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What is the best way to hire a virtual Assistant: Entrepreneur's Guide to Outsourcing

Apr 20, 2022

The hiring of a virtual assistant is among the first and most significant hiring decisions you could take as an Entrepreneur. If you do not are able to find someone in your team who you are capable of delegating specific jobs to, you'll be wasting time and energy on things that don't contribute to the development of your business.

Solopreneur vs Entrepreneur

One of the major differences between a "solopreneur" (someone who has the distinction as the only individual in the business) in addition to a business owner/entrepreneur is the fact that they operate in a team. The business owner isn't able to do everything by themselves. They build systems and hire staff to manage the tasks for them. This is an essential part of building a sustainable enterprise that expands even when they're not working.

Hiring a team member is crucial to making the transition from a solopreneur to becoming an owner of a business, as Michael E. Gerber, author of the top-selling business guide "The E-Myth" is to change from working in your company to working in your business. The addition of other members to your team will make your life easier so that you can devote your time to the activities which have the most impact on the profits of your company.

In this tutorial, I'll guide you through the process of hiring a Virtual Assistant along with some suggestions and tools to help you control your virtual workers effectively.

Jump into:

When you've hired the initial Virtual Assistant, you can follow these same steps to determine additional tasks that you can delegate, develop new roles in your business and also recruit additional staff members until you're left with just one position in your business that is CEO.

However, for the moment we'll be focusing on the hiring of your very first Virtual Assistant.

The benefits of employing virtual employees

If you decide to employ just one Virtual Assistant, or you set up a complete team of virtual employees, outsourcing remote employees can be a major factor in your productivity and the development of your business.

Here are some of the major benefits of hiring virtual assistants:

 There's no requirement to maintain an actual office

Your residence's location could affect the price and the location you reside in, renting an office can be costly. The hiring of virtual assistants lets you begin to build your workforce and keep costs minimal. With the exception of some programs to work with and managing your virtual employees, the primary cost of employing virtual assistants is what you will have to pay for their work.

 Virtual Assistants are inexpensive

Virtual Assistants provide a cheap alternative to regular employees. A majority of Virtual Assistants operate as independent contractors . Depending on where they live the rates per hour could be considerably cheaper than what a typical local employee might charge. A virtual Assistant in the Philippines can be an example, which typically costs less than half of what a Virtual Assistant is paying in North America costs for the identical tasks and tasks.

It's not restricted by the local expertise (hire an expert among the best)

The majority of entrepreneurs don't have access to local talent pool in the form of applicants who meet the requirements to be hired. A virtual assistant can theoretically be employed from any place all over the world, provided they're connected to the Internet. Being able to recruit someone locally increases your number of applicants to fill specific roles.

ConvertKit Remote Team

Delegation helps prevent burnout

The ability to delegate specific jobs and duties to others can be a significant approach to avoiding burning out. There are, unfortunately, numerous entrepreneurs who believe they have to handle everything themselves, and that's exactly what they do. This can lead to extremely prolonged work hours as well as a lack of focus and feeling overwhelmed, as well as finding it difficult to manage different aspects of their lives including things to do, exercising, and the family.

Spend longer within your areas of strength

It's impossible to become an expert in every aspect. Nor would you ever strive to become. In every single task that is required to run your company (including ones you don't like or aren't comfortable with! ) There are people who have mastered this field and appreciate the task. Utilizing others to assist in delegating work lets you focus on what you enjoy and are skilled in.

HTML0 The primary focus is the highest-value tasks and earning opportunities.

When you hire the services of a virtual assistant, you free up time to focus on the activities that bring value on your business, over tasks you assigned to the Virtual Assistant. In other words, you have more time to work on projects which have an impact on the income of your business.

"Your most valuable asset as a human (not just a solely business owner) is time. If you don't commit yourself to more work, the more you'll stay focussed. If you're concentrated, the greater influence you'll have in the amount of time available. This is why every person should employ at minimum one virtual Assistant."
Matthew Turner

The different types of Virtual Assistants

One of the most important questions that you'll be asking yourself when you think about hiring a Virtual Assistant is: what can they do for you?

There is practically every thing.

As long as they have the appropriate training, abilities and the right equipment, a Virtual Assistant can practically do everything which doesn't need physical presence, which in the context of thinking about it, could be quite a few items.

There exist different kinds of virtual Assistants. It's crucial to determine which one is the best for the task you're looking to outsource.

