VA TIPS - 5 things people get wrong about working with a Virtual Assistant
Posted on 14th February 2023 at 20:13
Five things people get wrong about working with a Virtual Assistant
It’s no secret that being supported by the right virtual assistant can be a game changer to the ambitious small business owner.
The Virtual Assistant industry has EXPLODED over the past decade and an ever growing number of brilliant entrepreneurs are expanding their empires (and impact!) by outsourcing and delegating the elements to their business that simply don’t light them up! Quite rightly so!
Not many people start businesses with the intention to spend their days doing the admin…..
Well, we did so you don’t have to!
Over the years we’ve supported countless clients in countless ways. With the intention of saving you a lot of time and energy we’ve summarised some of the key hurdles for you here.
In being aware of some of the common mistakes people make when working with a Virtual Assistant, we hope that you can take steps to avoid them...
1) Underestimating what a good Virtual Assistant can do
It’s never, ever, EVER just about the admin.
Not with us anyway. Now, the Virtual Assistant space is vast and diverse. You can get a VA for pretty much anything!
Your trusted VA works within many businesses. Which means they’re used to working with multiple platforms and people across multiple sectors and sometimes time zones. This mental and practical agility gives your Virtual Assistant a competitive edge over and above an employed Assistant.
The feedback we get from our trusted and valued clients is a healthy appreciation for their Alchemy VA’s commercial awareness and consultative approach.
It’s our aim to become one of your trusted advisors.
A strategic business support advisor. You might be surprised at what our network of Virtual Assistants can do!
Which leads us seamless on to the second common mistake…
2) Not seeing the (sometimes) hidden value
Working with a Virtual Assistant business brings great value to a growing business in so many ways. Here are three recent examples of the not so obvious ways we have added value to our clients:
making an introduction to a target client who happened to be a supplier of another client. Don’t worry, all the appropriate conversations were had first to ensure confidentiality or trust wasn’t broken and that working boundaries were fully respected.
identifying and suggesting a different way of working that resulted in lots of hours and pounds being saved in the future
sourcing a new supplier fast from our tried, tested and trusted professional networks.
3) Not knowing what to delegate
The art of delegation (and it IS an art!) can be tricky to master. Even more so if you’ve not had an assistant before. EVEN MORE so when you’re working remotely.
We totally get it!
But have no fear, we can help you with this too! We carry out in depth ‘Kick Off’ meetings with all of our clients so we can get context and clarity on your goals, objectives and priorities.
Once that’s been established, we can get to work with the nitty gritty details including how you like things done.
There are so many efficient ways you can do this and your Virtual Assistant can help you. From online workspaces, to written process maps, to video tutorials. We can help you find the right solution.
4) Micromanaging
We fully understand and appreciate the need for specifics, attention to detail and accuracy. That things are done when they need to be, when they said they’d be. That’s a given.
Trust is a CRITICAL element in any business relationship.
Once you’ve outlined the details and deadlines, kick back and relax don’t fall into the micromanagement trap… it only makes everyone miserable.
Trust your Virtual Assistant to do their thing whilst you do yours.
If they need you, they’ll say.
5) Not giving the relationship the focus and commitment it deserves to thrive.
This is a biggie. You wouldn’t hire a new employee and leave them to figure it all out without any guidance from you. You’d have an induction, training and handover mapped out in order to get them up to speed swiftly and make sure their experience with your brand is a hugely positive one.
Your VA should be treated in a similar way. Because even the most intelligent, talented, experienced and wise Virtual Assistant doesn’t have a crystal ball!
Sure, part of the appeal of a Virtual Assistant is not having to worry about holiday or sick pay, hardware or all the other commitments (and costs!) that come with employment. But you do still need to commit to the relationship with your Virtual Assistant. They need you to invest your time into helping them become autonomous within your business…. That’s usually the end goal.
Help them, help you.
We hope you’ve found this blog helpful. Where ever you are in your business journey, we’d love to connect deeper for a virtual coffee.
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