responsible hands-on owner and simply micromanaging everything in your business.
Getting help from a virtual assistant can also benefit your small business. They can serve as an online executive assistant handling an array of administrative tasks. These can save you time and allow you to work on things that need more of your focus and attention. But aside from that, virtual assistants can also work on:
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- Data entry
- Content creation
- Digital marketing
- Graphics design
- Customer service
- Social media management
- And so much more…
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But, are you still having a hard time deciding whether you should hire a VA or not? Here are some of the notable signs that you need a virtual assistant:
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- You have an overwhelming backlog of tasks.
- You’re struggling to meet deadlines.
- You’re having a hard time focusing on one task at a time.
- You’re spending too much time working on administrative tasks.
- You’re overworking yourself.
- You can’t find the time to plan your business’s growth.
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What to Look For in a Virtual Assistant
Business owners should take careful consideration when hiring a virtual assistant. VAs are just as part of your company as any other in-house employee you have. Regardless of the kind of task you assign to them, virtual assistant services will play a critical role in the smooth running processes of your small business. Taking this into consideration, here are some of the things that you should look for when hiring a virtual assistant.
Communication Skills
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Considering that your VA works remotely, it is important that you are able to communicate with each other well. Language barriers can hinder you from providing detailed instructions. At the same time, it can pose a problem for your VA in completing tasks properly. Communication is key in ensuring that your VA would be able to do their job properly and come up with the results that you’re looking for.
Their communication skills should be well both oral and written. They should also be comfortable with using a variety of mediums such as email, Skype, Zoom, or even Facebook Messenger.
Attitude and Personality
Working remotely means that your VA would have little supervision from you. In order to ensure that your VA is working as they should, it’s crucial that they have a high sense of discipline and responsibility. To help you with this, you can use a variety of task management tools such as Hubstaff, Asana, and Google Workspace to keep track of their progress regularly. It’s also important to have a virtual assistant that is reliable, proactive, professional, and honest.
5 Tips for Delegating Tasks to your Virtual Assistant
Given that some find it difficult to delegate tasks to employees, it’s important that you have an idea about proper task delegation before hiring a virtual assistant. This will allow you to have an easier and seamless transition from a hands-on all-around business owner into a leader managing a team.
As a leader, you would have more time to focus on growing your business. However, you still need to make sure that everyone in your team is working efficiently and effectively, whether they are in-house or remote employees. With that, here are some tips on effective delegation:
- Create a company handbook detailing everything your VA needs to know about the business.
- Prepare a series of in-depth written and video tutorials.
- Plan and schedule their tasks accordingly.
- Use task management software, time management, and productivity apps.
- Provide a sense of flexibility for your remote employees.
Want to know more about virtual assistants? Sidekicks is an on-demand virtual company and we’re eager to help visionaries and entrepreneurs like you. Get a free ebook and learn more about how we can help you by signing up to our newsletter. If you prefer something more personal, we also offer a free 30-minute consultation.
