Are you at your boiling point and ready to hire a Virtual Assistant? 

Today on the Wednesday Wrap-Up I have Ashley Kay as a guest, we’re chatting about hiring a Virtual Assistant! 

Chances are you are like me and had never heard of a Virtual Assistant (VA)  until after you launched your business. There’s no doubt it sounds alluring to have a VA….  but you may have some lingering questions before you jump in.

I have brought on Ashley Kay, owner of AK Virtual Assistants to give us all the details on finding the RIGHT Virtual Assistant for your business.

Ashley launched her bustling VA business two years ago and now has clients on every continent minus Antartica!

She has graciously joined me on the Wednesday Wrap-Up to chat about:

• What A VA is?

• The services she offers her clients. 

• When is the right time to hire a VA? 

To tune in click here. I have a few highlights from our chat, but the video is worth the watch! 

What exactly is a VA? 

A VA is a virtual assistant. Her company has taken the administrative tasks performed in a Corporate Company, such as Human Resources and performs them virtually for business owners.

Ashley’s company offers services for:

• Social Media Management
• Administrative Services
• Human Resource Services
• Event Coordination

The focus of her company is to take time-consuming administrative tasks off of business owners plates.  With the ultimate goal of giving entrepreneurs valuable time back! (To do things we wanted to do when we launched this business!)

The majority of her clients are overwhelmed by the time they come to her. They think they can do it all and they physically can, however, there isn’t enough time in their day to complete everything. (We have all been there!) 

When is the right time to hire a VA?

The right time to hire a Virtual Assistant is different for each business owner. However, there are two areas you need to be at within your business: financially and emotionally ready. 

The majority of her clients reach out to her when they’re at their boiling point. They’re exhausted, overwhelmed and they desperately need help.

At that point, they are generally in the mindset to accept support and let go of control.

This varies for different business owners, it could be 2 months after you launch your business, 2 years or 5 years. It depends on the growth of your business.

A large part when hiring a virtual assistant is mindset– giving up control.

If you are not in a mindset to give up control, even if it is a small item like scheduling social media. You are not ready for a VA.

Control is such a large part of our business (and control is fear) and it’s scary to offset the fear!

How do you offset your clients fear of giving up control? 

Ashley states during the on-boarding process, they do a deep dive into the client’s branding, vision, story, messaging, and goals. It is imperative the Virtual Assistant is aligned with the client’s company!

She warned that having a client’s brand voice will not happen overnight, it is an evolving process. Just like any relationship.

The key is having open communication and working closely together as a team.

When it comes to communication, how often are you touching base with your clients?

Within her business, the client has the autonomy of how much access they desire with her. It varies amongst clients. The communication is always heavy at the beginning of the partnership and once the client feels comfortable they chose either a weekly or monthly call.

How do you figure out what tasks to outsource? 

Ashely shares, if you find tasks in your company that do not spark “joy” such as creating content for social media or even posting. When you feel unhappy doing these particular tasks, write it down on a piece of paper. That way when you meet with a Virtual Assistant you can tell them everything you want to outsource.

The goal for her team is to take the administrative tasks away so business owners can focus on items that move their company forward and bring them joy. Focusing on speaking engagements or meeting with clients.

When it comes to pricing, what is your pricing structure? 

Ashley shares with us her three-tiered pricing structure. This allows business owners to chose which works best for them and their business.

The first tier is hourly services with no minimum or maximum. The client is billed at the end of the month for the hours they worked together.

95% of her clients choose to be in the second tier which is a monthly retainer. This is for people who want on-going consistent support. Depending on the items they are working on, pricing varies.

The last option is project-based. These are one-off projects, such as building a slide deck for a presentation or planning an event. 

When it comes to hiring a Virtual Assistant, what is your best advice? 

Ashely shares with us her best advice when it comes to hiring a VA! 

• Find someone that aligns with both your business and you. Someone that jives with your personality and wants your success as much as you do.

• They need to clearly understand your vision and support open communication. You want them to treat your business as if it their own. 

Parting words of advice.  It may seem odd to hire someone that may isn’t in your time zone or even in the same country, but give it a try.

• If you have been scorned in the past by a VA. Give it another try. 

Ashley stated when she brought on support in her business… it was downright scary! 
It was her baby and it was hard bringing on support. However, it was life-changing. It allowed her business to scale and grow.

• Hiring the support of a Virtual Assistant will help your business in the long run.

• Remember, the relationship between you and your VA will not form overnight. It’s an evolving relationship just like anything other relationships. 

 If you are ready to take the leap and grow your business, Ashley is offering 30-minute consultation and strategy calls for entrepreneurs who are ready to take the next step and hire a VA. You can book the call here! 

Ashely introduced her brand new Virtual Assistant Academy in the video. If you want to launch a VA business, she is breaking it all down! Plus she is offering a $30 monthly membership (during the month of July 2019)- click here to sign up today!