No, but really.
Do you actually need to hire a virtual assistant (VA), or did someone suggest it to you as a logical next step?
Many productivity gurus, especially fans of The 4-Hour Workweek, say that your first hire in a solo business should be a VA. And preferably someone from a country with a lower cost of living, like the Philippines or South Africa.
While this advice sounds all fine and dandy, it’s not always the right fit for everyone.
In reality, many people on the receiving end of this advice haven’t fully thought through whether it’s the right time to bring someone on board – or even what they need help with. But they push forward anyway, hoping to figure it out as they go.
I should know – my very first business involved venturing into the world as a VA and then a Business Manager. And later, I was on the other side, hiring a VA in an attempt to help me do more in my business.
One thing I learned early on was that it’s crucial to be clear on the VA’s role in your business before bringing them on – in situations where things didn’t work out, it was usually because business owners skipped the early planning stages they needed to do before they started the hiring process.
If you’ve crunched the numbers and clearly defined what you need help with, hiring a VA can work out beautifully. But if you’re unclear or it’s not the best time for you, the working relationship will eventually fall apart, which isn’t great for anyone involved.
Don’t let that happen to you (or an unsuspecting VA). Here’s how to decide if a virtual assistant is a good choice for your current situation or if you should consider other options.
Situations where a VA would be helpful
Let’s start with the ideal scenarios.
A VA can be extremely beneficial if you can pinpoint specific tasks or processes that need to be managed, but you don’t have the time (or desire) to do them yourself. If these tasks are straightforward and can be easily documented, a VA can seamlessly take them over.
If you need a PA to help with admin tasks like diary management, customer service, document management, etc., a VA can come in clutch.
And for non-client facing activities such as research, creating templates, managing backend systems, and similar tasks, a VA can handle the workload efficiently.
Situations where you’re probably better off with another solution
Now, on the other hand, if you’re struggling but don’t know what the problem is, a VA is unlikely to be the right solution. A VA is there to help you get things done, not to troubleshoot unidentified issues (unless it’s task-specific).
Similarly, if you feel the need to micromanage because the VA isn’t doing things right, that could be a ‘you problem’ because it means your processes aren’t clear enough for them to follow.
If you don’t know what to hand off to the VA because you feel there isn’t much you can delegate, this could either be a case of you not understanding the value of having help, or an issue with letting go of control.
Either way, it’s super demoralising for the VA.
Alternatives to hiring a VA
When I first started as a VA, many of my early clients expected me to “make myself useful” with little to no guidance, while others eventually realised they didn’t know what to do with me. This often led to wasted time and energy sitting around, and wasted money for the client who had booked a block of hours in advance.
Looking back, I can see these clients needed to do more work on building their foundations before involving a VA. And you can do that by hiring an Online Business Manager (OBM).
Also known as a Digital Business Manager (DBM), an OBM can take over operations management and handle processes, including managing a VA.
Working with a specialist like me can be transformative. Instead of taking control and implementing standard systems in your micro business, I’ll help you step back and reassess your hiring needs with fresh eyes.
If and when you’re ready to hire a VA, I’ll help you set up a clear hiring strategy and process to make sure your new team hire is a good fit for your project, breaking this down into phases to give you clarity at every step.
Along the way, you might even discover you don’t (yet) need a VA after all – but if you do, I’ve definitely got you covered.
So, do you still think you need to hire a VA?
There’s nothing wrong with making a VA your first hire, but it’s crucial to be clear on how and where they will fit into your business. Sometimes, a VA won’t be the right fit, and that’s okay.
The most important thing is to have a firm foundation in place, so you’re ready to hire when the time is right.
