(A guide to help solopreneurs assess when it's time to bring in a virtual assistant.)
Before you hire, you need to recognize the key signs that it's time to bring in help. These are the indicators that suggest a VA would free up your time to focus on growing your business.
| Sign | Why It's Important | What to Do About It |
|---|---|---|
| You’re spending more time on admin tasks than on your business’s growth | You’re too bogged down in the daily grind to focus on the big picture. | Identify which tasks take up most of your time (scheduling, emails, invoicing). These are often good candidates for delegation. |
| You’re feeling burnt out or overwhelmed | You’re feeling stretched too thin and can’t maintain focus or energy for growth. | Think about what tasks make you feel drained. Is it repetitive work that a VA could handle? Decide if those are tasks that can be offloaded. |
| You’re missing deadlines or dropping the ball on important tasks | Tasks are slipping through the cracks, impacting your reputation or momentum. | Pinpoint areas where mistakes or delays are happening. Identify tasks that need consistent follow-up or management, like client communication or admin. |
| You’re not leveraging your highest-value tasks | You’re spending too much time on lower-impact tasks instead of focusing on what drives revenue. | Assess the tasks that bring in the most value (client work, strategic partnerships, marketing). Determine if lower-value tasks (like scheduling) can be delegated. |
| You’re struggling to maintain consistent communication with clients or prospects | Poor communication can hurt client relationships and sales. | If responding to emails, scheduling calls, or maintaining CRM updates is a bottleneck, it’s time to think about delegating these tasks to a VA. |
Once you’ve recognized the signs, it’s time to think about what you can delegate. Here’s a list of tasks commonly passed to a VA:
| Task | Why You Should Delegate | Example Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Email Management | To keep your inbox organized and respond to important emails quickly. | Sorting, flagging important emails, responding to common inquiries, organizing follow-up tasks. |
| Calendar Management | To prevent scheduling conflicts and maximize productivity. | Scheduling meetings, sending reminders, organizing events or appointments. |
| Social Media Management | To maintain a consistent presence without taking up your time. | Scheduling posts, interacting with followers, and running small campaigns. |
| Client Communication | To ensure clients get timely responses while you focus on high-priority tasks. | Managing client follow-ups, answering basic inquiries, confirming appointments, or gathering project information. |
| Basic Research | To stay informed without spending hours gathering data. | Researching industry trends, competitor analysis, or gathering contact info for potential leads. |
| Invoicing & Bookkeeping | To keep finances organized and prevent delays in payments. | Creating and sending invoices, managing expenses, tracking payments, and reconciling accounts. |
Before pulling the trigger on hiring a VA, take some time to evaluate whether the cost of a VA is justified by the time and energy they will save you.
Step 1: Identify Your Hourly Rate
Calculate how much your time is worth per hour. Take your monthly revenue and divide it by the number of hours you typically work per month.
Step 2: Estimate the Time You Spend on Non-Revenue-Generating Tasks
Track how much time you spend on tasks that don’t directly impact revenue (admin, client management, emails, etc.). Estimate how much time those tasks consume per week.
Step 3: Compare the Costs
Compare the time you spend on those tasks with the cost of hiring a VA. If your VA’s cost per hour is less than your own hourly rate, it’s likely a smart investment.
Once you’ve decided to bring on a VA, the next step is evaluating potential candidates. Here are the things you need to consider:
| What to Look For | Why It’s Important | How to Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Experience with specific tasks | You want a VA who has experience in the areas you need help with. | Ask for examples or references from previous clients. Check their portfolio or résumé for relevant skills (email management, social media, bookkeeping, etc.). |
| Tech-savviness | Ensure they are comfortable using the tools you rely on. | Check if they’re familiar with tools like Google Workspace, social media schedulers, or project management tools. They should be able to get up to speed quickly. |
| Communication skills | Clear communication is crucial to working remotely. | Conduct an interview or trial period to assess how they communicate (written and verbal). Make sure they’re responsive and professional. |
| Availability & Time Zone | They need to be available when you need them, or overlap with your working hours. | Confirm their availability and discuss working hours or time zone overlap. Make sure they can accommodate your schedule and deadlines. |