Creating The Perfect Virtual Executive Assistant
by Brett Linnenkohl
Section 1: Introduction and setting your course
1) My story
2) How this guide is different than other EA resources; what is the “shadow you EA”
3) Understanding why you need this guide
4) What are your business goals and how will this guide help you achieve them?
5) More benefits of a shadow you EA that will save your life
6) False Mentalities: awareness of typical false mentalities that will hold you back
Section 2: Structuring, organizing, and systemizing your business
7) Full Systems Overview: your production engine in a neat box
8) Systemization Mentality: Mindsets for easily organizing and systemizing your business
9) Free software tools that will be used in your system overview
11) How to most efficiently log tasks for your operations manual
12) Categories of Tasks and how to outsource or save maximum time in each
13) Operations Manual part 1: Explanation and Organizing Task Sections
14) Operations Manual part 2: Basic Departments of your business
Section 3: Steps for finding your EA (with easy templates)
Creating The Perfect Virtual Executive Assistant
by Brett Linnenkohl
Section 1: Introduction and setting your course
1) My story
2) How this guide is different than other EA resources; what is the “shadow you EA”
3) Understanding why you need this guide
4) What are your business goals and how will this guide help you achieve them?
5) More benefits of a shadow you EA that will save your life
6) False Mentalities: awareness of typical false mentalities that will hold you back
Section 2: Structuring, organizing, and systemizing your business
7) Full Systems Overview: your production engine in a neat box
8) Systemization Mentality: Mindsets for easily organizing and systemizing your business
9) Free software tools that will be used in your system overview
11) How to most efficiently log tasks for your operations manual
12) Categories of Tasks and how to outsource or save maximum time in each
13) Operations Manual part 1: Explanation and Organizing Task Sections
14) Operations Manual part 2: Basic Departments of your business
Section 3: Steps for finding your EA (with easy templates)
Section 1: Introduction and setting your course
This section will give you an introduction to creating the perfect Virtual Executive Assistant, or as I'd like to call it, a "Shadow VA," and will give you insights to what you can expect, will motivate you to finish the steps in this short guide, and will set your course for success. You'll see me use these terms interchangeably -- VA, EA, shadow VA.. etc!)
(GROUND ZERO) Introduction: My story
Welcome and Cheers!
My name is Brett. My whole life, I have been interested in business and making money, leading me to be an entrepreneur since I can remember. I always remember it giving me a feeling of peace knowing that I had a stash of cash somewhere. Only once I started businesses did I realize I knew nothing about business.
Throughout my childhood, I was ALWAYS the kid who would work deals, hustle for extra money, and find ways to get others to do what I needed them to do (without any malintent). I would always stretch my ideas to the max and try to perfect them and systemize them until they were running on their own. Here are some quick stories of my memories growing up.
In elementary school, I would hold “contests” with my little siblings called the “winners Olympics”. I would have them compete in pushups, sit-ups, mental challenges, etc., with a leadup to the main event, “back massage competition” which lasted twice as long as the other events. I loved back massages!
I remember in middle school, I led a “scheme” where we would collect kids’ spare change during lunch to save up. We held a contest for who could get the most one day, I collected 10x’s the amount everyone else. At the end of the school year, we took that money and purchased sodas from the grocery store on the last day of school to sell them in the lunchroom (where soda was banned). We bought them at $.25 a can and sold them for $2 a can (an 800% margin for a hustlin’ 12-year-old ain’t bad, no matter how small the volume).
In high school, I started an auto detailing “company”, finding leads and getting cars into our driveway. I would enlist the help of neighborhood kids to do the actual work, and would take 60% of the cut for myself, and pay them out of the additional 40%.
After college, I started a furniture flipping business using online resources. As people left for summer break, they would stack their furniture outdoors for the trashman before heading out of town. I would simply drag the furniture back to my apartment and post it online for easy money (and financed the necessary post-undergrad Eurotrip from this).
Soon after, I started a baseball lesson and camp business (from my background in baseball). I didn’t have a location to operate out of (and didn’t want to pay for one), so after volunteering some time for a high school and a little league, I negotiated my way into finding a free cage space, making my leveraged $100 an hour fee of pure prot.
However, with the amount of add ons that business held, and with my family life starting to become a real thing, it started to get hard. I felt the feeling of being trapped by the business, the trap of not having money coming in unless I was directly working for it. I thought hiring employees might help, but I was wrong! (At least at the time) It added another layer of complication to the business having to manage employees, pay employees, coordinate schedules, etc., etc.
(The “stressed and out of shape and overweight” one)
Where the hustle stopped, and the business “grind” started.
I now realized that I was in major pain. Not only did I have to do the actual work in the business that brought in money, but I had to manage the behind-the-scenes parts of the business too (which many times takes much longer than the money-making parts). It was the first time I experienced real burnout.
Unfortunately, I had no choice as dropping either side would lead to reduced income for my family and disappointment for my customers. Instead, I slacked on what I could slack on (like not cleaning your room frequently, it became a huge mess that I would eventually have to clean!) and zombied through.
Then, one random day, I read about VA's. Someone who could complete things for you from afar for 1/5th of the price of a local assistant. But I was skeptical -- how could they be effective for my business from online? How could I trust them? How could I have them work my hours? How would I keep them motivated and on top of my tasks? Did I have enough hours for them to work? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, so I didn’t pursue it for another few months. Until the “hell weeks” came.
The hell weeks are unlike any other weeks an entrepreneur experiences-- and the longer one is an entrepreneur, the more hell weeks they must endure. On hell weeks, tasks pop up out of nowhere. Clients call in with issues. Employees quit. All of the tasks you’ve put o need to get done. Your wife gets sick and needs you to take over with the baby... and you are already booked up for 30 working hours and still have to prepare for an event, a meeting, a presentation. All with a razor thin margin for hiring help (as who can afford a full time assistant at $50k as a starting up solopreneur?). And, even once past the initial rush, there is no end in sight.
It’s weeks like this that make being a business owner HORRIBLY difficult. And all of the above things happened to me in a 48-hour period on my first hell week, alone, with no help. I literally worked 100 hours that week (and 90 weeks after. The other 10 I spent arguing with my wife!). There’s no way to describe the pain of a perfect storm in business, but if you’ve been through it, you know exactly what it feels like: a blisteringly painful existence filled with sleep deprivation, burnout, and numb state of mind. I decided that day that I would get some help once I got my head above water and dove immediately into getting a VA.
That was 8 years ago. And it wasn’t easy. I had to ask favors of friends, read a multitude of books and articles, trial and error with talking with foreign workers, losing money in paying workers that didn’t work out, and more. But, after 8 years of working up the ladder, and after 8 years of documenting painstakingly each step that one needed to take to get a VA, I perfected the VA process.
Since then, I’ve started and helped multiple businesses and got results with the help of VA’s. Here are just a couple of examples:
For one, I created a unique “coach in a box” app to help youth league coaches coach a great practice in minutes. I used my VA’s to gather lists of impossible to and prospects, to store code for app developers when updates are needed, and to handle orders from customers.
Another is how I used VA’s to help my friend find 1000 “dream” prospects for his business, research every medium possible to reach them on, and setup a VA system to outreach to those prospects through each medium to start a conversation. He was able to consistently close a new customer at a rate of 3 per month (and at $5,000 a month recurring per sale, that was pretty good for him!).
I also helped a digital marketing company double his revenue in 8 months, from $500k a year to $1.2 million a year, simply by building him an “admin team” -- 6 VA’s who are able to hold the line for all repetitive tasks in his business -- each able to adapt rules as needed, automate tasks as they gure them out, and each able to replace themselves with a new VA anytime they need to leave. (Suce to say, this company is now primed to scale fast!).
(This one I was especially proud of -- he had his key employees doing the most MENIAL tasks... by freeing them up, they were able to BLOSSOM to make him more money!).
This spawned my current business, Evergreen Strategic Systems, where as a professional COO / Integrator, my team and I do done for you business streamlining, team "whispering", EA placement, and "CEO cloning" to remove founders from the things they HATE doing in their businesses. (We specialize in companies at $600,000-5 million annually).
I tell you all of this because I want you to know that this is the result of the blood, sweat, tears, savviness, pain, hurt, triumph and courage that I have gained through my experiences, and to say that it all can lead to something very rewarding. And through all of it, there is no doubt that that reward comes 10x’s easier with a VA (with 4x’s less upfront risk).
I’ve created this guide to lead you from start to finish through the process of creating a “shadow you EA” to help you with your business and with your personal life. I guarantee that this guide will make your life easier by taking away BS tasks, eliminating stress, making you a real boss, and will pay for itself in no time. By following the steps listed in this guide, you get the months of testing, stress, and experimenting that it took me to perfect the shadow you EA system so that you can understand it and implement it easily.
So, congrats on this purchase, and good luck! I hope that the writeups and video walkthroughs will help any learner understand the concepts easily and follow the steps to success with a shadow you EA. You will never want to go back to doing things yourself, I promise!
Sincerely,
Brett
Section 1: Introduction and setting your course
This section will give you an introduction to creating the perfect Virtual Executive Assistant, or as I'd like to call it, a "Shadow VA," and will give you insights to what you can expect, will motivate you to finish the steps in this short guide, and will set your course for success. You'll see me use these terms interchangeably -- VA, EA, shadow VA.. etc!)
(GROUND ZERO) Introduction: My story
Welcome and Cheers!
My name is Brett. My whole life, I have been interested in business and making money, leading me to be an entrepreneur since I can remember. I always remember it giving me a feeling of peace knowing that I had a stash of cash somewhere. Only once I started businesses did I realize I knew nothing about business.
Throughout my childhood, I was ALWAYS the kid who would work deals, hustle for extra money, and find ways to get others to do what I needed them to do (without any malintent). I would always stretch my ideas to the max and try to perfect them and systemize them until they were running on their own. Here are some quick stories of my memories growing up.
In elementary school, I would hold “contests” with my little siblings called the “winners Olympics”. I would have them compete in pushups, sit-ups, mental challenges, etc., with a leadup to the main event, “back massage competition” which lasted twice as long as the other events. I loved back massages!
I remember in middle school, I led a “scheme” where we would collect kids’ spare change during lunch to save up. We held a contest for who could get the most one day, I collected 10x’s the amount everyone else. At the end of the school year, we took that money and purchased sodas from the grocery store on the last day of school to sell them in the lunchroom (where soda was banned). We bought them at $.25 a can and sold them for $2 a can (an 800% margin for a hustlin’ 12-year-old ain’t bad, no matter how small the volume).
In high school, I started an auto detailing “company”, finding leads and getting cars into our driveway. I would enlist the help of neighborhood kids to do the actual work, and would take 60% of the cut for myself, and pay them out of the additional 40%.
After college, I started a furniture flipping business using online resources. As people left for summer break, they would stack their furniture outdoors for the trashman before heading out of town. I would simply drag the furniture back to my apartment and post it online for easy money (and financed the necessary post-undergrad Eurotrip from this).
Soon after, I started a baseball lesson and camp business (from my background in baseball). I didn’t have a location to operate out of (and didn’t want to pay for one), so after volunteering some time for a high school and a little league, I negotiated my way into finding a free cage space, making my leveraged $100 an hour fee of pure prot.
However, with the amount of add ons that business held, and with my family life starting to become a real thing, it started to get hard. I felt the feeling of being trapped by the business, the trap of not having money coming in unless I was directly working for it. I thought hiring employees might help, but I was wrong! (At least at the time) It added another layer of complication to the business having to manage employees, pay employees, coordinate schedules, etc., etc.
(The “stressed and out of shape and overweight” one)
Where the hustle stopped, and the business “grind” started.
I now realized that I was in major pain. Not only did I have to do the actual work in the business that brought in money, but I had to manage the behind-the-scenes parts of the business too (which many times takes much longer than the money-making parts). It was the first time I experienced real burnout.
Unfortunately, I had no choice as dropping either side would lead to reduced income for my family and disappointment for my customers. Instead, I slacked on what I could slack on (like not cleaning your room frequently, it became a huge mess that I would eventually have to clean!) and zombied through.
Then, one random day, I read about VA's. Someone who could complete things for you from afar for 1/5th of the price of a local assistant. But I was skeptical -- how could they be effective for my business from online? How could I trust them? How could I have them work my hours? How would I keep them motivated and on top of my tasks? Did I have enough hours for them to work? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, so I didn’t pursue it for another few months. Until the “hell weeks” came.
The hell weeks are unlike any other weeks an entrepreneur experiences-- and the longer one is an entrepreneur, the more hell weeks they must endure. On hell weeks, tasks pop up out of nowhere. Clients call in with issues. Employees quit. All of the tasks you’ve put o need to get done. Your wife gets sick and needs you to take over with the baby... and you are already booked up for 30 working hours and still have to prepare for an event, a meeting, a presentation. All with a razor thin margin for hiring help (as who can afford a full time assistant at $50k as a starting up solopreneur?). And, even once past the initial rush, there is no end in sight.
It’s weeks like this that make being a business owner HORRIBLY difficult. And all of the above things happened to me in a 48-hour period on my first hell week, alone, with no help. I literally worked 100 hours that week (and 90 weeks after. The other 10 I spent arguing with my wife!). There’s no way to describe the pain of a perfect storm in business, but if you’ve been through it, you know exactly what it feels like: a blisteringly painful existence filled with sleep deprivation, burnout, and numb state of mind. I decided that day that I would get some help once I got my head above water and dove immediately into getting a VA.
That was 8 years ago. And it wasn’t easy. I had to ask favors of friends, read a multitude of books and articles, trial and error with talking with foreign workers, losing money in paying workers that didn’t work out, and more. But, after 8 years of working up the ladder, and after 8 years of documenting painstakingly each step that one needed to take to get a VA, I perfected the VA process.
Since then, I’ve started and helped multiple businesses and got results with the help of VA’s. Here are just a couple of examples:
For one, I created a unique “coach in a box” app to help youth league coaches coach a great practice in minutes. I used my VA’s to gather lists of impossible to and prospects, to store code for app developers when updates are needed, and to handle orders from customers.
Another is how I used VA’s to help my friend find 1000 “dream” prospects for his business, research every medium possible to reach them on, and setup a VA system to outreach to those prospects through each medium to start a conversation. He was able to consistently close a new customer at a rate of 3 per month (and at $5,000 a month recurring per sale, that was pretty good for him!).
I also helped a digital marketing company double his revenue in 8 months, from $500k a year to $1.2 million a year, simply by building him an “admin team” -- 6 VA’s who are able to hold the line for all repetitive tasks in his business -- each able to adapt rules as needed, automate tasks as they gore them out, and each able to replace themselves with a new VA anytime they need to leave. (Sauce to say, this company is now primed to scale fast!).
(This one I was especially proud of -- he had his key employees doing the most MENIAL tasks... by freeing them up, they were able to BLOSSOM to make him more money!).
This spawned my current business, Evergreen Strategic Systems, where as a professional COO / Integrator, my team and I do done for you business streamlining, team "whispering", EA placement, and "CEO cloning" to remove founders from the things they HATE doing in their businesses. (We specialize in companies at $600,000-5 million annually).
I tell you all of this because I want you to know that this is the result of the blood, sweat, tears, savviness, pain, hurt, triumph and courage that I have gained through my experiences, and to say that it all can lead to something very rewarding. And through all of it, there is no doubt that that reward comes 10x’s easier with a VA (with 4x’s less upfront risk).
I’ve created this guide to lead you from start to finish through the process of creating a “shadow you EA” to help you with your business and with your personal life. I guarantee that this guide will make your life easier by taking away BS tasks, eliminating stress, making you a real boss, and will pay for itself in no time. By following the steps listed in this guide, you get the months of testing, stress, and experimenting that it took me to perfect the shadow you EA system so that you can understand it and implement it easily.
So, congrats on this purchase, and good luck! I hope that the writeups and video walkthroughs will help any learner understand the concepts easily and follow the steps to success with a shadow you EA. You will never want to go back to doing things yourself, I promise!
Sincerely,
Brett
1) How this guide is different from other VA books and why you need it if you are serious about growing your business.
This guide is for those serious about getting the best virtual assistant as soon as humanly possible to make their lives easier! If you are feeling the pains of burnout and can’t get out of the hole, this step-by-step guide is your ladder!
Other books and resources I’ve read are long-winded and confusing, with multiple software and recruitment options, confusing filler material, and unrelated anecdotes that don’t really add to helping you get to your goal (I know because I’ve read them!). This step-by-step guide is about getting you on the absolute best, most efficient, most executive path to getting a VA that is executive in your day-to-day business.
This guide focuses on creating what I call the “Shadow You” EA, which is dierent from what some think as the normal VA. With the normal EA model, a business owner hires EA’s to run departments of his or her business independently (marketing, sales, graphics, etc). In my experience, this is a recipe for disaster for upcoming entrepreneurs several reasons:
1) RISK: It’s risky to put a whole department in the hands of an overseas person (most of these “VA experts” have staff in the US that are their main staff).
2) REPLACEMENT: Recruitment is expensive and time consuming as you must find someone with a special set of skills that others are seeking (and try to find it cheap).
3) COST: People with specific skill sets sooner than later want to capitalize on their skill sets and will ask for more money, which is ne, but puts you at risk as if you don’t want to pay, causing you to lose production and have to go through the recruitment process again (almost forcing your hand to have to pay them).
4) RESTART: If they leave, you don’t have a playbook or an understanding of their job, and you basically must start from scratch with a department.
5) OUTSOURCE: These department type VA’s can be found cheaper and easier on outsourcing websites -- it’s better to have a “Shadow You EA” manager who can hire these people for you without the headaches.
6) MORE USE: If things are slow within a department, you are paying people for doing nothing just to retain them.
7) ADVANCED: Most new entrepreneurs don’t know how to manage several departments at once, so it’s set up for failure from the beginning.
Although all of these are not ALWAYS the case, they are certainly the case when solopreneurs try to apply their teachings, leading to wasted time, money and built-up frustration.
The shadow you EA is a process that teaches solopreneurs and entrepreneurs how to have a full time personal assistant that can do ANYTHING time consuming or stressful that they need done - - their daily / weekly / monthly tasks, tasks that come up only every once in a while that they hate, personal tasks, one o tasks, skilled tasks, creative tasks, outsourced tasks, research tasks, organizational tasks, scribing tasks, customer service tasks, email upkeep, taxes, website updates, etc.
They are a literal shadow that you have at your beck and call, a hand that you can snap your fingers and expect any task that you properly log to be done for you. A shadow you is one that’s meant to give you as an entrepreneur TRUE POWER. And the best part? The shadow you is the absolute cheapest way to have an EA, 100%, as it allows you to leverage workers who have passion, determination, and communicate effectively, but may not have a specific skill (and there are MANY good ones out there!).
