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Freelance Finance Copywriter

You can work as a digital and content marketing agency, freelance finance writer. Only if You should be having practical experience in the field, particularly with:

Expertise in writing about banking topics, including personal and business loans, investment and retirement planning, and money market accounts

Experience writing about financial security and credit best practices

We are looking for someone who can consistently deliver high-quality work in the form of blog posts, e-books, and more. The selected candidate will work closely with our finance client to produce four 800-word blog posts per month, and one piece of premium content (e-books, white papers, etc.) per quarter.

We work with many clients in the finance industry, including banks, credit unions, and investment firms; qualified writers may also be given the opportunity to write for other accounts if desired.

This will be a part-time, ongoing freelance opportunity. The workload may fluctuate based on the clients’ needs. All work can be done remotely.

The Day-to-Day:

Create high-quality, differentiated and compelling copy in the form of blogs, e-books, and case studies for one of our largest clients.

Attend or synthesize interviews with clients and subject matter experts.

Write in Chicago or AP styles as needed.

Work with the project team collaboratively through our online project management system.

Understand the client’s target audiences and personas to craft your messaging accordingly.

Deliver quality work on-target and on-time.

Present your ideas and receive feedback in a healthy and professional manner.

Other related responsibilities as assigned.

Experience and Education Requirements:

Authorization to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship is required

At least 3 years of experience writing for a publication is required

At least 3 years of experience copy editing is required

B.A. or B.S. degree is required; relevant field-of-study preferred

Excellent topic ideation, writing and storytelling skills is required

Exacting editing standards required

A meticulous approach to grammar, spelling, blog structure, and providing the highest-quality, cleanest, most concise copy possible

Ability to research topics and include references and citations

An uncompromising approach to hitting deadlines

Experience writing about finance is required

Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite is required

Experience working remotely in similar roles is strongly preferred

Interview Process:

Phone screening

Video call with VP of Creative

Spec article writing test

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2020 web designing trends

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Resume writing.

7 resume mistakes that will make hiring managers reject you in seconds

Jennifer Sethre



Applying for jobs is never an easy process. With technology, finding and submitting job applications is getting easier, but it has also led to more competition. As a result, most job openings are flooded with applicants: the average job posting receives 250 responses, and only about five of them get asked to interview.

Keeping up with the massive flow of candidates requires an efficient review process. As a solution, much of the job screening process is now automated. Still, even when a person is reviewing applications, they are spending on average less than ten seconds on each applicant before making a decision.

With so little time spent on each application, hiring managers are looking for quick and easy reasons to discard a candidate and reduce the pool. For candidates that want to break through and get their resume seen, avoid these seven mistakes that HR departments will not tolerate in the new year.

Ignoring the application instructions

An easy starting point for staying on track is to follow the instructions that you’re given. Hiring managers put a lot of thought into creating application processes, and each component is there for a reason. Make sure to provide all the information asked for in the correct format, abiding by word limits and answering prompts thoroughly.

If you leave a field blank, it looks like you forgot to fill it in, or decided it wasn’t important, neither of which are favorable first impressions and could be grounds for elimination. If something does not apply to you, then explain why not or put “not applicable” in the field to show that you have seen and addressed the request.

Many candidates do not want to repeat information that is already on their resume, so in question forms, they might write “see resume.” This will eliminate you from the running, so even if it’s tedious, be sure to re-write information as necessary.

Making sloppy mistakes

Almost every hiring manager says that careless mistakes like spelling errors, typos, or punctuation mixups are the cause for immediate dismissal. These mistakes indicate a lack of attention to detail, which signals a lack of interest or cares for the work that you are submitting, and are a bad sign for the work you might produce as an employee.

Though everyone makes mistakes, this is not the moment to hope for understanding, and these are easy ones to avoid: proofread your application, then proofread it again. Ask a friend to look it over with a clear set of eyes. Then, when you’re sure it’s perfect, submit it knowing that HR will be looking at your qualifications rather than your typos.

