Running a business means handling several administrative tasks. These can often be repetitive and time-consuming, taking away from more strategic work to grow the company. If you are running a small business, you are likely doing bookkeeping, data entry, social media posting, and similar activities yourself, because hiring a new employee is too expensive. Not to mention, added costs like office space, designated computers, and benefits for new hires can significantly eat into a limited budget.
Luckily, you can outsource these tasks to a virtual assistant (VA) for a fraction of the cost. VAs are skilled and experienced remote workers who work for a fixed amount, usually on a per-hour or per-project basis. They specialize in social media, graphic design, real estate, law, executive functions, and many other fields. VAs can cut operational expenses by up to 78%, making them an attractive option for growing businesses!
While a simple online search reveals thousands of VAs available for hire, finding a good one can get tricky. Online marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork list independent professionals, but they are not verified and a dedicated experience manager is unavailable. Staffing agencies can be more reliable, but their VAs often work in multiple time zones, and finding a good fit could be a trial-and-error process.
In this blog, we will take the guesswork out of hiring a VA. Here are 10 tips you can use when choosing the right VA for your business:
Document the tasks you need to do: different VAs perform different tasks according to their specialization and you should have a clear idea of what you need help with. If you run a real estate agency or a law firm, you can find specialized VAs to help you with related tasks. Executive VAs work as personal assistants and do several miscellaneous activities. You can hire VAs who do data entry, email management, social media, graphic design, marketing, e-commerce, and more.
While individuals who offer VA services on online marketplaces can charge as little as $3 or $5 per hour, it is difficult to vet them. Reviews and portfolios are available, but finding someone to vouch for the quality of their work and efficiency can be difficult. Moreover, you must continue working with the selected VA even if you have a problem with them, and accept sub-standard work. On the other hand, a staffing agency vets VAs that are a part of its talent pool (VAs usually apply to join an agency and sit for tests). An agency will try to understand your needs and offer suitable matches, with some even letting you conduct interviews. Moreover, many offer risk-free trial periods and have backup VAs available.
When moving forward with an agency, remember that not all agencies are equal and some charge significantly more than others. Usually, VAs with U.S.-based assistants will charge more than those with offshore VAs, with the difference in thousands of dollars. For example, Delegated, a U.S.-based agency, charges $3,600 for 75 hours per month while Leverage Assistants, with offshore VAs, charges $2,600 per month for full-time assistants. An American assistant does not necessarily mean they can do the job better — VAs based in Latin America, the Philippines, and India speak fluent English and are highly qualified; the difference in pay usually reflects the lower cost of living in these countries.
Agencies offer different pricing plans, each with unique features. Plans can differ not only by cost and hours but also by covering specific tasks, offering free replacement VAs, risk-free trials, having different numbers of VAs working for you, dedicated VA managers, and more. Different agencies can offer plans based on the kind of and number of tasks you need completed (Fancy Hands works on a per-task basis and offers a three-task minimum subscription) while others can offer VAs for a fixed number of hours (40,60, etc) or on a part-time basis (GlobalHola has plans for 20 hours/week, 30 hours/week, and full-time).
Most agencies have matching processes that include a consultation call to understand your needs followed by shortlisting VAs for you to choose from. We recommend going with an agency, such as Leverage Assistants, that is more involved: during the consultation, pay special attention to whether the agency attempts to understand the company culture at your workplace. Later, they should send VAs’ resumes and also invite you to interview them yourself so you can evaluate their skills, expertise, and personality to decide if they would be a good fit.
When hiring a VA, you want the onboarding process to be as smooth as possible. We recommend selecting an agency with dedicated managers who help the VA integrate into your team and are also available in case any issues arise. You should have access to resources (training, booklets, etc) to help integrate the assistant better and the manager should check in regularly to ensure everything is going smoothly. Ideally, agencies will also offer a risk-free period (usually 14 days) where you get your money back if you are unsatisfied, and a backup VA in case the primary assistant is unavailable or cannot complete the tasks to your satisfaction.
Agencies, through their matching process, should assign a primary VA and a backup VA. Additionally, the agency should offer to roll over unused hours. Often, a VA hired for 40 hours may only work for 30; the remaining 10 hours should be available to you for the next month. Similarly, pay attention to the cost of each additional hour in case you need the VA for more work. Agencies might price plans aggressively to undercut competitors but charge more for each additional hour!
Whether you opt for an agency or an independent VA, reading reviews should be a prerequisite. Agencies usually have testimonials on their websites of satisfied clients and feature some of the companies they have worked with. A quick online search will also reveal unbiased reviews, which can be useful, especially if clients have had a subpar experience with a particular agency. Similarly, you should pay close attention to independent VAs’ ratings on online marketplaces, read the low- and highly-rated reviews, and review their portfolio and turn-around time.
Most agencies offer a risk-free trial from a few hours to 14 days. Use this time to delegate tasks and check if the VA fits well into the company culture. You can use this time to set up a communication system that works and solve any onboarding issues that may arise.
Treating your VA respectfully and valuing their time and effort goes a long way in getting better results. An assistant who feels integrated into and comfortable within a team is more likely to work well. For example, if an executive VA works from 9am. to 6pm, you should refrain from sending requests outside working hours.
Founded by serial entrepreneurs, Leverage Assistants is a white-glove service that helps you find 1% assistants and then teaches you how to build leverage with them. If you're interested in a strategy session to learn how to use an assistant, click here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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