 The General Virtual Assistant

The most popular type of Virtual Assistant is known as a General Virtual Assistant (aka a General VA). General VAs are those who are able to manage the daily tasks and processes essential to run your business but not necessarily focussed on increasing it.

The tasks you'd assign to a General VA typically are more complicated and repetitive, for example, dealing with your travel meeting schedules for email making appointments, scheduling meetings entry researching, scheduling your posts for social media and many more.

The Virtual Assistant Specialized

Specialist virtual assistants are an individual with a special set of capabilities and has the ability to oversee an extremely specific procedure in your business. They can be higher priced when compared to General VAs because they possess a specialization and need only minimal training from you.

jobs like such as bookkeeping, customer services tasks like editing videos, customer service, or managing projects, for instance would be better handled by an skilled VA.

 Outsourcing tasks vs. outcomes

If you are able to rely on the assistance from a General VA, it is ideal to subcontract particular tasks and processes in addition to giving the employees training perform those jobs and process correctly.

By hiring a specialized VA you should outsourcing specific outcomes. An expert VA is more proficient than you (that's why you should hire them!) for the jobs and procedures that make up a portion of their role. If you're going to rely on their expertise and understanding of the particular tasks and processes for the job, it is important to explain to them the things you're up to, but not more then how to accomplish it however, you should explain the best way you can accomplish it.

An increase of Twitter followers by 10 percent per month, as an instance, is a possible result. Importing blog entries to Google Drive to WordPress, for example, is an important project to complete. What's the difference?

How do you best prepare to get the title of CEO for your company

If you haven't hired an employee when you first started your company You'll likely be taking on the duties of a variety of tasks. In other words, you're wearing many different hats as a result of the fact that your time has been spread across various tasks and obligations.

If you are planning to become the chief executive officer of your company and devote your time solely within the fields that a CEO should spend their time , you must delegate specific duties and responsibilities to employees.

The key is simple math.

It is your intention to earn more than 100,000 dollars in revenue per year for example it is impossible to meet this objective through the focus of your work on projects that are worth $20 per hour. Unless you can work for more than 5,000 hours over 12 months (unlikely) the number just doesn't add up. Your time should be spent working on tasks which pay an hourly rate greater than.

One of the main reasons people are reluctant to hire help is because they view hiring others as burdens rather than as an investment. If you've had this feeling about hiring employees it is a good idea to consider this method for you.

Find your Hourly Target Cost

Your target hourly rate is the rate that your timeas the CEO of your company must be worth so that you are able to meet your income goals.

For determining your desired hourly pay rate, calculate each month's (or annual) budget, and then multiply it by the amount of hours that you will be working during the time.

For example: $250,000 (annual income amount to be targeted) multiplied by 2 000 (number of hours worked) is equal to $125/hour.

"Personally I've hired way before I thought I was ready for an assistant. I also encouraged others to do the same. The majority of individuals wait until they're at a specific income level or have been operating for within a certain time frame. There's no "magic" moment when employing support is a good idea in other circumstances other than: If it permits the employee to concentrate on what you're strongest at, then you're not going into debt for it while the time you conserve allows you to focus on the activities that generate revenue. It's the ideal time to employ."
Trivinia Barber

Each and every task in your business has an approximate cost in the form of a dollar

Your job as an entrepreneur is to identify activities which add most value to your company. It is important to spend the bulk of your time working on these tasks. All tasks and activities not in accordance with your Goal Hourly Rate must be assigned to another person.

If you're struggling to meet your financial goals I'm almost certain that it's due to having not spent enough time and time on tasks that are of great value.

jobs with high and low value job opportunities

Tasks with low value must be accomplished to operate your company, but they do not directly contribute to increasing revenue. Some of the most popular examples of work that is low value are accounting, customer service projects, graphic design, editing, and so on.

The most valuable jobs directly impact revenue. The most lucrative tasks are marketing and lead generation and selling. They also include creating new services or products and creating strategic partnerships and .

One of the most efficient methods of increasing your earnings as an entrepreneur is to delegate lower-value jobs to other people and scheduling your time to more high-value tasks as can be done. Utilize the earnings you earn from tasks that are of high-value to pay for the cost of outsourcing of work that is of low value.

Which tasks and processes to outsource

Each business is armed with an extensive list of jobs and processes which are essential for running the business. For you to decide what to contract out and which you need to continue to do, begin by categorizing these activities and procedures.

