How to hire an assistant virtual A Guide for Entrepreneurs on Outsourcing
The hiring of a virtual assistant is one of the very first and most significant decisions that you can make as a business manager. If you don't have a person in your organization to give specific tasks to you'll waste time and effort on tasks that don't actually aid in the development of your business.
Solopreneur vs Entrepreneur
One of the major differentiators between a "solopreneur" (someone that is only an owner of the company) and a business owner/entrepreneur is that they work as group. team. Business owners don't have to handle all the work. They design systems and hire staff to manage jobs for them. These are crucial steps to creating a business that expands even when it's not in operation.
A team member is vital to making the transition from solopreneur to an owner of a business - or, as Michael E. Gerber, author of the best-selling business publication The E-Myth says: switching from working within your business and working in you company. In addition, adding other employees of your team could reduce your workload so you are able to devote your time and energy to tasks which will have the greatest impact on the profits of your company.
In this blog, I'll guide you through the steps of hiring a Virtual Assistant. I'll also share specific tools and tips to help you manage your Virtual Assistants efficiently.
Jump to:
- Benefits of employing virtual employees
- A variety of different types of Virtual Assistants
- How can you become the CEO of your company?
- How can you decide which tasks and processes you want to assign to others?
- How do you hire virtual assistants
- Six steps to hire an assistant virtual
- Strategies for managing your personal assistant
- The top tools to outsource and managing virtual workers
- Employ an assistant virtual and focus on the most important things for you.
After you have hired the one Virtual Assistant, you can employ the same method to find more duties to delegate, develop new positions for your business and hire more workers until you are in just one position in your business: the role of CEO.
We'll now tackle hiring your very first Virtual Assistant.
Benefits of using virtual employees
If you are a company that employs only one virtual assistant, or build an entire team that is virtual outsourcing your team to remote members can be a major aspect in your efficiency and the growth of your company.
Here are some of the major benefits of hiring an online Assistant:
There's no requirement for a physical office
Aside from the area your home is located, the price for renting office space may be very expensive. The hiring of a virtual assistant allows you to start building your staff while keeping costs lower. Other than a handful of software applications which aid in communication with and managing your virtual staff, the primary cost of hiring virtual employees is what they spend time.
Virtual Assistants aren't expensive
Virtual Assistants are a cost-effective alternative for employees who are regular. Virtual Assistants are typically freelancers. Based on where they reside the hourly rates can be substantially cheaper than the amount a local employee would cost you. A virtual Assistant located in the Philippines for instance, is typically one-third of what an equivalent virtual Assistant in North America costs for the same tasks and responsibilities.
There's an unlimited supply of locally-based talent (hire only the very best of the most talented)
There are many business owners who do not have access to an area-based talent pool of highly skilled applicants to fill specific positions. Virtual Assistants can work wherever they are in the globe, provided they have an internet connection. Being able to work without having to employ someone locally increases your number of candidates that you can consider for specific jobs in a significant way.
Delegation helps prevent burnout
Giving specific tasks or the responsibilities of others can be a significant step towards eliminating the exhaustion. There are, unfortunately, many entrepreneurs who think they need to manage all things themselves. It's what they are doing. This leads to long working hours in energy depletion, feeling overwhelmed and a absence of time for other areas of their lives including activities, exercise, and the family.
You should make sure that you are spending longer in your areas of force
It is impossible to be an expert at all things, and you shouldn't attempt to be. Every job you need to do for running your business (including the ones that you don't like or do poorly at! ) There are professionals who can handle those tasks and actually enjoy these work. Delegating tasks to others will allow you to focus on the things you enjoy and can be skilled at.
Make sure you focus on high-value income generating actions
When you hire an assistant virtual, you free up time to focus on tasks that add value to your company than the tasks you assigned for the Virtual Assistant. This means you will are able to focus on tasks that have an impact on your earnings.
"Your most valuable resource as a human being (not just a business owner) is your time. If you don't commit as much time to, the greater your focus. The more focused you are, and more impact you can have with your time. This is why every person should employ at least one Virtual Assistant."
Matthew Turner
Different types of virtual assistants
One of the primary questions you're probably asking yourself when considering hiring a virtual Assistant is what can they do for you?
There is almost everything.
If they are able to get sufficient training, capabilities, and tools A Virtual Assistant is able to technically do anything that does not require their presence in person that, when you consider it, could be quite.
