Collaborative Genius - Why a VA is a Great Asset to Your Business
As a creative you are likely the type of person who likes things done your way and needs to feel you have control of ALL situations! Honey, I know. The thing is, as your business grows, you will NOT be able to do everything.
Especially if you are doing business online and are not trained in all the latest technology.
But, there are people who ARE trained in all the latest technology, are good at organizing and actually get pleasure out of organizing. This last statement bewilders the hell out of me but I digress...
There are people that you can work with online who can help you do all of your organizing, social media posting, appointment booking and systems set up so that you can work on creating!
They are called virtual assistants or VAs. I think that VA also stands for Very Appreciated and Vastly Advantageous!
It does take some time to find the right fit where your VA is concerned and, the right fit may change as your business does. Be open about changing your VA when you are no longer a fit.
There are a lot of people in this industry that do not do high quality work and if you notice this, let go of them right off and move on to finding someone who will give you great work at a price that works for you.
The steps you can take to find a wonderful assistant are:
Decide what you want done and write a list
Get really clear about this list so that you can ask people for exactly what you need and they can tell you whether or not they are a fit for you. In the beginning, when I was looking I expected the VA to tell me what they could do for me and then realized that I was hiring and so had to be crystal clear with what I needed!
Decide How Much you can Afford
As I mentioned, there is a huge range for what people charge. Go on Upwork and see the hourly rates that people post for the type of tasks you need completed and then decide what you can afford. Stick to this amount so that you do not find yourself in a difficult situation and need to look for a new VA. Remember, you are the owner of your company and need to be the one who chooses what is right for it.
Begin Your Search
Look on sites like Fiverr, Upwork and Freelancer to find profiles of people who do what you are looking for. You can also post an ad on these sites for free and they will send you possible candidates.
Tap into your friends on social media and tell them you are looking