Inconsistent wording

Another way to get your experience across and make your resume easier to read is to use consistent wording. It’s best to start bullets describing your experience with verbs to highlight your actions. Since readers are skimming resumes, you want to put the most important part of each bullet in the first five words or so, and keep bullets from being too long.

However, you decide to tighten the content of your resume, make sure that you are doing it the same way in every section.

Forgetting keywords

Your main goal as a job applicant is to convince the company why you would be a valuable addition to their team. To do so, you have to be specific and make sure to use the keywords in the job description — this will help you beat ATS systems as well.

Often, people will find a company that they love and want to be a part of, and apply for any open role, or several roles at once, in hopes of getting in the door.  However, it is impossible to be convincing about your qualifications if you’re not responding to a specific role, so focus your search.

Focusing on responsibilities not results

A common mistake made in writing resumes is to focus on the duties of each job. The result is that the resume reads like a series of job descriptions, which doesn’t tell a hiring manager more than they already know from your title. Instead of listing the tasks that you performed in a given role, focus on what you achieved in that role: show, don’t tell.

Use numbers to quantify your achievements and provide detail, and use strong verbs to describe your accomplishments. By using words that show action, you communicate your initiative and agency, centering the application around the abilities and skills that you will bring to this next job.

Oversharing

If HR is only spending about six or seven seconds on an application, they don’t have time to read much. Though it may be tempting to include as many details and experiences as possible, it is much better to keep it brief. Resumes should be no more than two pages and usually just one is best.

One way to pare down your application is to cut out experience that isn’t relevant to the job you’re applying for, or limit the jobs listed to the most recently held positions. Keeping it simple is also beneficial because it makes it easier for the hiring manager to skim and take away what is most important to them, instead of having to search for the most applicable skills within a comprehensive list of experiences.

Getting too creative

Though you want to make sure that you distinguish yourself with your application, you also don’t want to get too crazy. It’s a question of balance and consistency, and your experience accomplishments should be the focus of your application, rather than flashy formatting or fonts.

When the format and design are really unusual, ATS systems can’t read them and will reject them automatically, so your resume may not even make it to the stage where it’s being reviewed by a person. So, unless you’re a designer, you want your resume layout and type to be clean and simple. Fancy fonts, bright colors, and unusual formats are distracting and detract from the content of your resume, which hiring managers are only spending a short amount of time on anyway.

There’s no question that the job application process is competitive and complicated. Every company is looking for something different, and there is no easy formula for success.

However, using these seven tips, you can avoid some of the most common application errors. Avoiding these distracting mistakes will keep the focus on the expertise and abilities that you bring to the role, and keep you in the hiring pipeline until you get the perfect offer.

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What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is an independent worker who assists with administrative, business development, social media, marketing or other tasks.  By taking on recurring tasks and administrative work, they free up time for small business owners, entrepreneurs and managers.

The virtual assistant works remotely, often from a home office.  Virtual assistants may be US-based but may also be located in another country.

VAs have become incredibly popular with small businesses over the past decade because they are a flexible workforce.  A virtual assistant can be part-time or full-time, depending on your requirements. Need 20 hours a week? No problem. Need 30 hours? What about 40?  VAs are available.

Virtual assistants may be paid an hourly rate. Or they can get paid a fixed fee per week or month.

Often you can get a better deal and deeper benefit by hiring a full-time virtual assistant, for several reasons:

Prices can be surprisingly affordable, especially for offshore workers.

It’s easier to integrate a full-time assistant into regular workflows and get deeper benefit from the arrangement.

A full-time VA will be better positioned to learn any special software apps you require, develop cordial relationships with co-workers and customers, and grow with you as the business grows.

Some virtual assistants work as independent freelancers. Others are part of a company or agency where you hire the company to provide a flexible workforce.  When you work with a virtual assistant company, you dealing with a manager who will discuss your needs and find the best fit.

Benefits of a Virtual Assistant  

Virtual assistants can do a lot to boost your business’s productivity. Think of it this way.  How an owner spends his or her time might be the biggest factor in the success of the business.  So business owners (and key managers) need to spend their time on high-value activities.

Rob Levin, Chairman of Work Better Now, puts it this way, drawing from his own experience.

