So you have finally realized that you definitely need some help in order to run your business as smoothly as possible – You’re getting more clientele, you’re finding that the tasks you used to love doing are too time-consuming, you’re staying much later at work or spending too much time at your computer at home trying to get things done.  You missed a great family gathering the other day because you just had to get a few things done, and before you knew it, the whole evening was gone and you haven’t even begun to get yourself ready to go out – UGHH!  This is not what you had in mind when you decided to start your own business!

Ok, now you are totally set on getting yourself a VA!

The first question you will probably be asking yourself is, how do I know which VA is right for me? Where do I even begin to look for a Virtual Assistant?  Here are a few very helpful hints that will assist you in finding the kind of VA that you can count on and feel comfortable with.

To start your search for that ‘perfect VA’, ask the people around you that you are working with on line – perhaps your clientele, or a forum or chat room, or especially a business coach who knows their way around the web.  Get some referrals and make yourself a list to keep notes so that once you contact them and have interviewed them, you can look over your list and decide yourself who would be best-suited to be your assistant for the kind of business that you are running.  Most of the VA’s out there will offer a free consultation – so you can set up a time/interview with them and see what they’re all about.  After speaking with each potential VA, you should have gathered enough information about her services and qualifications to see which one will be suitable for you and your business.

Another good place to check into VA’s is Virtual Assistant Forums – easy enough to do!  Just Google Virtual Assistant Forums and you will get a whole list of forums that you can search.  First start with a couple of the most popular forums and that will give you a good starting point.

• VAnetworking.com – this site is a large forum that has plenty of Virtual Assistants. On one of the tabs, there’s a section where you can search by country – or for the USA you can search by state –  OR – you can even post an RFP (request for proposal) which will be posted on the forum for all potential VA’s to see!
• VirtualAssistantForums.com – here is another huge forum that has loads of VA’s on it. You can browse for distinct qualifications www.virtualassistantforums.com/directory/ – and you also have the option of posting an RPF here as well.

In addition, there are also some very popular outsourcing sites, such as Elance and oDesk.  These are not the same as the forums we mentioned and maybe they should not be your first priority to look for a VA, especially for the newbies, BUT they can be helpful.  You would have to put up your profile on the 2 websites and post the jobs that you need help with.  You will be receiving bids from VA’s all over the world, giving you the opportunity to choose the ones that best suits your needs, dependent on their expertise and ratings.

Another place to check for VA’s is LINKEDIN.  Just do a search for Virtual Assistant, adding any specific qualifications, i.e. Webinar – Infusionsoft – Autoresponders etc.  There are plenty of choices out there.

The best part is that they will be categorized, pending how closely connected you are.

Robyn here! I’ve had a passion for technology for as long as I can remember. I bring a variety of skills and experience to any business, which have been gained with over 25 years of experience as an administrative and IT professional. Learn more…