What to Expect When Hiring Your First Virtual Assistant: A Guide for Heart-Centered Business Owners
Hiring your first virtual assistant (VA) can be both exciting and a little daunting. As heart-centered entrepreneurs, we tend to pour our energy into our businesses, wearing all the hats, managing every detail, and feeling like it’s our personal responsibility to handle it all. But if you’re at the point where you’re considering hiring a VA, it’s likely because you’ve realized something important: you don’t have to do everything yourself.
Trust me, I’ve been on both sides of this—both as the VA and as the business owner hiring a VA. I know how easy it is to hold onto tasks that feel personal or that you’ve been managing for so long it’s hard to imagine handing them off. But I’ve also experienced firsthand how freeing it is to delegate the right tasks and focus more on my zone of genius.
So, if you’re ready to take that next step, this guide will walk you through what to expect when hiring your first VA, how to get your business ready, and some tips to make the experience as smooth as possible.
Why Hiring a VA Can Transform Your Business
First off, let’s talk about why hiring a VA is such a game-changer. Running your business shouldn’t mean doing everything yourself, especially when many of the tasks taking up your time don’t necessarily need your unique expertise. Delegating is not just about getting help—it’s about freeing up time and energy so you can focus on what truly matters in your business.
Here’s why hiring a VA makes a difference:
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- Time freedom: By offloading tasks that are time-consuming or repetitive, you can focus on work that aligns with your zone of genius.
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- Improved productivity: A VA can handle the admin tasks, social media scheduling, or tech headaches, giving you more time for the strategic, creative parts of your business.
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- Less stress: You can finally stop wearing all the hats and trust that someone else has your back when it comes to managing the details.
But before jumping into hiring, it’s important to get your business ready and understand what this process will look like.
Step 1: Do a Time Audit
Before hiring a VA, one of the most valuable things you can do is a time audit. This is where you track exactly how much time you’re spending on different tasks in your business over the course of a week or two. I know, it might sound like a hassle, but trust me—it’s an eye-opener!
Here’s how a time audit helps:
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- Identify where your time is going: Sometimes we don’t even realize how much time we spend on tasks like email, social media, or admin work until we track it. A time audit will give you a clear picture of how your workday is actually being spent.
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- Spot tasks to delegate: Once you’ve tracked your time, you can look at the tasks that don’t need your personal touch. These are often repetitive or process-driven tasks that a VA could easily take off your plate.
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- Prioritize what’s in your zone of genius: A time audit also helps you identify which tasks give you energy and which ones drain you. If something is essential but doesn’t light you up, that’s a perfect candidate for delegation.
Pro tip: At the end of your time audit, highlight the tasks that aren’t in your zone of genius or that you don’t enjoy. These are the areas where your VA can step in to help right away.
Step 2: Get Organized with an SOP Bank (Without the Overwhelm)
Once you’ve identified the tasks you want to delegate, the next step is creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for those tasks. Don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it sounds! The point of an SOP is to make it easy for your VA to follow your process without needing constant hand-holding.
But here’s the thing—I totally get that writing out step-by-step instructions can feel like a chore. That’s why I often recommend creating Loom videos instead. It’s a super simple way to show your VA exactly how you do things, without having to type it all out.
Here’s how to get started:
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- Identify repeatable tasks: These are tasks you do on a regular basis that could be easily handed off, like scheduling emails, creating social media content, or managing client onboarding.
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- Record a Loom video: Instead of writing a lengthy guide, just hit record on Loom while you’re doing the task. You can walk through each step as you complete it, giving your VA clear instructions they can reference later.
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- Organize your SOPs: Whether you’re using written guides or videos, store everything in a shared Google Drive folder or a project management tool like Asana, where your VA can access them whenever needed.
Pro tip: Don’t feel like you need to have everything perfectly documented before you bring on a VA. Start with the key tasks, and as your VA takes on more responsibility, you can gradually build up your SOP bank.
Step 3: Know What to Delegate
Now that you’ve done a time audit and started building your SOPs, the next step is figuring out what to delegate. If you’re anything like me, there are probably some tasks you want to hold onto—like creative strategy or client calls—but a lot of the day-to-day stuff can (and should) be passed off.
Here are some of the most common tasks you can hand over to a VA:
1. Admin Tasks
These are often the first things to delegate because they’re repetitive and don’t require your personal expertise:
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- Managing your email inbox
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- Scheduling appointments or meetings
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- Sending invoices and following up on payments
2. Repurposing Long-Form Content
One of my favorite tasks to delegate is repurposing content. If you’ve got long-form content like blog posts, podcast episodes, or YouTube videos, your VA can:
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- Break it down into smaller, bite-sized pieces for social media posts
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- Turn the content into email newsletters
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- Create graphics or pull quotes for Instagram or Facebook
Not only does this save you time, but it also keeps your content consistent across platforms without you having to lift a finger.
3. Social Media Management
A VA can help with the behind-the-scenes of social media, including:
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- Scheduling posts in advance using tools like Later or Buffer
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- Monitoring comments and messages
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- Creating basic graphics or captions
4. Client Onboarding
There’s no need to manage every little detail of onboarding yourself. A VA can:
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- Send contracts and welcome emails
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- Set up new clients in your CRM
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- Collect client intake forms
Step 4: Communicate Clearly and Set Expectations
Once you’ve hired a VA, it’s important to set clear communication guidelines and expectations. From my experience, one of the keys to a successful working relationship is making sure everyone is on the same page from the start.
Here’s how to set clear expectations:
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- Define roles upfront: Be clear about what your VA is responsible for and what you’ll still handle yourself. This avoids any confusion or misunderstandings down the road.
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- Use a project management tool: Tools like Asana or Trello make it easy to assign tasks, track progress, and communicate deadlines. This keeps everything organized in one place, so you’re not constantly going back and forth in emails.
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- Set deadlines and priorities: Let your VA know which tasks are most urgent and when you expect them to be completed.
Pro tip: Schedule regular check-ins to touch base on what’s working, where your VA might need more guidance, and how you can both keep improving the process.
Step 5: Build a Strong Working Relationship
Hiring a VA isn’t just about delegating tasks—it’s about building a long-term, collaborative relationship. The more your VA understands your business, the more valuable they’ll become over time. And trust me, when you find a VA who really gets your business, it feels like magic.
Here’s how to build a strong relationship with your VA:
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- Give feedback: Don’t be afraid to share what’s working and where things could improve. Constructive feedback helps your VA grow and gives you the best possible outcome.
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- Acknowledge their contributions: A simple “thank you” or acknowledgment goes a long way in building trust and showing appreciation for their hard work.
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- Trust their expertise: As your VA gets to know your business, they might suggest ways to streamline processes or improve workflows. Be open to their ideas and trust that they want to see your business succeed as much as you do.
Ready to Hire Your First VA?
Hiring your first virtual assistant is a big step, but it’s one that can completely transform your business. By delegating the tasks that drain your energy, you’ll free up time to focus on what you love most—whether that’s serving clients, creating new offers, or just having more time for yourself.
If you’re ready to bring on a VA but need help setting up your systems or automating tasks to make the transition easier, I’m here to help. As a Tech VA with experience on both sides of the equation, I can support you in streamlining your workflow, creating SOPs, and making sure your VA experience is as smooth as possible.
Ready to simplify your business and get the support you need? Book a consultation today and let’s work together to free up your time and focus on what really matters.
