You’re buried in work and decide it’s time to hire some extra help. After much consideration, you start searching for a Virtual Assistant to work with you. But before you make the call, you need to take some time and have an idea of what you’ll need help with. Taking the time, in the beginning, to plan what you will outsource will help ensure that you not only find the right person to work with, but also someone with the right skill set for a long-term relationship.

Sometimes people make things harder than it needs to be…keep it simple but organized. Before you start on your search, take time to sit down and:

1. Make a list. Take at least 1 week and start writing down the things that come up on a regular basis that you need help with or can’t find the time to do. If you are working with another party or employees, ask them to do the same. VA’s can not only be an asset to a solopreneur, but also in aiding your team in project assistance or other responsibilities they can’t find the time to do.
2. From the list, decide which areas are teachable. If you can teach someone to do a task then you can outsource it and move on to bigger things.
3. From what is teachable, identify the most time-consuming tasks. There are many things we do on a daily basis that although they are important in the support of your business, may not be worth your time doing if it’s not directly related to generating income.
4. Pick the tasks that you enjoy least. Why would you keep doing things you don’t like doing? If it falls into the category of being teachable then it’s a responsibility your new VA can do.

Having your list broken down into these four parts will help you to not only find the right Virtual Assistant with the background and experience you need but also give you a starting point for your VA to get to know you and your work.

Now that you have figured out what your VA will do, it’s time to start your search. Whether you’re looking for a freelance Virtual Assistant or you decide to use an agency, there’s still a process that you need to follow from the beginning for the relationship to be successful.

Once your VA is hired and her responsibilities are outlined, you need to make sure you have the following in place:

1. Take time, in the beginning, to teach them or assign someone on your team to do this. Just because someone is a digital marketing specialist doesn’t mean they will know how you want your campaign run on day 1. Make sure all of your concerns are addressed in the beginning and you have checks and balances in place to monitor progress from the start for fewer headaches in the end.
2. Be reachable. Don’t let emails or messages go unanswered. From Day 1 have a system in place for how to handle questions that arise and emergency situations. It’s always best to have an instant messaging app in place for your VA or virtual team.
3. Set up a time at the end of each day or week for an update on tasks or projects assigned. Having this in place from the start will help eliminate questions on where things stand.

Deciding what areas you can outsource is typically one of the biggest hurdles when someone is starting out with a VA. Taking the time in the beginning to make your 4-step list will not only give you a good starting point for your Virtual Assistant, but will also give you guidance once your relationship is established on the areas you can utilize to add to their responsibilities.

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