One of the foundations for success with a Virtual Assistant to equip your VA with everything they need to get the job done. Far too often, this step is overlooked during the onboarding process. Your VA will come equipped with the skills needed for their role, but what they won’t bring to the table are the subtle nuances that make your business unique.
Once you’ve hired your Virtual Assistant, take time to equip them with the proper tools and information required to best support you.
Make a list of the tools you use
Before your VA can move forward in their role, you should first equip them with the proper tools. Prior to your first onboarding meeting, make a list of every tool you use in your business and give your VA access to the appropriate tools. Don’t leave anything out!
- GSuite
- WordPress
- LeadPages
- Asana
- Trello
- Airtable
- Various Stock Photo Memberships
- Mailchimp
- Airline Accounts
- … and more.
Determine if your VA should have their own access or if you should share an admin password using a password management software such as LastPass. We recommend adding each URL, username, and password into a folder in LastPass. Share the entire folder with your VA, so they’re equipped to schedule blog posts, update Airtable, or make travel arrangements without asking for access multiple times and slowing down efficiency.
Share detailed information
In addition to sharing access to tools your VA will use within your business, it’s equally important to share access to detailed information. This goes beyond sharing passwords and into the personal details your VA should be privy to.
The detailed information we’re referring to are your personal details. Ask your VA to organize this information for easy access. The best way to do this is in Airtable or LastPass since the information will be encyrpted.
Be sure to include information such as:
- Your birthday
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number
- Credit Card information
- Family member’s birthdays
- Flight preferences
- Frequent Flyer numbers
Sharing this information up front will head off any frustration your VA will experience when booking travel, making appointments, and ordering products online.
The bottom line is, you need to be an open book with your VA in order for them to anticipate your next move and fully understand how and where you operate. Make equipping your VA a priority and they’ll be able to provide you with the support you so desperately long for.
Are you looking for the right VA for your team? Contact us and we can talk about how we can help you find the right support.