“In order to spend time on high-value activities, it was important for me to spend less time on lower-value activities. This is why I not only hired a virtual assistant 5 years ago but why I co-founded a company, Work Better Now , to provide virtual assistants to other business owners.”

Levin’s partner Andrew Cohen and Work Better Now’s CEO, says the most common question asked by the company’s prospective clients is “what can a virtual assistant do for me?”

To answer that question, Cohen provides a list of 47 tasks a virtual assistant can do.

47 Tasks a Virtual Assistant Can Do

A virtual assistant performs a variety of tasks. These range from scheduling appointments to screening and responding to emails. But scheduling and emails are just the tip of the iceberg. If it can be done online, a virtual assistant can probably do it.

Here’s your ultimate guide to virtual assistants, what they are and what they do.

Calendar Management

Managing your calendar, both professional and personal, is one of an entrepreneur’s greatest challenges. From providing reminders to scheduling appointments, virtual assistants can make it effortless for you.  They can:

1. Coordinate and schedule calls and appointments. This alone typically saves owners about 10 hours a week and keeps them from doing these tasks that they dislike. The key is to give your assistant rules about when and who. VAs also schedule calls for some team members.

2. Confirm appointments. A best practice is to give the virtual assistant a list of appointments to confirm, such as the next day’s appointments. This eliminates wasting time when the other party forgets or waits until the last minute to cancel.

3. Provide reminders about calls and appointments. There are times when you might forget to make a call, especially when out of the office or in back-to-back meetings. The virtual assistant can call or text you a few minutes before to ensure you don’t forget.

4. Reschedule calls and appointments. While you may try to avoid it, sometimes, you need to reschedule. Your VA can handle this for you.

5. Provide notice of schedule changes to others. The virtual assistant will also provide notice to the other party and get the rescheduled time confirmed.

6. Protect time. It can be hard for business owners to say no to someone who wants to meet for a coffee to “catch up.” The VA can be the bad cop.

7. Send and maintain a “pending list”. Each week, virtual assistants can send you a list of people that have not responded to requests for setting up a meeting or a call so you know when you need  to get involved.

8. Inform significant others when you will be  out of town. As part of a travel process, the VA gives significant others a calendar invite with the out-of-town dates along with flight and hotel details. This keeps them informed.

Email and Contact Management and Communications

If you’re buried under a ton of emails — or if you  need someone to update your contact list — take note.  A good virtual assistant can save hours of time by doing the following activities:

9. Screen emails. Based on rules you set, VAs will delete, respond, forward or flag emails for your attention.

10. Add people to contacts. When you have a call, meeting or some other form of engagement with someone new, the virtual assistant can add that person’s details to your contacts.

11. Update people’s info to contacts. Sometimes, a contact’s phone number or other  information is not known right away. A VA can add information to contacts as it becomes available — say from an email signature.

12. Add contacts to CRM. One of the main reasons that small businesses don’t use their CRM app is due to the time involved in entering data.  Virtual assistants can add to and organize your CRM system.

Phone Tasks

If you need some light receptionist work done, or phone interactions, a virtual assistant can do certain tasks.

13. Perform light receptionist duties. When expecting important calls that you may not be available to answer, calls are forwarded to the virtual assistant.

14. Transcribe voicemails. As most voicemails can now be received by email, these are forwarded to the VA for transcription.  And any necessary follow up activities.

Travel

Arranging flights and hotels for business travel could eat up way more time than you realize.  Isn’t that time you could better spend working on your business? A virtual assistant can:

15. Research flights. A virtual assistant can screen flights to meet you criteria and present options to you. By providing them with airline, seat and other preferences, the VA will save an amazing amount of time over the course of a year.

16. Research hotels. Similar to air travel, by providing the virtual assistant with hotel preferences, including any special rates you get, they can present a shortlist to you.

17. Book flights and hotels. By providing the VA with credit cards and frequent flyer information, they can book travel once you’ve decided.

18. Research transportation options. This includes rental cars, rideshare and sometimes even public transportation.

19. Book transportation. Beyond researching these options, your virtual assistant can also book the rest of your transportation — as they do your flights.

20. Arrange for events. Whether it is a special restaurant or meeting space or even a concert, the virtual assistant researches and makes arrangements for you.

21. Suspend newspaper or mail. Your virtual assistant can cut off these regular services when you are traveling.

Business Development

Whether researching leads on LinkedIn or finding email addresses, there is a lot of leg work in  business development. A virtual assistant can do these activities, letting you focus on the personal interactions involved in making sales.

22. Research leads on LinkedIn. B2B businesses (and some B2C businesses) must keep a list of ideal clients. A virtual assistant, following guidance from you, can research LinkedIn and creates a list of prospective clients.

23. Find email addresses. Using databases along with Google, a VA can find email addresses of prospective clients you need to contact.

24. Design presentations. A VA can enhance proposals by finding and inserting a prospect’s logo and changing the text color to match. They can also animate slides as appropriate.

Management

As you scale your business, there will be plenty of management functions that need to get done. You may need to assemble reports for clients. This may simply mean putting together a lot of data you may already have. There are other management functions — like recruiting more people to your team. You can easily delegate some of this to your virtual assistant.

25. Assemble reports. A VA can create KPI reports at pre-determined intervals to track progress.

26. Help to recruit employees. The competition for good people is tougher than the competition for employees. VAs screen LinkedIn for prospective employees based on criteria that you provide.

Accounting

Does doing the books or sending invoices fill you with dread? Why not have your VA do this stuff instead.

27. Maintain the books. With a little training, virtual assistants can review and match transactions and handle monthly reconciliations.

28. Create and send invoices. With the help of templates, a VA can create invoices and send them to clients.

29. Chase down payments. All companies should have an accounts receivable process. virtual assistants can follow that process and collect A/R. The process can include escalation to the business owner or someone else when appropriate.

Personal Errands

You’ve got a personal life too. Making restaurant reservations and sending gifts takes time. But they’re extremely important for maintaining your personal relationships. And you’re supposed to be running a business at the same time? Get your virtual assistant to help.

30. Make personal restaurant reservations. Armed with personal preferences and log in details for booking sites like Open Table, VAs can book restaurant reservations and then invite the guests.

31. Make purchases. Sometimes even Amazon doesn’t have what you need and the purchase process is too time-consuming. A virtual assistant can shop online and get you what you need.

32. Research and send gifts. When a gift card won’t do, your assistant can look for something unique and make it happen.

33. Manage the logistics for your hobby. Whether finding and arranging a studio for your garage band or arranging the details of your book club, a VA can take the tedious details off your plate enabling you to rock (or read) on.

34. Track down problem orders. When an order doesn’t arrive on time, a virtual assistant can do the waiting-on-hold and get to the bottom of it while keeping you updated.

35. Manage the family calendar. This is another simple personal task your virtual assistant can take off your plate.

36. Schedule medical appointments. With birthdates and insurance details, a VA can schedule doctor visits and even start to fill-out those annoying forms.

37. Pay personal bills. For those vendors you don’t buy from regularly or who don’t have online payment options, a virtual assistant can pay the bills.

38. Call stores to get information. Whether you are looking for a hard-to-find bottle of scotch or a gift, a VA will make the calls to find the store that has what you are looking for.

Operations

Your job as a small business owner is planning for your company’s future. As a result, you want to focus on creating new products and services — and other projects that will take your business to the next level. So maybe you should leave jobs like filling out online forms and handling file management to someone else.

39. Fill out online forms. A virtual assistant equipped with company information can fill out forms including subscribing to SaaS products.

40. Take notes from webinars. Sometimes you would like the information from a webinar but don’t want to invest the time to watch — even for on-demand! A VA “attends” and provides the notes.

41. Convert files. Have a PDF but need a jpeg? A VA can convert it for you.

42. Conduct research. A virtual assistant can conduct first-level research for decisions that need to be made, such as which SaaS product to choose.

43. Set up projects in your project management system. A VA can set up the project and then invite the appropriate participants.

44. Handle file management. Whether you use Dropbox or a local server for file management, a virtual assistant ensures that files are put in the right place with the right filename. He or she also ensures that the right people have access.

