For most business owners, emails, urgent tasks, and meetings can pile up and snowball their way unexpectedly and way too quickly. When this happens, most will feel overwhelmed and confused, not knowing what to do first.
Trust us, you wouldn’t want to find yourself in this situation wherein every second you leave your work computer, 10 new emails pile up along with other tasks that need to be tended to with the phone ringing every five minutes.
The sooner and larger your business grows, the more likely it is for you to experience these things sooner rather than later. Hence, you need a trusty virtual assistant to get all those things off of your plate. If you need some help looking for the perfect virtual assistant to relieve your busy days, then look no further as here as some tips to help you.
Top traits to look for in virtual assistant services
Finding the right virtual assistant service is easier said than done. There are a ton of options out there and it’s easy to fall for traps or scams online. Hence here are the things you need to look out for when searching for virtual assistant services:
Business/Subscription model - for this one, you have two choices: subscription or contractual. For a subscription model, you can expect a lot of flexibility as you can subscribe to the specific number of services that you need and not concern yourself with employment laws that much. On the other hand, you will have to do so with the contractor model.
Variety in the field of experience - some virtual assistant services cater to a wide range of clients and there are those who focus solely on one field such as social media marketing or administration. Hence, you need to find one that fits your needs.
Work ethics - there are a lot of virtual assistants out there with different work ethics. Some are agreeable as they have a work-life balance but be careful as there are those who slack off and always fail to meet deadlines. Try to find one that has the same or even better work ethics as you and you won’t have to cycle through many virtual assistants.
Of course, once you know what virtual assistant service to use, it’s important to find the right virtual assistant that actually clicks with you. The one with the right personality, work ethics, and reliability that you can count on.
To do this, of course, you have to actually meet your virtual assistant yourself. Remember that the two of you will have a working professional relationship so it’s important for you to spot any red flags early on before you hire them. Hence, here are some things you can expect a good virtual assistant to ask:
Have you had a virtual assistant before?
If yes, then how did they perform?
Did he/she struggle with anything as your virtual assistant?
What kind of skills are you looking for?
What kind of help do you need right away?
What is hindering you in your work right now?
Do you prefer any kind of personality?
Which task takes up the most of your time?
Now, don’t be nervous and just answer all of their queries honestly and to the best of your abilities. This will help your virtual assistant know what to expect when working under you. However, the questions should go both ways. Hence, here are some important questions you need to ask them as well:
How well do you communicate?
What is your work style?
How do you handle stressful and challenging events?
What are the things you love about being a virtual assistant?
How would you help me budget my time so I can get more work done?
If your meeting goes well, you can definitely be sure whether you and your virtual assistant will be a good fit. Remember that you are looking for someone you can rely on. Someone who can take things off of your plate. You also need someone whose work style works well with yours. Thus, make sure to follow our tips and you can guarantee that you will find the perfect virtual assistant!