Entrepreneurs and small business owners are constantly seeking new ways to grow, but they also need to find ways to grow sustainably. One solution that has gained immense popularity in recent years is hiring Virtual Assistants (VAs). Virtual Assistants are cost-effective and can join your team to fill any remote role in your company.
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Virtual assistants offer a range of benefits, including cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and access to a diverse pool of talent. In this blog post, we'll explore the ins and outs of staffing your company with virtual assistants and provide practical tips for maximizing their potential.
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Who are Virtual Assistants

Before diving into the hiring process, it's essential to understand what virtual assistants can bring to the table. Virtual assistants are remote workers who provide administrative, technical, or creative support to businesses from a remote location. They can handle a variety of tasks, including email management, scheduling, social media management, data entry, customer support, and more. 
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Outsourcing these tasks to virtual assistants allows business owners to focus on core activities that drive growth and profitability. Work ON your business, not IN your business.
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What can a Virtual Assistant do?

The first step in staffing your company with Virtual Assistants is to assess your needs. Identify tasks that are repeatedly done by YOU or by one of your team members. Now, ask yourself:

• Can this task be done remotely?
• Would the customer experience be negatively affected if this was done remotely?
• Would it be cost-effective for this task to be done for $10-20/hr?

If it can’t be done remotely, or if it would lead to a negative customer experience, hire someone in-person.
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If the task can be easily automated, look into automating it!
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Once you’ve found the tasks that can be done remotely and can’t be performed automatically, you’ve landed on a list that can be done by a Virtual Assistant.
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Now, flesh out the rest of the list with any additional details. Start to categorize the tasks into buckets based on job role. You want to find out how much work you have for a single job role.
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Are all of your tasks social media related? Or customer service related? Or operations related?
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Once you’ve categorized your tasks into these buckets, ask yourself if those tasks would reasonably take someone 20-40 hours per week of work.
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CONGRATS! You now have a list of tasks for at least one individual. You’re ready to hire a Virtual Assistant.
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Where do I find a Virtual Assistant?

Once you have a clear understanding of your requirements, it's time to start looking for virtual assistants. You can find qualified candidates by yourself on platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, and OnlineJobs.ph. 
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You can also use an agency (like Coconut VA) to perform the search for you. An agency will help you find, vet, and hire the right talent. An agency will handle all of the administrative tasks required to hire your Virtual Assistant. Agencies like ours will also help you deal with conflict resolution and even replace a VA if there are any issues of underperformance.
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You may be able to save money over time by hiring directly, but a staffing agency gives you back time and comfort by handling all of the hiring, payroll, and legal tasks involved with hiring someone remotely.
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Now What?
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• Effective Onboarding. Provide clear onboarding instructions and expectations from the outset to ensure that virtual assistants understand their roles and responsibilities.

• We recommend using a simple screen-recording tool like Loom to make quick tutorials and instructions.

• Establish Communication. Communication is key when working with virtual assistants, especially since they are not physically present in the office. Estalbish clear communication channels! 

• Use communication tools such as email, Slack, Zoom for day-to-day communication. Use project management tools such as Monday.com, Asana, or Trello to answer project-specific questions and stay up to date on project progress.

• Set Expectations. Define goals, deadlines, and deliverables for each task or project and communicate them effectively. Be upfront about your expectations regarding availability, response times, and communication protocols.
• Provide Feedback and Recognition. Provide constructive feedback regularly, highlighting areas of strength and areas for improvement. Acknowledge their contributions and recognize their hard work and dedication. 

• Positive reinforcement can boost morale and motivation, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Celebrate milestones and achievements to show appreciation for their efforts and contributions to the company's success.

• Evaluate Performance. Create key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure performance and meet regularly with your VA to assess performance.

• We recommend meeting with your VA at least weekly for effective project management.
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Conclusion

Staffing your company with virtual assistants can be a game-changer for your business. Virtual Assistants enable you to focus on the growth of your business while delegating routine or repeatable tasks to your team of VAs.