How I Hired Over 100 Virtual Assistants To Build 4 Companies and Sell 3

Virtual assistants are a powerful way to build a successful business. I’ve started five companies and used over 100 virtual assistants to build four of them. I’ve sold three businesses, authored 5 books, and build a strong personal brand. Guess what? Virtual assistants have helped me with all of this.

Here’s my playbook in how to hire a virtual assistant to help scale you.

Multiplying You and Getting Expertise

The main reason you want to hire a virtual assistant is so that you can get more done and gain expertise.

You might be able to edit your own video, however, hiring someone to do it for you can help you focus on other things.

A virtual assistant can help you focus on revenue generation activities while they focus on other parts of your business. My friend Crystal Washington – www.CrystalWashington.com, a technology futurist, gave me this tip!

Another reason you should hire someone is to give you the expertise you don’t have. Not just to save time, but also to help you in others that you’re not the best in.

For example, I can create decent graphics, especially if I use Canva – www.Canva.com – however, I’ve often hired graphic designers to help me create even better graphics.

Think Bigger

You can hire a virtual assistant to do basic tasks, like transcribing notes from a meeting or helping to organize your hotel or flights. However, if that is all you think of a virtual assistant, you’re missing out.

There’s so much more you should consider using a virtual assistant for, especially a good one!

A virtual assistant should be thought of as a problem solver, a productivity booster, and an important part of your team.

Think of a virtual assistant as the team member you need to get you to the next level in your business.

Create a Job Description:

The best hires I’ve had is when I’ve taken the time to create a job description and good headline for the position. A great headline helps to attract the right virtual assistant.

Headlines are helpful to quickly capture the attention of the virtual assistant scanning through opportunities. A good headline helps to capture their attention.

A good job description is helpful to clearly identify what the scope of the need is about. To clearly understand what the expectations are, what are some possible scenarios that the freelancer is expected to do, and more.

The job description helps give clarity to you and the freelancer.

Difference Tasks Require Different People:

The task or project, or job you need done needs to match the skill level, temperament and work style of your hire.

For example, if you have a very transactional project, like importing email addresses, that’s a pretty cut-and-dry task. But you want someone VERY detailed, and who loves doing the same work over and over again.

If you need a project manager and leading others, this position might require a lot more subjective thinking and leadership from the virtual assistant you’re hiring.

The more you’re aware of your own work style, the more successful you’ll be at hiring.

If you are a perfectionist you might never be satisfied with someone else’s work. If you are not sure what you want, you might think the freelancer is at fault, when it’s really your lack of clarity.

The better a leader you are, the better you’ll be able to hire and lead your team members.

Get Out of the Way:

Some of my best hires have been the team members I’ve empowered to lead. I make suggestions and give guidelines to my team. I set the vision and direction for a particular project. I then trust the judgment and expertise of my team, all virtual assistants, to make it happen.

This takes time. Trust must be built between you and them. Over time, as you learn each other’s work preferences and goals, your freelance hires can take a greater and great role in helping you grow your business.

Pay a Premium:

There are no precise payment guidelines for hiring people. It really depends on skill, project need, your budget and what the freelancer feels they are worth. Here are a few things I’ve learned.

Someone charging way too little is someone I don’t hire. If most of the rates for good website design is $20 – $30 an hour, I don’t want to hire someone whose rate is $10 per hour. It’s just too low and I feel they’re not savvy and skilled enough to get the job done.

I like to pay a fair market rate or even a premium for services. An executive assistant I hired, had a rate of about $50 per hour. That’s a high rate for some. However, she was so good, such an expert, it was so worth it. I hired a designer for a new print magazine I was launching. My friend Seth Godin – www.SethGodin.com, advised me to have a well-designed magazine, so I invested in the best designer I could hire. Here rate was like $60 or more an hour.

She was an amazing designer and very much worth it.

Virtual Assistants Can Transform Your Life

A virtual assistant can powerfully transform your life.

We are in business NOT so we can work, we are in business to serve our customers who pay us so we can live the life we want.

Ramon Ray is a serial entrepreneur who has started 5 companies and sold three. He’s the founder of Celebrity CEO™ – www.CelebrityCEO.com, ZoneofGenius.com and BWCDaily.com. Ramon’s interviewed President Obama; interviewed all 5 Sharks on Shark Tank; and shared the stage with Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk and other celebrated business leaders. Get to know Ramon better at RamonRay.com