Picture this: You’re a tradesperson with more tasks than a toolbox can hold. You’re a small business owner, swamped with paperwork, client meetings, and project management. It’s time to call in the cavalry! Just like your trusty tools, van and other business essentials, a skilled virtual assistant can be your secret weapon when it comes to tackling stress and freeing up your valuable time. But before you jump into the virtual assistant hiring process, there are some important questions you should ask. So, grab a brew, sit back, and have a read of hiring a virtual assistant for your trades business: 9 key questions.
1. What Tasks Do You Need Help With?
First things first, take a minute to assess your workload. As a business owner, are you drowning in admin tasks, struggling to manage appointments, getting double booked, or feeling buried under a mountain of emails? List down the specific tasks and responsibilities that you want to hand over to a VA. These are likely to be the tasks you hate most! You know, the mundane tasks that make you want to stay in bed in the morning!
Don’t feel bad about it. Your VA probably enjoys those tasks and, through experience, will be much more efficient at taking care of them. Having a clear understanding of what you want to hand over will help you find the right assistant with the relevant skills and experience.
- Administrative tasks: Email management, appointment scheduling, data entry, and document organisation.
- Customer support: Handling enquiries, resolving issues, and providing top-notch service to your clients or potential clients.
- Bookkeeping: Managing finances, invoicing, and ensuring your financial records are up to date so you know exactly how your business is doing in real-time.
- Project management: Coordinating projects, liaising with subcontractors, and making sure deadlines are met.
- Social media management: Boosting your online presence and engaging with your followers on social platforms.
- Content creation: Crafting blog posts, newsletters, or marketing materials to promote your business.
2. What’s Your Budget?
It’s important that you have a budget when hiring a virtual assistant for your trades business. Only you know what’s affordable and how much you’re willing to invest in their services. It’s no good going into an initial meeting with them not knowing your budget or saying “I don’t have a budget because I don’t know what you charge.”
Most VAs are open with their pricing on their website. Take a look at a few. Consider how long the tasks take you. A virtual personal assistant may get these tasks done quicker but basing the cost on your time will give you the best estimate. Also, consider the cost of hiring a full-time employee in comparison. Their hourly rate, plus office space, equipment, taxes, holiday pay etc. It soon adds up.
Whether you’re a large or small business, or self-employed, it has to be affordable and in line with your business’s finances. Think about the potential return on investment (ROI). By delegating time-consuming tasks to a VA, you free up your time to focus on income-generating activities to grow your business and increase your revenue.
3. What Qualifications and Skills Are You Looking For?
Your freelance virtual assistant should be a valuable asset to your team, so think about the qualifications and skills that matter most for your business. Do you need someone with experience in a specific task, project management software, customer service, or accounting/bookkeeping for example? Maybe you need a social media virtual assistant?
Thinking about this will narrow down your search effectively. Also, consider whether they specialise in helping certain clients. Some VAs work across all industries, some are niche and only work with one industry. I only work with trades businesses as that’s where I have experience, it’s what I enjoy and it’s where I can help people most.
4. Are you looking for a specialist or a generalist?
Depending on your business needs, you may require a virtual assistance with expertise in a certain area, e.g. bookkeeping, or a generalist who can handle a variety of tasks. Also, as mentioned above, some specialise in certain industries. It may be worth asking others in your trade for a reference if you want someone with more experience in your field. A specialist might better understand the unique needs of a task, which will increase productivity.
Industry-specific experience can be a game changer. A virtual assistant who is already familiar with your industry may know about compliance issues or other common challenges.
5. What’s Your Preferred Working Arrangement?
Virtual assistants can work on a project-by-project basis, part-time, full-time, or on a retainer package which is a guaranteed number of hours each month. Decide on your preferred working arrangement and the number of hours you’ll need your VA each week or month.
This will help you get the right support and find someone who can accommodate your schedule. Remember that flexibility is a key advantage of hiring a virtual assistant service. You can adjust the working arrangement as and when your business requires.
6. How Will You Communicate?
Effective communication is key to a successful working relationship with your virtual assistant. Work out the best way you can communicate, whether it’s by email, video calls, phone calls, or project management tools. Discuss and agree on expectations for response times and availability to ensure you’re on the same page. This is a must-have for both of you.
7. What’s Your Timeline for Getting Started?
Are you in a hurry to bring a VA on board, or do you have more time to be flexible? Make this clear from the start. Unless you’ve agreed to a full-time deal, the virtual assistant will likely have multiple clients and your schedules need to align to make it work.
8. Have You Checked References and Reviews?
Before making a final decision, don’t forget to check references and reviews from past clients or employers. This can be invaluable and should give an insight into the virtual assistant’s work ethic, reliability, and professionalism.
9. Can You Provide Clear Instructions and Training, if Needed?
Finally, consider whether you have the time and resources to provide clear instructions and any necessary training to your virtual assistant. Guiding from the start can ensure your VA understands your business and performs tasks to your satisfaction.
Training shouldn’t be required for most things but, if they are more specialised tasks that you’re handing over, a little instruction should be expected. If you don’t have any standard operating procedures in place, maybe this is another task that the VA could take care of. Your business is a much more valuable asset if every procedure you do is documented! (Good to know if you’re ever thinking of selling up 😊)
Welcome Kettlewell Virtual Assistance Into Your Trades Business!
Hiring a virtual assistant for your trades business can be a game changer for your trades business, just like having the right tools for the job. By asking the right questions and carefully considering your needs, you’ll be well prepared to find the perfect VA to help you tackle the workload, boost productivity, and achieve a better work-life balance. Get ready to welcome your new team member into your business journey.
Remember, if you need further assistance or have more questions about hiring virtual assistants, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on 07967 034560. Hop over to Instagram to see a bit more about me and the work I do.