Guest Blog: How To Get The Best Out of a Virtual Assistant (VA) – 5 Top Tips

More and more switched on business owners are starting to realise that VAs can be the perfect solution for your business, allowing you to pay for exactly the work you need, when you need it, cherry picking the very best experts in the areas that you need assistance with. 

A VA could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you and your business, but it’s important to approach the arrangement wisely and with forethought.  If you want the partnership to work, to last and to be valuable to your business, then we recommend you focus on these five areas:

1.       Delegation

When you started your business, you ran the whole show – but you don’t have to do it all by yourself anymore!  Your relationship with your VA is all about delegation.  Hand tasks over in stages and the results will give you confidence and encourage you to hand over more and more projects.

2.       Expectations

A VA is an assistant – not a business partner.  They may be unfamiliar with your industry, your product, or the way you do business and may not be able instantly to leap in and take over.  Keep your expectations in line with the remuneration you can offer, the time allotted and the level of expertise you require.

3.       Planning

A VA can do many things, but they cannot read your mind.  A clear list of tasks, procedures, or instructions is very important.  You also need to consider how the two of you will communicate.  Make sure it’s clear to both of you what kind of feedback will be needed, when and in what format.

4.       Evaluation

Establish a system for making sure the relationship is working for both of you. It’s no crime to find yourself with the wrong person for the job; be ready to make a quick change of direction if need be. You will have learned something valuable about your working style and can go on to make a more informed next move.

5.       Value

A VA can be worth their weight in gold – or a wasted opportunity: it’s up to you.  Remember that you get what you pay for: tasks like stuffing envelopes may require one level of expertise, but if you ask the same VA to take on more skilled work, you may find they are not up to the task.  Make sure at the outset that you have the right person for the job so that you can realise the potential value on offer.

If you would like to receive our top tips or to talk further about how a virtual assistant could transform your business then please contact GetAheadVa.

Website address: www.getaheadva.com

Twitter address: @GetAheadVA

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/get-ahead-va

This Guest Blog was written By Rebecca Newenham of Get Ahead VA.