Joining the Ranks of Happy VA Clients
One month ago today I wrote that I was searching for a VA to support my business. It was an eye-opening experience. In my posting, I indicated the specific skills I was looking for and requested work samples. Some people sent no samples with no explanation as to why they were unable to provide them, others sent samples with glaring mistakes in them, and another one said she didn’t know what kind of sample I was looking for.
I selected the VAs I felt most closely met my needs and set up times to chat with each of them over the phone, which was a draining exercise for someone who is not a big fan of the telephone. Happily, I found someone with the background I was looking for, whose rate I could afford, and with whom I "clicked" and we began working together a few weeks ago.
As I expected, it has been challenging for me to relinquish control to someone else - especially someone who isn’t just a few feet away - but at the same time, it has been liberating. When I think of something that needs to be done, or notice something that needs to be updated on my website, all I have to do is fire off an email, which doesn’t take much longer than putting the task on my to-do list. Of course, some things need more detailed instructions, but by taking the time to write them out now, my VA will have them as a reference going forward, and next time it will be a snap!
In addition to the time-saving benefits, I am learning to provide even better service to my own clients from being on the receiving end and knowing what kinds of "extra" things I would appreciate.
