So you’ve finally admitted you need help. Your inbox is a nightmare, you’re drowning in admin, and something’s got to give. Deciding to hire a virtual assistant should be straightforward, but somehow people manage to cock it up in spectacularly predictable ways. Here’s what usually goes wrong.
Hiring the First Person Who Replies
You’re desperate, someone responds quickly with a friendly message, and you think “right, they’ll do.” Then two weeks in, you discover they’ve been copying and pasting the same response to every client email, or they’ve scheduled a meeting at 3am because they didn’t understand time zones. Desperation makes for terrible hiring decisions. Take a breath and actually vet people properly.
Explaining Nothing and Expecting Everything
You fire off a message saying “can you handle my emails?” and assume they’ll just figure it out. They won’t. Which emails need responses? Which ones get forwarded? What’s your tone—formal or casual? Without clear instructions, they’re just guessing, and you’ll spend more time fixing their mistakes than if you’d done it yourself.
Going for Bargain Basement Rates
Someone charging £3 an hour isn’t going to transform your business. They’re either inexperienced, overloaded with clients, or frankly not very good. You don’t need to spend a fortune, but if you’re paying peanuts, expect monkey work. It’s not snobbery—it’s just reality.
Letting Them Message You Whenever
Without boundaries, you’ll get WhatsApp messages at 11pm asking whether you prefer Arial or Calibri font. Set proper working hours. Decide how you’re communicating—Slack, email, whatever—and stick to it. Otherwise, hiring help just means you’re now available 24/7 to answer questions.
Signing Long Contracts Immediately
Why would you commit to six months with someone you’ve never worked with? Start small. Give them one project or a week’s trial. See if they actually deliver what they promised, if they meet deadlines, if they’re a pain to work with. You can always extend things if they’re brilliant.
Assuming They’ll Just Know Stuff
Your outsourced VA might have ten years of experience, but they don’t know how you like things done. They don’t know that Client A needs kid gloves or that you always send invoices on Fridays. Write it down. Record a quick video. Five minutes of explanation now saves fifty questions later.
The difference between successfully bringing on help and creating more work for yourself comes down to thinking things through before you’re completely desperate. When you hire a virtual assistant properly, it’s brilliant. Rush it because you’re stressed, and you’ve just added another problem to your list.