In this guide, I provide sections and chapters that, if followed step by step, will get your business organized and get you to an EA within two weeks or less. In each chapter, I have a full write up covering that section, templates to help you to understand the concepts presented, and a video walk through in each section where I talk you through the concepts (as some people prefer to listen rather than read!). I think you will find that the concepts, ideas, and practical applications fused into this book are broken down to their simplest parts and easy to put into action. So, congrats on joining the Shadow EA club, and enjoy your new, easier life!
1) How this guide is different from other VA books and why you need it if you are serious about growing your business.
This guide is for those serious about getting the best virtual assistant as soon as humanly possible to make their lives easier! If you are feeling the pains of burnout and can’t get out of the hole, this step-by-step guide is your ladder!
Other books and resources I’ve read are long-winded and confusing, with multiple software and recruitment options, confusing filler material, and unrelated anecdotes that don’t really add to helping you get to your goal (I know because I’ve read them!). This step-by-step guide is about getting you on the absolute best, most efficient, most executive path to getting a VA that is executive in your day-to-day business.
This guide focuses on creating what I call the “Shadow You” EA, which is dierent from what some think as the normal VA. With the normal EA model, a business owner hires EA’s to run departments of his or her business independently (marketing, sales, graphics, etc). In my experience, this is a recipe for disaster for upcoming entrepreneurs several reasons:
1) RISK: It’s risky to put a whole department in the hands of an overseas person (most of these “VA experts” have staff in the US that are their main staff).
2) REPLACEMENT: Recruitment is expensive and time consuming as you must find someone with a special set of skills that others are seeking (and try to find it cheap).
3) COST: People with specific skill sets sooner than later want to capitalize on their skill sets and will ask for more money, which is ne, but puts you at risk as if you don’t want to pay, causing you to lose production and have to go through the recruitment process again (almost forcing your hand to have to pay them).
4) RESTART: If they leave, you don’t have a playbook or an understanding of their job, and you basically must start from scratch with a department.
5) OUTSOURCE: These department type VA’s can be found cheaper and easier on outsourcing websites -- it’s better to have a “Shadow You EA” manager who can hire these people for you without the headaches.
6) MORE USE: If things are slow within a department, you are paying people for doing nothing just to retain them.
7) ADVANCED: Most new entrepreneurs don’t know how to manage several departments at once, so it’s set up for failure from the beginning.
Although all of these are not ALWAYS the case, they are certainly the case when solopreneurs try to apply their teachings, leading to wasted time, money and built-up frustration.
The shadow you EA is a process that teaches solopreneurs and entrepreneurs how to have a full time personal assistant that can do ANYTHING time consuming or stressful that they need done - - their daily / weekly / monthly tasks, tasks that come up only every once in a while that they hate, personal tasks, one o tasks, skilled tasks, creative tasks, outsourced tasks, research tasks, organizational tasks, scribing tasks, customer service tasks, email upkeep, taxes, website updates, etc.
They are a literal shadow that you have at your beck and call, a hand that you can snap your fingers and expect any task that you properly log to be done for you. A shadow you is one that’s meant to give you as an entrepreneur TRUE POWER. And the best part? The shadow you is the absolute cheapest way to have an EA, 100%, as it allows you to leverage workers who have passion, determination, and communicate effectively, but may not have a specific skill (and there are MANY good ones out there!).
In this guide, I provide sections and chapters that, if followed step by step, will get your business organized and get you to an EA within two weeks or less. In each chapter, I have a full write up covering that section, templates to help you to understand the concepts presented, and a video walk through in each section where I talk you through the concepts (as some people prefer to listen rather than read!). I think you will find that the concepts, ideas, and practical applications fused into this book are broken down to their simplest parts and easy to put into action. So, congrats on joining the Shadow EA club, and enjoy your new, easier life!
2) Understanding why you need this guide
Starting a business from the ground up is like being a goldfish in a tank of water-- you will grow only as big as the tank you decide to swim in, and the only way you can move to a bigger tank or pond is with help from someone outside the tank!
If you run a business that is not oriented toward growth, and you are the main driver of the business (the one who, if you don’t work, the business will fail) you will eventually, 100% of the time, become burned out -- EVEN if, and especially if, you are in a business that is your passion (I love cheesecake, but cheesecake for every meal gets old in a short period of time).
Entrepreneurs thrive on creativity, on growing something new. On growth. On creation. So, to get stuck in a cycle that has you doing the same work, day in and day out, year in and year out -- it will kill your soul. I worked with kids and baseball, my two passions, and it killed mine!
So how do we get out of that? How do we nd a way to create sustaining businesses that don’t require a life sentence of repetitive labor? We need to have someone who can do tasks for us continually, how we want them done, and when we want them done. The problem is, it takes a high degree of coordination, organization, and management to make this happen (all learnable skills that are easily learned and will be taught to you in this guide). Mix this with someone in an “I must work 80 hours a week or this business will fail” scenario, it makes it pretty tough to actually bring an EA to fruition.
You need this guide as just 10-15 minutes a day of following the steps in each section will get you a full-edged shadow you EA and an organized, full proof system that will make your life compoundingly easier, like an investment that pays o with each week to save you time, money, mental energy, and will eliminate opportunity costs! And remember, if you are one with more time than money, you can skip all of the heavy lifting and let us do the work for you -- simply schedule a time to see ifit’s a t here!
2) Understanding why you need this guide
Starting a business from the ground up is like being a goldfish in a tank of water-- you will grow only as big as the tank you decide to swim in, and the only way you can move to a bigger tank or pond is with help from someone outside the tank!
If you run a business that is not oriented toward growth, and you are the main driver of the business (the one who, if you don’t work, the business will fail) you will eventually, 100% of the time, become burned out -- EVEN if, and especially if, you are in a business that is your passion (I love cheesecake, but cheesecake for every meal gets old in a short period of time).
Entrepreneurs thrive on creativity, on growing something new. On growth. On creation. So, to get stuck in a cycle that has you doing the same work, day in and day out, year in and year out -- it will kill your soul. I worked with kids and baseball, my two passions, and it killed mine!
So how do we get out of that? How do we nd a way to create sustaining businesses that don’t require a life sentence of repetitive labor? We need to have someone who can do tasks for us continually, how we want them done, and when we want them done. The problem is, it takes a high degree of coordination, organization, and management to make this happen (all learnable skills that are easily learned and will be taught to you in this guide). Mix this with someone in an “I must work 80 hours a week or this business will fail” scenario, it makes it pretty tough to actually bring an EA to fruition.
You need this guide as just 10-15 minutes a day of following the steps in each section will get you a full-edged shadow you EA and an organized, full proof system that will make your life compounding easier, like an investment that pays o with each week to save you time, money, mental energy, and will eliminate opportunity costs! And remember, if you are one with more time than money, you can skip all of the heavy lifting and let us do the work for you -- simply schedule a time to see ifit’s a t here!
3) What are your business goals and how will a Shadow You EA help you achieve them faster?
The number one thing stopping you from getting the most out of this guide, and therefore not getting the most out of your business, is not being consistent. I think it’s helpful to take a moment to think about the reasons you started your business to tap into the fire of why you’ve grinded this far so far!
Take a moment and reflect for two minutes on these two questions before moving on:
1. Why did you start this business?
2. What did you want out your business at the end of the day?
Chances are, your answers will gravitate toward one or more of the following answers:
1. You want to be financially prosperous and think that your business can grow.
2. You want to have more free time, more energy, and do less meaningless busy work.
3. You don’t want to have a boss; you want to BE the boss.
4. You absolutely love what you do.
Let’s look at how these goals are helped with having a EA:
GETTING RICH: You simply cannot get rich by doing every task yourself. There are only so many hours in the day, and way too many jobs a company needs done. So you need help, especially on non-money making tasks (aka the backend systems). But help is EXPENSIVE. That’s why EA’s are the ABSOLUTE CHEAPEST, so it helps you get things done for cheap, which is great! If you have activities in your business that make you more than even $10.00 per hour, you need a EA! This is how you get out of the small tasks and actually grow your business. And if you can command one shadow you EA, you will learn the management skills necessary to manage more and more sta. If each sta member you bring on is a productive revenue generator (either directly or indirectly), you will prot from this skillset.
FREE TIME: EA’s (and assistants in general) full purpose is to free time for you -- if you are stuck doing multiple little tasks, your time and energy are not only sucked into those but are sucked into the “transition time” of those, or the time it takes you to go from one task to the next without getting caught on email or Facebook. When you have a EA, your main task is simply to go through the to-do list and make sure they know what they are to do -- which takes a fraction of the time of doing the actual tasks!
BE THE BOSS: With a EA, you are now the boss! You have the power to say, “do this by this day” and to say, “organize this exactly how I need it”. THAT’S POWER! No longer do you have to mope and procrastinate doing tasks. No longer will you need to put things on until tomorrow in favor of the 5 busy tasks that have come up. No longer will you have to sacrifice quality in your business because you don’t have the time to make it perfect! Now, you can focus on actually BUILDING the business like a boss should!
LOVE WHAT YOU DO: Having a EA allows you to do LESS of what you don’t want to do (the administrative tasks that will always be there when running a business) and MORE of what you actually want to do! One of my businesses was working with kids in sports-- the more time on the eld I got with the kids, the happier I was! The more time I had to organize spreadsheets, get t-shirt sizes, track weekly lesson payments and packages, email parents, etc., the more I hated my “entrepreneurial” life.
As you could see, if you had goals for starting your business, having a shadow you EA will help you get there faster and more efficiently. It is the next step that you have been looking for. I promise, having a shadow you EA is 100% WORTH the time to implement and will change your life for the better as it has mine! (Just with this, you get the best of my two years of pain implemented in two to four weeks!).
3) What are your business goals and how will a Shadow You EA help you achieve them faster?
The number one thing stopping you from getting the most out of this guide, and therefore not getting the most out of your business, is not being consistent. I think it’s helpful to take a moment to think about the reasons you started your business to tap into the fire of why you’ve grinded this far so far!
Take a moment and reflect for two minutes on these two questions before moving on:
1. Why did you start this business?
2. What did you want out your business at the end of the day?
Chances are, your answers will gravitate toward one or more of the following answers:
1. You want to be financially prosperous and think that your business can grow.
2. You want to have more free time, more energy, and do less meaningless busy work.
3. You don’t want to have a boss; you want to BE the boss.
4. You absolutely love what you do.
Let’s look at how these goals are helped with having a EA:
GETTING RICH: You simply cannot get rich by doing every task yourself. There are only so many hours in the day, and way too many jobs a company needs done. So you need help, especially on non-money making tasks (aka the backend systems). But help is EXPENSIVE. That’s why EA’s are the ABSOLUTE CHEAPEST, so it helps you get things done for cheap, which is great! If you have activities in your business that make you more than even $10.00 per hour, you need a EA! This is how you get out of the small tasks and actually grow your business. And if you can command one shadow you EA, you will learn the management skills necessary to manage more and more sta. If each sta member you bring on is a productive revenue generator (either directly or indirectly), you will prot from this skillset.
FREE TIME: EA’s (and assistants in general) full purpose is to free time for you -- if you are stuck doing multiple little tasks, your time and energy are not only sucked into those but are sucked into the “transition time” of those, or the time it takes you to go from one task to the next without getting caught on email or Facebook. When you have a EA, your main task is simply to go through the to-do list and make sure they know what they are to do -- which takes a fraction of the time of doing the actual tasks!
BE THE BOSS: With a EA, you are now the boss! You have the power to say, “do this by this day” and to say, “organize this exactly how I need it”. THAT’S POWER! No longer do you have to mope and procrastinate doing tasks. No longer will you need to put things on until tomorrow in favor of the 5 busy tasks that have come up. No longer will you have to sacrifice quality in your business because you don’t have the time to make it perfect! Now, you can focus on actually BUILDING the business like a boss should!
LOVE WHAT YOU DO: Having a EA allows you to do LESS of what you don’t want to do (the administrative tasks that will always be there when running a business) and MORE of what you actually want to do! One of my businesses was working with kids in sports-- the more time on the eld I got with the kids, the happier I was! The more time I had to organize spreadsheets, get t-shirt sizes, track weekly lesson payments and packages, email parents, etc., the more I hated my “entrepreneurial” life.
As you could see, if you had goals for starting your business, having a shadow you EA will help you get there faster and more efficiently. It is the next step that you have been looking for. I promise, having a shadow you EA is 100% WORTH the time to implement and will change your life for the better as it has mine! (Just with this, you get the best of my two years of pain implemented in two to four weeks!).
4) More Benefits of having a Shadow You EA that will save your life
Here are other benefits and perspectives that you achieve by following through with this guide:
WILL ALLOW YOU TO SEE THE FOREST INSTEAD OF LOOKING OUT OF THE FOREST.
When you are lost in the forest, you can only see the trees. When you are out of the forest, you can see the whole landscape (and see things clearly). Having a EA will give you a bird's eye view and get you out of the narrow view, allowing you to see things out of the box and understanding how to make adjustments to your business that get results. For example, if you need a list of 200 emails typed up and organized, it’s SO much easier and more gratifying to send a picture of a list and say “get this email list typed and organized by Friday” then set aside the time and energy to actually do it yourself!
WILL MAKE IT SO INSTANTLY THAT YOU CAN HAVE THINGS DONE IN A TOUCH OF A BUTTON.
By the end of this guide, you will have any old weekly tasks on auto repeat, without even having to think about them. You will have any other tasks that you do over a year organized so that instead of having to do them (send an invoice or deal with an issue), you can type what you want done and when, turning a 20-minute annoying task into a 10 second one.
WILL ELIMINATE BURNOUT
Why does burnout happen? It’s not because you get tired of your business or passion. It’s because you are doing the same tasks over and over again, neglecting the creative ow and the desire to grow that all entrepreneurs hold, as well as not having free time to live a life outside of your business (since what’s the point of having money if you can’t enjoy it?!). By giving the EA all of your small tasks, you gain these back, eliminating burnout and growing your passion. And once you learn the techniques from this guide, any additional growth in your business, you can rinse and repeat with another EA!
SAVE YOU TONS OF MONEY AS YOU GROW.
Even if it seems like a cost right now, this is an investment. You gain a team member, you invest some time in setting it up, and exponentially it makes life easier. This is cheaper than in house help in your area (cost of living, competitive salary, taxes, provided workspace, paid vacation, etc.), and much more reliable than a part time worker. And if you think there are items that can’t be done online with a virtual assistant, you are wrong-- nearly everything can be done with virtual help online.
PEACE OF MIND FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR BUSINESS
This system will make it so that even if your original EA leaves or quits, the next one will easily be able to tell in without missing a step, since everything to do with your business will be organized and systemized. No knowledge leaves with an employee -- it only compounds from one EA to the next.
FREE SOFTWARE, NO ADDITIONAL COSTS
This guide gives software and tips that are ALL FREE. You won’t have to go through a middleman and pay for a EA. You won’t have to buy software to use that costs money. I have found each and every piece and assembled it here for you.
IMPLEMENTATION IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK AND WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF
This system is like a snowball down a hill -- it takes a little work to get it going, but once it starts, it grows and rolls on its own. Once you have a EA, you can enlist them to do most of the work to set up the system. I have maximized this guide to make it so that your new EA will do most of the setup work. A little work upfront for a lifetime of ease -- I’d say it’s worth it!
WILL GIVE YOU SOMEONE ON YOUR TEAM, WHO CARES ONLY ABOUT YOUR TEAM
I've noticed many entrepreneurs also want someone to collaborate with. To brainstorm ideas and processes with someone who at least feels bought into their business like they are (not to get ideas from the person as much as to get the ideas out).
4) More Benefits of having a Shadow You EA that will save your life
Here are other benefits and perspectives that you achieve by following through with this guide:
WILL ALLOW YOU TO SEE THE FOREST INSTEAD OF LOOKING OUT OF THE FOREST.
When you are lost in the forest, you can only see the trees. When you are out of the forest, you can see the whole landscape (and see things clearly). Having a EA will give you a bird's eye view and get you out of the narrow view, allowing you to see things out of the box and understanding how to make adjustments to your business that get results. For example, if you need a list of 200 emails typed up and organized, it’s SO much easier and more gratifying to send a picture of a list and say “get this email list typed and organized by Friday” then set aside the time and energy to actually do it yourself!
WILL MAKE IT SO INSTANTLY THAT YOU CAN HAVE THINGS DONE IN A TOUCH OF A BUTTON.
By the end of this guide, you will have any old weekly tasks on auto repeat, without even having to think about them. You will have any other tasks that you do over a year organized so that instead of having to do them (send an invoice or deal with an issue), you can type what you want done and when, turning a 20-minute annoying task into a 10 second one.
WILL ELIMINATE BURNOUT
Why does burnout happen? It’s not because you get tired of your business or passion. It’s because you are doing the same tasks over and over again, neglecting the creative ow and the desire to grow that all entrepreneurs hold, as well as not having free time to live a life outside of your business (since what’s the point of having money if you can’t enjoy it?!). By giving the EA all of your small tasks, you gain these back, eliminating burnout and growing your passion. And once you learn the techniques from this guide, any additional growth in your business, you can rinse and repeat with another EA!
SAVE YOU TONS OF MONEY AS YOU GROW.
Even if it seems like a cost right now, this is an investment. You gain a team member, you invest some time in setting it up, and exponentially it makes life easier. This is cheaper than in house help in your area (cost of living, competitive salary, taxes, provided workspace, paid vacation, etc.), and much more reliable than a part time worker. And if you think there are items that can’t be done online with a virtual assistant, you are wrong-- nearly everything can be done with virtual help online.
PEACE OF MIND FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR BUSINESS
This system will make it so that even if your original EA leaves or quits, the next one will easily be able to tell in without missing a step, since everything to do with your business will be organized and systemized. No knowledge leaves with an employee -- it only compounds from one EA to the next.
FREE SOFTWARE, NO ADDITIONAL COSTS
This guide gives software and tips that are ALL FREE. You won’t have to go through a middleman and pay for a EA. You won’t have to buy software to use that costs money. I have found each and every piece and assembled it here for you.
IMPLEMENTATION IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK AND WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF
This system is like a snowball down a hill -- it takes a little work to get it going, but once it starts, it grows and rolls on its own. Once you have a EA, you can enlist them to do most of the work to set up the system. I have maximized this guide to make it so that your new EA will do most of the setup work. A little work upfront for a lifetime of ease -- I’d say it’s worth it!
WILL GIVE YOU SOMEONE ON YOUR TEAM, WHO CARES ONLY ABOUT YOUR TEAM
I've noticed many entrepreneurs also want someone to collaborate with. To brainstorm ideas and processes with someone who at least feels bought into their business like they are (not to get ideas from the person as much as to get the ideas out).
5) False Mentalities: Being aware of mentalities that will hold you back
Imagine standing over a 50-foot cli with water below -- two of your friends have already jumped, and you are feeling the peer pressure to jump in. What do you do in the moments before getting the courage to jump? You close your eyes, focus on drowning out the fear, and start a count of 3, 2, 1.
