How do I choose the right VA for my business?
Choosing a VA is a little bit like dating.
You can do all the online research, ask around and establish that somebody appears perfectly respectable.
But eventually, you have to meet them and find out whether you actually get on. Because you’re not simply finding somebody who can complete a list of tasks. You’re inviting somebody into the real, behind-the-scenes version of your business.
They may see the inbox you’ve been avoiding, the process that only exists in your head and the collection of documents you’ve been meaning to finish since approximately March 2024. It can feel quite exposing.
You might worry about choosing the wrong person. You might be slightly embarrassed by the muddle you want them to sort out. You may already be imagining the enormous handover document you’ll need to create before they can do anything useful.
And somewhere in the back of your mind, there may be a small voice saying: “But nobody else will do it as well as I do.” That’s ok, it’s perfectly normal.
To choose the right virtual assistant for your business, look for relevant experience, clear and consistent communication, compatible ways of working and evidence that they operate professionally. Check that appropriate insurance, written terms, confidentiality and data-protection arrangements are in place. Recommendations and testimonials are useful, but always have a conversation before deciding: trust, rapport and mutual respect are just as important as practical skills.
Start by noticing how easy they are to do business with
If a VA’s job is to make life easier for their clients, finding out about them shouldn’t create another enormous job for you.
Can you work out what they actually do?
Can you see whether they have relevant experience?
Is it clear how you would make an enquiry and what happens after that?
You shouldn’t need to investigate their entire online history or spend an evening burrowing through six months of LinkedIn posts. But you should be able to find enough information to decide whether they are worth talking to.
If you want somebody to manage client enquiries, can you see evidence that they understand customer communication? If you need support with an LMS, do they mention learning, learner administration or relevant platform experience?
They don’t need to have performed every task you might ever dream of handing over. They do need to give you a reason to think, “Yes, this person could probably deal with the thing I need sorting now.”
Have a proper conversation
I always have a proper conversation with a potential client, either by video call or face to face.
For me, that part is non-negotiable.
I know time is busy and precious, and nobody is sitting around hoping for another meeting to appear in their diary. But if I’m going to invest in understanding somebody’s business and taking ownership of the work, I need to know that they are equally committed to establishing the relationship.
It gives us both the chance to ask questions, understand how the other person communicates and decide whether we can genuinely see ourselves working together. Because the VA is choosing too.
This is a business-to-business relationship, not an employer interviewing somebody who will simply follow instructions.
Your VA should have your back. They might act as a sounding board, flag something that doesn’t look right, ask a question you hadn’t considered or tell you when they can see a problem approaching.
They shouldn’t try to run your business or challenge every decision you make. But you probably don’t want somebody who will quietly agree with everything while watching you walk towards a metaphorical hole in the road either.
You both need to leave that first conversation thinking: “Yes, I can see this working.”
Recommendations are useful, but they aren’t the whole answer
Asking other business owners for recommendations is a good place to start. It tells you that somebody else has trusted the VA and been pleased with their work. But recommendations are a little like opinions about schools. One child can thrive somewhere that would be completely wrong for another. In much the same way, a VA who works brilliantly with one business owner may drive another one crackers.
There isn’t one perfect VA for every business.
So take recommendations seriously, but do a little research of your own too. Look at the VA’s website and LinkedIn profile. See how they describe their work and pay attention to how they communicate before you become a client.
Does the person you meet feel like the same person you found online?
Does their experience match the work you want them to do?
Does the whole thing feel genuine and consistent?
Somebody might describe themselves as warm and approachable, then send a confusing and rather abrupt response to your enquiry. Or promise highly organised support while leaving you wondering whether they received your message and what on earth happens next. One slightly clumsy email isn’t necessarily a reason to flee. We’re all human. But these little things give you useful information.
Think about how you’ll actually work together
It’s easy to focus on what a VA can do and forget to consider how they will do it. If you prefer sending work by email and receiving a clear weekly update, somebody who communicates almost entirely through spontaneous voice notes may not suit you. Neither approach is wrong. The question is whether it will work for you.
Perhaps you want somebody who notices what needs doing, thinks it through and suggests a way forward. Or perhaps you prefer to set very clear instructions and keep tighter control over the priorities.
A highly structured VA could be exactly what one client needs and far too rigid for another. Equally, a client who wants detailed records and predictable updates may struggle with somebody whose approach is much more informal.
You don’t need to work in precisely the same way. But your ways of working need to fit together without irritating both of you on a weekly basis.
Look for the practical reassurance
Rapport matters, but it doesn’t replace the practical checks. A VA may be trusted with information, systems and parts of your business that your customers never see. Their own business practices need to stand up to scrutiny. That doesn’t mean you should have to launch a full compliance investigation. But the VA should make it reasonably easy for you to establish that the important things are in place.
They might confirm on their website that they have appropriate insurance and ICO registration, include it in their proposal or answer clearly when asked.
They should also explain when you’ll receive their business terms and how confidentiality, personal data and access to your systems will be handled.
You don’t need to inspect every document before having an initial conversation. But once you’re seriously considering working together, the information shouldn’t be difficult to obtain.
Remember that the fit works both ways
Over the years, I’ve worked with businesses in all sorts of ways. Some need regular support. Others disappear into their latest project for a while and return when there’s something new to tackle. That can work perfectly well. The communication is clear, everybody understands the arrangement and there is mutual respect on both sides. In fact, it’s rather lovely to catch up, discover what has changed and focus on the latest challenge.
Occasionally, though, it becomes clear before the work has even begun that the relationship isn’t going to be the right fit. A few years ago, I agreed to work with a new client who was initially very enthusiastic. Everything was “yes, yes, yes” until it was time to review and sign the paperwork. Then, silence. After several polite attempts to contact them over a number of weeks, I closed everything down. Weeks later, they reappeared, apparently oblivious to what had happened and expecting that I could simply drop everything and begin working with them. We didn’t.
I love sorting chaos. A messy inbox, an awkward process or a collection of half-finished work doesn’t frighten me. But there still has to be mutual respect. A business that is naturally a bit stop-start is something I can work with. Repeatedly ignoring the arrangements needed to begin working together is something quite different.
You don’t have to hand over everything immediately
Choosing a VA can feel daunting because it’s easy to imagine somebody arriving and immediately needing the keys to your entire business. They don’t.
You can begin with a small, clearly defined project. That might be organising a collection of client follow-ups, formatting a proposal pack, cleaning up a CRM or uploading and checking a set of learning records. You get something genuinely useful completed, while both of you find out what it is actually like to work together.
Many of my own client relationships have started this way. A first project lets us experience the communication, questions, practical arrangements and follow-through without making an enormous commitment on either side. If the fit is right, the relationship can grow naturally from there.
A quick check before you choose
The essentials
You understand what the VA does and can see relevant experience.
You feel comfortable talking openly with them.
Their communication and way of working suit you.
They provide clear written terms and take insurance, confidentiality and data protection seriously.
What you see online matches the person and process you encounter.
Recommended
Have a proper conversation before committing.
Look beyond recommendations and do a little research yourself.
Ask how work, communication, costs and secure access will be managed.
Notice whether they make the process clear and straightforward.
Remember that the relationship needs to feel right for both of you.
Useful, depending on the work
Specialist experience in your sector, systems or type of project.
Testimonials, examples or references.
A small, fixed-price project you can begin with.
Ultimately, choosing a VA is partly about evidence and partly about instinct.
Check the practical details. Make sure their experience fits the work. But also give yourself permission to consider whether you actually like and trust the person.
You’re inviting them into the real, behind-the-scenes version of your business. It’s worth choosing somebody you’ll be glad to have there.
