Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Virtual Assistant

From social media management, email management and other administrative tasks —  choosing the right virtual assistant can help you take your business to the next level.

Choosing the right virtual assistant is essential to the success of your business. You’ll need someone who is reliable, excellent with communication, and able to perform the tasks you need to be completed.

These questions are going to help you choose the best virtual assistant to help you with business tasks so you can focus on the most important parts of expanding your business.

What’s their background?

Depending on the industry you’re in this information is crucial. If you’re a health and wellness business then you might want a virtual assistant who is familiar with wellness lingo or has experience working with other wellness companies.

Checking references and testimonials is also a great way to vet your new virtual assistant. Before going on a hiring spree sit down and ask yourself what does the virtual assistant need to know to do their job.

This way you’ll be able to pinpoint exactly what needs to be done in your business and which virtual assistant will be the best fit.

What systems do they use?

Again, this differs from business to business. A tech start-up will use different systems than a social media agency.

Write down the systems you use and the systems the virtual assistant will need to be well versed in to do their job correctly.

This could be as simple as Microsoft Office or certain scheduling/project management tools like Asana and ClickUp.

When choosing a virtual assistant it’s okay if they aren’t proficient in everything you use. You can teach them how you like things done and if they’re a quick learner you’ll have no problem.

What personalities can I work with?

This is one important aspect that business owners usually forget about when choosing a virtual assistant.

You’re most likely going to be talking to this person regularly or at least communicating via email and text. Are you the type of person that likes to have phone calls and meetings via Skype?

Or would you rather text and email your virtual assistant when you need something done or have an update?

Are you passive when it comes to getting work done or are you going to be checking in once a day to make sure everything is running smooth?

These are a few things to think about when considering the personality of the virtual assistant you hire. Ask friends, family, and co-workers what kind of personality you have, then try to find a virtual assistant to match you.

What’s my budget?

Virtual assistants with more than 15 years of experience will have different rates than virtual assistants who are just starting out.  Those virtual assistants who charge tens of thousands per month are working with large companies.

If you’re a small business owner [or on a budget] avoid going for the virtual assistant who has all the experience and credentials.

Before you even search for a virtual assistant keep your budget in mind so you’re not undervaluing someone’s work ethic and expertise. Be open about your budget and communicate whether or not you can be flexible.

Will this be long term?

Some people only need to choose a virtual assistant to work with for a short period of time. Maybe you need temporary help on a new project.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for an executive virtual assistant who will be in this for the long haul make that clear when looking through applications.

Including this information in your application will save both you and the prospective virtual assistant time. You can always go based off of a “trial period” where you test the waters to see if this relationship will work.

I personally work with small creative business owners in a wide variety of niches. Whether you sell pet products, handmade jewelry, kid’s clothing or art work, I get the benefits and unique quality of handmade products. As well as the unique challenges you might be facing as an entrepreneur. I’ve been in the handmade community for over 12 years myself! If you want to hire me as a virtual assistant please check out my website’s homepage for a full list of services I offer, and if you think we would be a good fit, feel free to reach out!