Working with a virtual assistant (VA) can save you lots of time and effort. Virtual assistants are people who help you manage your business for money.

You can hire them to handle administrative tasks, project management, research, and other job functions. Virtually almost every job function can be done by a virtual assistant.

Virtual assistants are often freelancers or independent workers who work online using software such as Google Docs, Slack, and WhatsApp. This makes it easy to coordinate tasks and ensures complete transparency between parties.

Having a VA can free up your time to focus on important things like client meetings, marketing initiatives, new project starts, or anything else that contributes to the success of your business.

You can hire a VA directly through platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, or you can find one through network groups like LinkedIn. Finding a good fit takes some investigating, but it is well worth it.

Here are some tips on what you need to do when working with a VA.

Communicate clearly with your virtual assistant

A big part of working with a virtual assistant is making sure they have all the information they need to do their job.

You should set up a collaboration platform where you can assign tasks to them, get their feedback, and exchange information.

This allows you to oversee their work in a transparent way while giving them the autonomy to do their job.

In addition, having an assistant you can communicate with via chat can make the process smoother. Having this type of back-and-forth communication allows you to check in on their progress and gives them the opportunity to ask questions.

He or she may even have some questions for you that will help them do a better job. Having a general sense of trust between both of you will improve the quality of work done and reduce stress for both of you.

Give them small tasks to start with

When you first work with a VA, it’s best to give them simple tasks to start with. This allows them to get a feel for your business and how they can help you.

It also gives you time to review their work. It is important to check their work and their ability to follow instructions. Furthermore, it is easy for VAs to make minor mistakes if they are not familiar with your business or how to do certain tasks.

By giving them small tasks at first, it allows them to get used to your business and how they can help you. It is also helpful if they need some time to learn the things they need to do for you.

Once they have learned the things they need to do for you, then they can move on to more complex tasks. Giving them fewer tasks at first also helps prevent overload for either party.

Give them larger tasks to work on over time

A virtual assistant can handle a wide range of tasks, but they can’t do everything. It is your job to give them tasks that fit with what they can do.

For example, if they cannot write well, then do not give them task assignments that have writing components. The same goes for formatting or designing projects or tasks.

It is also your job to keep them busy when you are not using them. A virtual assistant probably has other clients and jobs they are working on, so you need to make sure they have enough work from you to keep them occupied.

Giving someone else control over your VA’s schedule is a good way to keep them engaged and working hard for you.

Track your tasks and time for them

If you work for yourself, you probably know that managing your time and tasks is key to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

If you’re working with a virtual assistant (VA), however, this becomes even more important. You’ll need to learn how to effectively manage your tasks and time with them, so they can do the same with their time.

Tracking your tasks and the time you spend on them is an essential part of VA management. You’ll need to know how much time they spend on each task in order to give an accurate estimate for a new task.

Your VA will also need adequate time to complete tasks, so being able to track time is an important skill for VAs.

Share your schedule with them

This, of course, depends on the type of VA you have, such as a remote administrative assistant. In such a case, a big part of a virtual assistant’s job is to manage your schedule. They need to know what you’re doing so that they can help you with the things on your to-do list.

If you work exclusively with them, then they should have access to your calendar so that they can schedule appointments for you.

If you use a shared calendar system like Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, then they can easily access and update your schedule.

If you don’t trust them with your schedule, then give them as much advance notice as possible before an event or meeting so that they have enough time to prepare for what needs to be done.

A virtual assistant is an asset if you give them the opportunity to help you and invest in their ability by giving them access to your schedule.

Answer any questions they have thoroughly

If they don’t have all the information they need, they won’t be able to complete the tasks you assign them.

Therefore, it’s important that your assistant have access to all the information they need. This includes access to any software or programs they need to do their job, as well as all the information that relates to their project.

Clarity is one of the most important parts of this process. Your VA should feel confident in their ability to do your work. If they don’t feel this way, they may end up losing confidence in their work and failing to perform at peak performance.

Answer questions as thoroughly as possible to help prevent this from happening.

Set expectations clearly

The first step in working with a virtual assistant is setting clear expectations. What tasks will the VA do? How will you structure the work?

Will they work exclusively on your tasks? Will they have other clients or business interests? How much time will they have to spend on your tasks?

These are all questions that need to be answered when beginning a virtual assistant relationship. Don’t be afraid to be specific about your demands.

If you would like your VA to have some freedom in how they complete tasks, for example, then set a general guideline of how long a task should take and provide feedback when needed.

This way, your VA has more freedom to accomplish tasks and can feel more comfortable and secure in their position.

How to find a Virtual Assistant? Ask for recommendations

Finding a great virtual assistant requires a little research. Ask your peers who they use, look up VA platforms like Guru or Upwork, or see if anyone you know can recommend someone.

Many people also post on social media asking for recommendations. See if someone has posted that they are looking for a VA and then contact them to see if they would refer them.

As with any service provider, check their credentials and experience. Make sure they have the skills needed for the tasks you need to be done.

Someone who is experienced with virtual assisting will be more likely to have good management skills as well. These are important traits to look for when choosing a VA.