This is CHANGING YOUR MENTALITY to allow yourself to do something with which you are not typically comfortable.
So many entrepreneurs are stuck in fearful, false mentalities that don't allow them to grow -- instead they stay comfortable (which is MUCH more painful to an entrepreneur!). Before we can move forward, you must be aware of these mentalities so that you can combat them and trust that this guide will put you on the right path.
Below are the top 4 mentalities I’ve seen and heard from entrepreneurs who are stuck.
Take a moment with each of these and reflect if you could get caught in these ways of thinking (aka standing on the cliff with no action!).
False Mentality #1: SUPERMAN SYNDROME
WHAT IS IT: You think that you are the only person who can do what needs to get done? You must do everything because no one else is reliable, and therefore will lose your business and your reputation. Instead of letting any chance of that happen, you always decide to just bite the bullet and do whatever is needed, even if it means jumping in the way of others who have said they can do the task.
WHY IT'S BAD: This mentality is horrible because you can NEVER grow. You will stay the same. You will always be stressed. You won’t have any time for family or friends. You will be controlled for life by your business. Always, 100% of the time, no exceptions.
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: This system will eliminate this mentality because it will create a way for your EA to do things EXACTLY as you do, on time, every time, and reliable as their job and livelihood DEPENDS on it! Plus, the systems for management in this guide will ensure that they do, and that you feel comfortable.
False Mentality #2: TASKS AREN'T HARD, SO I'LL JUST DO THEM MYSELF.
WHAT IS IT: This is the mentality of you thinking that because some tasks aren't that hard, because they only take 5 or 10 minutes, that you can just do them yourself.
WHY IT'S BAD: This time adds up! Think about it -- just six 20 min tasks each week turns into a slogging 2 hours of boring work that could be outsourced away for a measly $5. Would you pay $5 to not have to do these boring tasks week after week? What if you turned those 2 hours into “sales hour” and called new clients? How much further ahead could you be in a year? Not to mention, it’s these small tasks that kill your soul! They eliminate the creativity and freedom you went into the sport of entrepreneurship for!
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up : This guide trains you to take tasks, these small annoying tasks that add up and turn them into items that can be accounted for by your EA in the snap of a finger. Don’t work in the business, work ON the business! That applies to even these simple time-consuming tasks!!
False Mentality #3: FRUGALITY (aka see spent money as spent instead of invested)
WHAT IS IT: This mentality is important, but it’s also dangerous if you plan to grow? When you spend money in your business, you should ask yourself the simple question “is this an investment in the future?”, meaning will it save time or make you more money in the long run.
WHY IT'S BAD: It lets your competition get ahead of you and it can squash the sparks on the re if there is nothing being invested for growth! If you are pummeled in small taskwork, you won’t get your head above the water (meaning you will drown in it!). Business is a risk, but you are already on the risk-taking path and will have many more risky decisions to make! So, get a EA so that you can. With a guide, you will see how you will save a ton of time with little BS items and make more money. Plus, it will save you the $50,000 salary to pay an in-house assistants (plus payroll, unemployment, and other benefits)
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: If you believe that your business will grow, then getting a “shadow you” is the rst place you should invest. There is no cheaper and more eective way than a EA -- it may seem like a lot now, but it is NOTHING in the long run. And to have a full out EA there by your side growing with you and your company, to have tasks getting done while you sleep, will help get you where you want to be even faster. This guide will get you there quickly and show you how investing in a EA will improve you and your business for the better.
False Mentality #4: I DON'T HAVE 40 HOURS OF WORK TO DO, THEREFORE I SHOULD WAIT TO GET A EA TO GET MAXIMUM VALUE.
WHAT IS IT: This is the mentality that tricks you into thinking that you MUST have 40 hours of work ready to go for your EA before you hire them (and all the while you are running circles around yourself doing tasks)?
WHY IT'S BAD: If you are stuck in this mentality, there are a couple of possibilities. If you feel you have been working like a dog but still don’t have 40 hours’ worth for your EA, it’s possible that you haven't learned how to pull apart tasks and systemize them to make them easy for someone else to do (this guide will teach you how to do this).
It’s also possible that you might be early enough to the start of your business that you truly don’t have 40 hours in a week to give, but that doesn't mean getting a head start on how to manage cheap labor effectively won’t help you! Even if you only have 10 hours of work to start, you are STILL paying a cheap rate AND are getting fully bought in VA up to speed with your systems so that as you grow, they are ready to
organize your business and help you grow!
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: This system will help you not to stress about the hours, but to see using help as a tool you can leverage to organize and grow your business without ever having to dip your toes in the small BS tasks. Think about it this way -- you are paying CHEAPLY for someone to buy into your business and be there and available for you at any time, whenever you need them. So that you can take risks and try new things and have things done at the touch of a button and can organically eliminate your stress as you grow your business, knowing someone is bought in and ready to help build and organize.
False Mentality #4: IT'S GOING TO TAKE TOO LONG TO GET MY VA UP TO SPEED, I'LL DO THIS LATER
WHAT IS IT: This is when someone thinks that the task of organizing their business and getting a VA up to speed will take too long, so they don’t do it.
WHY IT'S BAD: These people don’t realize that the longer they don’t organize their business and get it ready to hand off to others, the longer they will wallow in stress, hell weeks, and BS tasks. If they simply took the initiative to get organized and get tasks off of their shoulders and onto someone else, they would see that having a VA is a COMPOUNDING activity that makes their life and business easier with each day.
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: This program is an easy, step by step guide that will walk you through organizing tasks and readying them for outsourcing in a short 2-week period.
This guide makes it so that you don’t even have to change what you are doing day to day, you simply record it and HAVE THE VA organize it so that you slowly phase out tasks for yourself. So, starting in the next few days, you will begin to celebrate the end of each task, as you will only have to do it once ever again! That’s a hell of a gift to your future self (rather than making them more stressed!).
5) False Mentalities: Being aware of mentalities that will hold you back
Imagine standing over a 50-foot cli with water below -- two of your friends have already jumped, and you are feeling the peer pressure to jump in. What do you do in the moments before getting the courage to jump? You close your eyes, focus on drowning out the fear, and start a count of 3, 2, 1.
This is CHANGING YOUR MENTALITY to allow yourself to do something with which you are not typically comfortable.
So many entrepreneurs are stuck in fearful, false mentalities that don't allow them to grow -- instead they stay comfortable (which is MUCH more painful to an entrepreneur!). Before we can move forward, you must be aware of these mentalities so that you can combat them and trust that this guide will put you on the right path.
Below are the top 4 mentalities I’ve seen and heard from entrepreneurs who are stuck.
Take a moment with each of these and reflect if you could get caught in these ways of thinking (aka standing on the cliff with no action!).
False Mentality #1: SUPERMAN SYNDROME
WHAT IS IT: You think that you are the only person who can do what needs to get done? You must do everything because no one else is reliable, and therefore will lose your business and your reputation. Instead of letting any chance of that happen, you always decide to just bite the bullet and do whatever is needed, even if it means jumping in the way of others who have said they can do the task.
WHY IT'S BAD: This mentality is horrible because you can NEVER grow. You will stay the same. You will always be stressed. You won’t have any time for family or friends. You will be controlled for life by your business. Always, 100% of the time, no exceptions.
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: This system will eliminate this mentality because it will create a way for your EA to do things EXACTLY as you do, on time, every time, and reliable as their job and livelihood DEPENDS on it! Plus, the systems for management in this guide will ensure that they do, and that you feel comfortable.
False Mentality #2: TASKS AREN'T HARD, SO I'LL JUST DO THEM MYSELF.
WHAT IS IT: This is the mentality of you thinking that because some tasks aren't that hard, because they only take 5 or 10 minutes, that you can just do them yourself.
WHY IT'S BAD: This time adds up! Think about it -- just six 20 min tasks each week turns into a slogging 2 hours of boring work that could be outsourced away for a measly $5. Would you pay $5 to not have to do these boring tasks week after week? What if you turned those 2 hours into “sales hour” and called new clients? How much further ahead could you be in a year? Not to mention, it’s these small tasks that kill your soul! They eliminate the creativity and freedom you went into the sport of entrepreneurship for!
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up : This guide trains you to take tasks, these small annoying tasks that add up and turn them into items that can be accounted for by your EA in the snap of a finger. Don’t work in the business, work ON the business! That applies to even these simple time-consuming tasks!!
False Mentality #3: FRUGALITY (aka see spent money as spent instead of invested)
WHAT IS IT: This mentality is important, but it’s also dangerous if you plan to grow? When you spend money in your business, you should ask yourself the simple question “is this an investment in the future?”, meaning will it save time or make you more money in the long run.
WHY IT'S BAD: It lets your competition get ahead of you and it can squash the sparks on the re if there is nothing being invested for growth! If you are pummeled in small taskwork, you won’t get your head above the water (meaning you will drown in it!). Business is a risk, but you are already on the risk-taking path and will have many more risky decisions to make! So, get a EA so that you can. With a guide, you will see how you will save a ton of time with little BS items and make more money. Plus, it will save you the $50,000 salary to pay an in-house assistants (plus payroll, unemployment, and other benefits)
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: If you believe that your business will grow, then getting a “shadow you” is the rst place you should invest. There is no cheaper and more eective way than a EA -- it may seem like a lot now, but it is NOTHING in the long run. And to have a full out EA there by your side growing with you and your company, to have tasks getting done while you sleep, will help get you where you want to be even faster. This guide will get you there quickly and show you how investing in a EA will improve you and your business for the better.
False Mentality #4: I DON'T HAVE 40 HOURS OF WORK TO DO, THEREFORE I SHOULD WAIT TO GET A EA TO GET MAXIMUM VALUE.
WHAT IS IT: This is the mentality that tricks you into thinking that you MUST have 40 hours of work ready to go for your EA before you hire them (and all the while you are running circles around yourself doing tasks)?
WHY IT'S BAD: If you are stuck in this mentality, there are a couple of possibilities. If you feel you have been working like a dog but still don’t have 40 hours’ worth for your EA, it’s possible that you haven't learned how to pull apart tasks and systemize them to make them easy for someone else to do (this guide will teach you how to do this).
It’s also possible that you might be early enough to the start of your business that you truly don’t have 40 hours in a week to give, but that doesn't mean getting a head start on how to manage cheap labor effectively won’t help you! Even if you only have 10 hours of work to start, you are STILL paying a cheap rate AND are getting fully bought in VA up to speed with your systems so that as you grow, they are ready to organize your business and help you grow!
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: This system will help you not to stress about the hours, but to see using help as a tool you can leverage to organize and grow your business without ever having to dip your toes in the small BS tasks. Think about it this way -- you are paying CHEAPLY for someone to buy into your business and be there and available for you at any time, whenever you need them. So that you can take risks and try new things and have things done at the touch of a button and can organically eliminate your stress as you grow your business, knowing someone is bought in and ready to help build and organize.
False Mentality #4: IT'S GOING TO TAKE TOO LONG TO GET MY VA UP TO SPEED, I'LL DO THIS LATER
WHAT IS IT: This is when someone thinks that the task of organizing their business and getting a VA up to speed will take too long, so they don’t do it.
WHY IT'S BAD: These people don’t realize that the longer they don’t organize their business and get it ready to hand off to others, the longer they will wallow in stress, hell weeks, and BS tasks. If they simply took the initiative to get organized and get tasks off of their shoulders and onto someone else, they would see that having a VA is a COMPOUNDING activity that makes their life and business easier with each day.
What this system will do to change this mental hang-up: This program is an easy, step by step guide that will walk you through organizing tasks and readying them for outsourcing in a short 2-week period.
This guide makes it so that you don’t even have to change what you are doing day to day, you simply record it and HAVE THE VA organize it so that you slowly phase out tasks for yourself. So, starting in the next few days, you will begin to celebrate the end of each task, as you will only have to do it once ever again! That’s a hell of a gift to your future self (rather than making them more stressed!).
Now, before we dive in too deep, if you just want the perfect executive assistant found and trained for you, you can skip the setup process all together by booking a Completely Free Setup Call with me and my placement team by CLICKING HERE!
NO STRINGS ATTACHED!
Section 2: Structuring, organizing, and systemizing your business
This section will help you to “put your business in a box” so that any task can be repeated by a shadow VA, and can be retrievable in a perfect, repetitive way.
Section 2: Structuring, organizing, and systemizing your business
This section will help you to “put your business in a box” so that any task can be repeated by a shadow VA, and can be retrievable in a perfect, repetitive way.
6) Full System Overview: Your Production Engine in a Nice Neat Box
Imagine an engine where you could throw time consuming, stressful tasks into one end, and have them come out the other completely finished. That no matter how many tasks came up, you could enter them into one end of the machine and expect the finished product to pop out the other end. That is what creating an organized system is about.
The following will give you a full overview of exactly what you will be aiming to have at the end of this second section. Once you understand the big picture, we can dive into each building block piece that will make up the whole structure from the ground up! Like all of this guide, each section will come to life easier by watching the video walkthrough as well as reading the book.
These below attempt to give you an overview of the full shadow your system -- how the system works as a whole, what tools to use, how to approach each piece, etc.
GOOGLE DRIVE ACCOUNT: This is the main shared account that your VA’s will access to save documents and all necessary work to do with your business. We use google drive as A) it’s free B) it’s universal -- everyone knows how to use it and it’s easy and C) documents are easily transferred and shared among accounts in a cloud format -- so you can access anywhere, and no documents will be lost if hardware is lost or broken.
OPERATIONS MANUAL: The operational manual is a single document that is your comprehensive “how to” guide that your VA will refer to and will follow for each and every task that she needs to complete. This document will be divided into sections that will comprise all tasks for your business. The manual is divided into two main parts (we will get into more detail later)
TASKS: Executable items that are logged by the business owner in a way that’s easy for anyone to follow and execute. (Ex: how to change a page on our website).
DEPARTMENTS: Different departments of your business that has been tested and proven to get results.
3 TYPES OF TASKS AND BREAKING DOWN EXECUTABLE TASKS: Although this is not a tangible document or software, knowing the types of tasks there are and how to break down tasks into easy-to-follow directions is vital and will be covered extensively. This is perhaps the most powerful part of the system, as once mastered, you can have nearly anything done for you at the snap of a finger, unleashing the real power of a shadow you VA.
TASK MANAGER, ASANA: Although there are many task managers you can use, the best is Asana -- it’s easy and will make your life easy. We will talk about how to use this eectively, and how to organize your systems so that you can easily have your VA complete items with an easy-to-use coding system.
Other softwares that will be useful: We will review other softwares that will be of help in your organized, foolproof engine and how you can use them. Let’s dive into how each of these are created, starting from the bottom up!
6) Full System Overview: Your Production Engine in a Nice Neat Box
Imagine an engine where you could throw time consuming, stressful tasks into one end, and have them come out the other completely finished. That no matter how many tasks came up, you could enter them into one end of the machine and expect the finished product to pop out the other end. That is what creating an organized system is about.
The following will give you a full overview of exactly what you will be aiming to have at the end of this second section. Once you understand the big picture, we can dive into each building block piece that will make up the whole structure from the ground up! Like all of this guide, each section will come to life easier by watching the video walkthrough as well as reading the book.
These below attempt to give you an overview of the full shadow your system -- how the system works as a whole, what tools to use, how to approach each piece, etc.
GOOGLE DRIVE ACCOUNT: This is the main shared account that your VA’s will access to save documents and all necessary work to do with your business. We use google drive as A) it’s free B) it’s universal -- everyone knows how to use it and it’s easy and C) documents are easily transferred and shared among accounts in a cloud format -- so you can access anywhere, and no documents will be lost if hardware is lost or broken.
OPERATIONS MANUAL: The operational manual is a single document that is your comprehensive “how to” guide that your VA will refer to and will follow for each and every task that she needs to complete. This document will be divided into sections that will comprise all tasks for your business. The manual is divided into two main parts (we will get into more detail later)
TASKS: Executable items that are logged by the business owner in a way that’s easy for anyone to follow and execute. (Ex: how to change a page on our website).
DEPARTMENTS: Different departments of your business that has been tested and proven to get results.
3 TYPES OF TASKS AND BREAKING DOWN EXECUTABLE TASKS: Although this is not a tangible document or software, knowing the types of tasks there are and how to break down tasks into easy-to-follow directions is vital and will be covered extensively. This is perhaps the most powerful part of the system, as once mastered, you can have nearly anything done for you at the snap of a finger, unleashing the real power of a shadow you VA.
TASK MANAGER, ASANA: Although there are many task managers you can use, the best is Asana -- it’s easy and will make your life easy. We will talk about how to use this effectively, and how to organize your systems so that you can easily have your VA complete items with an easy-to-use coding system.
Other software that will be useful: We will review other software that will be of help in your organized, foolproof engine and how you can use them. Let’s dive into how each of these are created, starting from the bottom up!
7) Systemization Mentality: Mindsets for easily organizing and systemizing your business
Mental prep: In the introduction section, we looked at false mentalities that hold entrepreneurs back. Let’s take a moment to better understand the mentalities that set entrepreneurs free to utilize a Shadow You VA (and really any additional help in a business). The notes below will help serve as a reminder -- it may be helpful to print these out and post in your office when starting with a VA!).
How to approach creating the operations manual. But really the entire system....
HIT BY A BUS MENTALITY: The most important concept for an entrepreneur to understand when taking on a VA is what I call the hit by a bus mentality. This means that with every task you do in your business, you pretend that if you or whoever was responsible for doing this task were to get hit by a bus, that someone o the street could automatically and easily complete the task or process with the exact precision that you would have done it with, and the business could continue. This will be very easy to do with the processes listed in this guide.
TASKS THAT SUPPOR SKILLED TASKS FOR YOU OR YOUR PEOPLE: Some tasks, such as the ability to connect with and close a client on a big deal, or doing heart surgery, are simply too skilled to expect a VA to do. You are disillusioned if you, with all of your stress in your daily business, think that you can just leave the most important part of the business to a VA to run. Instead, focus on breaking down something into steps and find the grunt work that they can do to set you up to do your skill. (For a heart surgeon, an assistant can get forms signed, tools prepared and sanitized, machines on, coordinate the team, hand over tools... etc etc. This lets the master focus on his or her important work!). You can always ask yourself when doing a task “is this the main part of the business that people would stop paying for if taken away”.
SKILLED TASKS THAT MUST BE OUTSOURCED AND MANAGED: Additionally, some skills are advanced enough that you can’t expect a shadow-you VA to do it (things like designing flyers, SEO, logo design, etc). But not so crucial that you need to do it as it’s likely you aren’t an expert on this either. In fact, these things you shouldn’t deal with at all!! They are time consuming, and you don’t know what is correct. For example, so many new entrepreneurs spend days or weeks getting a perfect logo or design a perfect website, with an eye and feedback on each and every step of the process, when really they could be doing other things and letting someone else manage these projects! And not to mention, even with the ease of odesk, fiverr, and other outsourcing sites, it’s a pain to have to type in the project specs, search through applications, communicate with the vendor, rate and critique them, etc.