There various types of Virtual Assistants. You need to understand what Virtual Assistant is best suited for the specific task you're planning outsourcing.
The General Virtual Assistant
The most commonly used form in the field of Virtual Assistant is known as the General Virtual Assistant (aka a General VA). A General VA is someone who can manage regular tasks and routine procedures which are essential to running your business , however, they are not focused on enhancing it.
The duties you'd assign to General VA General VA typically include repetitive and specific tasks like handling your email or traveling schedules, scheduling your appointments, entering data and research, scheduling your posts on social media, and so on.
The Virtual Assistant that is Specialized
A specialist virtual assistant is one that has specialized skills and has a better understanding of one specific process in your business. They generally cost more than General VAs since they possess specialization and only require the minimum amount of education on your part.
tasks like such as bookkeeping, customer services videos editing and the management of projects are better left to a Specialized VA.
Tasks outsourced vs. the result
If you employ the services of an General VA, it's best to assign them specific tasks and procedures as well as offer their training to perform those duties and procedures correctly.
If you're working with a specialist VA you should consider outsourcing certain outcomes. The Specialized VA will be much more proficient than you (that's why you should employ them!) in the processes and tasks which are a part of their role. As you're trusting their experience and expertise in specific process and tasks for the specific tasks and processes, it is important to explain to them the steps they can accomplish the task, instead of how to accomplish it.
The growth in Twitter followers by 10-10 percent per month in this instance, is the effect of. Importing a blog's content from Google Drive to WordPress, as an example is a job to be completed. Do you see the differences?
How do you become the Chief Executive Director of your company?
Unless you hired the team immediately after the business was launched You'll probably be carrying out various responsibilities. That means you'll be wearing multiple hats, which means that your time can be divided between multiple projects as well as responsibilities.
In order to become the company's CEO and spend your time exclusively in the areas that an executive should be spending their time it is necessary to assign specific tasks and responsibilities to different people.
It all boils down to fundamental math.
If you're trying to generate more than $100k annually in revenue, this is a significant amount of money to accomplish this goal using jobs that cost an hourly rate of $20. If you're not able to complete for 5,000 hours over a 12 month period (unlikely), the math doesn't add up. Your focus should be on putting your time doing tasks that will pay you for more hours of work.
One of the main reasons business owners are hesitant to hire help is that they consider hiring others as an expense , not being an investment. If you've ever been in this type of mindset when it comes to hiring staff then this article should prove helpful for you.
Find your Hourly Target Rate
The rate you set for your target hourly rate is the rate for your time as the director of your company should be valued at to help you reach your goals for income.
In order to calculate how much you earn Target Hourly Pay Rate calculate your month-to-month (or annual) earning goal and then divide it by the total amount of hours that you'll perform during that time duration.
As an example, $250,000 (annual income goal) multiplied by (2,000) (the total number of hours of work) equals $125 per hour.
"Personally I was hiring way before I felt I was prepared to hire an assistant. I also advised others to follow suit. Most people wait until they're at a specific income, or have been operating for a set time period. There's no "magic" day when hiring support, and it's only when you can concentrate only on the things you excel at and it won't expense you a penny while the amount of time saved frees your time focus on your tasks that bring in revenue It's the right time to hire."
Trivinia Barber
Every single task you perform in your organization is estimated to cost dollars
As an entrepreneur your responsibility to decide which activities add the greatest value to your business and to spend the bulk of your time on those duties. Anything that isn't in line with your business goals or does not achieve your hourly rate should be assigned to another person.
If you're having trouble achieving your income goals, and I'm pretty sure this is because you're not putting in enough time doing things that are worth your while.
High and low worth tasks
Low-value tasks must be carried out to manage your company but don't directly increase revenue. A few examples of low-value tasks are customer support, bookkeeping and graphic design , editing and design.
High-value tasks directly impact revenue growth. The most valuable tasks include the selling of leads as well as sales generation as well as offering new products or services and making strategic partnerships .
The quickest way to increase your income as an entrepreneur is to delegate jobs that are less valuable and to make sure you have as many high-value jobs as feasible. Utilize the earnings you earn from tasks that are of high-value to fund the delegated outsourcing of tasks that are low value.
Which are the most effective tasks and processes to outsource
Each business is armed with an extensive list of jobs and procedures that play a role in the running of the business. In order to determine the tasks that you can transfer to other companies and which ought to be doing in the future, it is best to begin by categorizing your processes and the procedures you follow.
