Are you feeling overwhelmed with your workload? Are you struggling to keep up with the demands of your business? It may be time to look up how to hire your first virtual assistant.

A virtual assistant (VA) is a professional who supports a business remotely. There are different types of VAs. General VAs handle routine tasks like data entry and appointment scheduling. But you can also find VAs with more specialized skills. From ecommerce to IT services and real estate to construction, businesses from any industry can find remote talents that can provide the support they need.

If you’re interested in experiencing the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant. Keep reading! We’ll explore the top reasons why hiring a VA is a must and how to hire your first VA with a leading remote staffing company like 20four7VA.

5 signs you should hire a virtual assistant

Alternative staffing solutions may not be for everyone. But if you relate to any of the below situations, it’s time to consider hiring your first virtual assistant.

1. You need help managing your workload.

As a business owner, you will likely wear multiple hats to keep the business running smoothly. In the daytime, you’re managing operations; in the afternoon, you’re probably busy with end-of-day financial reconciliation and checking your schedule for the next day. Even if you can do all these well, spending too much time on non-core, routine tasks can hinder you from focusing on your executive duties. And on a personal level, bearing too many responsibilities can negatively impact your overall well-being.

Entrepreneurs and business leaders who hire virtual assistants can regain their time and energy. By effectively delegating important yet non-core tasks to remote staff, they can clear up both their desks and minds. And in doing so, they can finally focus on high-level responsibilities such as drawing up revenue-generating strategies or finding new growth opportunities.

2. You’re ready to grow your business.

“Business growth, no matter what it looks like for you, takes effort and planning,” advises 20four7VA President and CEO Catherine vanVonno. It also requires help. It’s difficult to expand your operations or amp up your capacity without the right tools and people.

For example, if you want to increase the capacity of your online store, adding an ecommerce virtual assistant can help you process more orders and handle customer service tasks. And if you want to increase the number of closed deals for your real estate agency, you may need to fill your sales pipeline. A real estate VA can assist with cold calling and lead generation to help you find more qualified leads.

3. You want to save on costs.

VAs already have the basic tools—a laptop and internet connection—to handle remote work. This means business owners have less barriers to finding the talent they need. One of the most significant barriers to adding more staff is the costs associated with new hires.

Businesses hire virtual assistant services to get the support they need without breaking the bank. You won’t need to allocate additional funds for new equipment and office supplies.

What makes virtual staffing a cost-effective option is that you can hire part-time or project-based VAs. Instead of locking in on a full-time contract, your VA will only be hired and paid for the hours you need them to. This setup is also advantageous for VAs looking for more flexibility or an extra source of income.

4. The local labor market is competitive.

It’s tough competing with other businesses for the top talent in your area. Some employers may have deeper pockets and larger recruitment arms. But that shouldn’t limit small and medium-sized businesses! Virtual staffing offers a more vast global talent pool. You can find skilled individuals from across the world who can do a job just as well as someone from your city or state.

5. You need someone with specialized skills.

To reach greater heights, sometimes you need to introduce new elements into the fold. And there will be times when you must bring in people to handle tasks that aren’t your forte. Delegating tasks is a crucial part of achieving sustainable success. British business magnate Sir Richard Branson says it best, “From a young age, I learned to focus on the things I was good at and delegate to others what I was not good at.”

New projects like an upgraded website or a digitalized accounting system require skills you or your team may not have. Adding someone with the right expertise to your team can help ensure the successful completion of the project without disrupting your regular operations or overloading your staff.

Ready to start delegating tasks to your virtual assistant? Schedule a free consultation call with our Growth Experts to get started.

Tips for hiring your first VA

If you’re ready to hire your first virtual assistant, make sure to keep these tips in mind.

Start by identifying the tasks you need help with

Being clear about the things you need assistance with is crucial. Listing the tasks you will delegate to your VA kickstarts the whole hiring process. First, it helps you decide just what type of VA you need. Do you need an Administrative VA for tasks like data entry and calendar management? Or do you require a Marketing VA for social media management and email marketing? Your list will also help estimate how many hours a week you need your remote talent to work with you.

Set a budget

When hiring a virtual assistant, setting a budget is crucial to ensure that you are making a cost-effective decision for your business. Whether you opt for a part-time, full-time, or project-based virtual assistant, ensure you have a clear budget in place. Doing so helps streamline your search process, allowing you to find a VA whose skills align with your needs and resources much faster.

