How to Find the Right Virtual Assistant?

As a small business owner, there seems like there’s not enough time in the day to take care of mundane tasks. Your time and energy are consumed with operational functions, and having to take care of emails, social media, and research adds more stress.

Perhaps you have considered hiring an administrative assistant, yet you don’t have the budget to bring someone on full-time. A virtual assistant can be an effective alternative to an administrative assistant and can help take care of day-to-day tasks so that you can concentrate on your business.

The idea of hiring a virtual assistant might be jarring to most small business owners because you usually don’t get to meet the person before you hire them physically. With in-person contact at the wayside, here are some skills and qualities to look for when hiring a virtual assistant.

Strong Communication Skills

A virtual assistant will not only be communicating with you, but she or he will also be talking on behalf of you and your business. You want your virtual assistant to be able to communicate clearly and effectively – both in written and verbal forms. Look for proper grammar and fluency in your initial interactions, and ask for samples of past work.

Social Media Experience

One of the biggest tasks of a virtual assistant is managing your company’s social media accounts. Your virtual assistant should know more than just the basics when it comes to social media. For example, Facebook offers advertising services for business which allows you to launch a campaign geared towards a target audience. Your virtual assistant should know how to segment the groups of people who see the ads.

Have a Proven Track Record

Since you may never get to meet your virtual assistant in person, the best way to verify that they will be a good fit is by asking past and current clients about her or his performance.

Are you ready to hire a virtual assistant? Before you can get started, you will need to prepare a Virtual Assistant Agreement that lays out the performance expectations and compensation for the job. With this Virtual Assistant Agreement template, drafting the agreement won’t be a tedious task. Simply fill in your information, print it out, and email it to your prospective virtual assistant to sign.