45. Schedule social media. A VA takes your social media posts and schedules them per your process.

46. Proofread and edit letters, blogs and presentations. One of the great risks you run when you get overloaded is that mistakes may creep into your work. So your virtual assistant can help you with that.

47. Maintain a virtual assistant manual. Most business owners love processes but hate making or sticking to them. A VA keeps a manual of how to do their tasks. This comes in quite handy when a virtual assistant is out sick.

Things a Virtual Assistant Does Not Do

Of course, there are a few things your virtual assistant won’t do. You needn’t worry about a virtual assistant’s attitude if you ask them to do something.  A VA does not:

Roll his or her eyes at you. At least you won’t see it if it happens! And you won’t “hear” it in any communication.

Require a bigger office or another desk. These folks won’t be sharing your office space, so there’s no need to make extra room.

Interject drama.  With virtual assistants you won’t have big egos to coddle. You won’t need to walk on eggshells or worry about gossip overriding professionalism. The nature of the relationship being long distance means office drama is nonexistent.

Next Steps to Get a Virtual Assistant

Identify the tasks in your business that would be best to outsource. Hint: Focus on tasks that do not require your expertise. Ask yourself if the task is the best use of your time or would be better done by someone else?

Use services like Work Better Now to identify virtual assistants that fit your needs.

Whether you want to scale your business, stop doing tasks that annoy you or just want more free time, a VA is a game changer. I think you can see hiring a virtual assistant could be key to your success. Hope this helps you decide whether a VA is right for your business.

Good luck!

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Virtually...Can Accountants Work from Home?

Remote Work and Accounting

Accountants can take on a variety of specialized roles such as financial accounting, auditing, budgeting, government accounting, forensic accounting, and certified public accounting. This means accounting professionals can work across a range of private and government employers, and it’s often work they can do from home.

The major accounting firms, known as the Big Four, are leaders in work flexibility. Those firms are Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. There are also many smaller accounting organizations offering fantastic remote accounting jobs for qualified candidates.

The accounting and finance field was one of the most represented career fields on FlexJobs’ list of the top 100 companies with remote jobs. This list of employers posted the most remote jobs on our site over the last year. Accounting and finance came in as the sixth most popular field for remote work.

Great Remote Opportunities and Job Growth

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected job growth outlook for accountants at 6% from 2018 to 2028.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also noted that while the work environment for accountants and auditors is often a traditional brick-and-mortar workplace, accountants often work from home. Many accountants are self-employed, and enjoy work and scheduling flexibility as independent contractors, too.

Accounting and finance jobs can also pay well. Nationally, the median annual wage for accountants was more than $70,500 in 2018, according to the BLS. The top 10% of accountants and auditors earned more than $122,840 a year. Across the U.S., about 1.4 million people worked in the profession in 2018.

Common Remote Accounting Jobs

Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers maintain financial books, most often by using accounting software such as QuickBooks. They will record transactions and provide monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. Compared to an accountant, bookkeepers do not analyze financial reports or give tax advice.

Accountant

An accountant’s main function is to review financial documents for accuracy and completeness and to make recommendations based on a company’s or individual’s financial status. Accountants can work from home, staying in touch with clients via phone or email.

Accounting Manager

This managerial role oversees the operations of the accounting department, such as accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, payroll, cash forecasting, etc. They may also work with other departments to discuss budgets and expenses.

Auditor

An auditor works to ensure the information reported on financial statements is accurate and in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The auditor will gather information from a company, speak with departments as needed, and develop recommendations and action items for an organization.

CPA

A CPA, or Certified Public Accountant, prepares and reviews financial statements, prepares tax returns, and represents tax payers for audits. CPAs have passed certain examinations and met licensing requirements to be certified in their state.

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts assist businesses and individuals with making investment decisions, such as stocks and bonds. They assess investment performance and make recommendations. This type of role can be found at banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, and more.

Payroll Accountant

The duties of a payroll accountant involve ensuring timely and accurate payroll operations. They calculate employee paychecks, track time cards and requests for leaves of absences, assess payroll and tax documents for accuracy, and more.