It’s simply another path to burnout. For these items, you want to be able to say “I need a year with XYZ info, and pics from ABC folder in our storage drive by next monday with this budget” and let them manage the in between. That’s real power! This guide steps through how to do that easily.
DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS: The number one reason a task does not get done or does not get done correctly is because the entrepreneur did not detail the task correctly, was vague or not clear, or did not have the correct system in place. Why did you want to be an entrepreneur? To be your own boss and to make big money, right? If this is the case, I’m sure you know that those who are organized and detailed are 10x's as likely to create a successful growing business. So even starting with a VA, you MUST be organized and detailed in giving directions. Think of a black box computer: you put in code and have an expected resulting output. Any errors that come from the output can only be errors in the code you put in. Therefore, it’s important to be thorough in your directions. The best part is, if you are thorough, you will likely only have to detail something once (and best to just record the process when you are doing it anyway!) and then can use it forever.
LET THE LITTLE THINGS GO: To get to where you need to be, you’ve got to let the little things go. Focus on deadlines, goals, and end results lining up, and worry less about micromanaging their time. And upon review, if you see an issue, you can x it to be correct for the future. But focus on little things, you WILL burnout. If the goal is growth.. You have to accept this. Therapy.. But trust.
You will burn out if you don't.. These are a bunch of small tasks added up
Will smother VA if you try and squeeze every paid minute.. They are humans too, not machines!
Client facing tasks -- as long as they are nice.. So what!? Don’t try and change them.
7) Systemization Mentality: Mindsets for easily organizing and systemizing your business
Mental prep: In the introduction section, we looked at false mentalities that hold entrepreneurs back. Let’s take a moment to better understand the mentalities that set entrepreneurs free to utilize a Shadow You VA (and really any additional help in a business). The notes below will help serve as a reminder -- it may be helpful to print these out and post in your office when starting with a VA!).
How to approach creating the operations manual. But really the entire system....
HIT BY A BUS MENTALITY: The most important concept for an entrepreneur to understand when taking on a VA is what I call the hit by a bus mentality. This means that with every task you do in your business, you pretend that if you or whoever was responsible for doing this task were to get hit by a bus, that someone o the street could automatically and easily complete the task or process with the exact precision that you would have done it with, and the business could continue. This will be very easy to do with the processes listed in this guide.
TASKS THAT SUPPOR SKILLED TASKS FOR YOU OR YOUR PEOPLE: Some tasks, such as the ability to connect with and close a client on a big deal, or doing heart surgery, are simply too skilled to expect a VA to do. You are disillusioned if you, with all of your stress in your daily business, think that you can just leave the most important part of the business to a VA to run. Instead, focus on breaking down something into steps and find the grunt work that they can do to set you up to do your skill. (For a heart surgeon, an assistant can get forms signed, tools prepared and sanitized, machines on, coordinate the team, hand over tools... etc etc. This lets the master focus on his or her important work!). You can always ask yourself when doing a task “is this the main part of the business that people would stop paying for if taken away”.
SKILLED TASKS THAT MUST BE OUTSOURCED AND MANAGED: Additionally, some skills are advanced enough that you can’t expect a shadow-you VA to do it (things like designing flyers, SEO, logo design, etc). But not so crucial that you need to do it as it’s likely you aren’t an expert on this either. In fact, these things you shouldn’t deal with at all!! They are time consuming, and you don’t know what is correct. For example, so many new entrepreneurs spend days or weeks getting a perfect logo or design a perfect website, with an eye and feedback on each and every step of the process, when really they could be doing other things and letting someone else manage these projects! And not to mention, even with the ease of odesk, fiverr, and other outsourcing sites, it’s a pain to have to type in the project specs, search through applications, communicate with the vendor, rate and critique them, etc.
It’s simply another path to burnout. For these items, you want to be able to say “I need a year with XYZ info, and pics from ABC folder in our storage drive by next monday with this budget” and let them manage the in between. That’s real power! This guide steps through how to do that easily.
DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS: The number one reason a task does not get done or does not get done correctly is because the entrepreneur did not detail the task correctly, was vague or not clear, or did not have the correct system in place. Why did you want to be an entrepreneur? To be your own boss and to make big money, right? If this is the case, I’m sure you know that those who are organized and detailed are 10x's as likely to create a successful growing business. So even starting with a VA, you MUST be organized and detailed in giving directions. Think of a black box computer: you put in code and have an expected resulting output. Any errors that come from the output can only be errors in the code you put in. Therefore, it’s important to be thorough in your directions. The best part is, if you are thorough, you will likely only have to detail something once (and best to just record the process when you are doing it anyway!) and then can use it forever.
LET THE LITTLE THINGS GO: To get to where you need to be, you’ve got to let the little things go. Focus on deadlines, goals, and end results lining up, and worry less about micromanaging their time. And upon review, if you see an issue, you can x it to be correct for the future. But focus on little things, you WILL burnout. If the goal is growth.. You have to accept this. Therapy.. But trust.
You will burn out if you don't.. These are a bunch of small tasks added up
Will smother VA if you try and squeeze every paid minute.. They are humans too, not machines!
Client facing tasks -- as long as they are nice.. So what!? Don’t try and change them.
8) Free software tools you will need
Software Tools Overview
This section will go in depth on the free software tools that will support your “engine” and how you will need to use each. A couple of brief notes about this section: Don’t sweat too hard getting these setup (unless noted, like PayPal). I provide later in the manual a template document that you can send to your VA to have them set these up for you. It’s just important that you are familiar with them, so you know how to use them.
Later, you will put in a password and login that you prefer for each of these accounts (that your VA can enter for each). I like having one login address and one password for each account, but you may prefer to have different passwords for each. If that’s the case, just be sure to have your VA add passwords and logins into the operations manual so that you don’t have to continually reset your password.
Google Drive Account
You will have a google account setup that is fully dedicated to your business that your VA will have full access to. This is free of course, but you can also pay $60 a year to create a business google account which has more storage, ability to make “your business-name.com”, and other features. I note this now as you cannot upgrade to the paid account later (you would have to give clients a different email address, which is not that bad). Personally, I recommend just staying free, but if you are unsure, you can read the main points here to make a decision. This will be the first thing your VA sets up for you. Here are the tools within google that you will use with your VA in this account:
Google Drive/Docs
The drive is the most important part of this new email. This is where you will store EVERYTHING for your business that you want the VA to have access to. You can have them create folders for each part of your business and instruct them to file ALL within folders to keep a nice, tidy storage cloud system.
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: The drive is a cloud system, so you can instruct your VA to create documents, spreadsheets, etc and send you a link so that updates you or they make will be updated in real time and easily shared, eliminating the old ways of attaching documents and spreadsheets and emailing back and forth. Drive is fully compatible with word as well. Photos they may use for marketing or updating your website, etc can also be stored here. Use it to file EVERYTHING!
GMAIL BOX
It’s great to have a fully separate gmail inbox, and can be handy the following ways to be used in the system (I use it for A below, but others have used it for the other uses. You decide how it’s used in your system).
FORWARDING FOR TESTIMONIALS/RESUMES/DATABASE ORGANIZATION: I get a lot of emails from clients, job seekers, etc. I had my VA set up a few spreadsheets with categories, and every time I get one of these emails, I simply forward to this inbox for her to organize into the databases. This way, when we need a testimonial, or I need to retrieve information, I don’t have to dig through my email. And it takes away the pain for me of having to go through the process of organizing myself from email. She does this once a week.
MAKE IT THE VA'S INBOX: It can be the main email that your VA is to operate from. This is certainly an option.
THIS IS MAKE IT YOUR "info@" or "support@" INBOX: Maybe there is a specific grouping of questions or issues your customers frequently have that you constantly have to answer. You could use this as your “info@” or “support@” email address and leave easy templates in an FAQ document that your VA could copy and paste depending on the issue (of course, with Imap and POP, you can have emails sent direct to her email. More on that later).
GOOGLE HANGOUTS
This is absolutely essential -- hangouts is like skype (and I prefer hangouts). Not only does this allow you to have facetime with your VA for meetings, it has an easy to use screen share function that makes giving directions, training for tasks, and clarifying processes super easy. Just click the button in the top right hand corner of your facetime call and click “screenshare”.
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: Your VA can schedule events for you and can connect your calendar to multiple other apps. You can also see their calendar and, if desired, can have them log times when on clock. To keep organized, it’s vital you keep a calendar. If you don’t currently have a calendar / scheduling system, you are behind.
GOOGLE CALENDAR
Google calendar is excellent and so very easily shareable (it literally can be shared and merged with about every software and program out there, so it’s great to have).
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: Your VA can schedule events for you and can connect your calendar to multiple other apps. You can also see their calendar and, if desired, can have them log times when on clock. To keep organized, it’s vital you keep a calendar. If you don’t currently have a calendar / scheduling system, you are behind
LOOM.COM
As you will see in the task recording section, you will want a place to upload videos for task processes to be followed. This makes it easy to store those videos that will guide your VA to execute your set processes the right way each time. More on this below under the screen record software.
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: You will be recording video processes of tasks that you need done in your business. Loom is great as it stores videos immediately in it's library for you!
PAYPAL (*note: you will need to set this up yourself)
You will want to have a paypal account as this is how you will pay your VA. A verified business account is prefered so that no limits or ags get put on your account. Creating this account is easy to do: simply create an account if you don’t have one and follow the prompts to create a paypal business account you will need your LLC or S-Corp paperwork). This takes maybe a day or two to be verified with your bank account, but will help to avoid any later issues or freezes on the account. You will want to load $200-1,000 onto your account so that you are ready to invest in your VA and get started right away!
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: Your VA will be responsible for sending you an invoice each payment period to your paypal account (and you can either pay the invoice or send money through the paypal mobile app to family and friends, which saves them money on fees, which they appreciate). They are instructed in later documents in this guide to send every 2 weeks, so you will just have to click a button!
FIVERR/UPWORK ACCOUNT (*note: you will need to set this up yourself to get started)
You will want to setup a Fiverr and/or Upwork account if you do not have one (I prefer Fiverr if just want to start with one). For those who don’t know what these sites are, they are outsourcing sites where you can hire freelancers to do skilled work for you on the cheap. Once these accounts have been verified by you and a credit card attached, both of these websites have options to add a manager. You will want to add VA’s on the account as a manager (directions in the management section of this guide way below, so don’t fret :))
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: These sites allow VA’s to nd skilled freelancers to complete semi-skilled tasks (more on types of tasks later!)
SCREEN RECORD SOFTWARE (*note: you will need to make sure you have one of these built in or will need to download onto your computer)
You 100% will need to have a software that records your screen and voice as you click and talk. This is vital and will show a VA EXACTLY how you complete a task process each time. Once you have recorded your screen, you can simply upload to your drive’s youtube and send the link (as well as direct them to archive it for future, which we will get to in a bit!). Different computers may have different softwares, but the absolute BEST that I have seen is with loom.com.
CREDIT CARD (*note: you will need to set this up with your bank, see below)
This is a tool I think best saved once your VA has been with you for a little bit, I recommend 3 months or so. Once you feel you can trust your VA, simply log into your credit card account and nd the area that says “add a new verified user to this account”. All credit cards have this option for businesses to get cards for employees.
You can also get additional cards on personal accounts for spouses, children, or family members (they want you to spend!) When setting up these additional cards, you can set a daily limit for spending amounts so that you can safeguard any non-approved spending, and you can start the amounts low and build them up as needed. (if trust is a concern of yours, I would recommend signing up for a “Mint.com” account and hooking just this card up to mint -- you can easily monitor expenditures as they are updated automatically daily and alert you to overspending. And remember with a credit card, you can always dispute spending).
When filling out info for the credit card, don’t ll it out for the VA as they won’t have the information that you will need (tax ID, etc.). Instead, ll this information out for the closest person to you who you trust, and they trust you as you will need to enter their SS to be approved (wife, child, etc.). It’s preferable to have the billing address be set to your billing address for ease and so that the card comes to you. Then, upon the card’s arrival, take a picture of front and back and upload it to the drive so that the VA can use it for approved purchases. As you will learn in this guide, the less you can “jam up the system” by having to approve things or enter information, the smoother things will go, so this is very valuable! I recommend putting a limit from $200-1000 a month or less to ensure security measures.
8) Free software tools you will need
Software Tools Overview
This section will go in depth on the free software tools that will support your “engine” and how you will need to use each. A couple of brief notes about this section: Don’t sweat too hard getting these setup (unless noted, like PayPal). I provide later in the manual a template document that you can send to your VA to have them set these up for you. It’s just important that you are familiar with them, so you know how to use them.
Later, you will put in a password and login that you prefer for each of these accounts (that your VA can enter for each). I like having one login address and one password for each account, but you may prefer to have different passwords for each. If that’s the case, just be sure to have your VA add passwords and logins into the operations manual so that you don’t have to continually reset your password.
GOOGLE DRIVE ACCOUNT
You will have a google account setup that is fully dedicated to your business that your VA will have full access to. This is free of course, but you can also pay $60 a year to create a business google account which has more storage, ability to make “your business-name.com”, and other features. I note this now as you cannot upgrade to the paid account later (you would have to give clients a different email address, which is not that bad). Personally, I recommend just staying free, but if you are unsure, you can read the main points here to make a decision. This will be the first thing your VA sets up for you. Here are the tools within google that you will use with your VA in this account:
GOOGLE DRIVE DOCS
The drive is the most important part of this new email. This is where you will store EVERYTHING for your business that you want the VA to have access to. You can have them create folders for each part of your business and instruct them to file ALL within folders to keep a nice, tidy storage cloud system.
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: The drive is a cloud system, so you can instruct your VA to create documents, spreadsheets, etc and send you a link so that updates you or they make will be updated in real time and easily shared, eliminating the old ways of attaching documents and spreadsheets and emailing back and forth. Drive is fully compatible with word as well. Photos they may use for marketing or updating your website, etc can also be stored here. Use it to file EVERYTHING!
GMAIL BOX
It’s great to have a fully separate gmail inbox, and can be handy the following ways to be used in the system (I use it for A below, but others have used it for the other uses. You decide how it’s used in your system).
FORWARDING FOR TESTIMONIALS/RESUMES/DATABASE ORGANIZATION: I get a lot of emails from clients, job seekers, etc. I had my VA set up a few spreadsheets with categories, and every time I get one of these emails, I simply forward to this inbox for her to organize into the databases. This way, when we need a testimonial, or I need to retrieve information, I don’t have to dig through my email. And it takes away the pain for me of having to go through the process of organizing myself from email. She does this once a week.
MAKE IT THE VA'S INBOX: It can be the main email that your VA is to operate from. This is certainly an option.
THIS IS MAKE IT YOUR "info@" or "support@" INBOX: Maybe there is a specific grouping of questions or issues your customers frequently have that you constantly have to answer. You could use this as your “info@” or “support@” email address and leave easy templates in an FAQ document that your VA could copy and paste depending on the issue (of course, with Imap and POP, you can have emails sent direct to her email. More on that later).
GOOGLE HANGOUTS
This is absolutely essential -- hangouts is like skype (and I prefer hangouts). Not only does this allow you to have facetime with your VA for meetings, it has an easy to use screen share function that makes giving directions, training for tasks, and clarifying processes super easy. Just click the button in the top right hand corner of your facetime call and click “screenshare”.
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: Your VA can schedule events for you and can connect your calendar to multiple other apps. You can also see their calendar and, if desired, can have them log times when on clock. To keep organized, it’s vital you keep a calendar. If you don’t currently have a calendar / scheduling system, you are behind.
GOOGLE CALENDAR
Google calendar is excellent and so very easily shareable (it literally can be shared and merged with about every software and program out there, so it’s great to have).
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: Your VA can schedule events for you and can connect your calendar to multiple other apps. You can also see their calendar and, if desired, can have them log times when on clock. To keep organized, it’s vital you keep a calendar. If you don’t currently have a calendar / scheduling system, you are behind
LOOM.COM
As you will see in the task recording section, you will want a place to upload videos for task processes to be followed. This makes it easy to store those videos that will guide your VA to execute your set processes the right way each time. More on this below under the screen record software.
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: You will be recording video processes of tasks that you need done in your business. Loom is great as it stores videos immediately in it's library for you!
PAYPAL (*note: you will need to set this up yourself)
You will want to have a paypal account as this is how you will pay your VA. A verified business account is prefered so that no limits or ags get put on your account. Creating this account is easy to do: simply create an account if you don’t have one and follow the prompts to create a paypal business account you will need your LLC or S-Corp paperwork). This takes maybe a day or two to be verified with your bank account, but will help to avoid any later issues or freezes on the account. You will want to load $200-1,000 onto your account so that you are ready to invest in your VA and get started right away!
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: Your VA will be responsible for sending you an invoice each payment period to your paypal account (and you can either pay the invoice or send money through the paypal mobile app to family and friends, which saves them money on fees, which they appreciate). They are instructed in later documents in this guide to send every 2 weeks, so you will just have to click a button!
FIVERR/UPWORK ACCOUNT (*note: you will need to set this up yourself to get started)
You will want to setup a Fiverr and/or Upwork account if you do not have one (I prefer Fiverr if just want to start with one). For those who don’t know what these sites are, they are outsourcing sites where you can hire freelancers to do skilled work for you on the cheap. Once these accounts have been verified by you and a credit card attached, both of these websites have options to add a manager. You will want to add VA’s on the account as a manager (directions in the management section of this guide way below, so don’t fret :))
HOW IS THIS SOFTWARE USED IN THE SYSTEM: These sites allow VA’s to and skilled freelancers to complete semi-skilled tasks (more on types of tasks later!)
SCREEN RECORD SOFTWARE (*note: you will need to make sure you have one of these built in or will need to download onto your computer)
You 100% will need to have a software that records your screen and voice as you click and talk. This is vital and will show a VA EXACTLY how you complete a task process each time. Once you have recorded your screen, you can simply upload to your drive’s youtube and send the link (as well as direct them to archive it for future, which we will get to in a bit!). Different computers may have different software, but the absolute BEST that I have seen is with loom.com.
CREDIT CARD (*note: you will need to set this up with your bank, see below)
This is a tool I think best saved once your VA has been with you for a little bit, I recommend 3 months or so. Once you feel you can trust your VA, simply log into your credit card account and and the area that says “add a new verified user to this account”. All credit cards have this option for businesses to get cards for employees.
You can also get additional cards on personal accounts for spouses, children, or family members (they want you to spend!) When setting up these additional cards, you can set a daily limit for spending amounts so that you can safeguard any non-approved spending, and you can start the amounts low and build them up as needed. (if trust is a concern of yours, I would recommend signing up for a “Mint.com” account and hooking just this card up to mint -- you can easily monitor expenditures as they are updated automatically daily and alert you to overspending. And remember with a credit card, you can always dispute spending).
