5 Step Guide To Hiring a Rockstar VA To Handle Your Business

[AppleUnited]

I just had some bad experience with VA hired at OnlineJobs.ph. Basically them not responding to Skype messages. I am not expecting an immediate reply but some replies came in as late as 12 hours. By the way, in case you are wondering, our timezone is only an hour difference. Some messages do not get replied at all.

 

[Wolfman]

Thanks guys for posting this info. I'm looking for a VA for a different purpose. I will either have to buy a list of potential buyers or have the VA generate it. Then there will be the initial opening....pitch....contact for sending samples...follow-ups and close...
Any suggestions about how this fits w/ the VA scenario outlined above is much appreciated. Wolfman

 

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[Ocean Man]

Just wanted to update this thread. My company has a bit over 100 skus ranging in sizes/colors etc through various sales platforms. It's complex and my biggest bottleneck is the management of inventory between manufacturers our internal warehouse and our 3PL's.

I hired the VA I did for $600/mo with logistic experience and prior Amazon knowledge and instructed her that I needed a complete backend system to manage all inventory, forecast forward, and get accurate cogs on each order incoming dependent on the shipping situation, country imported from, etc.

Due to doing this poorly, Ive been spending money air shipping to ensure I dont run out of stock, running out of stock on various sizes, not managing my inventory properly at ALL.

Within 2 weeks, she had created a complete inventory management system to operate the entire backend of my company within excel (not a single page document - a 5 page multi functioning, trend line, 365 day updating forecasting model), many of the functionalities added in I didnt even think about and she added them in anyway. The money I could lose on one error has covered her salary for the next couple years with this system.

Im blown away at what was created and I've even cancelled some Saas programs I was running which will eventually bring her salary in half with the saved costs on the systems. If you have weaknesses, hire them out, and definitely look at allocating and testing tasks with VA's. It works.

Wanted to say that this thread has tremendous value, thank you @Envision. As for your VA with the kids, after doing all this, do you plan on giving her raise? Keep her more motivated and do better.

In addition, I noticed that you hire them as contractors. I'm not familiar with the hiring process, as I'm still in the slowlane. But before you start a job, you typically have tons of papers to fill out, get money taken out, etc... How does it work with your end when hiring someone out of the country? (Legalities wise... Taxes wise...)?

P.S. Have you considered using Shopify's Partner Academy to teach your VA?

 

[BrianPM]

This may have been asked (and answered) so if I missed it, my fault. But I think a VA would be an extremely valuable cost benefit when the workload interferes and exceeds more productive activities. I consider it margin producing activities and non-margin producing activities.

What solution could someone utilize with a VA when you are an independent sales person, but working for a corporation (i.e, realtor/real estate agent, sales manager, sales rep, etc.).

The company I work for requires VPN access to the company server to compile documents and submissions, which is exactly the time consuming non-income producing tasks that come along with a sale. I was considering logging on my workstation and allow remote desktop/teamviewer software, but what other ideas has the community thought of?

Much appreciated if there is a brainstorm or possible solution.

 

[Champion]

Thanks a lot for this guide, im currently at a point where I want to hire a VA

 

[becks22]

Does anyone have any tips for paying a VA in a way that doesn't have a ton of fees associated with the payment for processing? Paypal charges me $5 per every $50 paid.

 

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[Not Most People]

I'm looking to hire someone to handle some of the technical work soon for my chatbot agency. I'm nowhere near overwhelmed yet but I want to start handing that off before that time comes so I want pre-emptively hire a VA - most likely from onlinejobs.ph

The problem I'm running into is that chatbot/manychat skills are still so new to the market that it's hard to find anyone with experience in them.

So my main question is - do I narrow down my candidates to the few who have some chatbot experience, or do I hire the right person and train them myself? (which I should be able to do)

 

[becks22]

My VA the last month has been great. I wanted her to start reviewing the newsletters I'm subscribed to and then pick out any pertinent details and summarize them. I'm having trouble figuring out how to get her to see the emails. I don't want to forward them to her as that is just more work on my part.

I have already set up a folder and have had them all routed to a sub folder in Outlook and I'm thinking of creating a forwarding rule? Does anyone else do this with their VA and have some ideas or tips to keep this uncomplicated and the process tidy? My intent is for her to review the newsletters weekly. I also bought her a course on Udemy about writing a newsletter so she'll be eventually reviewing my newsletters (which include competitor newsletters) and then writing one for me on a quarterly basis or something. My industry ins't exciting enough to warrant a weekly or bi-weekly newsletter.

 

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