Hire an Affordable Virtual Assistant

Step 1 | Choose Your Path

Step 2 Hire Your VA

Hire an Affordable Virtual Assistant

Choose Your "Virtual Assistant Lane"

Why Hire a Virtual Assistant (VA)?

1. Hiring a Virtual Assistant can save you 10 (or more) hours per week,

2. They can do things that you hate to do, won’t do, or do very slowly..

3. It will allow you to have more free time for self-care and fun.
4. It puts you in a Leadership position (and prepares you for a bigger team.)
5. It feels great to have support.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is someone that provides support to you and your business.

Virtual assistants perform a wide range of tasks:
Administrative tasks
Client care,
Data entry
Scheduling appointments,
Managing emails
Social media management
Funnel building our maintenance

Virtual assistants can work independently as freelancers or be employed by companies specializing in virtual assistant services.

How do I Affordably Hire a VA

In the early days of our business, we didn't have a lot of money, so we:
1. Traded for services.
2. Hired their teenagers (or a local teenager).
3. Offered unpaid or low paid internships

While we saved money, we actually lost clients and money because of the unreliability and low quality of work.

Our best solution to sustainably provide a high quality service and better programs each year is to hire VA's from other countries and primarily from the Philippines.

We LOVE our Filipino team because the Filipino culture is incredibly sweet, service-oriented, loyal, and hard working. It's hard to express how much we appreciate our Filipino team.

And, because the cost of living is significantly lower in the Phillipines than the US, this has allowed us to assemble a very robust team and provide a much better service without martyring or sabotaging ourselves.

There are 3 options to affordably hiring a VA:

How Much Would I Expect to Pay a VA?

Many of the talented people we hire tell us that they were making $4/hour in their previous jobs. Because the cost of living is much lower in the Philippines, you can hire a great VA for $7-12/hour.

Based on this rate, 5 hrs / wk = $140-$280/month. 10 hrs / wk = $280-$400 / month.

When Should I Hire a VA (for more than just a project?)

When money is not super tight and you can comfortably afford to spend $140+/month.

And/Or...

When you’re confident that having more time for self-care and reach outs will earn you more than you’ll pay your VA. If you don’t want to hire, train, and manage someone regularly, you can go to Fiverr or Upwork to hire someone for one project at a time.

If you're not in a position to hire a VA this month, we invite you to set a goal for when you'll hire your first VA. It can be a gamechanger for you and your business.

Lane 1 | Hire a VA Yourself:

This is what we do now and we've hired 8 amazing Filipino VA's and Managers through the system we'll share below:

Benefits
You get full control of who you hire, how many hours you provide, and how much you pay them.

You could start with part-time hours and build to full time as your business grows.

Challenges
This process will take the most time of the 3 options.

Lane 2 | Hire From Fiverr

Use Fiverr or another gig site to hire on a project basis.

Benefits
You have a lot of options of people and rates.

It's low commitment. If it doesn't work, you can part ways easily.

You can read the reviews to understand who you're hiring.

Challenges
You may be able to get repeat bookings, but in most cases, you won't be building long-term support or momentum.

If you have regular work that you want support with, this may not be the best option.

Lane 3 | Hire From an Agency

Could you use 20 hours (or 40 hours) per week for support?

A few years ago, we worked with a company called Assistantly and hired 2 amazing women for Tech VA roles in Thrive. Both women, Gianna and Mica are still with us and are integral to the success of Thrive.

If Assistantly helped you hire a VA.

Benefits
You'll get vetted, affordable team members offshore and at lower rates than US-based VAs with VERY little effort.

They'll source and screen your candidates and bring their top 3 people to you.

If your new hire doesn't work out, they'll rehire at no extra charge.

They handle onboarding, payroll and benefits and ongoing support.

Minimum Requirements
You'll pay a minimum of $1,000 per month for 20 hours per week.

Check out if Assistantly would be a great fit for you, now or in the coming months and years as you create more success.

Hire a VA (for more than 1 project at a time)

Step 1 | Make 4 Key Decisions

1. What roles and responsibilities do you want them to take on?
Entering and updating data (eg, your Temporary Contacts List & Pipeline)
Creating and maintaining client records / documentation
Thrive Machine (funnel building, updating & maintenance)Organizing emails & drafting responses
Scheduling appointments and meetings.
Research (that could improve your content & delivery)
Light Bookkeeping
Social Media Management
Graphics Design

Content Editing / Proofreading

Hosting Online Events (on Zoom)

Assisting with basic travel planning and booking.

Sending reminders for tasks and deadlines.

Providing client care for your clients

2.. What software do you want your VA to be proficient in?

Go High Level (this is the company that licenses Thrive Machine).
Google Docs / Google Sheets

Canva

Project Management software (like Monday.com) is a plus

3. What hours do you want your VA to work?
It’s ideal that all (or at least part) of their work time is during your hours so you can connect at times that work for you. Many Fillipinos are used to working US hours and even prefer those hours.

4. What is the pay range?
We recommend $7-$12 depending on experience. Here’s an example of VA Role Description

You can copy this role description and edit it to suit your needs.

Write Your Job Description

Example coming soon...

Post Your Job Description

We recommend starting with free job posting websites and if you‘re in a hurry or want more candidates, you can expand to paid sites.

Free Job Posting Websites:

Indeed

Glassdoor

SimplyHired

LinkedIn (Offers both free and paid options)

Craigslist

Google for Jobs

Monster

ZipRecruiter (Offers both free and paid options)

CareerBuilder

Jobvertise
Philippine-based Fb Groups
Online Filipino Freelancers
Onlinejobs.ph

Virtualstaff.ph

Paid Job Posting Websites:

LinkedIn (Premium and Sponsored Jobs)

Monster (Premium Job Ads)

Career Builder (Job Postings and Featured Employer)

Dice (Specializing in tech jobs)

SimplyHired (Sponsored Job Listings)

Glassdoor (Enhanced Job Ads)

The Ladders

FlexJobs (Focus on remote and flexible jobs)

Idealist (Non-profit and social impact jobs)

Upwork (For freelancers and remote work)Note:

For project-based tasks, you may consider looking for candidates via Fiverr

Here's what we recommend:Step 1: Post the job description on different job-searching platforms

Screen Applicants and Find your Top 5-7 Candidates

it’s important to be able to weed out the “not quite it’s”

To do this, make a list of your deal breakers.

Here are our suggestions:

1. Does their resume have typos or significant grammar issues.

2. Do they have less than 3 (or 5) years experience in the VA role (or a role like it).

3. Did they follow the instructions?

4. Do you need them to have a specific skill like funnel building, graphic design, bookkeeping, client care, admin?

5. Do you need them to know a software (like GoHighLevel?)

As you look through resumes, cover letters, and portfolios remove anyone who doesn’t make it through your deal breakers.

Send Your Top 5-7 Candidates This Email

:Subject: Thank You For Applying for the Tech VA Position

Hi [name of applicant],

Congratulations! You were one of our top candidates to apply for the Tech VA Position. Will you kindly complete 3 quick steps to move into the final round of interviews?

Step 1. Record a 1 minute video,
Please share why you're the perfect fit for this position and send me the link to your short video.

Step 2. Reply to this Email with the Written Answers to 3 Key Questions
1. How have your past experiences uniquely equipped you to excel in a Virtual Assistant (Tech) role like this?

2. Can you share an example of a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty? What was the outcome?

3. How do you prioritize and manage your workload to ensure you’re meeting deadlines?

We would like your reply by [insert date] but the sooner you can get this done, we would appreciate it. Once we receive your reply, we will review and contact you for an interview.

Thank you so much, [your name]

Narrow Down Your Top 3 Candidates

Then, send them this email.

Subject: Can we set up an interview for the Tech VA Role?

Hi [candidate’s first name]

Congratulations on passing the initial assessments for the Virtual Assistant (Tech) position.

Kindly click on this link to schedule your interview with me:

Thank you, [your name]

Once the interview date and time have been confirmed, send out a confirmation email with the meeting details to the candidate.

Interview Your Candidate

Here are some great questions you can ask:

General Interview Questions
1. Can you walk me through your relevant experience and how it aligns with this position?
2. Did you check out my website, and... why do you want this position?
3. What was one of the biggest turning points in your life?
4. Can you provide an example of a successful project you led or contributed to, and what was your role in its success?

5. How do you handle feedback?

6. What was your favorite job and worst job, and why?

Tech-Related Questions
1. What experience do you have with building sales or marketing funnels,
2. How comfortable are you with using funnel-building software or platforms?

3. Can you walk me through your process for building and maintaining funnels?
4. How do you prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively when handling both funnel-building projects and administrative duties?
5. What administrative tasks have you handled in previous roles, and how do you ensure accuracy and attention to detail in your work?

6. Describe a situation where you had to take the initiative to solve a problem or complete a task independently. How did you approach it?

7. How do you handle sensitive client information and maintain confidentiality in your work as a Virtual Assistant?

8. What strategies do you use to stay organized and keep track of deadlines, milestones, and client requirements?

9. Can you provide examples of how you've contributed to improving efficiency or streamlining processes in your previous virtual assistant roles?

10. Describe your communication style and how you ensure effective communication and collaboration in a remote work setting.

11, How do you adapt to changes in priorities or unexpected challenges that may arise in a dynamic coaching business environment?

Email Your Candidates After the Interview

Evaluate each person by:

1. Did they show up on time?

2. Did they seem like they have the skillset and capacity to do a great job for you?

3.; Did they seem to want the job?

4. Did the expectations, hours and salary seem like a good fit for them?

5. Did you like them? And any other criteria that is important to you

Interviewing is a skill, and some candidates are much better at interviewing than they are at their job. It's important that you find out as much as you can about the quality of their work and what it will actually be like to work with them.

Subject: Great meeting you!

Hi Name!

I really enjoyed meeting you and am strongly considering you for the Tech VA Role. In order for me to more fully understand what it would be like to work with you, I have 3 more steps.

Step 1. 30-45 minute Assignment

[Clear Instructions of Assignment]

Awesome! Can you please complete this within ___(30 or 45) minutes? And let me know how long it took you?

Step 2: English Proficiency Test
Can you please fill out this test and send me a screenshot with the results?

Step 3: Internet Speed Test
Can you please complete this Internet Speed Test and send me a link to the results?

Step 4: References

Can you please provide 3 references?

I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you!

Maintain High Standards

2 Principles

1. Hiring someone right away may be a great short term fix. But if you're not feeling excited about their support at the beginning, you probably won't feel more excited 3 months or a year from now.

2. It's important that you like them. But don't hire someone just because you like them. They may become one of your most important support systems. So be choosy.

4 Quality Checkpoints

Checkpoint 1: Their References
Ask their references about their work ethic, reliability, and overall performance. And end with, Would you hire them again? Why or why not?

Checkpoint 2: Assignment
It’s ideal if you give this assignment to all of your candidates so you can compare the quality of their work. This assignment should be able to be completed within 45 min to 1 hour. You will be able to tell their ability to follow directions, their speed, and the quality of their work from this assignment.

Checkpoint 3 Internet Speed Test
Use this Internet Speed Test. It's important that their internet speed is at least 20mbps and that they have a backup internet connection.

Checkpoint 4: English Proficiency Test
If you are hiring someone whose native language is not English, we recommend that you use this English Proficiency Test. It’s essential that they score C2 (the highest score) so that you feel very confident about their communication skills.

If none of your candidates meets these requirements, it’s ideal to continue to search for someone than to settle on someone who you are not comfortable with.

Create Clear Agreements

1. Clear Terms:
1. Verbally outline the terms of employment, including compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details.

2. Address Questions:
Address any questions or concerns the candidate may have about the offer

3. .Written Contract:
Provide a written contract that details the terms and conditions of employment. Ensure both parties understand and agree to the terms.

Onboard Them

Welcome your new VA with lots of enthusiasm.

1. Give them a tour of your business

Your website and funnel(s) if you have them.

The Thrive HUB and the Thrive Machine.

Show them your Game Plan, your Assets, and all the resources that are available.

2. Meet with your new VA daily.

Each day, give them assignments that should take the full amount of their time. (It’s important to send them the message that we don’t waste time here.)

3. Develop Your Training LIbrary
As you teach them how to do these assignments over Zoom, record a Loom video with the Task Instructions. This is a video they can review if they forget how to do it.

If you don’t know how to do a task, ask them to figure it out and record a loom video of them doing the task.

The goal is that even if this VA doesn’t work out, that you’ll have a complete library of how to do all the tasks that make up this job. This way, if this person doesn’t work out, you’ll have a better training program set up for your next VA.

4. Give them feedback every day:
When you meet with your VA the next day, go over their work.
Give them positive feedback about specifically what you appreciate about them and their work. And also give them kind-hearted, honest feedback about how you want them to improve. If you stay consistent, within 2-4 weeks it will be very obvious if they're a good fit or not.

If they are a good fit, you’ll have a highly trained, responsive VA who can make your life and business so much easier.

If you’d like more support on this (and you’re in Platinum (or higher), you can go to Day 3 of the Transformational Leadership Program entitled Get Support.