Ready to get some help? How to get started

We’re very excited that you’re reading this blog, it means you’ve decided you are ready to work with a Virtual Assistant and to take the next steps on that journey.

But what happens next, and how do you find the perfect right hand person to support you? In this blog, we’ll work through the steps and guide you to consider what’s important to you, so you can make the right hire, first time.

1. Where should your VA be located?

Have a think about whether you want to work with someone in your own country, whose contracts and Data Protection policies will be the same as your own, or whether you would be happy to work with someone overseas.  Think about whether you’d like the option of meeting them in person, how you feel about sharing your data overseas, whether you want someone in the same time zone, and what language barriers there might be.  All of our team are based in the UK, and we only work with clients based in the UK.

2. How many hours of support do you need?

Many Virtual Assistants work on a retainer basis where you ‘book’ a number of hours of their time on a regular basis, for example, monthly. This is really useful for ongoing work, regular recurring tasks and supporting you as a growing organisation, as retainers can be flexed as you grow and get used to delegating.  Some work on a project-by-project basis for certain tasks such as graphic design and podcast creation.  Some VAs will also work on an ad-hoc basis where there is no minimum contract and you pay for the hours they work, in arrears. 

Consider not only the amount of work you need to delegate, but also your budget.  Our calculator will help you work out how much time you are spending on admin and how much of your time could be spent on other tasks.  It will show you how much that is costing you every month, so you can see whether investing in a Virtual Assistant would work for you.

Examples of projects and retainer work:

Project work: We have created workbooks and written policies and procedures for clients and done this as a one-off project.  We have also worked with charities on building a website, setting up LinkedIn pages, and designing new logos. 

Retainer work: This is the most common type of work we do, as is typically working as an Executive Assistant to a Chief Executive, Senior Leader or Founder.  We have supported Trustee Boards with preparing for their meetings, minuting meetings and following up actions. We have also arranged appointments for the board members, booked venues and arranged speakers for events. We have also worked with a fundraising consultant who travels overseas a lot, and needed help whilst he was out of the office. We helped with research for client proposals whilst he was travelling, and also helped arrange his itineraries overseas. Retainer work can cover a multitude of tasks, both personal and business-related.

3. Make a list of the types of tasks you need help with

As you go about your day, think about each task and whether it specifically needs your skills or experience to do it, or whether someone else could be trained to do it.  Make a list of the tasks you do on our Delegation Checklist.

If you are perhaps one step away from delegating, as you’re not sure what you could delegate, then 30 ways to use a VA will give you inspiration!

4. Consider the size of the Virtual Assistant business you want to work with.

Virtual Assistants come in all shapes and sizes!  Consider whether when your VA is on holiday for two weeks, you will need to pick up the work (and if you can do that) or whether you would like someone else to step in.  We have a widely skilled team, which means that when a VA is on leave or sick, we can put another member of the team in to cover for them, ensuring seamless support for our clients. 

5. Consider what skills you need your VA to have

If you decide to work with a Virtual Assistant with a team of one, and you need help with something outside of their skillset, do you have the time to be sourcing someone to do that work?  If not, you might consider working with a team of VAs (like ours) where there is a wide range of skills that you can tap into at any time.  For example, we have a client who has 10hrs PA Support every month, but every few months may need our graphic designer to create a landing page for a new course, or a brochure for a new service, and our client can access that with a simple phone call, no additional paperwork and no additional stress.

6. Where to find a Virtual Assistant

There are a number of places to find someone.  You could go to social media, and post on LinkedIn and will receive personal recommendations from people.  If you choose this option, make sure you state that you want people to recommend VAs they have personally used, and that you do not want to be contacted by VAs themselves *unless you want to inundated with messages from VAs from all over the world!!.

Ask friends, family and your business networks for their recommendations.

Check out Virtual Assistant Awards like the UK VA Awards to see VAs who are excelling in their industry (you’ll see our name featured several times under our previous name ‘Joanne Manville Virtual Assistance’)

Review the Society of Virtual Assistants website to find VAs with specific skillsets who comply with best practice.

We wish you the very best in choosing and working with your Virtual Assistant, and if we can help you in any way, please get in touch.

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