When To Seek Help from a Virtual Assistant

Updated on: by Miranda Grimm

Find Out How you Can Buy Time!

Need Easy Extra $350+/Month For Free?

  • SwagBucks: Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more to earn real money. Earn up to $35 per survey! No hidden fees and completely free. Join Swagbucks Now to Get $5 Free
  • InboxDollars: Has so far paid its members over $40 Million. Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more. Join InboxDollars Now and Get Free $5
  • SurveyJunkie: Make $5-$25 in your spare time from home to take online surveys, participating in a Focus Groups and trying new products. Join SurveyJunkie Now
  • Branded Surveys: Complete online surveys. Collect points. Redeem your points for cash & gift cards. No hidden fees and completely free! Has so far paid its members over $18 Million. Join Branded Surveys Now

We’ve talked many times about making money as a virtual assistant. But you can also make money by hiring a virtual assistant.

If you are running your own business or you are a freelancer who finds there are not enough hours in the week- then you will appreciate this advice.

Buy Some Time!

 

As your business is growing and becoming more and more profitable,  you will find your time is very valuable. It can be highly frustrating when you have to spend precious time doing mundane essential tasks that feel like time suckers.

As a professional blogger I have found myself in this place. There are some big things I could be doing to help my websites be more successful. From marketing to tweaking WordPress coding- I have a huge to-do list that I never actually get to. Instead, I spend most of my time doing work that HAS to be done but in all reality- I don’t have to be the one doing it!

 

I Can’t Afford to Hire Help!

Paying a Virtual Assistant to handle those essential tasks will free up  time that can be spent earning way more than you are paying that assistant!

For example, I have a site where members submit links to free crochet patterns- called TheYarnBox.com. Every day when I visit the site- there are 5-20 links pending for me to go through, preview, categorize and approve. It’s pretty simple work but it takes time- About 30 minutes of my time every morning [7 days a week]. Hiring a Virtual Assistant to handle this task for me has proven very beneficial. That extra 3.5 hours I get a week provides me with the ability to write an extra article and an extra newsletter every single week! My time is now being spent where it matters most!

 

How to Choose a Virtual Assistant

This is all still new to me. Since I have not hired many assistants- my advice may not be of the highest value but I still think its worth taking into consideration.

  • Ask your friends. If you have other freelancing friends who have hired Virtual Assistants- they probably have some recommendations. As you know, most freelancers depend on word of mouth for their business to grow so a direct referral is very valuable.
  • Check their professionalism.  Watch carefully to how the virtual assistant responds to any of your inquiries, how long they take to reply, whether or not they have a web presence etc. These little details can give you an insight to how they will treat your business in the future. You need someone you can trust and is reliable.
  • Test the waters. Offer them a small task and see how well they perform, if they follow your directions and how they communicate.

 

How Much To Pay a Virtual Assistant

This can definitely vary. There are virtual assistants with a variety of niches. I myself am a virtual assistant for another blogger. I help with technical issues and handle her ad space to ensure it is optimized to its fullest potential. While another virtual assistant may manage blog content, another may make phone calls to arrange meetings with clients and another might sort emails by priority. Depending on the specialty and experience, the hourly rate can significantly vary.

However, if you are looking for a range for general VA work- I would suggest being prepared to spend 15-30 dollars an hour. If it is more specialized work that requires a high degree of knowledge then be ready to spend more!

 

When Not to Hire Help:

If hiring a virtual assistant costs more than it gains- then don’t do it. Any investment you make into your business should provide you with a profit. In my case, freeing up that 3.5 hours a week provided me with enough time to do work that earns me at least double what I pay out and only increases with time.

Need Easy Extra Cash?

Pinecone Research, a leading name in online survey panel honesty, absolutely guarantees $3 cash for every survey you complete!
Take advantage of their time limited New Membership drive and register NOW. Join today: 100% free!

Join Pinecone Research Now

 

Looking for a Virtual Assistant?

As I mentioned earlier- a personal recommendation is very helpful. I recently hired a relative of someone I know to help me with a few projects and she did amazing work. The research I asked her to do was exactly what I was looking for. In fact, she gave me more than what I had even asked and she delivered earlier than I had anticipated.

She Gets It Done VA Services has been a huge help to me.

 

If you are a Virtual Assistant or would like to recommend one- please let us know by leaving a comment below!

Related Posts:

Earn Everything… nearly!

Join Ipsos iSay, one of the few Faithful and Honest survey panels and earn prizes, gift cards and donations. Stack your points and redeem them: Simple! No hidden fees and completely free!

Join Ipsos Now

Comments

Click here to post a comment...
Post comment

Leisa Good

October 7, 2013 at 12:18 am

I am a virtual assistant and enjoy what I do! I just recently changed my tagline as business continues to grow!

Can I mention the e-book and VA series (“Virtual Assisting”) at the top navigation bar?

Miranda Grimm

October 7, 2013 at 10:06 am

Yes! Your VA Series has been very helpful for beginner VAs http://www.wahadventures.com/category/job-reviews/virtual-assisting-2/leisa-goods-va-info-series

Leisa Good

October 7, 2013 at 10:31 am

Well, thank you Miranda! YOU inspired me to do the both the series and the e-book! Glad you did and glad that it is helpful for beginners! It’s a blessing to hear that. I’ll soon be needing a VA or two myself. 😉

Jess

October 7, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Great! I also use her for some small tasks and it works out great. I’m able to concentrate on my bigger tasks!

Leisa Good

October 7, 2013 at 3:55 pm

Good to know, Jess.

Anna

October 7, 2013 at 9:30 pm

I know I need a VA … one day I will hire one. I’d love to hire one to help me run my other two sites since they both get so neglected, but it’s not really in my budget yet. Still, sometimes I think it would totally pay for itself.

Leisa Good

October 7, 2013 at 9:50 pm

I’ve used two people off and on. However, I could really use a VA or two on a more permanent basis. I know it would pay for itself. It is just biting the dust and doing it.