Jun

Hire a VA, Cut Down on the BS and Increase Your ROI

Being a big fan of the Pareto Principle also known as the 80/20 Principle, I’ve decided to share the following article with you. Training ourselves to focus on the 20% we do well is an extremely important component of our success. Hiring a virtual assistant to handle the tasks that we don’t do well, don’t enjoy or aren’t the most productive use of our time can go a long way towards using the 80/20 Principle effectively.

How to Hire a Virtual Assistant

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Drowning in your inbox? Shuddering over your to-do list ? Burning the candle at both ends? According to the Pareto principle, 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.[1] So why not just focus on that 20% and delegate the rest to a virtual assistant?

Steps

Define the tasks you would like a Virtual Assistant (VA) to handle for you – such as teleclass listings, email, blog entries, ezine, website updates (or even online dating[2] ). Make a list of projects that you’d delegate the VA and assign each task a time estimate. Consider that most VAs charge $15-$55/hr (less if you commit to more hours) and estimate how much you’ll be paying for a VA to do the projects on your list.[3]
Write a job description. Use your projects list from the previous step for guidance. Be specific about:
- What you want. Do you need marketing skills or coding skills? Graphic design or bookkeeping? A generalist or a specialist?
- Hours/days of the week you will expect to be able to access your VA. Most VAs can work somewhat flexible hours, but time zones can sometimes work against you if there is a large distance between you.
- How you prefer to work. Are you more comfortable on the phone or is IM and email best for you?
Cast the net. Your goal here is to reach out as far as possible so that you’re more likely to find someone who’s qualified to be your VA. There are plenty of ways you can do this:
- online classifieds (e.g. Craigslist)
- freelance sites
- networking
- Twitter
Filter the applicants. How you sift through the responses will depend on your requirements. Ask for references or testimonials. More diverse projects will demand a multi-talented VA, so look for how applicants address those requirements. If the applicant has a website, check it out. Overall, look for professionalism and quick response time.
Make your choice. When you’ve whittled down the list, set up a phone interview (complimentary consultation). You may even want to do a paid trial (e.g. 10 hours) in order to get to know how you will work together. This is an important period in the relationship and will lead to a better understanding of whether your styles mesh or not.
Seal the deal. Have the virtual assistant sign paperwork that addresses the following:
- Confidentiality – What is considered confidential, what’s not, how you’d handle a breach of confidentiality.
- Independent contractor status – In the U.S., it’s important to clarify that this person is not an employee.
- Payment – On what terms the VA will be paid.

Video

An interview with a VA offers insights into this industry.

Tips

Be open and honest about how you work – if you are micromanager, say so! It’s best to start off on the right foot!
To prevent misunderstandings, provide step-by-step instructions, along with a description of the expected output.[4]

Warnings

If the VA is going to deal with sensitive or private information, performing a background check probably isn’t a bad idea.
Certification standards are subjective, so don’t put too much stock in them.[5]

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow , a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Hire a Virtual Assistant . All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license .

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