When filling out info for the credit card, don’t ll it out for the VA as they won’t have the information that you will need (tax ID, etc.). Instead, ll this information out for the closest person to you who you trust, and they trust you as you will need to enter their SS to be approved (wife, child, etc.). It’s preferable to have the billing address be set to your billing address for ease and so that the card comes to you. Then, upon the card’s arrival, take a picture of front and back and upload it to the drive so that the VA can use it for approved purchases. As you will learn in this guide, the less you can “jam up the system” by having to approve things or enter information, the smoother things will go, so this is very valuable! I recommend putting a limit from $200-1000 a month or less to ensure security measures.
9) Task Management Software: Asana
Asana is the flagship software that will allow you to input items into the engine, and it’s completely free. Unless you are familiar with a different task management software, I would stick with this one as it’s intuitive and easy. Below is an overview of Asana, how to use it, as well as “codes and cheats” I have developed that you can use that should make your life, and your VA’s life, easier. Be sure to watch the video overview for an easy breakdown of how Asana will be utilized.
Using Asana, Functionality, Fast Facts and things to know
Google Drive Account: First you must create an asana account -- don’t worry, this is something your VA will be able to set up for you, but must be mentioned. Once set up, your VA can send over the info for you to sign up with your personal password.
Create easy tasks lists: You can use this software to type in tasks under your VA’s prole that you need her to complete. Give it 10 minutes and mess around with entering tasks, deleting tasks, adding notes, adding attachments, etc. It’s all very intuitive and easy.
Easy Communication: Every action taken with the software: adding tasks, making comments, marking o tasks, are automatically emailed to your VA AND can be sent directly as a mobile update if they have downloaded the app, so communication is easy.
Archived tasks: Any task that is marked as completed is automatically archived and stored forever, so that you can easily retrieve info from past tasks if needed
Easy Uploading: Attachments, links, and pictures can easily be uploaded to each individual task. Need them to post pictures on a craigslist ad? Simply upload the pic to the task and they can do so!
Mobile App is awesome: The asana mobile app is out of this world. You can add tasks at any time into the app, even when oine (Aka update the to-do list while on an airplane, and it will automatically upload upon arrival). Also, the mobile app will notify you of tasks completed, questions or comments from your VA, so you can be in the know while on the go.
Team members easily added: If you ever need to add another VA, or need to switch to a new VA, you can quickly easily add another team member.
Perfect for focus in meetings: When you meet with your VA, the main focus of your meeting will be reviewing the task list from asana: What was nished that week, clarifying issues with projects on the list, etc. Having all of your to do tasks on the list is a great way to make sure meetings are being productive.
ASANA CODES AND CHEATS: Here are some codes and cheats that I recommend using with your VA
Coding your tasks: This cheat will be more in depth in the operations manual section below, but basically as you create tasks for your VA to complete you can code them into sections and, when you need them done, you can simply write the code in asana. AKA, rather than writing out “organize my tax spreadsheets”, you can simply say “follow task C12 in the operations manual”
Listing tasks by priority: I like to put the tasks that I need done first at the top, and instruct my VA to go down the list on each shift. If I have a really important task that I need done ASAP, I can move it to the top of the list and expect it to be finished first.
Having VA mark tasks ready for review (+): I like for my VA to keep tasks on the task manager so that we can review them in our weekly meeting and see how much progress we’ve made that week and clarify any adjustments if needed. Rather than having her mark the tasks o after she’s completed them, I have her add this: (+) in the front of the task and then move that task to the bottom of the list. That way, I know she has completed it and it’s ready for review.
Simple tasks to mark o herself (*): Some tasks are so simple that they don’t need my review. For these tasks, I simply label the task with (*) in the front, meaning that she can mark that task as done as soon as she does it (ex: send conrfimation email to Tom at XYZ email address).
Emailing tasks to asana task list: If you have tasks that you would like to email to your VA’s task list (perhaps a client has a list of to-do’s that you want to send to your VA), you can do so with this online guide from Asana: Email to asana task list.
Creating “hanging” sections: In your VA’s asana list, you can create sections for separating tasks. In my task list with my VA, I like to create a section that lists all information that we need handy -- shift hours, client payment tracking spreadsheets, and other documents that we refer to a lot in our meetings. That way, links are right there in asana to reference during meetings and don’t have to be continually pulled up.
Overall, Asana is a powerful tool that gives you an easy input mechanism to get easy results with your VA.
9) Task Management Software: Asana
Asana is the flagship software that will allow you to input items into the engine, and it’s completely free. Unless you are familiar with a different task management software, I would stick with this one as it’s intuitive and easy. Below is an overview of Asana, how to use it, as well as “codes and cheats” I have developed that you can use that should make your life, and your VA’s life, easier. Be sure to watch the video overview for an easy breakdown of how Asana will be utilized.
Using Asana, Functionality, Fast Facts and things to know
Google Drive Account: First you must create an asana account -- don’t worry, this is something your VA will be able to set up for you, but must be mentioned. Once set up, your VA can send over the info for you to sign up with your personal password.
Create easy tasks lists: You can use this software to type in tasks under your VA’s prole that you need her to complete. Give it 10 minutes and mess around with entering tasks, deleting tasks, adding notes, adding attachments, etc. It’s all very intuitive and easy.
Easy Communication: Every action taken with the software: adding tasks, making comments, marking o tasks, are automatically emailed to your VA AND can be sent directly as a mobile update if they have downloaded the app, so communication is easy.
Archived tasks: Any task that is marked as completed is automatically archived and stored forever, so that you can easily retrieve info from past tasks if needed
Easy Uploading: Attachments, links, and pictures can easily be uploaded to each individual task. Need them to post pictures on a craigslist ad? Simply upload the pic to the task and they can do so!
Mobile App is awesome: The asana mobile app is out of this world. You can add tasks at any time into the app, even when oine (Aka update the to-do list while on an airplane, and it will automatically upload upon arrival). Also, the mobile app will notify you of tasks completed, questions or comments from your VA, so you can be in the know while on the go.
Team members easily added: If you ever need to add another VA, or need to switch to a new VA, you can quickly easily add another team member.
Perfect for focus in meetings: When you meet with your VA, the main focus of your meeting will be reviewing the task list from asana: What was nished that week, clarifying issues with projects on the list, etc. Having all of your to do tasks on the list is a great way to make sure meetings are being productive.
ASANA CODES AND CHEATS: Here are some codes and cheats that I recommend using with your VA
Coding your tasks: This cheat will be more in depth in the operations manual section below, but basically as you create tasks for your VA to complete you can code them into sections and, when you need them done, you can simply write the code in asana. AKA, rather than writing out “organize my tax spreadsheets”, you can simply say “follow task C12 in the operations manual”
Listing tasks by priority: I like to put the tasks that I need done first at the top, and instruct my VA to go down the list on each shift. If I have a really important task that I need done ASAP, I can move it to the top of the list and expect it to be finished first.
Having VA mark tasks ready for review (+): I like for my VA to keep tasks on the task manager so that we can review them in our weekly meeting and see how much progress we’ve made that week and clarify any adjustments if needed. Rather than having her mark the tasks o after she’s completed them, I have her add this: (+) in the front of the task and then move that task to the bottom of the list. That way, I know she has completed it and it’s ready for review.
Simple tasks to mark o herself (*): Some tasks are so simple that they don’t need my review. For these tasks, I simply label the task with (*) in the front, meaning that she can mark that task as done as soon as she does it (ex: send conrfimation email to Tom at XYZ email address).
Emailing tasks to asana task list: If you have tasks that you would like to email to your VA’s task list (perhaps a client has a list of to-do’s that you want to send to your VA), you can do so with this online guide from Asana: Email to asana task list.
Creating “hanging” sections: In your VA’s asana list, you can create sections for separating tasks. In my task list with my VA, I like to create a section that lists all information that we need handy -- shift hours, client payment tracking spreadsheets, and other documents that we refer to a lot in our meetings. That way, links are right there in asana to reference during meetings and don’t have to be continually pulled up.
Overall, Asana is a powerful tool that gives you an easy input mechanism to get easy results with your VA.
10) How to most efficiently record tasks for your operations manual (so that you will never have to do an annoying task again!)
Imagine a laser gun that, each time you shoot it, it evaporates an annoying task that you hate doing. This is the step that will teach you how to most efficiently build those lasers so that when you want the task executed, you can have peace of mind that it will be done EXACTLY how you would have done it, every time. Some quick notes:
With this system, this will be the last time you ever have to do some of these annoying tasks. (Get ready for idle time!).
You shouldn’t think that you will need to write out all tasks ahead of time -- you should plan to record them and organize them AS YOU DO THEM -- so you are simply recording that which you are doing anyway! Just make sure that before you start recording tasks, you go through the operations manual lessons so that you know where to organize each item.
This process is mostly for “non-skilled” tasks -- or tasks that anyone can follow directions that you have laid out to be executed. This is briefed over in the next chapter, and expanded upon with two other types of tasks that VA’s can save you time on: semi-skilled and skilled tasks.
Think in repeatable terms: When recording a task, first imagine an individual task as a stand-alone task -- steps that complete a specific goal. For example, if it’s sending an invoice, you will want them to 1) create the invoice (and watch you create it or see a finished product to copy), then 2) enter the variable info for this specific invoice (name, amount, who to send to, etc.) and 3) send it to a specific email with a canned message you might have (“thanks so much for your business, we really appreciate you!”). Each and every task you create must be stand-alone that is repeatable and templated. This is how you will get out of the day-to-day trap.
How to log easily and effectively: Use the appropriate method of logging each task -- most tasks t best with the screen record process, but some are better with step-by-step directions:
Screen record: You need a screen record software (loom.com!). Simply do the task (for the last time!) and talk over the video on steps as you do it. If you mess the video up, or think you can do it more efficiently, take the time to re-record the video. Your hope is to make it so clear in the moment so that you will never, ever have to look at it again. Once a video is finished, simply press stop and loom will put into your video library for you.
From there, your VA can organize the video by title, or organize using the video link!
Write step by step directions: Sometimes it’s easier to write out step by step directions that a VA can follow to complete a task. This works! For example, below are my exact steps to send an invoice.
1. Go to Billable.me.
2. Get variable information from Brett (amount, name, etc)
3. Send to person at this email (give email) with this message (give message).
Then I would place a screenshot of an old invoice so that it’s impossible to mess up! You can see that even an easy task like that might have taken you 10 minutes before, it now takes you 15 seconds to type in “follow D11, bill $1000 to Ted ted@gmail.com, for marketing services, thanks.” Powerful stuff!
Setting task rules: Sometimes you will want to set rules on tasks or projects that have varying outcomes so that the VA knows how to handle a situation. For example, when my VA schedules meetings for me, she does so base on rules. First, I have importance of the meeting, and rules that she can follow to schedule (a category 1 person, or VIP client, is to be scheduled anytime good for them, at any location good for them....category 3, or non-VIP is to be scheduled only on certain days in certain time windows at my office, so that I don’t have to leave). These rules are all documented and are updated as more situations and factors arise - - so that if you have an issue arise, simply tell your VA to log under the task “if X happens, do Y action”. That way, whenever an issue arises, they will know how to handle it without your oversight.
Which tasks to outsource? Early in your task logging, you might see some tasks as dificult to outsource. However, it’s my belief that just about anything can be outsourced to your shadow you VA in some way -- even if it just saves you a little time. Use the template below to help guide you in knowing which tasks that you can easily outsource -- this will help you to become “unstuck”
10) How to most efficiently record tasks for your operations manual (so that you will never have to do an annoying task again!)
Imagine a laser gun that, each time you shoot it, it evaporates an annoying task that you hate doing. This is the step that will teach you how to most efficiently build those lasers so that when you want the task executed, you can have peace of mind that it will be done EXACTLY how you would have done it, every time. Some quick notes:
With this system, this will be the last time you ever have to do some of these annoying tasks. (Get ready for idle time!).
You shouldn’t think that you will need to write out all tasks ahead of time -- you should plan to record them and organize them AS YOU DO THEM -- so you are simply recording that which you are doing anyway! Just make sure that before you start recording tasks, you go through the operations manual lessons so that you know where to organize each item.
This process is mostly for “non-skilled” tasks -- or tasks that anyone can follow directions that you have laid out to be executed. This is briefed over in the next chapter, and expanded upon with two other types of tasks that VA’s can save you time on: semi-skilled and skilled tasks.
Think in repeatable terms: When recording a task, first imagine an individual task as a stand-alone task -- steps that complete a specific goal. For example, if it’s sending an invoice, you will want them to 1) create the invoice (and watch you create it or see a finished product to copy), then 2) enter the variable info for this specific invoice (name, amount, who to send to, etc.) and 3) send it to a specific email with a canned message you might have (“thanks so much for your business, we really appreciate you!”). Each and every task you create must be stand-alone that is repeatable and templated. This is how you will get out of the day-to-day trap.
How to log easily and effectively: Use the appropriate method of logging each task -- most tasks t best with the screen record process, but some are better with step-by-step directions:
Screen record: You need a screen record software (loom.com!). Simply do the task (for the last time!) and talk over the video on steps as you do it. If you mess the video up, or think you can do it more efficiently, take the time to re-record the video. Your hope is to make it so clear in the moment so that you will never, ever have to look at it again. Once a video is finished, simply press stop and loom will put into your video library for you.
From there, your VA can organize the video by title, or organize using the video link!
Write step by step directions: Sometimes it’s easier to write out step by step directions that a VA can follow to complete a task. This works! For example, below are my exact steps to send an invoice.
1. Go to Billable.me.
2. Get variable information from Brett (amount, name, etc)
3. Send to person at this email (give email) with this message (give message).
Then I would place a screenshot of an old invoice so that it’s impossible to mess up! You can see that even an easy task like that might have taken you 10 minutes before, it now takes you 15 seconds to type in “follow D11, bill $1000 to Ted ted@gmail.com, for marketing services, thanks.” Powerful stuff!
Setting task rules: Sometimes you will want to set rules on tasks or projects that have varying outcomes so that the VA knows how to handle a situation. For example, when my VA schedules meetings for me, she does so base on rules. First, I have importance of the meeting, and rules that she can follow to schedule (a category 1 person, or VIP client, is to be scheduled anytime good for them, at any location good for them....category 3, or non-VIP is to be scheduled only on certain days in certain time windows at my office, so that I don’t have to leave). These rules are all documented and are updated as more situations and factors arise - - so that if you have an issue arise, simply tell your VA to log under the task “if X happens, do Y action”. That way, whenever an issue arises, they will know how to handle it without your oversight.
Which tasks to outsource? Early in your task logging, you might see some tasks as dificult to outsource. However, it’s my belief that just about anything can be outsourced to your shadow you VA in some way -- even if it just saves you a little time. Use the template below to help guide you in knowing which tasks that you can easily outsource -- this will help you to become “unstuck”
11) 3 Categories of Tasks and how to save you time in each with your VA
This section will cover the 3 categories of tasks and how your VA can save you time in each. It also covers research tasks at the end (I don’t consider this a real category like the others as it’s straightforward, so I did not include in the count, but some tips below on research tasks nonetheless).
11A) Non-Skilled Tasks
Non-Skilled tasks: non-skilled tasks are the bulk of the tasks that will be logged as detailed in the last chapter. Non-skilled tasks are the bread and butter for hiring a VA: repeatable and can be easily executed with solid directions from you. Your goal should be to only do a task once and then set it up so that anytime that task needs to be executed again, you can push a button and have it done. This is the most important rst step that you should focus on to organize your business and prepare for a VA.
11B) Semi- Skilled tasks
Semi-Skilled tasks: Semi-skilled tasks are tasks that not everyone o the street could do, and you couldn’t give specific directions to complete, but there is enough freelance talent out there that they could complete the task effectively for cheap. A good example is a yer -- you or your VA may not be skilled in graphic design, but you know what information needs to be on a yer. Simply give the VA that information and have her nd a freelancer to complete the yer for you. This saves time as you don’t have to nd anybody or mess with communicating with them, you simply tell what you want to see and then expect a result that you can review and give feedback to on the deadline date. This is helpful to eliminate grunt work and save time for you. Below is a template that further shows how you can easily and systematically complete semi-skilled tasks. Be sure to watch the video walkthrough for clarity as you look at the template!
11C) Skilled Tasks
Skilled tasks: Skilled tasks are those tasks that take skill to complete -- sometimes natural talent, sometimes years of training, and most of the time both. Skilled tasks are likely the reason you are in business -- you are very good at doing some skilled tasks that others want to pay you to do well for them.
Below is an easy template that will further help you understand skilled tasks and how you can use a VA to save time on skilled tasks, either for yourself as the expert, or for other hired guns who are working for you. Again, the video walkthrough is very helpful here.
11D) Research Tasks
Research tasks: Research tasks are pretty straightforward, you simply tell them what you need to know and they nd the answers for you. But it’s important to note that they more specific you make your questions, or need to know items, in your research, the better chance you have of getting data back that works for you. For example, I once took a trip to Spain and wanted to get a list of spanish guitar / Flemenco clubs. If I said “find me Flemenco clubs in Spain” it would be difficult to pinpoint useful information that I would be able to use. Instead, “find me 3 Flemenco clubs near this hotel address so that I can choose one out of the 3, and put them into an online spreadsheet with website links” is much more specific and will get me much more useful info. it’s hard to get specific answers.
11) 3 Categories of Tasks and how to save you time in each with your VA
This section will cover the 3 categories of tasks and how your VA can save you time in each. It also covers research tasks at the end (I don’t consider this a real category like the others as it’s straightforward, so I did not include in the count, but some tips below on research tasks nonetheless).
11A) Non-Skilled Tasks
Non-Skilled tasks: non-skilled tasks are the bulk of the tasks that will be logged as detailed in the last chapter. Non-skilled tasks are the bread and butter for hiring a VA: repeatable and can be easily executed with solid directions from you. Your goal should be to only do a task once and then set it up so that anytime that task needs to be executed again, you can push a button and have it done. This is the most important rst step that you should focus on to organize your business and prepare for a VA.
11B) Semi- Skilled tasks
Semi-Skilled tasks: Semi-skilled tasks are tasks that not everyone o the street could do, and you couldn’t give specific directions to complete, but there is enough freelance talent out there that they could complete the task effectively for cheap. A good example is a yer -- you or your VA may not be skilled in graphic design, but you know what information needs to be on a yer. Simply give the VA that information and have her nd a freelancer to complete the yer for you. This saves time as you don’t have to nd anybody or mess with communicating with them, you simply tell what you want to see and then expect a result that you can review and give feedback to on the deadline date. This is helpful to eliminate grunt work and save time for you. Below is a template that further shows how you can easily and systematically complete semi-skilled tasks. Be sure to watch the video walkthrough for clarity as you look at the template!