Setting a budget also helps you set expectations and make more informed hiring decisions. A highly experienced technical VA working full-time will charge differently than a generalist virtual assistant who will support you part-time.

Ensure you’re ready to work with a VA

Before diving into virtual staffing, you and your business must be ready to work with remote talents. One of the most basic preparations should be to have the right tools in place to facilitate proper communication and collaboration with the virtual assistant. This includes using project management tools, communication platforms, and file-sharing systems to streamline workflows and keep track of assignments effectively.

Aside from tools, fostering a culture of open communication is crucial. You must set clear and realistic expectations for working with a distributed team. Identifying channels for synchronous and asynchronous communication, regular check-ins, and a practice of welcoming diverse ideas.

A virtual assistant may not always have access to you or other in-office staff. If they have questions about certain tasks, it would help to have resources that they can refer to. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines should be readily available online to provide the necessary framework for the virtual assistant to understand processes and tasks efficiently.

Learn about the top tools you need when managing a VA! Visit the 20four7VA blog or get in touch with us for more VA staffing tips.

Consider your options

A simple web search with the keywords “virtual assistants for hire” may lead you to platforms where you can find VAs. However, reviewing the different options is a must if you want to recruit the most suitable VA for your needs.

Here are some of the common channels you can explore when trying to find a VA:

• Referrals: By hiring a virtual assistant through referrals, you can benefit from a more personalized and trustworthy recommendation. However, a potential downside of relying solely on referrals is limited options. Depending on your network, you may not have access to a wide pool of talents with the level of expertise you require. Consider combining getting referrals with other recruitment methods to ensure you find the best VA for your specific needs.
• Freelance marketplaces: Freelance marketplaces are popular platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, where business owners can find virtual assistants. These platforms offer a wide range of freelancers with various skills and expertise that clients can connect with.

While freelance platforms offer convenience, there are some drawbacks to consider. There’s a high risk of encountering scams and inconsistent quality of work. The freelancers you interact with may ask for payment upfront without delivering the work. Plus, the quality of work may not be up to your standards, especially if candidates aren’t vetted well.

• Remote staffing companies: Remote staffing companies can connect clients with skilled virtual assistants. Staffing companies typically have a large pool of pre-vetted VAs with various skills and expertise. They help clients like you save time and energy with the recruitment process.

Additionally, full-service VA companies go beyond VA-client matching. They provide the end-to-end services business owners may need to fully enjoy the benefits that remote staffing can bring. Services include performance management, IT assistance, and payroll processing. Overall, remote staffing companies make the process of hiring and working with a VA efficient and productive.

Looking for more tips on how to hire a virtual assistant? Visit the 20four7VA blog today. Or better yet, book a free consultation call with our Growth Experts for more information.

Why choose 20four7VA?

When it comes to remote staffing, it’s best to work with a reputable VA company like 20four7VA. “20four7VA helps businesses grow through cost-effective and scalable staffing solutions,” shares 20four7VA Business Development Manager Joan Bañez. “Our award-winning services have been recognized by various global institutions from Inc. Magazine to the World Staffing Awards.”

When you hire your VA with us, you get a full team of support staff to help you on your remote staffing journey. Our services include:

• Free Client-VA matching
• IT Helpdesk
• VA management
• Dedicated customer support
• HR support
• And more

How to hire your first virtual assistant with us

Ready to find your first VA? Let 20four7VA help. We can match you with the best VA for your needs through these four simple steps:

1. First, fill out the 20four7VA consultation call form so that we can better understand your staffing requirements.
2. The 20four7VA team will review our pool of remote talents to find the top candidates. We’ll shortlist based on the approved job description (JD).
3. We will arrange interview appointments so you can interview the shortlisted candidates. If needed, we can help administer test tasks to give you a better understanding of the skill levels of the candidates.
4. Once you’ve selected your VA, we’ll set up your account. And just like that, your first-ever virtual assistant will be ready to work with you on the next business day.

Hiring a virtual assistant can give your business a much-needed boost. From providing specialized support to empowering you to focus on your executive responsibilities, virtual staffing offers a wide range of benefits.

And with 20four7VA, the process of hiring a virtual assistant is made even more convenient and effective. Our thorough vetting process, wide talent pool, and dedicated support team all work to ensure that your experience with finding and working with your first virtual assistant is a positive one.

So why wait? Schedule a free consultation call with 20four7VA today!