Anytime I talk about Virtual Assistants (VAs) I get asked where to find a VA. I use Upwork. Upwork is free to use to search for VAs and there’s LOADS of people on there. You only pay for the work the VA does. There’s premium paid versions but I simply haven’t needed it. 

The quality of your VA is reflected in the time and energy you put into finding the right one for you. You can search for a VA based on a variety of variables including budget, location, reviews and more. If you pay $4USD per hour, expect skills and experience (and possibly attitude) reflective of that, as opposed to $10-15USD per hour. Facebook scheduling is not a difficult task, and if you’re pre-writing your content (which I recommend to maintain the authenticity of your voice) you can get away with using a fairly affordable VA.

Once you’ve got a system in place, you set up what’s called a ‘job’ on Upwork. Here’s what you need to be aware of when you get going:

• How you want to pay them (project based or hour based)
• If hourly – how many hours per week
• If it’s just a trial or not
• Screen candidates who have experience in the systems you use (eg. Asana, Canva)
• Shortlist candidates
• Do interviews and MEET your new VA

There’s a bunch of videos on how to use Upwork here. You can pay by MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and PayPal. Most payments are subject to a 2.75% processing fee. All payments have invoices that can be downloaded or printed.

I HIGHLY recommend that you do interviews. So many people get a VA and don’t ever actually speak with them. I don’t think this is a good approach. A lot can be said about a person when they meet you on a video call. Or if they don’t show up, that’s a sign too. You get to hear their English skills (important of you outsource offshore), experience their bandwidth and get to know what kind of person they are. It’s a great way to use your spidey senses to get a feel for who would be a good fit for you.

Here’s some interview questions you might like to use when interviewing potential VAs:

• What is your availability?
• Have you worked with xyz? (eg. Asana, Canva, Slack)

   

  • Please give examples
• What is your internet speed?
• What time zone are you in?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• How do you feel about/handle feedback?
• How would you rate your attention to detail on a scale of 1-10?
• How would you rate your written English on a scale of 1-10?
• What do you do if you are unsure about a task?
• What would you do if you cannot complete a task by the due date/time?
• What would you do if you lost power/internet in your local area?

 A VA can help with so much more than just Facebook content, too! They are incredibly valuable assets to have, saving you time and energy.