11C) Skilled Tasks
Skilled tasks: Skilled tasks are those tasks that take skill to complete -- sometimes natural talent, sometimes years of training, and most of the time both. Skilled tasks are likely the reason you are in business -- you are very good at doing some skilled tasks that others want to pay you to do well for them.
Below is an easy template that will further help you understand skilled tasks and how you can use a VA to save time on skilled tasks, either for yourself as the expert, or for other hired guns who are working for you. Again, the video walkthrough is very helpful here.
11D) Research Tasks
Research tasks: Research tasks are pretty straightforward, you simply tell them what you need to know and they nd the answers for you. But it’s important to note that they more specific you make your questions, or need to know items, in your research, the better chance you have of getting data back that works for you. For example, I once took a trip to Spain and wanted to get a list of spanish guitar / Flemenco clubs. If I said “find me Flemenco clubs in Spain” it would be difficult to pinpoint useful information that I would be able to use. Instead, “find me 3 Flemenco clubs near this hotel address so that I can choose one out of the 3, and put them into an online spreadsheet with website links” is much more specific and will get me much more useful info. it’s hard to get specific answers.
12) Operation’s Manual part 1: Assembling Operations Manual
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH (LINK): Operations Manual Part 1
This is an EXTREMELY important document that is the key to keeping all of your tasks organized. Not only will this document be vital for your VA, but it will be vital for the longevity of your company as if your VA were to get “hit by the bus”, you can simply bring on the next VA with no problems. The below will step through sections of the operations manual to keep all of your tasks organized for easy reference. Don’t forget that there is a general template operation manual below that your VA will simply copy and paste, and you can use to organize your own business!
SECTION A: Basics and Training: This section will hold all of the “training” informationneeded for a VA to get up to speed with your company: Expectations on working hours,how to use your softwares, information about you and your company, how you wantthem to send emails, tasks and responsibilities, shipping addresses, payment process,how to organize, how to set meeting times, preferred login email and passwords whencreating new accounts for you, etc. It’s also a good idea to include an emergency plan,where if you can’t get ahold of your VA or vice versa after a few days, who you willcontact to check up on them. Much of this is already done for you in this guide yousimply will want to update it to match your company and what you use.
The easiest way to create up your “Basics and Training” tab is record everything you do to get your VA up to speed -- that way, if you ever have to bring a new VA onboard, you have every step easily listed. To see an easy example of this, watch the video walkthrough above. Examples of what you will include in this section are in the operations manual template.
NOTE: one of the items listed in the operations manual template is “how to add items to the operations manual”. It’s vital that your VA knows how to update the operations manual and how it’s organized -- you will want to be able to create a task process and say for example “please add this task under section C”. It saves you the time and stress of keeping things updated and organized.
B)Weekly/Bi-Weekly responsabilities:
Prepare bi-monthly payroll
Weekly lessons count, package updates and sending lessons invoices + giving
Organize inbox emails into Spreadsheets
Scheduling lessons for Brett
Meetings Scheduling
Find one inspirational quote per week about building a company to send to Brett
Weekly hours log (Simplify fill out weekly)
Update the template for all winter camp emails as it comes in
Send weekly instructor email
SECTION B: Weekly / Bi weekly / Monthly responsibilities: This section will hold all of the tasks that a VA is to accomplish on a recurring basis. You will list a how to guide for each repeating task, and the frequency for which it is to be repeated. This will serve as an easy guide for your VA in case they forget how to do a task. You can then instruct them to place these to-do’s recurring on their calendar.
SECTION C: Other Tasks: This section is where you should list all other tasks. Start by writing a list of ALL tasks you can think of that you have ever done, no matter how infrequent. Tasks such as making and sending an invoice for a project, following up some event with customer surveys, building a leads list for sales calls, etc. For some of these, you may choose to instantly write out or screen record a process so that the VA knows exactly how to do a task. Then, as you continue along in your business, each time you come across one of these tasks, you can record yourself doing it and explaining how to do it and will save the video and send the link to be led under the VA operations manual for perfect repetitive execution.
C)Other Tasks:
Making an impact email address for new employees
Entering camp dates and Lesson openings into the calendar
Posting Job ads and intern ads and schedule meeting
How to send money through Xoom (steeps)
Setting up an Asana account
Updating Camp Rosters and updating payments
Updating new leases for office rental
How to download the screen recorder (audio/video recorder) app
How to post craigslist ads for Brett
Creating Flyers (Process)
Auction Donation
Taxes Organization: Stripe spreadscheet organizing processes
Sending receipts for camps
Creating and sending an invoice
Creating invoices in acuity/changing package prices in acuity
Updating insurance
Package Check Emails
Making Capm Groups
Organizing the Camp Sheet
Retroactive Camp Payments
SECTION D: Personal Tasks: This section is where you can list any personal tasks that you would like your VA to be able to do on a recurring basis. Great examples are tasks such as “booking a babysitter” -- they can conrm a babysitter for you from your choice of babysitters for a certain night, just make sure your babysitter knows they are your assistant! Here are some other personal task ideas you may want to use:
Cool personal things you can have your VA do:
Sending a weekly inspirational quote: I have my VA send me an inspirational quote at the beginning of the week, which is helpful!
Ordering Dinner: I write in my personal space the top 3 favorite meals at my favorite restaurants. On busy days, this allows me to have her order dinner for me and have it ready when I need it.
Research for vacations: I like to have her do the research for vacations for me. On a recent trip to Spain, I had her research three of the top Spanish guitar clubs in the area I was in, and I chose the one I liked!
12) Operation’s Manual part 1: Assembling Operations Manual
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH (LINK): Operations Manual Part 1
This is an EXTREMELY important document that is the key to keeping all of your tasks organized. Not only will this document be vital for your VA, but it will be vital for the longevity of your company as if your VA were to get “hit by the bus”, you can simply bring on the next VA with no problems. The below will step through sections of the operations manual to keep all of your tasks organized for easy reference. Don’t forget that there is a general template operation manual below that your VA will simply copy and paste, and you can use to organize your own business!
SECTION A: Basics and Training: This section will hold all of the “training” informationneeded for a VA to get up to speed with your company: Expectations on working hours,how to use your softwares, information about you and your company, how you wantthem to send emails, tasks and responsibilities, shipping addresses, payment process,how to organize, how to set meeting times, preferred login email and passwords whencreating new accounts for you, etc. It’s also a good idea to include an emergency plan,where if you can’t get ahold of your VA or vice versa after a few days, who you willcontact to check up on them. Much of this is already done for you in this guide yousimply will want to update it to match your company and what you use.
The easiest way to create up your “Basics and Training” tab is record everything you do to get your VA up to speed -- that way, if you ever have to bring a new VA onboard, you have every step easily listed. To see an easy example of this, watch the video walkthrough above. Examples of what you will include in this section are in the operations manual template.
NOTE: one of the items listed in the operations manual template is “how to add items to the operations manual”. It’s vital that your VA knows how to update the operations manual and how it’s organized -- you will want to be able to create a task process and say for example “please add this task under section C”. It saves you the time and stress of keeping things updated and organized.
B)Weekly/Bi-Weekly responsibilities:
Prepare bi-monthly payroll
Weekly lessons count, package updates and sending lessons invoices + giving
Organize inbox emails into Spreadsheets
Scheduling lessons for Brett
Meetings Scheduling
Find one inspirational quote per week about building a company to send to Brett
Weekly hours log (Simplify fill out weekly)
Update the template for all winter camp emails as it comes in
Send weekly instructor email
SECTION B: Weekly / Bi weekly / Monthly responsibilities: This section will hold all of the tasks that a VA is to accomplish on a recurring basis. You will list a how to guide for each repeating task, and the frequency for which it is to be repeated. This will serve as an easy guide for your VA in case they forget how to do a task. You can then instruct them to place these to-do’s recurring on their calendar.
SECTION C: Other Tasks: This section is where you should list all other tasks. Start by writing a list of ALL tasks you can think of that you have ever done, no matter how infrequent. Tasks such as making and sending an invoice for a project, following up some event with customer surveys, building a leads list for sales calls, etc. For some of these, you may choose to instantly write out or screen record a process so that the VA knows exactly how to do a task. Then, as you continue along in your business, each time you come across one of these tasks, you can record yourself doing it and explaining how to do it and will save the video and send the link to be led under the VA operations manual for perfect repetitive execution.
C)Other Tasks:
Making an impact email address for new employees
Entering camp dates and Lesson openings into the calendar
Posting Job ads and intern ads and schedule meeting
How to send money through Xoom (steeps)
Setting up an Asana account
Updating Camp Rosters and updating payments
Updating new leases for office rental
How to download the screen recorder (audio/video recorder) app
How to post craigslist ads for Brett
Creating Flyers (Process)
Auction Donation
Taxes Organization: Stripe spreadscheet organizing processes
Sending receipts for camps
Creating and sending an invoice
Creating invoices in acuity/changing package prices in acuity
Updating insurance
Package Check Emails
Making Capm Groups
Organizing the Camp Sheet
Retroactive Camp Payments
SECTION D: Personal Tasks: This section is where you can list any personal tasks that you would like your VA to be able to do on a recurring basis. Great examples are tasks such as “booking a babysitter” -- they can conrm a babysitter for you from your choice of babysitters for a certain night, just make sure your babysitter knows they are your assistant! Here are some other personal task ideas you may want to use:
Cool personal things you can have your VA do:
Sending a weekly inspirational quote: I have my VA send me an inspirational quote at the beginning of the week, which is helpful!
Ordering Dinner: I write in my personal space the top 3 favorite meals at my favorite restaurants. On busy days, this allows me to have her order dinner for me and have it ready when I need it.
Research for vacations: I like to have her do the research for vacations for me. On a recent trip to Spain, I had her research three of the top Spanish guitar clubs in the area I was in, and I chose the one I liked!
13) Operations Manual part 2: Company Departments
This is a list of all typical company departments that you may have in your business. The goal is to build each of these departments with funnel like tasks that get results so that eventually you can hire out each department to skilled professionals and give them the processes that have gotten results for your business. This may be finding more expensive skilled VA’s or hired guns, or, preferably, it may be more “Shadow You” VA’s that you can hire to execute exact tasks to get your desired results. It’s critical to have each department of the business to give you a view of pieces of your entire business and to be able to catalogue the processes that get your results. Just be sure to have your VA update each department.
Also, here is the full operations manual template that you can use to plug in your business tasks, get ideas on what tasks you might want to outsource, and which departments you will likely have in your business.
13) Operations Manual part 2: Company Departments
This is a list of all typical company departments that you may have in your business. The goal is to build each of these departments with funnel like tasks that get results so that eventually you can hire out each department to skilled professionals and give them the processes that have gotten results for your business. This may be finding more expensive skilled VA’s or hired guns, or, preferably, it may be more “Shadow You” VA’s that you can hire to execute exact tasks to get your desired results. It’s critical to have each department of the business to give you a view of pieces of your entire business and to be able to catalogue the processes that get your results. Just be sure to have your VA update each department.
Also, here is the full operations manual template that you can use to plug in your business tasks, get ideas on what tasks you might want to outsource, and which departments you will likely have in your business.
14) Final Preparations before Finding VA
Here is a list of items that you will need to ll out before hiring your VA so that you know your preferences and have all information ready that they will need. Filling this form will take about 10- 15 minutes. You will want to save this info under section A so that they can use this info for all of your accounts, etc.
Once you have a full understanding of the engine that will make your business run without you, and once you've taken action with each of these steps, you will be ready for a VA. The best part is, the full system is full setup and ready for you, and ready to have your VA do the work! So, head on to the 3rd section to start the process of getting your VA!
14) Final Preparations before Finding VA
Here is a list of items that you will need to ll out before hiring your VA so that you know your preferences and have all information ready that they will need. Filling this form will take about 10- 15 minutes. You will want to save this info under section A so that they can use this info for all of your accounts, etc.
Once you have a full understanding of the engine that will make your business run without you, and once you've taken action with each of these steps, you will be ready for a VA. The best part is, the full system is full setup and ready for you, and ready to have your VA do the work! So, head on to the 3rd section to start the process of getting your VA!
Section 3: Finding and hiring your Shadow You VA
This section will walk you through exactly how to nd a high-quality VA at the cheapest possible price who will serve as your Shadow You, with all resources, email templates, and walkthroughs included.
Section 3: Finding and hiring your Shadow You VA
This section will walk you through exactly how to nd a high-quality VA at the cheapest possible price who will serve as your Shadow You, with all resources, email templates, and walkthroughs included.
15) Posting Your VA Ad and Expectations
To attract the perfect VA, you will need to prepare the right ad to attract the right talent. The ad needs to be extremely specific with the “rules” of the job-- hours to work, time zones, being responsible, perfect English, etc. so that there are no questions as to what their job will entail (don’t worry, all of this is done for you in the template below). Note that the ad will not need to be as specific with exact skills that the VA will need to have, simply an overview of skills that they should be competent with since, as a “shadow you VA”, they will mostly only need to follow specific directions set by you. Here are some important (and sometimes overlooked) additions and tricks to include to ensure you are getting the best candidates:
Immediate interview availability: I like to include a note that they must be available to interview right away, as it’s an added test that will help show their timeliness and their ability to begin work for you right away.
Educational experience: I like to give preference to those who have put some sort of effort into furthering their education -- it shows determination and increases the chances that their English, willingness, and basic skills are on the higher end of the spectrum. I always like to include the phrase “those with a college degree are preferred” (and look for those especially from De La Salle University -- it’s an American University in the Philippines that offers challenging education in full English).
Key Phrase: Mention somewhere at the end of your ad directions to respond with a key phrase in the subject line. This ensures they are detail oriented and can follow basic directions. For example, you could say “please make the subject line ‘awesome virtual assistant’ in your response.”
Ask for cover letter: I always ask for a short cover letter in the email body for these three purposes:
1) to get a taste of their writing style and clarity of thinking (as writing does that)
2) Gauge their written English abilities and
3) shows that they are willing to go above and beyond to personalize, and not just send a generic letter.
Voice Recording: If I need a VA to answer calls or talk with clients, I like to have them send a voice recording to listen to their spoken english (most VA’s have a slight accent, but some have accents so thick that it would be difficult use as a long-term VA). Simply have them use the online voice tool Vocaroo to record their voice and send you, their clip.
Contact time: I think it’s a good idea to include a contact time that notes when how you plan to get back to qualified candidates. That way, you get a chance to let the inbox ll up with candidates that you can compare on a relative scale. Typically, 24-48 hours is a good time frame to create a pool of qualified candidates, and I recommend noting the time in the ad they should expect to hear back.
Mention Paid Trial Assignment: I like to mention that a paid trial assignment will be assigned, serving a couple of purposes:
1) shows trust and legitimacy to your candidates (they are taking a risk with an online stranger as well!)
2) Attracts qualified individuals into your recruiting pool. Below is a personal template of mine that has worked extremely well for me and includes all of the above. You can ll in the highlighted parts of the template with your own information.
WHERE AND HOW TO POST YOUR AD
This section will cover where to post your completed ad and some quick tips on posting.
It’s best to post your ad to Manila Philippines craigslist, which is currently the hottest place for VA to nd jobs. You will likely draw attention from VA’s in Philippines, India, and Malaysia by posting there. To increase your chances of creating a great pool of candidates, you can also choose to post in Davo City, Caloocan, New Delhi, and even Mumbai.
When posting on craigslist: When posting your ad on craigslist, it’s a good idea to rst check the “respond to email below” box, and do not use the craigslist relay email. That way, you will receive their actual email address from the beginning of the interaction and not have to track down individuals through the craigslist relay system. Alternative places to post: Even though you will likely fill your pool by posting on craigslist, you can increase your pool chances by posting on other sites such as Backpages.com or VA social media pages and groups.
Inbox Filter tip: To keep your inbox a little cleaner as you build up your candidate pool, setup ltering for your inbox. In gmail, you can do the following: Instead of your email being your normal address (name@gmail.com), you can add a plus sign to make it distinct (name+VA@gmail.com). Then set up a filter so that any names that come in can get tagged as VA pool candidate. I nd this handy as you will get a lot of emails and likely will want to keep your inbox organized! More info on how to do that in gmail here.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER POSTING?
This section gives you quick tips on what to expect after posting your ad.:
Expect late action: You likely won’t see a ton of emails right away depending on posting time (since they are 12 hours ahead of east coast time).
Let pool ll: Again, as mentioned in the ad section, give 24-48 hours from posting to response. You will want to review all candidates in the pool.
Those who don’t follow directions: Expect to receive many emails from VA’s who did not follow directions in the ad. Those who followed directions thoroughly are more often than not the best candidates, but it’s of course not always the case. Sometimes candidates may be extremely fast working and efficient at just getting their resume out to as many jobs as possible (which, with a “shadow you”, you want efficiency!). However, be sure to make these individuals prove it if you decide to interview them.
Scam emails: Expect to receive some scam type emails that aren’t resumes or don’t make much sense. These will happen, but don’t worry, you cannot be scammed unless you actually take action (like typing in credit card details or answering the email.). Just delete the email and move on.
Thoroughly personal resumes: See the resume example below -- you will see many resumes like this with the following attributes:
Pictures: VA’s always put pictures of themselves on their resume-- this is normal.
Personal details: They put many personal details on their resume, which are useful to you as you can see a glimpse into how dedicated they will be to work. For example, a VA who is single will likely have more time to put toward your business but may not be as experienced. A married mother might want to be paid a little more but might be more serious and dedicated to her job.
15) Posting Your VA Ad and Expectations
To attract the perfect VA, you will need to prepare the right ad to attract the right talent. The ad needs to be extremely specific with the “rules” of the job-- hours to work, time zones, being responsible, perfect English, etc. so that there are no questions as to what their job will entail (don’t worry, all of this is done for you in the template below). Note that the ad will not need to be as specific with exact skills that the VA will need to have, simply an overview of skills that they should be competent with since, as a “shadow you VA”, they will mostly only need to follow specific directions set by you. Here are some important (and sometimes overlooked) additions and tricks to include to ensure you are getting the best candidates:
Immediate interview availability: I like to include a note that they must be available to interview right away, as it’s an added test that will help show their timeliness and their ability to begin work for you right away.
Educational experience: I like to give preference to those who have put some sort of effort into furthering their education -- it shows determination and increases the chances that their English, willingness, and basic skills are on the higher end of the spectrum. I always like to include the phrase “those with a college degree are preferred” (and look for those especially from De La Salle University -- it’s an American University in the Philippines that offers challenging education in full English).
Key Phrase: Mention somewhere at the end of your ad directions to respond with a key phrase in the subject line. This ensures they are detail oriented and can follow basic directions. For example, you could say “please make the subject line ‘awesome virtual assistant’ in your response.”
Ask for cover letter: I always ask for a short cover letter in the email body for these three purposes:
1) to get a taste of their writing style and clarity of thinking (as writing does that)
2) Gauge their written English abilities and
3) shows that they are willing to go above and beyond to personalize, and not just send a generic letter.