HTML0 Each task and every procedure you execute in your organization falls within the following categories:
1. Doing tasks that are important to you High-value jobs you love and you're proficient in.
2. Things you shouldn't complete: jobs which aren't worthwhile or aren't the ideal use of your time, even if your skills are good at these tasks or are a fan of these tasks. (These are one of the toughest tasks to outsourcing!)
3. You don't wish to perform tasks that you're not a fan of however, other people will.
4. You can't perform Tasks that require the necessary knowledge and skills to perform effectively.
If you're not already made sure you've downloaded the Outsourcing Worksheet. The table we included will aid the user in categorizing and list your processes and tasks that you do in your business.
"The items you do not like doing or can't do should be at the highest priority of delegated tasks. The most difficult tasks to delegate with are those that you could do and even be enjoying however, they're not worth your time."
Nick Loper
How do I best to locate a virtual assistant
Virtual staff hiring for certain tasks on your team is distinct from hiring for projects that are specific to the project.
If you hire freelancers to work on an assignment, the project has an beginning date as well as an date for completion. And since most freelancers have many clients, you will not always be their top priority.
The moment you sign up a virtual Assistant, it's like adding another team member. Although the duties you delegate to them may differ as time passes however, they'll be at a specific position within the team. However, this doesn't mean they can't be found through an online platform for freelancers like Fiverr or Upwork. There are many virtual assistants searching for work on these websites that can meet your demands.
Six steps to hire a virtual Assistant
Step 1: Document the work that you would like to outsource
Begin by creating a list of the different tasks and procedures that you're considering transferring into your Virtual Assistant. In the event that these tasks are ones that you've already completed on your own, you should prepare training material (aka Standard Operating Procedures) for these tasks. Learn how to write effective Standard Operating Procedures, read this article.
If you're using the Specialized Virtual Assistant, document the outcomes you want them to accomplish rather than specific duties or procedures.
Step 2: Write an employment description
When you've got your list of things you'd like to assign then you'll need to develop the job description of the person who's to perform those duties.
jobs that require specialization must not be listed in the job description for the position of a General Virtual Assistant. the tasks you give to the General Virtual Assistant should share the same level of skill as well as the hourly rate.
Your job description should contain:
- The information that you know about your business (your company, your industry, the product you offer as well as who your customers/clients are)
- Educational level, experience or skills needed
- A list of the duties and responsibilities
- A list of all apps and tools they'll be using
Here is an example of a properly composed Virtual Assistant job description that was adapted from Shopify's guide to recruiting Virtual Assistants:
Step 3. Post a job ad via the web
Once you have your job description in place, the next step is put it up on the web and begin to accept applications. It is possible to post the job description direct to Craigslist (post from within the country or the city that you'd like to hire in). Another option is to use a Virtual Assistant hiring service or directory.
There are numerous directories and sites you can utilize to look up Virtual Assistants
"It's crucial to develop a thorough job description so expectations can be met from both parties. It is my practice to ask those who I am acquainted with first for recommendations. Virtual assistants should be able to offer some reference and some examples of the tasks they perform. Speaking with them by telephone is an excellent way of becoming acquainted with the person they are and to see if it's a good combination."
Sue Canfield
step 4: Read the applications and make plans for interview
Examine the resumes you receive, and set up interviews with the best 5 to 10 applicants. I would suggest conducting videos with the most qualified applicants. Video interviews are similar to interviewing someone in person. You can figure out the instant you are in love with someone and communicate well through a video chat. If someone won't take part in video calls with you, that's a red flag and you ought to not employ the person.
If you're interviewing applicants, you shouldn't just ask them about their previous work experiences and abilities. It is important to inquire about their ambitions and interests, as well as the way they work in addition to how they would like to be handled. You could even have your candidate take an assessment of their personality for free. It will allow you to gain a better understanding of their character, strengths, and the way they work.
"We have a specific series of questions to assess what kind of person would be treated by a human being. We also have "automatic disqualifiers" that remove individuals of our procedure immediately based on what they have responded to. We are able to avoid talking with someone who does not adhere to our values, and without us being too slick with their CV. We've avoided many bad hires and helps our screening process more quickly."
Trivinia Barber
Step 5: Take the best of your candidates to on a test
Prior to making a decision to hire an individual candidate, assign your top 3 candidates an assignment for them to demonstrate their capabilities. Choose a task that would be a part of their responsibilities at work in the first place as well as observe the way they do on this task. The task you ask your applicants to accomplish the actual work will help you identify the is the most competent candidate.