Companies That Hire for Flexible Accounting Jobs

Here’s a sampling of companies that hire for flexible and remote accounting jobs on FlexJobs. For even more companies, read our post “12 Companies That Hire for Virtual & Remote Accounting Jobs.”

Accounting Principals

Accounting Principals is a recruitment and job placement agency that specializes in the full spectrum of accounting and finance professions. Its focus areas include accounts payable and receivable, collections, payroll, bookkeeping, data entry, cost accountancy, and financial analysis.

All In One Accounting

All In One Accounting provides customized on- and off-site accounting services to companies of all sizes and in all stages of growth. Services provided by All In One Accounting range from CFO advisory to on-demand accounting projects and fully outsourced bookkeeping services.

Ignite Spot Accounting

Ignite Spot Accounting, founded in 2008, is a privately held firm that markets itself as “the entrepreneur’s solution for outsourced accounting.” The company is passionate about helping its clients become not only more profitable but completely debt-free. To reach its goal, Ignite Spot offers its customers profit coaching via a highly skilled team, as well as CFO, tax, and bookkeeping services in a customized package.

Supporting Strategies

Supporting Strategies is an outsourced operational support and bookkeeping firm that was founded in 2004. It specializes in on-demand, outsourced accounting services for small businesses, such as payroll and human resource administration; accounts payable and expense management; financial reporting, budgeting, and analysis; revenue recognition, customer invoicing, and accounts receivable; and bookkeeping and month-end close.

Starting Your Search for a Remote Accounting Job

FlexJobs provides a safe job search experience to find a work-from-home accounting job. Our accounting and finance job category is updated daily with new jobs that can be done from home. Check out our listings and consider joining FlexJobs to get access to the hiring companies and application instructions.

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Everything You Ever Wondered About Hiring a Virtual Assistant (And More)

When was the last time you took stock of your productivity? If we’re honest, most of us are too busy to devote time to this important task. But if we did (and I’ll share more on how to do that below), we’d likely find hours of time wasted on mundane tasks each week.

A Workfront survey actually found U.S. employees at companies of 1000 workers or more only spent 45% of their workweek on primary job duties. Where did the rest of the time go? Well, 14% of their time was spent on email and the other 40% was spent on meetings, "interruptions," and … administrative tasks.

This gets a little fuzzy when you consider what an "administrative task" is. An administrative task for a salesperson is different than that of a real estate agent or graphic designer. But we all have them. They clutter up our days and keep us under water and sometimes underperforming.

Luckily, technology has given us a new opportunity to get ahead: virtual assistants. But who are these mythical creatures? How do you know if you need one? And where do you look? I’ve got all those answers and more, below.

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants are contract workers companies or individuals hire to complete specific projects and duties. They often handle administrative tasks like data entry, answering emails, and calendar management. However, virtual assistants in niche areas like real estate and graphic design are also available.

What do virtual assistants do

Virtual assistants work on a contract basis for your business. You can hire them to work a set number of hours each week or month, or for the length of a specific project.

You can hire a virtual assistant to help with almost any task, from setting up your office furniture to answering emails and even prospecting for your pipeline.

Virtual assistants can help with administrative tasks, like data entry, that eat up valuable time you or your full-time staff can spend on higher value tasks.

You can also hire a virtual assistant for more technical projects, such as design work or tax help, where a full-time hire might not be necessary.

Benefits of a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants are especially helpful for entrepreneurs, small business owners, or busy professionals looking to skyrocket their careers. Here are a few benefits of hiring a virtual assistant:

Virtual assistants can be more cost effective than hiring a full-time employee.

Virtual assistants can help with technical projects, like creating a company video, on an as-needed basis, so you don't have to hire a full-time videographer.

Virtual assistants can give you more time back in your day by taking mindless or administrative tasks off your plate.

Virtual assistants can free up more time for you to spend with your family or on personal projects.

Virtual assistants can decrease stress levels and prevent burnout for you or your employees.