Voice Recording: If I need a VA to answer calls or talk with clients, I like to have them send a voice recording to listen to their spoken english (most VA’s have a slight accent, but some have accents so thick that it would be difficult use as a long-term VA). Simply have them use the online voice tool Vocaroo to record their voice and send you, their clip.
Contact time: I think it’s a good idea to include a contact time that notes when how you plan to get back to qualified candidates. That way, you get a chance to let the inbox ll up with candidates that you can compare on a relative scale. Typically, 24-48 hours is a good time frame to create a pool of qualified candidates, and I recommend noting the time in the ad they should expect to hear back.
Mention Paid Trial Assignment: I like to mention that a paid trial assignment will be assigned, serving a couple of purposes:
1) shows trust and legitimacy to your candidates (they are taking a risk with an online stranger as well!)
2) Attracts qualified individuals into your recruiting pool. Below is a personal template of mine that has worked extremely well for me and includes all of the above. You can ll in the highlighted parts of the template with your own information.
WHERE AND HOW TO POST YOUR AD
This section will cover where to post your completed ad and some quick tips on posting.
It’s best to post your ad to Manila Philippines craigslist, which is currently the hottest place for VA to nd jobs. You will likely draw attention from VA’s in Philippines, India, and Malaysia by posting there. To increase your chances of creating a great pool of candidates, you can also choose to post in Davo City, Caloocan, New Delhi, and even Mumbai.
When posting on craigslist: When posting your ad on craigslist, it’s a good idea to rst check the “respond to email below” box, and do not use the craigslist relay email. That way, you will receive their actual email address from the beginning of the interaction and not have to track down individuals through the craigslist relay system. Alternative places to post: Even though you will likely fill your pool by posting on craigslist, you can increase your pool chances by posting on other sites such as Backpages.com or VA social media pages and groups.
Inbox Filter tip: To keep your inbox a little cleaner as you build up your candidate pool, setup ltering for your inbox. In gmail, you can do the following: Instead of your email being your normal address (name@gmail.com), you can add a plus sign to make it distinct (name+VA@gmail.com). Then set up a filter so that any names that come in can get tagged as VA pool candidate. I nd this handy as you will get a lot of emails and likely will want to keep your inbox organized! More info on how to do that in gmail here.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER POSTING?
This section gives you quick tips on what to expect after posting your ad.:
Expect late action: You likely won’t see a ton of emails right away depending on posting time (since they are 12 hours ahead of east coast time).
Let pool ll: Again, as mentioned in the ad section, give 24-48 hours from posting to response. You will want to review all candidates in the pool.
Those who don’t follow directions: Expect to receive many emails from VA’s who did not follow directions in the ad. Those who followed directions thoroughly are more often than not the best candidates, but it’s of course not always the case. Sometimes candidates may be extremely fast working and efficient at just getting their resume out to as many jobs as possible (which, with a “shadow you”, you want efficiency!). However, be sure to make these individuals prove it if you decide to interview them.
Scam emails: Expect to receive some scam type emails that aren’t resumes or don’t make much sense. These will happen, but don’t worry, you cannot be scammed unless you actually take action (like typing in credit card details or answering the email.). Just delete the email and move on.
Thoroughly personal resumes: See the resume example below -- you will see many resumes like this with the following attributes:
Pictures: VA’s always put pictures of themselves on their resume-- this is normal.
Personal details: They put many personal details on their resume, which are useful to you as you can see a glimpse into how dedicated they will be to work. For example, a VA who is single will likely have more time to put toward your business but may not be as experienced. A married mother might want to be paid a little more but might be more serious and dedicated to her job.
16) Choosing Candidates and Conducting Interviews
This section will walk you through how to choose candidates and create pools for interviews. It will also walk you through the interview process! Who to select for interviews.
Once the pool has been created, you should plan to schedule those who meet the following for an interview right away.
Resume: Attached resume that includes description of prior work experience and education (college preferred)
Personalized Cover Letter: Personalized response in email with cover letter (I have always found the best VA’s personalize their responses, showing their willingness to go the extra mile) Followed Directions: Followed all directions from the ad.
Good English: Procient spoken and written English (both written and verbal link). They are perhaps not perfect, but well enough to understand.
INTERVIEW SCHEDULING AND EMAIL RESPONSE
Setting up Interviews: You should set aside about 2 hours in your day to interview candidates. Remember, candidates will be 12 hours ahead of east coast time, so mornings and evenings are typically best.
Reaching out to candidates: Reach out to qualified candidates in your pool and offer a distinct 30-minute window for their interview. For ease, you can use the easy response email template below. Try and stack each interview back to back so that you don’t waste time in your day (and because you can best compare candidates relatively when they are back to back).
Send calendar invite: It’s important to send a calendar invite to their email so that the time is confirmed. That way you look organized (which sets a good precedent for an incoming VA), and there is no excuse if they miss their time. If they do not virtually “show up” to the meeting within a 5-minute window of your scheduled time, it’s a big red ag (although note that one of my best VA’s did not show up to interview on time, but it ended up being a technology issue!) If you don’t have a calendar system, get one! Google calendars makes things much easier.
Notes on below template: Below is an easy response template that you can use to respond to candidates. Simply ll your own information in the yellow highlighted sections. The third paragraph conrms that they understand the exact job they are signing up for and what eort you will require of them. This helps to ensure that there are no excuses for performance, and VA’s not willing to follow requirements will be discouraged to apply.
INTERVIEW PROCESS
The interview process is important for finding candidates. To get the most out of the interview, I think it’s important to have a script so that you can compare candidates relatively. There are a few general rules that I would recommend while interviewing VA’s:
Meet Face to Face: Make sure to use google hangouts or skype for a face-to-face interview phone interviews just aren’t the same and won’t give you the full picture.
Make them talk, you listen! Too often business owners get caught blabbing about their business rather than letting the interviewee talk. Don’t get caught up talking, just ask you questions and let them talk. It’s also a good idea to practice active listening, where you practice giving the “ah, yes, I see, hmm” responses so that they know you are listening.
Take Notes: It’s a good idea to take notes on the interview template below. Just print out copies for each interview you conduct.
Ask for real life examples: The best indicator of future success is past experience, so get them to talk about skills and projects in terms of past experience!
Most vital three skills to look for: These three professional skills are the most important skills you need to identify in a VA (more important than any hard skills they may hold). Pay special attention to the responses of these three when you use the template:
Timeliness: Are you on time? Give me an example of when you weren’t on time and what you did about it. (CRITICAL as you can’t move forward if someone isn’t on time)
Most vital three skills to look for: These three professional skills are the most important skills you need to identify in a VA (more important than any hard skills they may hold). Pay special attention to the responses of these three when you use the template:
Organization: Are you detail oriented? Give me a few examples of your organization habits in your daily life. (CRITICAL as you will be giving them the responsibility of keeping you and your business organized!)
Pass, Fail, or maybe all candidates: Give each candidate a “pass”, “fail”, or “maybe” tagafter you interview them. Maybe should be reserved only for those you really, really can’t decide on. Those who pass will go on to the next round. For any candidates that you “fail”, simply tell them in the interview (or email them) that you have decided not to proceed with their application and wish them luck.
16) Choosing Candidates and Conducting Interviews
This section will walk you through how to choose candidates and create pools for interviews. It will also walk you through the interview process! Who to select for interviews.
Once the pool has been created, you should plan to schedule those who meet the following for an interview right away.
Resume: Attached resume that includes description of prior work experience and education (college preferred)
Personalized Cover Letter: Personalized response in email with cover letter (I have always found the best VA’s personalize their responses, showing their willingness to go the extra mile) Followed Directions: Followed all directions from the ad.
Good English: Procient spoken and written English (both written and verbal link). They are perhaps not perfect, but well enough to understand.
INTERVIEW SCHEDULING AND EMAIL RESPONSE
Setting up Interviews: You should set aside about 2 hours in your day to interview candidates. Remember, candidates will be 12 hours ahead of east coast time, so mornings and evenings are typically best.
Reaching out to candidates: Reach out to qualified candidates in your pool and offer a distinct 30-minute window for their interview. For ease, you can use the easy response email template below. Try and stack each interview back to back so that you don’t waste time in your day (and because you can best compare candidates relatively when they are back to back).
Send calendar invite: It’s important to send a calendar invite to their email so that the time is confirmed. That way you look organized (which sets a good precedent for an incoming VA), and there is no excuse if they miss their time. If they do not virtually “show up” to the meeting within a 5-minute window of your scheduled time, it’s a big red ag (although note that one of my best VA’s did not show up to interview on time, but it ended up being a technology issue!) If you don’t have a calendar system, get one! Google calendars makes things much easier.
Notes on below template: Below is an easy response template that you can use to respond to candidates. Simply ll your own information in the yellow highlighted sections. The third paragraph conrms that they understand the exact job they are signing up for and what eort you will require of them. This helps to ensure that there are no excuses for performance, and VA’s not willing to follow requirements will be discouraged to apply.
INTERVIEW PROCESS
The interview process is important for finding candidates. To get the most out of the interview, I think it’s important to have a script so that you can compare candidates relatively. There are a few general rules that I would recommend while interviewing VA’s:
Meet Face to Face: Make sure to use google hangouts or skype for a face-to-face interview phone interviews just aren’t the same and won’t give you the full picture.
Make them talk, you listen! Too often business owners get caught blabbing about their business rather than letting the interviewee talk. Don’t get caught up talking, just ask you questions and let them talk. It’s also a good idea to practice active listening, where you practice giving the “ah, yes, I see, hmm” responses so that they know you are listening.
Take Notes: It’s a good idea to take notes on the interview template below. Just print out copies for each interview you conduct.
Ask for real life examples: The best indicator of future success is past experience, so get them to talk about skills and projects in terms of past experience!
Most vital three skills to look for: These three professional skills are the most important skills you need to identify in a VA (more important than any hard skills they may hold). Pay special attention to the responses of these three when you use the template:
Timeliness: Are you on time? Give me an example of when you weren’t on time and what you did about it. (CRITICAL as you can’t move forward if someone isn’t on time)
Most vital three skills to look for: These three professional skills are the most important skills you need to identify in a VA (more important than any hard skills they may hold). Pay special attention to the responses of these three when you use the template:
Organization: Are you detail oriented? Give me a few examples of your organization habits in your daily life. (CRITICAL as you will be giving them the responsibility of keeping you and your business organized!)
Pass, Fail, or maybe all candidates: Give each candidate a “pass”, “fail”, or “maybe” tagafter you interview them. Maybe should be reserved only for those you really, really can’t decide on. Those who pass will go on to the next round. For any candidates that you “fail”, simply tell them in the interview (or email them) that you have decided not to proceed with their application and wish them luck.
17) Quality Control Vetting: Conducting Paid Trial Project
What are paid trial projects?:
Once you have completed your interviews, you should have a further refined pool of candidates (hopefully around 3-4 max). From here, it’s critical that we put these candidates through another phase of testing to ensure that they can complete the tasks you give to them. This will ensure that your VA’s can actually do tasks effectively.
I think it’s important to make this test assignment paid for a few reasons:
It keeps them motivated to complete the assignment, which is obviously important as we want to see their best work quickly.
It will put your test assignment at the top of their job search priority list and will focus on finishing it first (so they won’t get distracted by other offers as they will be out there).
It establishes trust early on from you to your VA, showing that you appreciate hard work and will actually pay them. That goes a long way!
The paid assignment should be a small assignment that they can complete in an hour or two, and something related to the work they will likely be doing in your business (excel sheets, emails, receiving calls, etc)
How much do paid trial projects cost?
This is the best part-- the paid assignment is cheap! You can pay them anywhere between $3-5 for the task depending on estimated time. This gives you actual insight into their work process and abilities for next to nothing. Sometimes, this uncovers issues with those candidates that you would not have otherwise known (perhaps they don’t follow detailed instructions well, which is bad!). So, a paid trial project is a great investment to get the best!
Trial Project Examples:
Below are three trial project examples that I have used in the past to test a VA’s skills. The first tests their abilities in detailed tasks, the second in creative tasks, and third in calling and customer tasks. Descriptions of each test are below. These tests were great for my purposes but may need to be adjusted for your own needs. Note also that there are templated emails for each of these with directions on how to send back, further testing the VA’s ability to follow detailed directions.Below are three trial project examples that I have used in the past to test a VA’s skills. The first tests their abilities in detailed tasks, the second in creative tasks, and third in calling and customer tasks. Descriptions of each test are below. These tests were great for my purposes but may need to be adjusted for your own needs. Note also that there are templated emails for each of these with directions on how to send back, further testing the VA’s ability to follow detailed directions.
Detail Oriented Task: This task simply asks them to organize a spreadsheet of names, letting them follow a clear step by step process (with a little bit of ambiguity intentionally left to test them). This task tests their attention to detail and ability to follow directions. Here is a final that shows what a final spreadsheet should look like: https://drive.google.com/open?id=19IR2Wp_n4mIeWR8IjRWa0NAZlzEE5l4V1LR0i5brpck
Creative Oriented Task / Outsourcing Oriented Task: This task asks candidates to create a flyer from information on a website and pictures from another website. If you have tasks that are more creative type tasks, this might be the best task to have them complete. You can also use this task to test their outsourcing abilities. Simply ask them to outsource manage this project on Fiverr or on Upwork and give them a budget (of which you will need to set a budget and pay for-- $5 is typically about right). Candidates should be familiar with using Fiverr and Upwork websites. The outcome of this task is up to your discretion.
Calling Oriented Tasks: This task is suited for those who will need their VA to reach out to customers via phone. The task is a sales task where candidates must reach out to customers of For Sale By Owner houses and see if they are willing to list their house with a real estate agent company. The point here is not to have them actually sell houses, but simply to
a) see if they are brazen enough to call and
b) to see if they can more or less stick to a script and
c) to hear how well they interact with others on the phone. Sales are the most uncomfortable kinds of calls, so this is a great task for anyone with phone heavy tasks. With this, I don’t recommend hiring a VA to make cold calls for you, but 100% recommend them for billing, customer service inquiries, etc.
What to do when you’ve received back the trial project:
Once received: For any candidate that sends in the trial assignment, you can send them the “thank you” email template below, and then pay their invoice once sent to your paypal.
Check project results: In order to pass, they must have completed each of the following 3 things:
They must have confirmed receipt of your email about the trial assignment
They must have completed the trial assignment within 24 hours of receipt
They must have completed the trial assignment correctly and / or to your satisfaction.
If pass and you want to hire: If a candidate passes and you would like to hire that specific candidate, you can send to your top VA choice the “pass and hire” email template below. Be sure to wait for their confirmation of acceptance before sending any other emails in case they do not accept -- you don’t want to have to create another pool of candidates if you don’t have to. Once confirmation is received, you will want to send the “not hire” email template below to the other individuals.
If pass but you are undecided or between 2-3 candidates: Send them the “pass but undecided” email template and give them another paid trial assignment. This is a good problem to have, as in the end, whichever VA you choose, you will likely have a pretty good one!
Don’t pass or don’t want to hire: For those who failed the trial tests, you will send the “not hired” template. Again, as mentioned above, wait to send these email so that you still have a candidate pool in case your first choice doesn’t accept. That said, it is good practice to send this email template out as soon as possible so that, in the case that your first choice doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you are seen as professional if you have to re-contact.
17) Quality Control Vetting: Conducting Paid Trial Project
What are paid trial projects?:
Once you have completed your interviews, you should have a further refined pool of candidates (hopefully around 3-4 max). From here, it’s critical that we put these candidates through another phase of testing to ensure that they can complete the tasks you give to them. This will ensure that your VA’s can actually do tasks effectively.
I think it’s important to make this test assignment paid for a few reasons:
It keeps them motivated to complete the assignment, which is obviously important as we want to see their best work quickly.
It will put your test assignment at the top of their job search priority list and will focus on finishing it first (so they won’t get distracted by other offers as they will be out there).
It establishes trust early on from you to your VA, showing that you appreciate hard work and will actually pay them. That goes a long way!
The paid assignment should be a small assignment that they can complete in an hour or two, and something related to the work they will likely be doing in your business (excel sheets, emails, receiving calls, etc)
How much do paid trial projects cost?
This is the best part-- the paid assignment is cheap! You can pay them anywhere between $3-5 for the task depending on estimated time. This gives you actual insight into their work process and abilities for next to nothing. Sometimes, this uncovers issues with those candidates that you would not have otherwise known (perhaps they don’t follow detailed instructions well, which is bad!). So, a paid trial project is a great investment to get the best!
Trial Project Examples:
Below are three trial project examples that I have used in the past to test a VA’s skills. The first tests their abilities in detailed tasks, the second in creative tasks, and third in calling and customer tasks. Descriptions of each test are below. These tests were great for my purposes but may need to be adjusted for your own needs. Note also that there are templated emails for each of these with directions on how to send back, further testing the VA’s ability to follow detailed directions.Below are three trial project examples that I have used in the past to test a VA’s skills. The first tests their abilities in detailed tasks, the second in creative tasks, and third in calling and customer tasks. Descriptions of each test are below. These tests were great for my purposes but may need to be adjusted for your own needs. Note also that there are templated emails for each of these with directions on how to send back, further testing the VA’s ability to follow detailed directions.
Detail Oriented Task: This task simply asks them to organize a spreadsheet of names, letting them follow a clear step by step process (with a little bit of ambiguity intentionally left to test them). This task tests their attention to detail and ability to follow directions. Here is a final that shows what a final spreadsheet should look like: https://drive.google.com/open?id=19IR2Wp_n4mIeWR8IjRWa0NAZlzEE5l4V1LR0i5brpck
Creative Oriented Task / Outsourcing Oriented Task: This task asks candidates to create a flyer from information on a website and pictures from another website. If you have tasks that are more creative type tasks, this might be the best task to have them complete. You can also use this task to test their outsourcing abilities. Simply ask them to outsource manage this project on Fiverr or on Upwork and give them a budget (of which you will need to set a budget and pay for-- $5 is typically about right). Candidates should be familiar with using Fiverr and Upwork websites. The outcome of this task is up to your discretion.
Calling Oriented Tasks: This task is suited for those who will need their VA to reach out to customers via phone. The task is a sales task where candidates must reach out to customers of For Sale By Owner houses and see if they are willing to list their house with a real estate agent company. The point here is not to have them actually sell houses, but simply to
a) see if they are brazen enough to call and
b) to see if they can more or less stick to a script and
c) to hear how well they interact with others on the phone. Sales are the most uncomfortable kinds of calls, so this is a great task for anyone with phone heavy tasks. With this, I don’t recommend hiring a VA to make cold calls for you, but 100% recommend them for billing, customer service inquiries, etc.
What to do when you’ve received back the trial project:
Once received: For any candidate that sends in the trial assignment, you can send them the “thank you” email template below, and then pay their invoice once sent to your paypal.