Step 6: Offer the candidate who is the best period
Pick the ideal candidate for the position begin with an initial trial (30 days, 60 or 90 days for instance). This trial gives the Virtual Assistant additional incentive to deliver a high-quality service with the knowledge that this could be the basis for a future position on your team. It is important to ensure they have signed a written Service Agreement to avoid any issues at a later date.
How do you handle your Virtual Assistant
Hiring a Virtual Assistant isn't an end in itself. Once you've added someone to your team, part of your role as an administrator is maintaining professional, productive and mutually beneficial relationship with your employees.
Evaluate performance
The end result need to evaluate the level of performance that you've achieved through the effectiveness of Your Virtual Assistant based on their efficiency. To do this be sure that you've set clear expectations and/or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set up. If they're meeting your standards are you truly concerned about how many break-room coffees they serve throughout the day?
Don't micromanage
If you have clear expectations with your virtual assistant and assess them on how well they meet those standards, there's no reason to supervise your virtual assistants. There are apps that let you "spy" on your Virtual Assistant's screen on your computer and record the amount of time they're working. It's not necessary if have confidence and are able to set the expectations for your Virtual Assistant. If you wouldn't like being managed by the way you manage the administration of your Virtual Assistant, you're probably doing something wrong.
Schedule check-ins
Utilize a tool for communication such as Slack Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, or Slack to schedule quick check-ins using the Virtual Assistant. It could be during the middle or the end of the day as well as every two days and even every week. Whatever is best for the two of you. Make you know what they're doing and there is nothing, no one (including yourself!) is hindering them from completing the work they're assigned during the day.
Requires weekly reporting
Each week, let you Virtual Assistant send you a summary of all the tasks they took part in during the week. Give them an example of the way to prepare the reports. Here are a few issues that we would recommend to ask your virtual Assistant to address during their weekly report. Include them along with any specific measurements or KPIs that they're responsible for.
- Which projects or assignments were they able to accomplish?
- How long did they devote to each job or undertaking?
- What are they still working on?
- Are they facing any issues or difficulties?
- Are they able to provide feedback, questions or suggestions for you?
- Do they require additional instruction?
Set up a system of constructive feedback
Establish a culture among your Virtual Assistant (and others you interact with) of trust , and transparent communication. Let them share their ideas, have questions and offer regular feedback. Doing so will help you become a better manager and leader. This will help you build friendships which are beneficial to your colleagues. We're hugely supportive of Kim Scott's efforts Radical Candor as the basis to provide and receive feedback. to a point.
The best software for outsourcing as well as managing virtual workers
Although the idea of employing someone who isn't likely to talk to may seem strange however, with the appropriate equipment, it is possible to establish and sustain productive and enjoyable relationships with your virtual staff.
The primary categories of instruments that are required for effective collaboration between virtual Assistants as well as remote team members include the management of projects and communication and sharing files , and security (password security). I've listed some of our top tools below for each of them.
If you're curious to know more about more software and gadgets to run your company, take a look at our selection of .
Communications Tools
- Google Workspace
- Zoom
- Slack
- What does it mean?
Tool to manage projects. Management:
HTML1 File Sharing and Security
Employ a virtual assistant so you can concentrate on what is essential to you.
If you're exhausted and overwhelmed with building your business You're not the only one. A lot of entrepreneurs work long hours simply because they're not able use their time effectively and delegate to others effectively. They are suffering from what our colleague Chris Ducker, best-selling author of Virtual Freedom and Virtual Freedom, refers to as "Superhero Syndrome".
Many entrepreneurs believe that they can do everything all by themselves. And because of that belief it's precisely what they're. Although they're not as effective, they compensate for by the manner in which they work and are often at risk being exhausted.
Being an entrepreneur doesn't just comprise of earning money for yourself. That's what freelancing and self-employment provide. Entrepreneurs are those who creates systems and recruits employees who run their businesses for them.
Virtual Assistants might not be the only person you add to your team as you expand your business but they should be the initial. Utilizing a virtual assistant can to free you to work on projects that have a greater impact on your life and business.
"One way we can take to prevent exhaustion is to become better delegators. In the beginning, it can be difficult giving up, but trust me, when you start to let go of the wheel a little before you'll begin to employ the full-time driver sooner, or even later!"
Chris Ducker
The blog was first published in the month of May 2018. The blog was last updated in April 2022.
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