When to Hire a Virtual Assistant

Entrepreneurs often think, "I can do that better myself." In fact, most of us often think that. And while it might be true, it doesn’t make each task worthy of your time and attention.

There’s a difference between self-discipline and martyrdom -- even at work. Here are a few ways to tell you’re ready for a virtual assistant:

When you have a list of repetitive tasks you complete regularly - Do you spend 90 minutes a day answering emails? Write it down. 30 minutes a week booking hotels? Add it to the list. 15 minutes filling out expense reports? You know the drill. You might be surprised at how much time these small tasks chip away from your week -- and which ones pop up most regularly.

When you know the process backwards and forwards - Generally speaking, you should be quite familiar with the tasks you’re assigning to your virtual assistant. Because the goal is to get menial tasks off your plate, these should be projects you complete regularly. This also helps you find qualified help you can train thoroughly.

When you’ve conducted a cost-benefit analysis - You’ve heard the old adage, "20% of the tasks provide 80% of the value." Use your list of repetitive tasks to add up how much time you waste on these projects each week -- and just how much of your salary is being spent completing them.

When you don’t need full-time help - Don’t use a virtual assistant in place of what should be a full-time job. If you need to hire a web developer, don’t try to cut costs by piecing it out. You’ll put strain on your company and your virtual assistant. And the end result will likely cost you more over the long run. Seek a virtual assistant for one-off projects or small tasks that don’t justify a salaried employee.

When you have the money - Don’t stretch your budget. Only hire help when your revenue stream can support it or can’t live without it.

How to Hire a Virtual Assistant

Document your process

Create a job description

Include an applicant test

Add a keyword or 'Easter Egg' in your job posting

Conduct an interview

Start on a trial basis

Take time to train your assistant

Have realistic expectations

Dont be afraid to cut ties and move on quickly

1. Document your process

Begin by taking notes of the process you’d like to outsource. Write each step down, include screenshots when applicable, and add nuanced insight into how you prefer these tasks completed. This will help you identify which skills and experience are absolutely necessary to include in the next part of the process …

2. Create a job description

Include tools your virtual assistant should be proficient in, like excel, PowerPoint, or Gmail. Share preferred experience levels and skills. And don’t forget a detailed list of the tasks they’ll be performing. It’s also helpful to describe the scale of your request or business.

If you anticipate your virtual assistant will need to be adept at managing a busy inbox full of requests from fellow executives and enterprise clients, set that expectation in the job description to attract well-qualified candidates.

3. Include an applicant test

Include a test in your application. If you’re a content manager hiring a virtual assistant to manage guest contributors, have them answer a few fake email prompts or schedule several editorial slots on an imaginary calendar. By testing their abilities, you’ll be able to separate those exaggerating their skills from the rest.

4. Add a keyword or 'Easter Egg' in your job posting

This is especially helpful for sites where you post virtual assistant job descriptions and available job seekers apply. Add a line at the bottom of your job description asking applicants to "Include their favorite Steve Jobs quote" in their reply. This ensures you weed out assistants who haven’t actually read your email or are not detail-oriented.

5. Conduct an interview

When possible, conduct an interview. While some virtual assistant companies pair you with an assistant from their database, others allow you to meet with your assistant so both sides can determine fit. If you’re able to conduct an interview, include questions like:

"How do you manage shifting priorities?"

"How do you structure your work day?"

"Tell me about a time when you’ve faced a stressful situation at work. How did you respond?"

These questions will give you insight into the intangible qualities not present in a resume or assistant profile.

6. Start on a trial basis

Again, this is not always possible. If you do choose a company that allows you to trial your assistant, make sure you communicate that early, so both parties are aware there’s an exit if it isn’t a good match. Usually, two weeks is sufficient for deciding whether you’ll work well together.

7. Take time to train your assistant

In order for this to work and for it to save you time, it’s crucial your assistant is well-trained. Invest time during your first few weeks answering questions, providing comprehensive documentation of the tasks they’ll be performing, and explaining why and how you prefer each task to be completed.

