037: Thinking of Hiring a Virtual Assistant? Listen to this.

With Teri McMackin

When you start out in business, you are doing it all: the emailing the scheduling the order fulfillment the social media, the money stuff and so much more. It’s a straight up recipe for burnout. And besides that, usually the reason that we get into entrepreneurship in the first place is in the pursuit of freedom and happiness and flexibility. Well, when you’re doing all the things in our business, it can certainly feel like a bit of a ripoff.

And that’s why the first hire for so many business owners is the gentle step of hiring a virtual assistant or a VA. Someone who can take on some of those daily tasks that occupy so much of your time, but that dont need to be done by you.

A virtual assistant (VA) is any form of remote help that you contract to hand off your workload. They can operate anywhere in the world, have multiple clients, and can be hired to take on a variety of your day-to-day tasks.

Hiring a virtual assistant is like having that extra pair of hands that you know you need to keep your business running smoothly, without the intimidating commitment of hiring a full time employee. Hiring a VA means that you can find exactly the right person to do one thing that they are very skilled at, so that you can take a step back. And by the way, for all those things in your business that you dont enjoy doing, there is someone out there who is not only very good, and probably better than you at doing it, they also enjoy it!

But knowing where to look and how to get started when hiring a VA can also be an intimidating first step. And that’s why I invited my very own rockstar VA to the show, to give you a little insight and everything you need to know to get started.

Today I am really excited to invite my own partner in crime and virtual assistant (VA), Teri McMackin, to come out from behind the scenes to the front of the scenes to share her advice on all things virtual assistant. Teri has been on my team for awhile now, and without her support, this show and so many other aspects of my business just probably wouldn’t happen. 

Today, Teri is going to give you her insight into what it looks like to hire a VA, how it works, tips on how to do it successfully, and we’ll share a little bit about what the whole process and journey has looked like for the two of us. 

So, if you’re ready to dip your toe into the world of hiring someone to help you, today’s episode is especially for you! And I gotta say, I see a lot of free time in your future, so let’s do this.

In this episode, Teri talks about:

  • The path that lead her to becoming a VA and what skills she transferred from being an in person assistant. 3:53
  • Being a VA for Kelly Lawson – podcast behind the scenes! 6:54
  • Tips and advice for hiring the right VA for you. 10:02
  • Writing a compelling job description for your VA and how it is different from hiring an employee. 14:00
  • How to ensure a successful relationship and experience for both VA and employer. 18:36
  • Setting up your VA for success. 22:06
  • Where to find a VA and/or help a VA find you. 26:38
  • What can you expect to pay a VA 28:50
  • Setting boundaries for work and maintain work life balance. 31:56

Finding a VA is easy, finding the right VA for you and your specific needs will take some work. Ask your friends for recommendations – most VAs have a couple of clients. Start slow and build your relationship of trust… It will pay off!

Teri McMackin

That was so much fun!

I hope you enjoyed meeting Teri and that you feel encouraged and inspired to onboard some hired help in your own business. Whether it’s for social media management, email communication, appointment scheduling, research, data entry or whatever it is that is taking up all or time, or maybe you have something important on your to-do list that you just can’t get to, hiring a VA might be your next best big business move.

And hear me, I know it can feel unnatural and maybe even terrifying to let go of things, to trust someone you haven’t even met with your precious business, but trust me when I tell you, you can’t grow this way and more importantly you can’t achieve work life balance this way either. Hiring some help will allow you to focus on the things that matter most. The things that only you can do, and if you take Teri’s advice, you might be surprised to discover that not many things in your business rely on only you.

For more information on his episode, including links on where to find your next VA or how to get in touch with Teri, visit the shownotes at kellylawson.ca/037.

And until next time workshop warriors, keep on slaying. And hey, if you love this show, I would love to hear from you. Throw down a review on iTunes and let us know that you love what we’re doing so we can keep doing more of it. I love you all. Bye for now.

Resources

Where to find a VA: Job Bank, Career Beacon, Fiverr, Upwork… and ask your friends!

The Workshop Weekly Podcast 025: An Entrepreneur’s Guide To Outsourcing

Reach out to Teri at [email protected]

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