Knowing how to hire virtual assistants and freelancers is one thing, but managing effectively them is a whole other ball game.
I’ve made many mistakes over the years.
But I’ve also learned a few things and gotten more effective in the process. So today I’d like to share some tips on how you can effectively manage your virtual assistants and freelancers.
Here are some tools I use to manage my VA’s:
Upwork Timetracking Software
Google Spreadsheets
Facebook Messenger
WhatsApp
Upwork Messenger
Dropbox
Instructional Videos
Skype
I usually start off by recording an instructional video.
I start by sharing my screen and walk the virtual assistant through each step they have to perform. Then I explain everything in detail and point out possible pitfalls.
Then I upload the video to Dropbox and send them the link.
One they’ve watched it, I ask them if they have any questions. Usually they do, so I then answer them and make sure everything is clear.
After that I let them perform the job for one week. I’ll check in every day to make sure they’re performing the task the right way. When I see that they’re doing a mistake, I reach out to them and tell them what they have to correct. I always stay friendly and positive.
I do most of my communication on the Facebook messenger.
It’s a fast and effective way of communicating and I prefer it to the Upwork messenger. It’s more instant and I usually spend more time on Facebook than Upwork, so it’s a faster way for me to work.
Occasionally I’ll get on a Skype call with my freelancers or virtual assistants, but usually only for emergencies or very complex tasks.
Then, all the billing and time tracking happens through Upwork. With the help of the Upwork tracking software I can see exactly what my freelancer is doing, because the software takes screenshots. This allows me to monitor what my virtual assistant is really doing.
It holds my virtual assistants accountable which is important. I only want to pay for the hours they actually worked and I don’t like being screwed or being billed hours that weren’t real work hours.
For certain tasks I also use Google Spreadsheets and Dropbox.
This makes it easy to work on one document at the same time from multiple locations without having to send the documents back and forth. Super effective when working with freelancers and VA’s.
And Dropbox is just awesome to share files in general.
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