I might be biased, but hiring a virtual assistant can be an essential part of your business’s growth. As the founder of The Creative VA Academy®, I have helped over 200 students start and grow their Creative VA Business!

A virtual assistant is able to do work for you, remotely, without taking up space in your office. Plus, they only bill for the hours they work! But before you pick the perfect virtual assistant, there are 5 steps you need to do to ensure a smooth working relationship.

1. Find The Right Type Of Virtual Assistant

Not all virtual assistants are the same. Each person has their own niche and expertise. Some types include:

• Project manager
• Social media marketer
• Pinterest manager
• Content creation and copywriting
• Email marketing
• Analytics and SEO
• Accounting and Administrative

At Ava And The Bee, we are not virtual assistants, but a boutique marketing agency. We specialize in working with wedding professionals on their content, blogging, Pinterest, marketing strategy, email marketing, and website updates. Before picking a virtual assistant, ask what they specialize, and see if it aligns with your needs.

2. Set a Budget

It’s important to have a budget pre-set, so you know what you can afford. If your budget is $500/month but you expect 40 hours of work per month, you might want to re-evaluate your needs, and what needs to be done first. Keep in mind, most virtual assistants will be $30-$60 an hour. Most will also have a minimum number of hours per month – called a retainer. The last thing you want to do is drop a great assistant because you do not prioritize your tasks and run out of budget!

3. Get Tasks Ready

Before your virtual assistant begins, have a list of tasks ready to go! Before booking, I always ask my clients to think of the top 3 items they want to tackle. This way we can prioritize, and know what to do first. Keep in mind, a virtual assistant is only as good as the work given! If you do not have tasks laid out, and give direction, we can’t help. While we can often help you figure out how to do certain tasks, it’s important to also have a clear direction prior to assigning it, so we know the final vision and outcome.

4. Set a Realistic Timeframe

When figuring out what tasks to outsource, have a reasonable timeframe for things to get done. If you have a project that is urgent, make the virtual assistant aware so they can let you know if they can accommodate it.  Also, be aware that your assistant will have multiple clients, and will take time before completing a project. Most projects I do have a 3-8 day turnaround, depending on the task.

5. Learn to Let Go

I know how hard it is to let go, and give tasks over to another person. Especially one who is “virtual” like me, and isn’t in your workspace every day. But to run your company, you need to focus on the most important things to run your company. And you need to focus on YOU time. When you hire a virtual assistant, you need to learn to let go, and not micro-manage them. Yes, they want direction, and yes questions are welcome! But remember, you hired them for a reason, and for their expertise.

Hire A Creative Virtual Assistant

If you are looking for a Creative Virtual Assistant for your business, reach out to The Creative VA Academy! Through their matchmaking program, they can help you find the best fit for your business – for free! With over 1200 virtual assistants in their network, they are able to find you someone quickly.