#62 Working with a VA, with Kirsty Whybrow

Working with a virtual assistant - Rise up in business podcast

Today I have my VA, Kirsty Whybrow, joining me and I must say, working with a VA has been an absolute game changer to my business growth.

I have a lot of people ask me what it’s like to work with a VA. If you’re at a stage in your business where you think you might be ready to outsource, you’re going to get a lot out of this episode.

Kirsty and I chat about what a VA actually does, the processes and systems they utilise and how they can provide support to businesses in a variety of ways. I share some of the specific things Kirsty does in my business, in particular help with onboarding and invoicing and how she provides a unique and objective insight into my business.

We chat about how to find the right VA, different ways you can work together and what you can do now to help prepare your business for outsourcing.

I can’t recommend working with a VA highly enough. Offloading a lot of the somewhat mundane and time consuming tasks has been a lifesaver in my business.

TOPICS DISCUSSED AND WHERE TO FIND THEM:

[2:30]: A VA will often be the first outsource in a business. They use project management tools to communicate and perform tasks so the business owner can concentrate on pushing their business forward.

[3:50]: VA’s perform a variety of tasks including inbox management, onboarding, social media support, email marketing and website support.

[4:30]: Write a list of everything you do in a day. Highlight what needs to be done by you and everything else can be outsourced. Often business owners don’t realise what can be outsourced.

[5:45]: Kirsty also helps me with onboarding, invoicing, following up and gives me a unique objective insight for ideas in my business. It takes time to build a relationship and a way of working together that suits your business.

[9:00]: To find the right VA, have a good look at the website and social media to see the services they provide, the clients they work with, how they write and have a discovery call.

[10:40]: A VA isn’t a locked in contract. Kirsty has some clients on a retainer package and others are ad-hoc clients.

[13:25]: Some business owners think things will take longer than they do, so you might not need as many hours from a VA as you think you would.

[14:30]: A VA needs to have a service agreement and if they don’t, it’s a red flag.

[15:25]: Kirsty talks through her set process of how she moves through her day and how she passes certain tasks onto her team. She uses Asana and Monday.

[17:00]: Kirsty talks about the difference between a VA and an OBM. A VA is more task driven and an OBM is more strategic with implementation into your business.

[19:10]: It’s difficult for a VA to work with a business owner who doesn’t know what they need done. You need to take the time to get clarity on what your business needs.

[20:15]: Where to find Kirsty

LINKS:

Where to find Kirsty: