When was the last time you had the opportunity to live a life outside your work? Are you confident that your tasks are done efficiently and effectively? The thought of hiring a personal assistant might seem inviting, but do you really need it?

To Hire or Not To Hire a Personal Assistant

Sit down, relax, and take deep breaths to clear your mind. Before sealing the deal, take time to evaluate the following factors and determine the need for an online personal assistant:

1. The Number of Repetitive Tasks Done Daily

Observe how long it takes for you to accomplish day-to-day tasks, including:

• Answering emails
• Booking flights and hotels
• Answering phone calls
• Creating documents, presentations, and spreadsheets
• Scheduling calendar events
• Filling out expense reports
• Bills payment
• Reaching out to potential clients
• Preparing contracts

Something needs to change if you spend hours working on simple and repetitive tasks. If it’s something that cannot be fixed by overhauling time management strategies, you might need to find a helping hand.

2. Budget

When hiring a professional to work for you, it is important to keep in mind the cost factors that might affect the rate of a virtual assistant, including:

• Experience and expertise

– Before delegating your tasks, consider two things: hassle-factors and deadlines. Personal assistants with extensive experience can accomplish complex tasks in a timely manner. However, it is guaranteed that they will charge more.

Virtual assistants with less to no experience will charge less, but are they capable of meeting deadlines while still delivering quality output?

• Availability

– Determine how often you would need assistance with your tasks. Then, you can decide whether or not you need a full-time assistant. If the delegated tasks are not time-consuming, you can opt for part-time help.

• Type of service

– After listing down tasks that you are ready to let go, find a professional who specializes in the area that you need to improve on. The cost of their services will heavily rely on the tasks you’re outsourcing, such as data entry, calendar organization, reports, and other administrative tasks.

3. Work-Life Balance

“You don’t have to make yourself miserable to be successful.” – Andrew Wilkinson

Are you missing important life events due to long hours at the office? You might think that it’s normal, but its frequency is what makes it alarming. If your work-life balance is non-existent, consider it as a sign that you need a personal assistant.

What to Look for When Hiring a Personal Assistant

Finding a seasoned virtual personal assistant is easy, but hiring for values is more important. No matter how skilled they are, if their attitude is difficult, it will never work. Here are some qualities you should look for:

1. Reliable

Hire someone who understands the importance of the delegated tasks. Even if you can’t check on their work often, you can rest assured that everything is going smoothly. Remember that you decided to hire an online assistant to lighten your load, not to give you a headache.

2. Resourceful

A personal assistant will work closely with you, learning the inner workings, capabilities, and goals of the business. When things go wrong, an ideal assistant can help you come up with solutions that are both efficient and innovative.

3. Works Well Under Pressure

Multi-tasking is a must-have skill for virtual assistants. To make this skill effective, assistants know how to keep their cool during hectic schedules. Also, the ideal assistant can still provide quality output despite the hassle. They make you believe that pressure, indeed, creates diamonds.

4. Honest

They have access to your business’s most sensitive information, including strategies, business plans, and client information. Protect your business by double-checking a candidate’s work background or by trusting an outsourcing company to find the best assistant for your needs.

Hiring a Personal Assistant with HOPLA

Ready to delegate your tasks to a personal assistant? Look no further because the HOPLA team is here to help you find the best candidates.

With our large pool of competent assistants, we connect business owners with the best people in the industry. Save money, do more, and run your business at ease today! Schedule a no-obligation strategy call with us today and get a free quote.