Five tips for working with a Virtual Assistant

About six months ago I came to the realisation that my business could not keep growing if I was the only person working on it. I was running out of time and energy. It was at this moment I began to explore the idea of engaging a Virtual Assistant.

If you are not sure what a Virtual Assistant (VA) is, Kathie M. Thomas has written a great article called Working virtually: A definition.

I engaged my Virtual Assistant four months ago and in that time she has become an invaluable resource and contribution to my business – she even babysat my business for four and a half weeks when I went overseas on holidays.

Many people I have spoken to have shared stories about their difficulties making their VA relationship work well and have asked me how I got so lucky.

I can tell you luck has had nothing to do with this! Here are five tips for creating a successful and productive relationship with a Virtual Assistant.

1. Be clear about what you want your Virtual Assistant to do

The first thing I did was a brainstorm of all the activities I currently did that I would like someone else to do. I then compiled a list of all the things I wasn’t getting done which fell into two categories:

things I would like my VA to do for me

things that I wanted to do when I had more time (thanks to my VA taking on existing work).

This allowed me to find a Virtual Assistant that had skills and experience to match my requirements.

2. Articulate your personal quirks

As a soloist so much about the way I worked was inside my head – such as how I like my day structured, what my response times to enquiries are and how I word my email correspondence. Having someone else to work with meant I needed to articulate all of these things, which is easier said than done!

3. Be explicit with instructions and deadlines

This may seem to be stating the obvious but it never ceases to amaze me how many people issue a request for work to be done without a deadline attached. Then they get annoyed when the work is not completed when they want it! Deadlines can be as specific as ‘Wednesday 3pm’ or as general as ‘by the end of this week’, just ensure you have one.

You also need to be explicit with instructions as it reduces the chance of miscommunication or error. Remember, much of what you do is habit and you can’t assume someone else will think the same way you do.

4. Agree on work flow processes

Spend time in the early stages of your working relationship agreeing on work flow processes. How will you share information? How will you ensure things don’t slip through cracks or get double handled? How will you issue instructions – verbally or in writing? Will you send requests as they happen or save them up in batches?

Discussing these things up front will minimise the chance of things going wrong.

5. Be willing to let go

I am a self confessed control freak. The most challenging thing for me was to let go of tasks and trust my VA to do a great job. I didn’t want to drive my VA crazy by always checking on work and timelines. To help soothe the control freak within me, we created processes which ensure I am updated regularly on the progress of work.

Having a Virtual Assistant can be a wonderful addition to your soloist business. Take the time to create the structures that will support it being a great experience for both of you.

Have you had any experiences of your own?

Linda Anderson is a Certified Professional Coach dedicated to helping people live bold and rewarding lives. Linda has an energetic and direct style of coaching which suits people who like to be challenged.

12 comments | Add your own 1 2 | Next» View all»

Linda, thanks for your article. I still have a few unanswered questions about VA's. I have a hard time getting my head around what sort of activities a VA could do for me. How much should I expect to pay a VA? Is it better to find a VA locally or doesn't it matter? Heather Smith from Brisbane
Great advice, Linda, as most of us soloists are probably control freaks to some degree - otherwise we'd take the comfortable salary and paid holidays and sickies! Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles
Heather - these are great questions! You have inspired me to write a follow up article ... stay tuned.
If anyone else has questions I invite you to post them ... Linda Anderson from Sydney, Australia | Read my articles
I've used a VA for coming up to 7 years now and to answer Heather's questions I can report that: 1. Geographical location has never been an issue for me. My VA is in the same State, but really need not be. I have never been to her office, nor has she been to mine.
2. On the topic of pay. The people I use charge slightly differently depending on the nature of work. If it's accounting it's $40 an hour. If it's stuffing envelopes it's less. Time is monitored very closely and the overal costs are very competitive. The best thing is I'm never concerned about keeping my VA busy...but she's always there for when I get too busy. robert Gerrish from Flying Solo | Read my articles
Hi everyone,
It's fantastic to read such positive feedback and testimonials with regard to using Virtual Assistants.
My partner Suzanne and I recently launched a fully automated employment site and agency specifically to connect soloists to all home based professionals including Virtual Assistants.
The idea was born because because myself and Suzanne, both working mums, wished to create an arena to provide work for mums or more mature women who were finding it difficult to secure full-time work in the traditional corporate world. Interest has since widened the scope attracting all individuals wanting to operate in a virtual environment, uniquely enabling them to work on a flexible basis while achieving the lifestyle they seek and continuing to work in their chosen profession.
Virtual Assistants and home based workers have the ability to work independently away from the normal office environment and can save businesses, especially soloists, time and money. Heather in answer to your query regarding what they can do, the people registered with us are able to complete administrative, secretarial, marketing, project management, company recruitment, book-keeping and event organization to name but a few activities on offer from the VA's. They mostly come from a corporate background with senior experience. With regard to rates it varies depending on the work involved but rates start at around $35 per hour, but of course as Robert mentions, you only pay for the time you need, and you can set the budget up front. I agree with Robert's comments that your VA need not be in the same state as you for most activities undertaken but some of our clients prefer a locally based person as they provide the VA with training and technology updates especially those undertaking 'call centre' or receptionist duties.
Our site allows soloists to either download resumes direct for a one-off and very reasonable rate so that you can engage your VA direct, or we can engage them for you and we take care of the paperwork and payments. Whatever suits you best.
VA's offers the soloist access to reliable, high quality resources without the hassle and expense of hiring a staff member.
I look forward to reading Linda's next article and am happy to assist in any way I can in answering further queries from soloists with regard to engaging a VA.
Caroline McAuliffe from Sydney Australia
Hi everyone,
I'm Linda's VA and will help Linda put together a follow up article with all your questions answered.
Please post anything else you would like to know about working with a VA and I'll ensure they get added to the article. Debbie Corlet from Sydney Australia

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