Hiring A VA Or Assistant For Your Online Business

By: Sandi Krakowski

As a business owner, one of your biggest keys to success will be making sure you are doing the things that you are best at and letting others do the rest. For me? If it's not a 6 or 7 figure generating activity, I rarely do it.

It wasn't more than 3 months after we started our company A Real Change International, Inc and changed my freelance copywriting firm into a full blown info publishing, training and coaching business, that I knew I needed some help. So the first thing I did, was hire an assistant. 

One tip that I give all of my coaching students is this:  "If you can't get something figured out, or completed in under an hour that you're struggling with- outsource it! Get some help!"

It's amazing to me the things small business owners can get done if they just apply this simple principle. You'll never make enough money and then hire enough help, like so many believe will happen. The reality is, to get TO your financial goals and desires, you'll need help now.

It's not only foolish but very unwise to think you can do everything. And yes, there will be times when you probably could do many things by yourself, rather than explain to someone else how to do it. But in the long run, you'll lose and will never grow as far as you could with a good VA or Assistant. 

But where do you find the best "help" possible?

Let me break this to you gently. NOT all VA's are created equal. Some are excellent and some will create a nightmare for your company. Some really are everything they say they are and some are blowing smoke screens with promises that never happen.

In my 15 years of working online we've always had people assisting with customer service, video, media development, web graphics, order processing and more. Our current company requires more help than I've ever had before. We currently have 14 people who help us to do all that we do on a daily basis. Some work more hours than others, but all are excellent and competent at what they do. We've even recently become Incorporated, now known as A Real Change International, Inc.,  with full time employees who have paid vacations, benefits and more! This ONLY happened because we expanded what we do as a team, NOT what I do as a leader. And big key— >> We have no 'semi-qualified' people working for us.

One of my biggest qualifications is a teachable heart

Skill can be taught, but attitude is quite a different story.

It's not my desire to re-arrange or change someone's attitude. They either have a great, positive, teachable heart or they don't. A big key to our success is I never, ever hire people who are negative, whiners, filled with excuses or lazy. (As a matter of fact I don't coach these kind of people either!)

Does that mean that everyone is perfect who works with us? Not at all. I'm not perfect! But it does mean that they are willing to learn, willing to try and are always teachable and approachable.

Nothing worse for a CEO than having to deal with drama in a contractor or employee …. and then throwing hugely profitable hours out the door as you 'attempt' to help someone be positive. Don't be a psychologist, be the CEO you were designed to be.

Be a hard worker and you'll FIND hard workers!

Another lesson we teach our coaching clients is this- if you want to find people who work hard to assist you, be someone who works hard. If you desire a VA or Assistant who is faithful, honest and fair, be faithful, honest and fair yourself!

I've seen CEO's who tell me that they can't keep good help and with a closer look, it's very obvious why. They don't follow through with their word, are always looking out for their own goals and they are typically very self-absorbed in everything they do. Like does breed like, my friends. Hiring and firing people constantly because your company profits are going up and down like a roller coaster isn't a good business model. Neither is letting people go, taking part of their pay and expecting them to be loyal to you, as a CEO. But I've seen this more than enough times. When a CEO only thinks about what 'they' have in their life, they'll lose all the good help around them.

Listen to the words people say and watch what they do

As a homeschooling Mom in our 22nd year of schooling, a business woman who has worked with tens of thousands of clients and a coach who has many full time students in our paid programs, it's not rocket science to me to see good talent. It seems to stick out to me like a shining star. Equally, someone who wastes their time, whines and always finishes sentences with "Yea I know, I know, oh I am I am and I know I know" is not something I would call admirable. 

But where DO you find good help?

We've always had great success hiring people who are either clients, students or are referred to us by those who know our business model. I've never had good results hiring people 'cold' who don't know what we're about or where our mission is. The best people I've ever worked with are those who are already connected to us or 'get' our model.

Clues that someone is a great candidate: 

1. They offer to help even when not asked to do so

2. When asked to do something as a student they take it to heart, are very coachable and activate everything taught

3. If they make mistakes they keep a humble, cheerful attitude and are responsible and mature

4. They do not gossip, talk behind people's backs and always look for the good in everything (Dave Ramsey gives 1 warning for gossip, then you're gone. Doesn't matter how high up you are in the company!)

These are some of my strongest convictions. NO one will work with me if they fall short in these. I'm so honored and blessed to tell you that everyone who works with us is a Super Star in all 4 of these skill sets.

Don't look too far- they are right there!

Rather than reading through a ton of resumes, hoping and praying you can find someone to fill a position, try paying attention to who is in your circle of influence currently. Who comes to mind all the time when you think of a hard worker? Who is always willing to help or doesn't mind assisting others? Is there anyone who has ever given you an indicator that they would love working with you in any capacity? Who follows through and is constantly moving forward in the things they do. Don't look too far when it comes to finding a great VA or an Assistant- they might be already in your current circle of clients or friends!

In closing let me say this- an Assistant or VA who is EXACTLY like you – won't work.

One of the worst things that could happen is to have someone with your same giftings, talents and abilities. It would be wise to find someone who can compliment and complete what you are good at, hedging in your weaknesses and doing what you are not good at. For example, I can't stand Excel! Blah… it's the one program that I do not like, don't use and rarely open on my computer. Many on my staff absolutely LOVE making things work and sing inside of Excel! They love the challenge, the order and experience a great deal of satisfaction in their work when they can bring things together in Excel. As you can see, it's a perfect fit!

You cannot and should not do everything in your business

Be willing to work through a few candidates because rarely will you find someone who is a 'perfect' fit right from the get go.

But if you persist and if you keep looking, you too will find the person who helps you go farther than you ever could without them. Here's my best advice when you do- honor them, reward them, treat them well, thank them OFTEN, at least a few times per week! Look for ways to bless them, listen to them and value who they are. Increase their pay, pay them good bonuses and never forget- you won't get to where you want to without them! So treat them that way! And you, my friends, will have the business… and the life of your dreams!