How to Choose a Virtual Assistant You Can Trust With Your Business
Updated: Oct 7
“Looking for a VA. £10 an hour. Must be available immediately.”
I see variations of this quite regularly in Facebook business groups.
And I understand why.
When you're a busy founder, you want help.
You want someone who can take things off your plate, preferably quickly and without adding another significant expense to your monthly costs.
But there's something I think business owners should pause and consider before choosing a virtual assistant purely on price.
You're not simply buying a few hours of admin.
You're giving another business access to your business.
That can mean access to passwords, emails, customer information, financial information, business documents, systems, software and potentially your intellectual property.
So perhaps the better question isn't simply:
“How much does a VA charge?”
It's:
“Can I trust this person with my business?”
What should you consider when hiring a VA?
Price is obviously a factor. Every business has a budget, and there's nothing wrong with looking for good value.
But hourly rate shouldn't be the only thing you compare.
Here are some of the things I'd consider before handing over access to your business.
1. Experience
What experience does the VA have?
That doesn't necessarily mean they need 20 years of experience or have worked in exactly the same industry as you.
But you should understand what they are experienced in, what they can confidently support you with and where their boundaries are.
A good VA should also be honest about what they don't know.
2. Data protection and confidentiality
Your VA may handle personal information, customer records, emails, financial information or other commercially sensitive data.
So ask questions about how they manage and protect client information.
Do they understand their responsibilities around data protection?
Do they have appropriate confidentiality arrangements in place?
Do they use secure systems and processes?
You don't need to be a data protection expert yourself. But you should feel confident that the person you're trusting with your information takes it seriously.
3. Security
Think about how your VA will access your systems.
Will they need access to your email? Your CRM? Your social media accounts? Your accounting software? Your website? Your cloud storage?
How will passwords be shared?
Do they use appropriate security measures?
Do they have a process for removing access when work ends?
These aren't particularly exciting questions, but they're important ones.
4. Contracts and insurance
A professional working relationship should have clear expectations on both sides.
A contract should set out things such as the services being provided, payment terms, confidentiality and responsibilities.
You should also ask whether the VA has appropriate business insurance for the services they provide.
Again, this isn't about creating unnecessary barriers.
It's about both parties understanding what happens when you're working together.
5. Communication and reliability
This is one of the things that can make or break an outsourcing relationship.
How quickly can you reasonably expect a response?
How will you communicate?
What happens if they're unavailable?
How will urgent issues be handled?
You don't necessarily need someone who is available 24/7.
In fact, I'd argue that healthy boundaries are a good thing.
But you do need to know what you can expect.
6. Business continuity
This is one that often gets overlooked.
What happens if your VA is ill?
What happens if they have a family emergency, take a holiday or experience a technical problem?
Nobody expects a solo VA to have a huge team sitting behind them.
But it is reasonable to ask what happens to your work if they suddenly can't work for a period of time.
The answer might simply be good communication and contingency planning.
The important thing is that there is an answer.
7. Professionalism
This doesn't mean someone needs a fancy website, corporate branding or an impressive office.
Professionalism is much more about how they conduct themselves.
Do they turn up when they say they will?
Do they communicate clearly?
Do they take responsibility?
Do they ask questions when something isn't clear?
Do they tell you when something isn't within their expertise?
Do they treat your business and information with respect?
Those things matter.
The cheapest VA isn't necessarily the best value
There is absolutely nothing wrong with looking for an affordable VA.
Not every business needs an experienced OBM or senior operations professional.
And the most expensive person you can find isn't automatically the right choice either.
The important thing is understanding what you're actually buying.
If someone is carrying out straightforward, well-defined administrative tasks, you may need a very different level of support from a business owner who needs someone to take ownership of processes, manage projects, improve operations and become a trusted extension of their team.
The price should reflect the level of responsibility, experience and value being provided.
Ask yourself one simple question
When you're considering hiring a VA, I'd suggest asking yourself:
“Would I trust this person with my own business?”
Not just with your diary.
Not just with your inbox.
But with the information, systems, customers and reputation that sit behind your business.
If the answer is yes, that's a much stronger starting point than simply finding someone who can offer the lowest hourly rate.
Being a VA isn't “just admin”
The virtual assistant industry has changed considerably.
VAs can now support businesses with everything from administration and customer service through to project management, operations, systems and business management.
And that comes with responsibility.
As VAs, we're asking business owners to trust us with parts of something they've often spent years building.
I believe professional standards shouldn't be about creating unnecessary barriers to entry.
They should be about protecting clients, protecting VAs and building trust in the industry.
Because the more seriously we take our profession, the more seriously the market will take us.
And as a business owner, you have every right to expect that professionalism from the person you choose to work with.
Looking for Virtual Assistant support?
If you're considering outsourcing some of the day-to-day work in your business, the right VA isn't necessarily the cheapest one.
It's the person who understands what you're trusting them with, communicates clearly, works professionally and can provide the level of support your business actually needs.
At Next Dimension Solutions, I provide practical VA and operational business support for UK SMEs and growing businesses, helping founders get work off their plate without simply creating another thing for them to manage.
Because good support should give you back capacity — not create more work.
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