Each task and every procedure you carry out for your business can be classified into any of the four domains:

1. Doing things which are of high value and you enjoy and are a skill you're skilled in.

2. The tasks you should never complete: jobs that are of little value and aren't the most efficient use of your time, regardless of whether you're proficient in them or enjoy working on these projects. (These are the toughest task to assign!)

3. Things you do not want to do: tasks that you do not like or think someone else would.

4. It is impossible to finish You don't have the required expertise and skills to do the job properly.

If it's not there ensure that you download it. Outsourcing Worksheet. This table can assist you in listing and categorize the processes you use and the tasks you do for your business.

"The work you don't like doing or are unable to do should be on the most important list of things to delegate. The tougher jobs to share with are those which you might be able to do, and be even like doing However, realistically, you ought not be performing them."
Nick Loper

How do I best to get a virtual Assistant

Hiring virtual workers to fill specific roles within your organization could be distinct from hiring to work on projects you are specialized to.

If you contract freelancers for specific projects, the project has starting and end date. As most freelancers are working with many clients, you will not always be their main customer.

If you choose to hire the services of a virtual assistant it is essentially an extra member of your team. Although the tasks you assign to them may alter in time, they will continue to have a specific role to play in your group. But that doesn't mean you won't come across them on websites for freelancers like Fiverr or Upwork. There are many virtual assistants searching for positions on these sites who can meet your needs.

6 steps to hiring virtual Assistant

Step 1. Record the work you wish outsourcing

Begin by creating a list of each task and tasks you're planning to assign to your virtual Assistant. In the event that these tasks are ones which you already perform on your own and you're able to develop instructional materials (aka Standard Operating Procedures) that cover the work that you're giving to the virtual assistant. If you want to learn how to create effective Standard Operating Procedures, take a look at this article.

If you're hiring an Specialized Virtual Assistant, make a record of your expectations for the results you'd like the virtual assistant to produce in lieu of specific assignments or methods.

Second step: Make an employee's description of duties

After you've created the checklist of the tasks you'd like to assign, you must prepare a outline of the duties of the position who will have responsibility for those duties.

The tasks that require specialization shouldn't be part of the job description for General Virtual Assistant. Tasks you assign to the General Virtual Assistant should be completed in a similar manner as well as at an hourly wage.

Your job description should contain:

  • The background information you have regarding your company (your sector, the services you offer, and whom customers or clients are)
  • Experience, education or training required
  • List of the duties and responsibilities
  • List of any apps or instruments they'll use.

This is an illustration of the most effective written Virtual Assistant job description that was adapted to fit the requirements of Shopify's guidelines for the selection of assistants Virtual Assistant:

Step 3: Make an online advertisement for jobs

If you've put your job description in place, your next step is posting it on the internet and then begin to accept applicants. You can post your job description through Craigslist (post in the location of the city or country you'd like to bring on). A different option is to use a Virtual Assistant hiring service or directory.

Here are some other popular directories and websites you could utilize to search for Virtual Assistants:

"It's vital to write detailed job description that is thorough in order to ensure expectations are met from both sides. I usually solicit people I am familiar with for recommendations. Virtual assistants should include testimonials as well as examples of the work they do. Talking to them on the phone could be beneficial in getting to know the individual and determine if they are a great combination."
Sue Canfield

Step 4: Go over applications & schedule interviews

Examine the resumes that come through, and set up meetings with the top 5-10 candidates. It is suggested to conduct video interviews for those who stand out. A video interview is equivalent to sitting down with someone in person. You'll know how much you enjoy the person you're interviewing and how well you communicate through the video conference. If the person you are interviewing is not willing to do a video interview with you, that's false and should not be hired.

In your interview with the candidates, don't simply discuss their experience at work and abilities. Ask them about their goals such as their interests, hobbies, how they feel about work and how they like working with. It is possible to invite the candidate you are considering to take a the online test of personality at no cost. It will allow you to further understand their values along with their strengths and the way they work.

"We have a specific series of questions about character that define how an individual will be treated by another human being. We also have "automatic disqualifiers" that eliminate individuals from our system immediately in accordance with their responses. It prevents us from speaking to someone who doesn't share our value system, not letting us get glitzy about the resume they have submitted. This has helped us avoid several bad hires. It also makes our screening process go much faster."
Trivinia Barber

Step 5: Give your top candidates an assessment

Before you decide to hire a specific candidate, give the three top candidates an assignment they must finish in a way they will be able to test. Select a task that is part of their regular responsibilities at the beginning Then, take note of how they complete in this task. Asking your candidates to complete a real task will aid in determining which one is the most competent person is.

