5 Simple Steps to Choosing the Perfect Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business
Choosing a small business virtual assistant can be an investment in a lasting business partnership. That’s why small businesses need to select carefully and intentionally to ensure the best fit and function. Finding the right virtual assistant can be a game changer if you’re looking to cut costs, streamline operations and grow your business.
In this guide, you will better understand how to select the best virtual assistant in 5 easy steps from defining your business needs and budget to conducting targeted interviews for that final decision. Here, you’ll discover the best actionable strategies for ensuring you choose the right virtual assistant for your small business, so let’s dive in!
Step 1: Define Your Business Needs for a Virtual Assistant
When you decide you’d like a small business virtual assistant to add to your team, the first step is to outline why you need one and what tasks and responsibilities you need them to complete daily.
This primes you for establishing a solid, successful partnership with your new hire. To maximize productivity, define clearly from the outset what their purpose and function will be in your team. Here’s how you can do so more effectively:
Identify Core Tasks to Delegate to a Virtual Assistant
To find the best virtual assistant, list the daily, weekly and monthly tasks you’d like them to complete regularly. This enables you to refine what you expect to be their responsibilities so you can free up more time to focus on your strategic priorities.
Common time-consuming tasks for virtual assistants include scheduling, inbox management, social media, bookkeeping and customer service, to name a few. By detailing your expectations, you lay the groundwork for a partnership that is functional and beneficial to growing your business.
Determine Skills and Experience Requirements
Once you’ve defined the core tasks you’d like your small business virtual assistant to complete, identify the skills and experience that you’d like them to have. For example, if you need bookkeeping help, someone with data entry skills or accounting software experience might be useful.
In the same way, if you’re hiring a marketing virtual assistant, someone with a marketing background or social media expertise would be an asset. Ensuring you select the best virtual assistant based on their expertise would mean that they could make an immediate contribution to the team from day one.
Step 2: Choose Between Specialized and Generalist Virtual Assistants
When choosing a small business virtual assistant, decide whether you want task-specific support or whether you need a jack-of-all-trades generalist. The choice is yours but approach it through a distinct appreciation for what your precise needs are so that your dedicated VA can be a mission-critical asset to your team.
Understand the Difference Between Task-Specific and General VAs
A specialized small business virtual assistant has deep expertise in specific functions, like graphic design, marketing, legal or bookkeeping services. These skilled VAs dive deep into particular areas of your business to ensure that their skills meet your specific, tailored demands.
On the other hand, a general VA has a broader, more adaptable skill set, and can handle a host of duties, including appointment setting, inbox triage and client communications. Choosing between these two depends on your business needs and goals as well as whether you find more value in depth or flexibility of skill.
Assess Your Business’s Short and Long-Term Needs
If you require short, busy-season or project-based support, then a temporary VA might be more your fit. However, if you are looking for ongoing support, then you may want to go permanent to manage your businesses ongoing demands.
For longer assignments, finding the best virtual assistant support is key so that they can strategically grow with your scaling business demands. This enables you to have consistent and reliable support in the areas your business needs it most. Aligning your VA’s role with company needs is essential to ensuring future success and growth.
Step 3: Set Your Budget for Virtual Assistant Services
Setting a clear budget for your small business virtual assistant support is an essential step to ensuring sustainability. Your budget will depend on your VAs level of expertise as well as the frequency and type of work needed. In calculating your cost, factor in the ROI value that having a virtual assistant would bring in terms of your cost-savings to focus on greater strategic priorities.
Compare Costs of Different VA Types and Service Levels
The cost of a VA can vary greatly based on the type of demand, scope of work, and expertise required. Naturally, the greater the specialization and skill, the higher the prospective rate of service such that task-specific VAs demand a higher income than generalists. For example, small businesses need to budget for a higher rate for the specialized skill of bookkeeping or legal virtual assistants compared to admin VAs.
Also, premium charges may apply for full-time support whereas project or temp VA support might charge less. Understanding your business demands as well as the service levels helps you make a more informed decision for what type of support you need.
Factor in Your Expected ROI with a VA
A reliable virtual assistant can be strategically invaluable when it comes to their time and cost-saving benefits. So when you’re calculating your virtual assistant budget, consider the ROI garnered from having someone handle tedious and time-consuming tasks. By offloading these tasks, your VA can boost company productivity, while your team becomes freer to focus on more strategic initiatives. When considering the overall and net value to your small business, you gain better insight to make an informed decision about your possible budget.