Check project results: In order to pass, they must have completed each of the following 3 things:
They must have confirmed receipt of your email about the trial assignment
They must have completed the trial assignment within 24 hours of receipt
They must have completed the trial assignment correctly and / or to your satisfaction.
If pass and you want to hire: If a candidate passes and you would like to hire that specific candidate, you can send to your top VA choice the “pass and hire” email template below. Be sure to wait for their confirmation of acceptance before sending any other emails in case they do not accept -- you don’t want to have to create another pool of candidates if you don’t have to. Once confirmation is received, you will want to send the “not hire” email template below to the other individuals.
If pass but you are undecided or between 2-3 candidates: Send them the “pass but undecided” email template and give them another paid trial assignment. This is a good problem to have, as in the end, whichever VA you choose, you will likely have a pretty good one!
Don’t pass or don’t want to hire: For those who failed the trial tests, you will send the “not hired” template. Again, as mentioned above, wait to send these email so that you still have a candidate pool in case your first choice doesn’t accept. That said, it is good practice to send this email template out as soon as possible so that, in the case that your first choice doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you are seen as professional if you have to re-contact.
18) Hiring Meeting and Setting Up for Success
Congrats, you now have a Shadow You VA! To get started, you will want to start with a rst face to face video meeting to prepare them for the upcoming 2-week trial and likely job. Set aside about 30 minutes to have an official meeting and cover the following items in order (with use of the templates below):
Build Trust from the get go: When we build relationships, we exchange personal information through interactions to peel down the layers of mystery and gain context into the other’s life. Giving and receiving information builds a relationship, which builds trust. This will go very far for both you and then! The following template gives you some items to discuss to build a relationship with your VA -- use it as a guide, but keep things natural and just have a conversation.
Clarify the 2-week trial: You will want to clarify that the first 2 weeks are considered a “trial period”. This means that they will be paid fully for the two weeks, but the job is not yet official and will depend on their performance. This allows you to see how well they perform and ensures they start their employment with some motivation to be at their best. I recommend keeping a “tight leash” over the first two weeks -- meaning daily check-ins, checking in on their work, clarifying projects, etc. Nothing overbearing, just make sure that everything is getting done.
Clarify the job and details: After having the trust building conversation, you will want to transition into discussing their job role with expectations, rules, systems, etc. In this section, you will want to be very clear and direct, as confusion can cause issues. Below is a link to the script that outlines exactly what you will want to cover with your shadow VA.
Set important dates on calendar:
Set important times and dates on main calendar (they can access the calendar in the google drive account, which they will set up with the pre-training packet below!):
Set an official start date: Set with your VA an official “start date” for your VA. I typically choose to start mine on a Monday to make things straightforward and to give them the weekend to prepare.
Set official shift hours: Confirm the shift hours that your VA will be expected to work. This will ensure that your VA knows when they are required to be available. My VA typically is on shift from 10-6pm EST, but I’ve had VA’s work multiple different shifts. A good tip is to post their shift times at the top of the asana to do list so that there is no question.
Set an official weekly meeting time (or two): Setting a weekly face to face meeting time is critical as it helps you both stay on the same page, let’s you clarify projects, and sets a tempo for each week. When I first start with a VA, I usually hold two meetings, both around 1:30 ET on Tuesdays and Fridays (she does recurring weekly tasks on Mondays, so Tuesday's discussion is about the upcoming week and Friday's meeting is to review projects completed throughout the week).
Schedule quarterly performance evaluation: Evaluations should be scheduled and held in meetings every 3 months. I would recommend a $25-$50 dollar bonus for each performance eval passing, and perhaps an end of year bonus for passing all evaluations throughout the year. Below is a template for an easy performance evaluation (with the description of how to use it on the 2nd page). You can add or subtract items, but this is pretty comprehensive for getting results. It’s vital you give this to your VA ahead of time so that they know what you will be rating. I also instruct VA’s to send me a copy of this eval at the beginning of each quarter so that I can take notes on good and bad things they do throughout the quarter and have specific items and dates for when I dock points.
Set-up Systems:
Here, you will instruct your VA to set up your full Shadow You system for you, and can simply send them the templated document below. You will want to review to ensure that you know exactly what to expect and how to operate the system. But for the most part, this is work that your VA will do for you. You can make any adjustments to this template as you see fit. Tell your VA you expect that everything will be set up for you by the start date. NOTE: you will also need to send them your information from your Pre-Hire Information and Decisions manual so that they can input them into the operations
Work Together for the next 2 weeks:
Using the system set in place from section 2, practice condensing tasks into easy-to-follow directions so that your VA can complete tasks for you. Check in with them and test them to ensure they are doing things correctly.
End of 2-week Check-in Meeting:
At the end of the two weeks, you will have a very good idea of how you and your VA work together. Your VA will have gotten up to speed with all of your weekly and bi-weekly tasks, will understand your basic tasks, will have a relationship with your and your business, will know how to conduct weekly meetings, will understand the softwares, will have practiced sending an invoice, and will have practiced organizing tasks in the operations manual. This is a great start! At the end of the two weeks, three things should be accomplished:
Comfortable and communicative: You should be comfortable with your VA and them with you. You guys should have a method of communication that works, and you guys should be able to get along.
Knows the system: Your VA should know the shadow you VA system inside and out, and should know that EVERY process should be placed in the operations manual.
All kinks worked out: You should have worked out any kinks with your VA that are specific to your business and don’t t in this manual.
To cap o the week, you will want to reect with the VA how the 2-week trial went. This is the meeting that will help you set the course for success, giving the VA feedback on what worked, what didn’t, and how things can be changed. Below is a guide that will help you with that meeting.
NOTE: It is very rare in my experience to make it this far with a VA and not have them be successful, but it is possible. If the VA isn’t cutting it, cut them loose and call your second choice from your previous search (and oer them a $20 signing bonus to come back).
Year Long Contract: Here is a VERY SIMPLE contract you can use to have the VA sign on for a year.
This is IN NO WAY an official legal contract, and I recommend adding anything that you think your company needs (non-disclosure agreements, lost wages for certain actions, etc.). The purpose of the contract is simply to capture their intent to stay with you and your intent to employ them. I’ve found that making things more “official” helps performance!
18) Hiring Meeting and Setting Up for Success
Congrats, you now have a Shadow You VA! To get started, you will want to start with a rst face to face video meeting to prepare them for the upcoming 2-week trial and likely job. Set aside about 30 minutes to have an official meeting and cover the following items in order (with use of the templates below):
Build Trust from the get go: When we build relationships, we exchange personal information through interactions to peel down the layers of mystery and gain context into the other’s life. Giving and receiving information builds a relationship, which builds trust. This will go very far for both you and then! The following template gives you some items to discuss to build a relationship with your VA -- use it as a guide, but keep things natural and just have a conversation.
Clarify the 2-week trial: You will want to clarify that the first 2 weeks are considered a “trial period”. This means that they will be paid fully for the two weeks, but the job is not yet official and will depend on their performance. This allows you to see how well they perform and ensures they start their employment with some motivation to be at their best. I recommend keeping a “tight leash” over the first two weeks -- meaning daily check-ins, checking in on their work, clarifying projects, etc. Nothing overbearing, just make sure that everything is getting done.
Clarify the job and details: After having the trust building conversation, you will want to transition into discussing their job role with expectations, rules, systems, etc. In this section, you will want to be very clear and direct, as confusion can cause issues. Below is a link to the script that outlines exactly what you will want to cover with your shadow VA.
Set important dates on calendar:
Set important times and dates on main calendar (they can access the calendar in the google drive account, which they will set up with the pre-training packet below!):
Set an official start date: Set with your VA an official “start date” for your VA. I typically choose to start mine on a Monday to make things straightforward and to give them the weekend to prepare.
Set official shift hours: Confirm the shift hours that your VA will be expected to work. This will ensure that your VA knows when they are required to be available. My VA typically is on shift from 10-6pm EST, but I’ve had VA’s work multiple different shifts. A good tip is to post their shift times at the top of the asana to do list so that there is no question.
Set an official weekly meeting time (or two): Setting a weekly face to face meeting time is critical as it helps you both stay on the same page, let’s you clarify projects, and sets a tempo for each week. When I first start with a VA, I usually hold two meetings, both around 1:30 ET on Tuesdays and Fridays (she does recurring weekly tasks on Mondays, so Tuesday's discussion is about the upcoming week and Friday's meeting is to review projects completed throughout the week).
Schedule quarterly performance evaluation: Evaluations should be scheduled and held in meetings every 3 months. I would recommend a $25-$50 dollar bonus for each performance eval passing, and perhaps an end of year bonus for passing all evaluations throughout the year. Below is a template for an easy performance evaluation (with the description of how to use it on the 2nd page). You can add or subtract items, but this is pretty comprehensive for getting results. It’s vital you give this to your VA ahead of time so that they know what you will be rating. I also instruct VA’s to send me a copy of this eval at the beginning of each quarter so that I can take notes on good and bad things they do throughout the quarter and have specific items and dates for when I dock points.
Set-up Systems:
Here, you will instruct your VA to set up your full Shadow You system for you, and can simply send them the templated document below. You will want to review to ensure that you know exactly what to expect and how to operate the system. But for the most part, this is work that your VA will do for you. You can make any adjustments to this template as you see fit. Tell your VA you expect that everything will be set up for you by the start date. NOTE: you will also need to send them your information from your Pre-Hire Information and Decisions manual so that they can input them into the operations
Work Together for the next 2 weeks:
Using the system set in place from section 2, practice condensing tasks into easy-to-follow directions so that your VA can complete tasks for you. Check in with them and test them to ensure they are doing things correctly.
End of 2-week Check-in Meeting:
At the end of the two weeks, you will have a very good idea of how you and your VA work together. Your VA will have gotten up to speed with all of your weekly and bi-weekly tasks, will understand your basic tasks, will have a relationship with your and your business, will know how to conduct weekly meetings, will understand the softwares, will have practiced sending an invoice, and will have practiced organizing tasks in the operations manual. This is a great start! At the end of the two weeks, three things should be accomplished:
Comfortable and communicative: You should be comfortable with your VA and them with you. You guys should have a method of communication that works, and you guys should be able to get along.
Knows the system: Your VA should know the shadow you VA system inside and out, and should know that EVERY process should be placed in the operations manual.
All kinks worked out: You should have worked out any kinks with your VA that are specific to your business and don’t t in this manual.
To cap o the week, you will want to reect with the VA how the 2-week trial went. This is the meeting that will help you set the course for success, giving the VA feedback on what worked, what didn’t, and how things can be changed. Below is a guide that will help you with that meeting.
NOTE: It is very rare in my experience to make it this far with a VA and not have them be successful, but it is possible. If the VA isn’t cutting it, cut them loose and call your second choice from your previous search (and oer them a $20 signing bonus to come back).
Year Long Contract: Here is a VERY SIMPLE contract you can use to have the VA sign on for a year.
This is IN NO WAY an official legal contract, and I recommend adding anything that you think your company needs (non-disclosure agreements, lost wages for certain actions, etc.). The purpose of the contract is simply to capture their intent to stay with you and your intent to employ them. I’ve found that making things more “official” helps performance!
19) Managing your VA, and tips and tricks that you need to know.v
This brief section will bridge the knowledge gap for you on how to really get going with your VA. This should challenge your thinking and make things easier for you to utilize your new employees.
Meetings: importance and how to keep efficient
It’s critical that you hold a meeting at least once per week, if not twice: once at the beginning of the week and once at the end of the week. I recommend keeping Monday open for VA’s to get their weekly and bi-weekly tasks finished, so that Tuesday can be goal oriented weekly work. If you don’t have consistent weekly facetime with an employee, even if they are in house, you will not make consistent weekly progress. Here is a template you can use to ensure your meetings are efficient and productive:
Also, here is an example of me meeting with my VA and how we keep them efficient. (This video was made as a promo, so ignore the ending as you are already in the program, but it might be helpful!).
When Assigning Projects: More Tips as a Manager
Focus on the goal: It’s important that you clearly describe the goal of the project so that both you and the VA know what is expected as the end result and what it will be used for. This will help you to not get caught up in micromanaging.
Using questions-- What, why, how: Be sure that when assigning projects that are not already in the operations manual, that you cover the questions of “what, why, and how”.
Post project improvement: Some projects may not go as smoothly as planned, even if written in the operations manual. For these projects, it’s important to review how they went in a meeting with your VA. Be sure to ask these three questions of any clunky project and be sure to have your VA log the updates in the operations manual from your discussion of these questions: What worked? What didn’t work? What do we need to improve?
How to deal with issues that arise:
Like with any employee, issues sometimes will arise. It’s important to keep a cool head in these situations and communicate with the following perspectives and strategies in mind:
Get to the root of the problem: Anytime an issue arises, don’t think just about the issue at hand as it is-- try and think about how to x the ROOT of the issue so that you can create a systematic solution that xes it forever! For example, let’s say that you have asked your VA to send emails to a specific email list, and she accidentally sends them to a different email list. Rather than blaming, try and get clarity on how your VA might have confused lists, and set a system that ensures lists won’t be confused ever again (perhaps a better titling system, etc.)
Approach as if it’s your fault: Similar to the perspective above -- Consider that if the VA did something wrong, it’s likely that it was your fault in how you explained the task. Think of VA as a computer-- whatever input you put in is the output you will get out of it. Take every mistake that the VA makes as your fault and try to clarify the process of how they should do it next time. Be sure that you are clarifying the “What, Why, and How” questions when explaining your tasks.
I notice strategy: If the problem is due to the VA not working hard enough, not doing something you’ve asked of them, or missing details due to not being thorough, then it’s critical you have a meeting right away to clear up the issues. The easy way is the “I notice strategy”. You can use the following easy formula when something comes up “I notice XYZ happened, why did that occur?”. This is a very neutral way to highlight an issue without showing anger but will show it’s an issue and demand a serious answer.
Suggestions for Adding incentives and bonuses:
Additional incentives and bonuses can be useful for getting a little more zip out of your VA. You are likely already applying a bonus for overall performance evaluations. Anytime you want to add performance, consider adding a small additional bonus for incentivized results (with clear measures on how they can achieve them!). Here are some bonuses and incentives I have implemented in the past.
Longevity bonus: This is a bonus you might give them if they stayed for an extended period of time of your choice, for me it’s a yearly bonus. I like these as it helps keep the VA steady and, if they are going to leave, they typically wait until the bonus, which keeps things consistent!
Project Specific Bonuses: If they are working on a specific project that adds additional income or takes specific effort, I will sometimes add bonuses to them for outstanding work and detail exactly how they can achieve the bonus.
Deadline Bonuses: Sometimes it’s helpful to add a bonus for finishing work by a specific deadline. This should not be used too often, but for some important projects, particularly ones that add value to your company, it can be helpful.
I hope that this comprehensive guide has given you some guidance on how to get and use a full shadow EA!
Pumped for your success!
Brett
Want the perfect executive assistant found and trained for you? Book a Free Setup Call below!
19) Managing your VA, and tips and tricks that you need to know.v
This brief section will bridge the knowledge gap for you on how to really get going with your VA. This should challenge your thinking and make things easier for you to utilize your new employees.
Meetings: importance and how to keep efficient
It’s critical that you hold a meeting at least once per week, if not twice: once at the beginning of the week and once at the end of the week. I recommend keeping Monday open for VA’s to get their weekly and bi-weekly tasks finished, so that Tuesday can be goal oriented weekly work. If you don’t have consistent weekly facetime with an employee, even if they are in house, you will not make consistent weekly progress. Here is a template you can use to ensure your meetings are efficient and productive:
Also, here is an example of me meeting with my VA and how we keep them efficient. (This video was made as a promo, so ignore the ending as you are already in the program, but it might be helpful!).
When Assigning Projects: More Tips as a Manager
Focus on the goal: It’s important that you clearly describe the goal of the project so that both you and the VA know what is expected as the end result and what it will be used for. This will help you to not get caught up in micromanaging.
Using questions-- What, why, how: Be sure that when assigning projects that are not already in the operations manual, that you cover the questions of “what, why, and how”.
Post project improvement: Some projects may not go as smoothly as planned, even if written in the operations manual. For these projects, it’s important to review how they went in a meeting with your VA. Be sure to ask these three questions of any clunky project and be sure to have your VA log the updates in the operations manual from your discussion of these questions: What worked? What didn’t work? What do we need to improve?
How to deal with issues that arise:
Like with any employee, issues sometimes will arise. It’s important to keep a cool head in these situations and communicate with the following perspectives and strategies in mind:
Get to the root of the problem: Anytime an issue arises, don’t think just about the issue at hand as it is-- try and think about how to x the ROOT of the issue so that you can create a systematic solution that xes it forever! For example, let’s say that you have asked your VA to send emails to a specific email list, and she accidentally sends them to a different email list. Rather than blaming, try and get clarity on how your VA might have confused lists, and set a system that ensures lists won’t be confused ever again (perhaps a better titling system, etc.)
Approach as if it’s your fault: Similar to the perspective above -- Consider that if the VA did something wrong, it’s likely that it was your fault in how you explained the task. Think of VA as a computer-- whatever input you put in is the output you will get out of it. Take every mistake that the VA makes as your fault and try to clarify the process of how they should do it next time. Be sure that you are clarifying the “What, Why, and How” questions when explaining your tasks.
I notice strategy: If the problem is due to the VA not working hard enough, not doing something you’ve asked of them, or missing details due to not being thorough, then it’s critical you have a meeting right away to clear up the issues. The easy way is the “I notice strategy”. You can use the following easy formula when something comes up “I notice XYZ happened, why did that occur?”. This is a very neutral way to highlight an issue without showing anger but will show it’s an issue and demand a serious answer.
Suggestions for Adding incentives and bonuses:
Additional incentives and bonuses can be useful for getting a little more zip out of your VA. You are likely already applying a bonus for overall performance evaluations. Anytime you want to add performance, consider adding a small additional bonus for incentivized results (with clear measures on how they can achieve them!). Here are some bonuses and incentives I have implemented in the past.
Longevity bonus: This is a bonus you might give them if they stayed for an extended period of time of your choice, for me it’s a yearly bonus. I like these as it helps keep the VA steady and, if they are going to leave, they typically wait until the bonus, which keeps things consistent!
Project Specific Bonuses: If they are working on a specific project that adds additional income or takes specific effort, I will sometimes add bonuses to them for outstanding work and detail exactly how they can achieve the bonus.
Deadline Bonuses: Sometimes it’s helpful to add a bonus for finishing work by a specific deadline. This should not be used too often, but for some important projects, particularly ones that add value to your company, it can be helpful.
I hope that this comprehensive guide has given you some guidance on how to get and use a full shadow EA!
Pumped for your success!
Brett
Want the perfect executive assistant found and trained for you? Book a Free Setup Call below!