6. Offer the top candidate an opportunity to test the candidate

Choose the best candidate for the job, begin them on the trial stage (30 days for 60, 90 or 30 days for instance). A trial period gives your Virtual Assistant additional incentive to be successful for you knowing that it could lead to a permanent role on your team. It is important to ask them to have an official Service Agreement to avoid any issues at a later date.

Strategies for managing your Virtual Assistant

Finding a virtual assistant to serve you is just the first step. Once you've added someone to your team, a part of your job as person in charge is to ensure an energizing, professional, and beneficial partnership and your staff.

Evaluate performance

Prior to that, you must assess the effectiveness in the performance of Your Virtual Assistant based on the performance of their application. To do this, be certain to set specific expectations or key performance Indicators (KPIs) in place. If your staff is meeting their goals do you really care with the quantity of break-room coffees they make during the course of their work?

Don't micromanage

If you have specific expectations for your virtual assistant and evaluate the performance of your virtual assistants based on whether they fulfill those expectations, then there is no requirement to supervise the virtual assistants. There are software applications that allow you to "spy" on the computer screen of your virtual assistant and track the length that they're working. They are not needed if you have confidence and clear expectations of your virtual assistant. If you don't like how you're handled the way you manage the management of your Virtual Assistant, you're probably not doing it right.

Schedule check-ins

Make use of a communications software such as Slack Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams and Slack to schedule quick check-ins with your Virtual Assistant. It could be in the morning or at the end to your day's activities, or every second day and even every week. Do whatever works for both of you. Be sure that your children understand the process they're working on and they don't have anything or someone (including yourself!) which is hindering them from finishing the tasks they have throughout the day.

Requires weekly reporting

Each week, let your Virtual Assistant send you an overview of the activities they've completed this week. Provide them with a template they can make the reports. Here are some of the questions we recommend you to ask your virtual Assistant to answer during their weekly reports, along with any specific KPIs or metrics that they are accountable for tracking.

  • What was the purpose or project that the team completed?
  • How long did they devote to each job or project?
  • What are they still working on?
  • Do they encounter any problems or difficulties?
  • Are they able to provide comments, suggestions or questions that you can share?
  • Do they require any further education?

 Create a culture of feedback

Create a culture with your Virtual Assistant (and any other person you collaborate with) which is built upon trust and transparency. Let them share their ideas as well as ask questions and offer regularly with feedback. By doing this you'll learn how to become a better leader and manager. This will help to create friendships that are mutually beneficial for your colleagues. At a.m. are huge fans and readers of Kim Scott's books Radical Candor as an approach to giving and receiving feedback. going.

Top ways to outsource and manage virtual workers

Although the idea of hiring someone that is unlikely to have a conversation with may seem odd but with the right equipment, it is possible to build and maintain effective and pleasant relationships with virtual employees.

The most important types of software that are required to work effectively together with Virtual Assistants as well as remote team members are the management of communication projects, sharing of files and security (password security). Below are a few of our most popular tools within each of these categories.

If you're looking to learn about other tools and software to help you run your business, look through our list of the .

Communications Tools

Project Tools for Management

Data Sharing, Security and Privacy

Use a virtual assistant aid you in helping to stay focused on what is most important to you.

If you're overwhelmed and exhausted in creating your own enterprise and you're overwhelmed, then you're not entirely on your alone. Many entrepreneurs work for all day long because they're unable to use their time efficiently and delegate the tasks they have to other people efficiently. They're suffering from what's known as coworker Chris Ducker, best-selling author of Virtual Freedom, refers to as "Superhero condition".

Many entrepreneurs believe they're able to handle everything by themselves. Because of this belief that's exactly what they do. They aren't as efficient, but they compensate for with the manner in which they work and, in most cases, in the danger of exhaustion.

Your job as business owner isn't simply about earning money. This is what self-employment and freelancing can be used meant to be used for. Entrepreneurs are people who creates systems and hires employees to manage their business on their behalf.

Virtual Assistants may not be the only person can be added to your team when you grow your business, however they must be one of the initial. The hiring of a virtual assistant will help make more time available for you to focus on tasks which have greater influence on your life and business.

"One method we can do to avoid burnout is to develop better delegaters. At first, it can be difficult giving up however, trust me when I say that the moment you give up the wheel and then you'll be an all-time driving champion sooner or later!"
Chris Ducker

     The first blog post was posted in May of this year. The blog was updated in April 2022.

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