How to Use Virtual Assistants in your E-Commerce Business

Amazing FBA Amazon and ECommerce Podcast, for Amazon Private Label Sellers, Shopify, Magento or Woocommerce business owners, and other e-commerce sellers and digital entrepreneurs.

When it comes to running an e-commerce business, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the tasks that need to be done. One solution to help manage the workload is to hire virtual assistants (VA). A VA is a professional who provides support services remotely, typically online. They can take care of a variety of tasks, including customer service, managing social media accounts, data entry, and more. Time Stamps [03:00:12] Creating Job Descriptions [07:36:79] Onboarding Issues : Mistakes When Recruiting [13:31:56] VAs Leaving Under Distress [19:43:80] The Superman Syndrome [21:39:58] The VAA Philippines However, managing remote teams and Virtual Assistants can present its own set of challenges. Here are some mistakes to avoid when hiring and working with a VA: Not having clear job descriptions: Before hiring Virtual Assistants, it's important to have a clear understanding of what tasks and responsibilities you want them to handle. This includes creating documentation like job descriptions to ensure that both parties are on the same page. Not looking for specific skills and experience: If you're hiring a VA for a specific task, such as managing your PPC campaigns, it's essential to look for someone with relevant experience and skills. For example, a PPC VA should have experience with analyzing data and optimizing campaigns. Not providing upfront tasks and training: It's important to provide your VA with a clear understanding of what they will be trained on and the hours of work expected. A clear contract, including an NDA, should also be in place to protect both parties. Not properly verifying the VA's identity and location: It's important to ensure that the VA you are working with is who they say they are, and to verify their location. This can be done by getting their identification and other personal information. Letting VAs feel isolated: Even though everything is done online, it's still important to invest in creating a sense of community with your VA. This can include holding actual meetings, celebrating birthdays, and participating in events in their location (if applicable). Feeling the need to create a book of SOPs: It can be tempting to want to create a book of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for your VA to follow, but this can be a mistake. Instead, show your VA the responsibilities and tasks they will be handling, and provide training and support. You can even record the training sessions for them to refer back to. This will allow them to create their own SOPs as they become more familiar with the work. Not having a schedule of work: It's important to create a schedule for your VA to follow, so they can work independently without constant supervision. This can include tasks like checking listings for issues, managing PPC campaigns, and checking inventory. Not having reports: Set up a system for your VA to report to you on a daily or weekly basis. This can include what tasks they completed, any achievements or problems they encountered, and the hours they worked. Tools like Asana, Trello, and email can be used for this purpose. Not having a communication structure or regular meetings: It's important to have regular communication and meetings with your VA to ensure that everything is running smoothly and to address any issues that may arise. Suffering from the "Superman Syndrome": It's common for e-commerce business owners to try to do everything themselves when they first start out. However, as the business grows, it's important to delegate tasks to VAs and other team members to ensure that everything is being taken care of. Neglecting tasks like shipments, supplier management, and customer service can lead to problems down the line. Resources Schedule a call with Gilad at VAAphilippines.com To learn more about getting a VA, reach out to VAA Philippines at the email [e-mail]