Think you might be ready to make your first or next hire? And maybe that hire should be a virtual assistant? If you aren’t sure where to start or how to find your dream team member, this conversation is for you! I’m chatting with Sabatini Ferdinand all about hiring a virtual assistant for your online business. We discuss what traits to look for in a VA, what tasks a VA can help you with, how to take steps towards hiring, and what a VA even is if you aren’t quite sure. We also explore other topics like remote work and world-traveling! And, EM Shop templates, since Saba is a customer! I hope you leave this episode READY and prepared to hire a VA (or any position) within your business!
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Search for episode 117!
Saba is a travel food blogger turned VA who helps business owners run the back end of their business. She is also an educator to other VAs teaching them how to become a booked out business.
She used to work for Marriott International hotels and traveled in her spare time. When the COVID 19 pandemic hit and left her with no job and no travel opportunities, she decided to make the most of staying at home by diving into the VA world. Once she started telling her audience about this new adventure, she booked herself out quickly!
What is a VA? What is it NOT?
VA stands for virtual assistant. Saba tells us that first and foremost, a VA is NOT a social media manager. These roles get mixed up all the time and they are actually very different.
VAs can do a variety of things based on what they specialize in. This can and probably will look different for every business. Typically they are doing your day-to-day tasks.
How do I know if I need to hire a VA?
Saba tells us that the best place to start is to make a list of things that need to be done. Look for tasks that you don't have time for and never get around to or don't enjoy doing anymore. These are the tasks you can hand off when hiring a virtual assistant.
As you grow your business, it is really important for you to stay in your “zone of genius” and start to let other people help you with the day-to-day things that you don’t like or don’t have time to do.
What traits or skills should we look for when hiring a VA?
Saba says that she always loves to look for someone who is enthusiastic! In her opinion, the ideal VA is another version of yourself. She says that she was looking for someone with a similar personality as her when she was hiring her own VAs.
Saba says that in looking for these traits when she was hiring a virtual assistant for her own business, she was able to feel like her business is totally taken care of because they value the same things she does and cares for her business as she does.
Some business owners, however, can really benefit from a virtual assistant that is very different than them because they are strong in different areas and can push each other in different ways.
How do I find a virtual assistant?
Saba gives some really great options for different formats and places to look for virtual assistants based on what you are looking for and how you like to respond to people. Just like any other job, hiring a virtual assistant can require a lot of work on the backend so you want to make sure you set yourself up well for that.
Listen to the full episode to hear the great options Saba gives for where to find your next VA!
Most important advice!
Saba says that the thing that will be THE MOST helpful for you is to figure out what your priorities are so that you can have a clear vision for hiring a virtual assistant. This will also prevent friction down the road so you aren’t constantly feeling like you are starting over with your VA and their responsibilities.
Like I mentioned before, Saba was a travel food blogger before becoming a virtual assistant. I asked her about her tips for traveling and taking work on the go with you. Tune in to the full interview to hear all of the amazing tips she shares with us about how to make travel and work go together with ease!
I hope you have LOVED this episode with my friend and EM Shop customer, Sabatini! She brought so much amazing wisdom and encouragement to this conversation about finding, vetting, and hiring a virtual assistant.
I would love to know what you think about this conversation and what questions or feedback you have! DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email at hello@elizabethmccravy.com.
