Woo Hoo! Congratulations! You hired your first Virtual Assistant! You did it! You finally realized that you needed some help. You decided on which tasks you could outsource. You submitted a Request for Proposal (RFP), a help wanted ad. You received tons of proposals. You were overwhelmed from reading everyone’s reasons why you should hire them. You found The One. You signed an Agreement (…didn’t you?). Payment methods have been confirmed.
I know it may seem a bit scary, as well as empowering, but it is the best decision you could make for your business. And here, you probably thought you couldn’t afford one or that you didn’t need one (can we say, control-freak, lol 😊).
Being in the Virtual Assistant business and helping business owners like yourself, I’ve learned that so many business owners and entrepreneurs hire backwards. They would hire either when they had too much to do themselves or when they had the budget to hire someone.
But since you’re at this point, I’m assuming and hoping that you did your research (or at least a little) and didn’t just hire someone as a practice test. Remember, you’re a business owner – treat your business as such.
The Contract is Signed!
Here are the top things you need to know and have established so that it’s smooth sailing from here on out with your new first mate, your VA:
- From one owner to another, it is VITAL that you have a contract in place before moving forward.
- Most VAs (and I’m hoping yours is one of them) should send you a Welcome Packet or Introduction Email. This is a way for you to get to know a little more about your VA, how they work and what their processes are.
- Your VA should schedule your very first meeting, I like to call it a Kickoff Meeting. This is the absolute BEST way to start off your working relationship. This is where you’ll talk about the projects/tasks that you have for your VA and pan out any last-minute details before work starts. This is the perfect time to discuss how communication will be done (daily, weekly, monthly, email, Skype, etc.).
P.S. It’s never a bad thing to over-communicate. The more you know, the more you grow!
Be Patient – Trust the Process
Remember, this is a huge learning curve for you as well, so don’t expect to hit the ground running right away (unless you’ve hit the VA jackpot!). Be patient, and learn how to communicate your own expectations. Keep in mind, it may take them a little while to get up to speed and understanding what you want. Leave room for growth, together, just like a marriage! You’ll need to work at the relationship to really dial it in.
As the wheels start to spin smoothly in your relationship with your new VA, you’ll be amazed at how much free time you have now that you’ve made the decision to let go of those tasks that can be easily outsourced. One of the greatest benefits of having a VA is allowing you to get back to the reason you started your business in the first place and now you have more time to go to those conferences and business trips. Not to mention, you can finally relax and take care of yourself or spend time with the family while the business is running on autopilot, aka, VA time without worrying about losing productivity, value, or presence in the market.
Looking to hire a virtual assistant for the first time? Let’s talk! You deserve to build the business of your dreams! Contact me today to get started.
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