How to Hire a Wedding Virtual Assistant
Congratulations! By reading this post about how to hire a virtual assistant for wedding creatives, you are about to take your wedding biz to the next level! Whether it’s your first time outsourcing or your tenth, finding the right wedding virtual assistant for your team can be daunting.
I get it! You need an organized, reliable, and diligent virtual assistant to take those pesky admin tasks off your plate, but you also want to find a VA who’s the right personality fit for you, your team, and your brand. Not to mention that you’re being pulled in a million different directions and business isn’t stopping, leaving you with minimal time to research, select, and hire a virtual assistant.
Don’t worry, I’m here to help! In this post, I’m breaking down how to find your dream VA, what to look for in your search, and ultimately, how to hire a virtual assistant.
How Can a Wedding Virtual Assistant Help My Business?
As a wedding virtual assistant, I am here to infuse freedom back into your life, so that you can focus on what matters most to you. No matter if your goal is to grow your business or have more time to spend with your kids, my virtual assistant services are designed to give you the time and space to do so.
I support you and your business by taking any or all of the following tasks off your plate:
General Admin – CRM management, email & calendar management, contract & invoice tracking, client & vendor communication
Blogging for SEO
Email Newsletter Creation
Social Media Content Management
Team Management
SOP Creation
Process Audit & Improvement Plan
With over 10 years of experience in the wedding industry, I am uniquely equipped to jump right in and serve you and your clients. From one wedding pro to another, I know firsthand what it’s like hustling onsite for 12-14 straight hours, how to have those tough conversations with upset couples (and their parents!), and the specific challenges each type of wedding vendor faces.
I’m a wedding planner turned wedding catering director turned wedding virtual assistant, and because of my experience in and love for this industry, I’m well-prepared to serve you!
When Should I Hire a Wedding Virtual Assistant?
The best time to hire a virtual assistant is before you’re ready. This means before your business has grown to the point where you can no longer handle it all, before peak season hits so that your VA is already up and running, and before you get overwhelmed and burned out.
As your business and/or family experiences growth and change, take the time to really evaluate where you’re spending your time and if those are good enough reasons to sacrifice your time in other areas of your life.
For a step-by-step guide on how to know if you’re ready to hire a virtual assistant, check out my other post: How to Know if You’re Ready to Hire a Virtual Assistant for Wedding Creatives.
Where to Find a Wedding Virtual Assistant
Before diving into your virtual assistant search, I advise to create a list of tasks that you’d like to delegate. The more specific and comprehensive you can be, the better! If you’ve already read How to Know if You’re Ready to Hire a Virtual Assistant for Wedding Creatives, this is the task list we talked about in step #2.
Then, just like you would ask your friends for a recommendation for the best taco place or for the comfiest wedding day shoes, start by asking your wedding friendors for virtual assistant referrals! Maybe someone you know already has a rockstar virtual assistant and that’s how they seem so put together. Consulting your inner circle is the simplest way to find reliable virtual assistants.
For example, check out these kind words from my wedding friendors about what it’s like to work with me!
You may also consider posting in local wedding vendor Facebook groups. It’s likely that another wedding vendor in your area can recommend someone, or there may even be wedding virtual assistants in the group who can reach out.
If you really want to widen your net, search for a “virtual assistant for wedding creatives” on Google. You’ll have a ton more choices, but be prepared to do a little more research with this option.
How to Create a Wedding Virtual Assistant Shortlist
Once you’ve gathered some names, check each wedding virtual assistant’s website and social media. From their online presence, you can get a basic idea of who they are, what they offer, and if they have a specialty or niche. I recommend starting a simple spreadsheet to keep track of each wedding virtual assistant’s name, services, and general pricing, if listed online. Doing this research is also a great way to familiarize yourself with the current average pricing for a virtual assistant for wedding creatives.
In your search, don’t forget to take note of the VA’s personality! After all, you’ll be working closely with your virtual assistant and they will be representing your brand, so you want to ensure that you find the right personality fit for you.
Ideally, you’ll create a wedding virtual assistant shortlist of 3-5 potential VAs to connect with. Reaching out to more than 5 can get overwhelming and lead to decision fatigue.
Connect & Inquire
Now it’s time to connect! Most wedding virtual assistants will have an inquiry form to complete on their website. This is typically the best way to start the conversation. Make sure to include enough basic information in the form, like what tasks you need help with, if you’ve outsourced before, and what you’re looking for in a VA.
Just like you strive to get back to your new leads within 24 hours, my typical response time is 24 hours or less on business days (most likely within a couple of hours at most!).
What to Expect on a Virtual Assistant Discovery Call
When I receive a new inquiry, I’ll email you back with any pertinent follow-up questions and a chance to set up a coffee chat aka a discovery call or consult. I love chatting with fellow wedding vendors on a video call, so that we can personally connect and get a feel for each other. As a bonus, more often than not, you’ll also get to meet my Junior Pawject Manager, Emmie, on the call!
During our 15-30 minute coffee chat, we’ll talk about what your goal is in hiring a VA, the current state of your business needs, and your future business and personal goals. This is the time to let me know specifically what you’re looking for in a VA and if you have any questions.
It’s important to be honest about your business’ backend, even if it’s not as organized as you’d like it to be… There’s no judgment here and besides, that’s exactly what I’m here to help with!
Review Your Custom Virtual Assistant Proposal
After our call, I’ll create a custom proposal just for you based on your specific needs. It will outline your custom package with pricing and I typically offer a few different package and service options, so you can see which one is best for you. My goal is to make this process as simple and smooth as possible, so we can get to work!
Once you accept the proposal, I’ll send a contract and invoice your way to seal the deal. Then, we pop the bubbly and celebrate you reaching the next level of your business!
A Match Made in VA Heaven: You & Jessica Hetu
Want to skip all of the above steps and still end up with your dream wedding virtual assistant?
Meet Jessica Hetu (that’s me!).
I’m a virtual assistant for wedding creatives, who specializes in expertly managing your business’ backend, so you can focus on what matters most. In my 10+ year career in the wedding and event industry, I have been a wedding planner and coordinator, venue manager, and catering director, planning events at national brands like Walt Disney World, Loews Hotels, and Ritz-Carlton Orlando, to name a few.
When you work with my team and me, not only do you get a like-minded wedding & event creative, but you also get a new best “friendor!” We have hearts for service and are chronic perfectionists, so you can be confident that we will get the job done right with the same level of excellence you give to your clients.
Connect with Jessica by hitting the button below and get ready to make some magic together!
