Barbara is the founder of Virtual Angel Hub. We do a deep dive on today’s conversation, all about on how to outsource to virtual assistants. We don’t just talk about those best practices, but I also wanted to understand how Barbara’s been able to build and grow Virtual Angel Hub. She started managing some VAs for herself, and scaled into a powerhouse with 70 VAs in the Philippines and growing.
We talk about how she manages the pipeline, and the systems and the tools she uses. How she delegates tasks to the team, how she built the management structure around to give her the freedom to be able to be at home with her 9-month-old child while also managing this fast growing online business.
Some people may think this stuff is boring, but, at the end of the day, if you’re going to build an operation that can truly grow without you, you’ve got to learn how to delegate, build the systems and put people in place, and learn how to manage those people. And nobody knows this better than Barbara.
Enjoy!
Episode Notes
[1:51] Training the VA and training the manager. The journey from coaching to pivoting into VA recruiting.
- “One of the biggest problems I saw is people don’t know how to outsource.”
- “The training alone have been a game changer for my clients’ businesses, showing how to build processes and systems, and fire them from their companies.”
- “We focus on the success rate of both the VA and client.”
[9:17] The value of outsourcing recruiting of VAs. Focusing the VA definition to scale. VA levels and responsibilities. Internal systems to support the VAs. Barbara’s best clients. What’s needed to successfully hire a VA.
- “A VA’s not going create a strategy for you. They are very good at implementing.”
- “If you are overwhelmed and got too much on your plate, getting a VA is not the answer.”
[19:12] On-boarding process. Why it takes at least 2 weeks to get clients in front of a VA. The importance of getting clients ready and set up. The importance of having few big processes.
- “Task management with a virtual team is very difficult via email.”
[27:08] How the management between VAs and clients looks like. People involved in recruiting: Operations manager, Client liaison manager, Master Trainers, Team Leaders, Success Coaches, Helpdesk Team, Marketing and Sales.
- “The job I want to do most is to be a mother.”
[39:02] Steps to deal with the “curve-ball” situations. Solving new problems and using clients testimonials as marketing. Encouraging clients to provide positive feedback.
