Finding a VA near you-The Why, How and Everything Else in Between

Every business owner, no matter how big or small, ends up feeling overwhelmed at work at some point in time.

The “To-do list” looks like a monster and they finally consider the option of delegating.

From emailing, calendar management, marketing campaigns, onboarding clients, the one-man army concept fails to shine through the odds. Well, enter a Virtual Assistant, or simply known as a VA.

For all those who aren’t really familiar with the idea of Virtual assistants (VAs), let me elaborate a bit before we tell you how you can find one for yourself.

VAs are nothing but remote contractors who are willing to take on any task that you throw them on the way. Originally, VAs were hired for odd, repetitive tasks and have come a long way to expand into delivering a gamut of services that ranges from administrative tasks, content writing, graphic design, digital marketing, IT support and much more.

So, they are essentially the jack of all trades like nothing else in comparison.

So, if you have been looking to find a VA near you, this post will help you click the tumblers in place.

But first, how can you be certain that you need a Virtual Assistant

Although, the tipping point for finding a VA near you could a tad bit difficult, you should know you are in dire need of one if you are facing any of the following scenarios:

If you find yourself juggling repetitive tasks a lot- Do you find yourself working on repetitive tasks like replying to comments on social media, drafting follow-up emails for potential customers, or keeping a tab on your next calendar events? Well, don’t let the tedious tasks get a grip on your productive time. Instead, delegate the tasks to a VA who can be your extra pair of hands and help you with things in a jiffy.

If you have been losing a customer because you didn’t get a chance to reply to his email- Things like this can be detrimental for business. With a VA by your side, you will never have to worry about replying to a prospect and even get one step closer towards conversion.

If you find yourself spending way too much time on low-value administrative tasks- Don’t mind me calling administrative tasks to be low value. While every single part of your business is important, as a company owner, you shouldn’t be racking your brains to carry out petty administrative tasks. Instead, find a VA near you to get things done. Plus, for what it matters, you might experience burnout if you find yourself doing the same thing over and over.

Some typical tasks that you can delegate to a VA:

Social media management, not hardcore marketing strategy but the usuals like content sharing and posting across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Answering phone calls

Replying to business emails, mostly the FAQ stuff

Scheduling appointments and keeping a tab on it

Content writing, copyediting, proofreading

Graphic designing

Calendar management

Remote IT support

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Website designing and development

Ecommerce inventory management

Although these are some common tasks that business owners are looking to get done, there is practically no limit to the range of tasks that one can delegate to a VA.

How much should you be expecting to pay a VA?

When it comes to paying a VA, know for sure the charges vary a lot. However, it is mostly determined by the following key factors:

The type of work you choose to delegate- In case you are looking to find a VA near you to delegate some low-level admin tasks like replying to emails, answering to phone calls, you should be looking at paying somewhere between $15-25 an hour. For other high-level tasks like building content strategy for a digital marketing campaign or overall project management, the charges can exceed well over $50 per hour. At Tasks Leader, we are bent on delivering the best experience to our clients and thus we have designed an easy time-bound plan that will suffice the need for the majority. In other words, you only pay for the time needed to complete your task and nothing extra at all!

The turnaround time for your work- VAs are usually paid hourly. So, when you are hiring someone to get things done faster, you will need to factor in the speed at which they work. For instance, a VA who charges $50 per hour will definitely keep an edge over one who charges $30 per hour. Also, the former will assure best quality work compared to the latter. So, if you are planning to delegate a task to a VA for the very first time.

Expertise level matters- With time comes experience and with experience, one tends to develop expertise. Remember, a seasoned VA who charges a tad bit more than any Tom, Dick and Harry operating as a VA is worth every penny you pay. The idea of delegating a task simply means you will not have to worry about it. So, in case you hire an inexperienced VA, chances are you will have to spend extra time fixing errors which kind of defeats the idea of delegating in the first place.

Now, the million dollar question: How do you find a VA finally?

Will it be a word of mouth thing, network referrals, Google search?

Well, the possibilities are endless.

The sad part is finding the right VA is always tricky unless you know how to narrow down things and take into consideration a handful of factors.

Consider recommendations- Just like any other good thing in the world that comes through recommendations, a good number of business owners finally end up hiring a VA based on other people’s recommendations. At Tasks Leader, our global clientele has grown through some great recommendations.

Trust your professional network- Platforms like Linkedin and dedicated Facebook groups meant for business owners and entrepreneurs are great places to find a VA to delegate your tasks. Just make sure you list down the kind of tasks that you are looking to get done and let your network do the thing for you. In a couple of days, you will have hired a VA to your liking!

Don’t limit your online search to local- While most people are running the same search on Google that reads “the best VA near me”, it invariably keeps their search limited to a local circle. Tasks Leader is one such company that has been hired by a global clientele to cater to a wide range of tasks and that’s only because our clients embraced search results not just from their own country but outside as well.

Wrap Up

You see, finding a VA near you doesn’t have to be difficult.

However, before you hire one, always keep in mind that the tasks you choose to delegate should be completed within a given time and at the same time should adhere to the best quality standards.

Have you ever delegated a task to a VA?

How was your experience?

Let’s hang out in the comments below and share your thoughts.