8. Have realistic expectations

You’re hiring a virtual assistant, not a full-time employee. There’s a reason you decided not to bring this role in-house, so don’t expect the same loyalty, understanding of your business, or rapport with your virtual assistant as you would a careered professional. Keeping your expectations in perspective is key to finding and maintaining a healthy working relationship with your assistant.

9. Don’t be afraid to cuts ties and move on quickly

That said, if your virtual assistant isn’t working out -- don’t be afraid to sever the relationship quickly. Reach out to customer support for direction on how to move forward.

How to Use a Virtual Assistant

Provide time for onboarding

Overcommunicate

Provide ample documentation

Have realistic expectations

Prioritize rapport

Know when the position should be a full-time hire

1. Provide time for onboarding

Don't expect your virtual assistant to be fully ramped after week one. Depending on the type of work they're doing — and how many hours they're working for you each week — it may take them longer to ramp than a full-time employee. Because they're likely balancing a few clients at a time, it can take weeks for VAs to become familiar with your business and industry.

If possible, put your VA through the same training and onboarding process as you have full-time staff undergo. It will provide valuable context for your VA around your business, company goals, and customers. Just make sure you're paying your assistant for their time during onboarding as well.

2. Overcommunicate

During their first week on the job, schedule daily check-ins via Slack, phone call, or video meeting to ask how your virtual assistant is settling, review any questions they have from the day, and discuss any outstanding issues or projects from the day or week.

If, for example, your virtual assistant is writing email correspondence for you, take time to review your latest round of edits in which you provide feedback on your VAs work and allow them to ask questions of you.

3. Provide ample documentation

Prior to your virtual assistant's start date, write out detailed instructional documents for each of the tasks they'll be working on. For example, if you're hiring someone to help you with prospecting on LinkedIn. Write out each step of your prospecting process, best practices for your company, and who to contact for specific questions.

Include screenshots, when possible. When your how-to guide is finished, walk your virtual assistant through the document in a comprehensive training session. And let them keep the training document to refer back to during their first few weeks completing your tasks.

4. Have realistic expectations

Your virtual assistant is not a full-time employee of your company. They likely have other client work on their plate and cannot be expected to prioritize your company's work over another's.

They won't be as invested in your company's goals or culture, and they have more freedom to push back on deadlines or timelines as their availability fluctuates.

5. Prioritize rapport

Just because your virtual assistant provides as-needed support doesn't mean you shouldn't make them feel as welcome or part of the team as you would a new full-time employee.

Host a welcome lunch, introduce them to the other members of your team, and onboard them as you would any other new-hire at your company. The more integrated your virtual assistant feels into your company, the more they'll be invested in producing work that aligns with your values and goals.

6. Know when the position should be a full-time hire

When you're consistently booking extra hours with your virtual assistant, shopping for a second virtual assistant, or your business needs another full-time generalist, consider hiring a salaried employee.

Continuing to outsource tasks that comprise a full-time position will put strain on your other employees, your business, and your virtual assistant, which leads to burnout and stalled growth.

Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Real estate virtual assistants complete small tasks, like responding to emails, updating listings, and following up with leads. This allows agents more time to work with existing clients on closing deals that will grow their business and earn referrals.

Mod Virtual, Real Support, TaskBullet, and Conversational Receptionists all offer virtual assistants specializing in real estate. Virtual transaction coordinators gather and organize the deluge of paperwork required for closing transactions.

Sales assistants identify qualified leads or lead sources and conduct initial outreach. And generalists keep your calendar in order, erect yard signs in new properties, and handle data entry by updating listings on your MLS, Zillow account, or CRM.

Here are a few other areas in which real estate virtual assistants can help your business:

Build buyer’s packets

Manage transactions

Data entry

PowerPoint or presentation design

Client feedback

Graphic design for mailers, websites, or social media

Social media management

Write blog posts or emails

Lead nurturing

Prospecting

Client gift management

Website link building

If you’re hyper-focused on growing your real estate business, consider hiring a real estate virtual assistant. The value they bring can be priceless.

You’ve done enough. Really. Give yourself a break and do the work that counts. Consider hiring a virtual assistant and see what they can do for your well-being and professional growth. And check out this post for more tips on sales tools for small businesses.