You can't really find the perfect VA if you don't know your business's exact needs. So, the first step is to put up your business plan with the essential requirements your new virtual assistants can help you with.

Once you have a business plan, you will know what organizational needs will have to be addressed the most. Then, you will have a clearer image of what you need from your virtual assistant.

If administration eats up too much of your precious time, you already know what to look for. Or, suppose you need a content writer to create contents for your website, a tech VA to manage and maintain your website or tech platforms.

Hiring the right person from the vast pool of candidates can be challenging, but knowing what will help you be productive will shine a light on precisely the VA you need.

This is one of the critical steps in finding the perfect virtual assistant. The key here is to be very clear about the job and tasks you need your VA to handle and be realistic about your own expectations.

Your job here is to be loud and clear on those. Do it by writing what you expect of your virtual assistant daily, weekly, or monthly.

Once you decide on your ideal VA skills, you should also look for a person you will like working with. For example, some business owners need strong communicators, meticulous organizers, or other VA types.

Be clear on what you want and need, but also be aware of two things:

1. Whatever kind of business you lead, you want someone who will be a long-term fit.
2. No less important, you need someone who learns quickly and has a growth mindset.

Although it's not critical, hiring a virtual assistant with experience in your specific niche is wise. However, choose the right person with the right mindset, and you could be very positively surprised.

There is no better way to pick out the perfect virtual assistant than to assess their skills. So conducting appropriate tests and comprehensive interviews is a sure-fire way.

Coming up with some test projects depending on the candidate you need is an even better solution. By testing your potential VA, you will get valuable insight into how they process their tasks and what they can come up with.

If you can get a recommendation, that's excellent. However, the simple truth is, client testimonials are the best way to gauge your potential virtual assistant skills, strengths and weaknesses, and personality.

Typically, most virtual assistants are paid hourly or by subscription. Before defining your pricing structure, do market research to get a clearer idea of setting your own prices.

The best thing to do is opt for subscription-based pricing with several packages for various levels of services.

You also need to keep in mind that quality doesn't always come cheap. A lot of business owners opt for lower rates sacrificing work quality. Let's face it, the people you'll attract on a low rate are those new in the industry (no experience, which means you'll have to spend time training them - which defeats the purpose of hiring a VA in the first place.) or desperate applicants.

Match your pricing with their role's worth. i.e. Appointment Setter, they are your front liner and the person who'll bring clients to your business and clients = profit.

Virtual assistants can be a tremendous help to businesses, whether large or small. Those versatile people can help you manage many challenges on your path. So, finding the right one is critical to grow and scale your business.

Make sure you follow the guidelines listed above, and with a bit of effort and some luck, I'm positive you will find the perfect virtual assistant. Good luck!

If you don't have time to do the following, let us do it for you. iservv.com has access to highly skilled-trained VAs who are ready

to make a difference in your business from day 1.