Once you have made the decision to hire a Virtual Assistant, all you have to do is find one that suits you and your business. This is not always as easy as it sounds!
There are hundreds of VA’s out there. Some work in certain fields, specialise in supporting specific individuals or businesses, some are techie, some are not, so how do you find the right one for you?
Here are a few tips to point you in the right direction.
- Do your research. Go online, VA’s use social media as a marketing platform. You can really use this to check them out, look at their profiles, websites and testimonials. This will tell you what they specialise in and who they support. This is especially helpful if you are looking for a VA with a particular skill set or specialism.
- Referrals and recommendations – Do you know anyone that uses a VA? Ask around and get some recommendations. There is nothing more reliable for assessing a VA’s experience than talking to the people that actually work with them. Use your network and reach out. Somebody you know will use a VA and you never know they may have capacity and be the perfect fit for you as well!
- If you network, in all likelihood there will be a Virtual Assistant within the group. Get to know them, find out what their specialism is, does anyone else know or work with them? Again, a personal recommendation is worth its weight in gold. If they cannot help you or do not have capacity they will be able to recommend someone who can.
- VA mentors and trainers are another great source of information. They will know the VA’s that they have trained, know the niche’s they support and what they are best at. They will often recommend VA’s to business owners.
- You get what you pay for so be careful if you see an individual advertising for £5 per hour. On average in the UK, a good VA will charge anywhere between £25 and £35 per hour, more if they specialise in a particular area. The value a Virtual Assistant can bring to your business is extensive, they are worth every penny.
- Go with your gut. Like anything in business, sometimes it is just about listening to your gut. When you have that call, if it doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t. You might talk with a VA with all the right experience and knowledge, but you just don’t click. And if you do not click it won’t work. Gut instinct is sometimes all you need to know if a VA is the right person to work with.
If you are looking for a Virtual Assistant and would like to chat about what you need, feel free to give us a call, email emma@theumbrellatree.co.uk or visit www.theumbrellatree.co.uk