The free marketing available through social media was not free at all. It was costing me. LOTS of time. To make social media work for a business, the algorithm must be fed! Ultimately, I realized that I needed help!!!
Once I decided that I needed help it was a matter of who, how it would work, and how much would it cost.
It’s a little difficult for clients and customers to pay you if they don’t know you exist.
A one-time advertisement, single social media post, or attendance at one networking event just won’t cut it. Consistency is key.
I gave it a good effort, doing it all myself for about 2 months. I was so proud when I started. I created my own blogs, found relevant and interesting images to match, put together a schedule for the month, then scheduled them to post throughout the month. However, I soon realized that I needed help.
I didn’t need an employee, I needed someone part time to support me in being consistent so that I could create awareness, grow my audience, and allow my ideal client to find me (her name is Christine, BTW).
I decided a virtual assistant was the way to go for my needs and my budget. If you have never hired a VA before, or if you have and it didn’t work out so well, there are some things you can do to help ensure that the experience is a success both for you, your business, and your VA.
I decided to seek the advice of a real expert in this area. I asked Lauren Gall, the Co-owner of VaVa Virtual Assistants. Lauren provided several great tips and things to consider for anyone who is wanting to hire a VA, or even currently working with a VA (I use a VaVa VA in my own business).
Leslie: Hiring a VA is one of the first steps for so many small business owners who need a little extra support. But how does a business owner know really when it is time for a VA? What are some signs that they are ready?
Lauren Gall: A few signs that a business owner is ready to hire a virtual assistant include:
- When they feel they don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything they need to get done actually done.
- When they understand and realize they aren’t able to do everything themselves and know that investing in a VA will help to further their business along.
- When they have reached the point of no return with feeling burnt out from having to do everything themselves.
Leslie: Those are some good points. Most every small business owner I meet can relate to the first point—not enough hours in a day. The second point resonates with me most, however, thinking of the hiring of a VA as an investment in the business, an investment that helps to enable further growth.
Leslie: I am sure there is more to being ready to hire a VA than not having enough time in the day or struggling to complete tasks they dislike. What does it look like when a business is NOT ready to hire a VA?
Lauren Gall: A business owner is not ready…
- When they don’t have time in their schedule to allocate to get their VA up to speed
- When they continue to do the tasks that they are giving away to the VA
- When they don’t understand the cost-benefit of having a VA
- When they aren’t clear on their expectations
- When they don’t trust their VA
- When they are reluctant to give up access to their VA
Leslie: These sound just like the same criteria as bringing on a full time member of a team. Set them up to succeed and don’t micromanage!
Leslie: Where do small business owners get this process wrong or struggle when it comes to hiring a VA?
Lauren Gall: Business owners get it wrong and tend to struggle…
- When they think they can do everything themselves
- When they spend too much time on counterproductive activities
- When they spend time on tasks that they could outsource to someone
- When they spend time on tasks they think they know how to do, but in reality, could easily train a highly-skilled VA
Leslie: To me it goes back to the point you made earlier. The mindset of understanding the cost benefit of having a VA. That benefit has to do with having the owner focus on higher value tasks that only they can do in the business and those revenue generating tasks.
Leslie: What are some things business owners need to consider or do to make the process of hiring and onboarding a VA go as smoothly as possible?
Lauren Gall: A few things to consider and implement are:
- Is the VA invested in their business? (Do they understand what you do?)
- Do they feel the VA can grow with them?
- Has the person ever been a VA before?
- Does the VA have their desired skill set?
- Are they (the business owner) really ready to delegate?
- Clear out their schedule for 1:1 time to train the VA
- Make sure that the VA can document processes so that they aren’t reinventing the wheel
- Identify 5 immediate tasks that the owner can take off their plate and have it ready for their first call with the VA (For example, delegate their calendar, setup LastPass or OnePassword, share a list of important people, etc.)
Not everyone has experience hiring employees or managing others. These tips will definitely help those looking to hire VAs, as well as those currently working with VAs to hopefully improve how they work with their team.
When you believe you are ready and have reviewed and planned with Lauren’s suggestions above in mind, remember to check your budget and consider the effects and benefits on your time and your business’s profitability. Start simple and small, you can always work your way up to more complex tasks and more hours.
Want to learn more profitable strategies for your business? Check out this FREE guide 5 Things You Must Do If you Want To Increase Your Profits.