Step 4: Research and Shortlist Virtual Assistant Agencies or Freelancers
Selecting the best virtual assistant agency or freelancer involves careful research into and vetting of all the best options. To make sure you partner with the most budget-friendly and quality VA service, review ones that have strong client feedback, extensive track records, and possess industry expertise. Also, ensure robust service support and guarantees so that you receive courteous and prompt attention should you need it.
Review VA Agency Portfolios and Client Testimonials
When considering which agency or freelancer to go with, take an in-depth review of their portfolio, offerings and client testimonials. Look for demonstrated successes relevant to your needed tasks and industry specialization. Customer reviews will ensure that they have a proven track record of satisfying client demands, on budget and as tasked.
At We Are Working, we specialize in providing small business virtual assistant solutions that are backed by solid customer reviews, technical expertise and affordable quality. Because we deliver expert VA support to meet the exacting demands of SMBs, our clients appreciate streamlined workflow, boosted productivity and empowered growth.
Evaluate Agency Support and Service Guarantees
An invaluable resource about working with a virtual assistant agency is the quality assurance support and dependable guarantees you get from securing their services. Because agencies vet and retain top quality talent, you have greater peace of mind that workflows remain efficient and managed.
Look for VA agencies that offer structured onboarding systems, robust training structures, and quality control management. Satisfaction and replacement guarantees are also worthwhile benefits.
At We Are Working, because we prioritize reliability, customization and expertise, we pride ourselves on the peace of mind we provide our clients. From vetting top quality talent to our comprehensive, dependable quality service guarantees, we ensure that each virtual assistant is equipped to exceed your expectations. Consistency, over-delivering and dependability are the hallmarks of the service solutions we provide.
Step 5: Conduct Interviews and Make Your Final Decision
The final step in selecting the best virtual assistant is conducting interviews and deciding on if they are the best fit for your business goals and culture. Interviewing each candidate with an ear for their work ethic, skill set and coachability will help ensure you have chosen the right person for the job.
Ask Key Questions to Gauge VA Skills and Fit
To best ensure that your virtual assistant will have top qualifications including adaptability, reliability and skill, prepare some questions you feel would get to the heart of that. Here are a few targeted ones that you can ask to zero into their fit:
- How do you prioritize your assignments when you manage multiple tasks?
- Can you provide examples of when you performed under tight deadlines?
- How do you prefer to keep effective and clear communication with stakeholders and team members throughout your day?
- Describe examples of how you’ve helped a small business team keep productive and efficient.
Questions like these ensure that your virtual assistant candidate can align effectively with your workflows, business goals and team culture. With We Are Working VA solutions, you can trust that your virtual assistant has been fully vetted for quality performance skills so that they can be an asset from day one.
Review Trial Periods and Onboarding Options
Trial period and structured onboarding processes help ensure that you have chosen the right small business virtual assistant for your needs and goals. During that trial period, you can confirm that you are comfortable with your VA’s workflow style, communication and work ethic by confirming that each job is completed efficiently as tasked.
A well-structured onboarding system ensures that your VA is smoothly and seamlessly integrated into your business’ workflow and team. At We Are Working, our flexible trial period and personalized onboarding system streamlines your VA’s success efficiently so you have confidence in the partnering process.
Bonus: How to Seamlessly Onboard and Retain Top Virtual Assistant Talent
To ensure your preferred small business virtual assistant onboards successfully and remains with your business for as long as you need, here are a few strategies to help make it a win-win:
- Create a Clear Onboarding VA Plan: Define and develop an onboarding process that lays out helpful company information, business protocols and expectations and any useful tools to get them going.
- Establish Consistent Communication Channels and Check-Ins: Keep an open door policy with regular video or instant messaging check-ins to ensure consistent workflows are maintained. This helps maintain clear communication, build rapport and quickly resolve any emerging issues.
- Provide Training and Upskilling Opportunities: Provide access to any business-relevant training and tools such that your interest in your VA’s professional growth redoubles their commitment to bring more value to your business.
- Offer Incentives for High Performance and Milestone Achievements: Reward your virtual assistant with project-based incentives or merit-based bonuses so that you reaffirm your appreciation to the value they are providing through their stake in your business.
Implementing these helpful strategies can go a long way in ensuring that your partnership thrives for the distance.
Excited to Discover How A We Are Working VA Can Streamline Your Workflow and Boost Your Business Growth?
At We Are Working, we’re here to help you make your workflows smoother and more productive. We specialize in ensuring your virtual assistant provides the support you need to grow your business. From choosing the right virtual assistant for your specific business needs and goals to seamlessly onboarding so they can contribute from day one, We Are Working is your answer for small business virtual assistant solutions. Contact us to discuss how we can help you scale your business today.
