Wow, I actually hired a virtual assistant (VA) to help me get things organized with my business makeover. This was a hard decision because I've always been the hands-on business owner and releasing control is hard. Don't get me wrong, I can delegate when the need arises but to actually had over tasks that I'm used to doing, has been hard.
To help me determine who I should hire as my VA, I chose to ask for references from my mentor Mari Smith (@MariSmith) and she gave me 5 VA names. I immediately contacted them via Facebook but the strangest thing is that only one of the persons responded to me. I thought this was strange because if you are in business and someone contacts you about your services, it's customary that you respond. So I communicated with the person who responded and now she and I are developing a working relationship.
What are some of the lessons that I learned from my experience in hiring a VA, hmmm let me share:
- Ask people you trust for referrals
- Make sure that you know what you are looking for in a VA
- Hire someone who is professional
- Hire someone who is prompt in responding to you
- Be prepared to sign an agreement, if they don't have one then you should be concerned
- Be open to suggestion from the VA in how they can best assist you
and then