How do I find a Virtual Assistant to work with my business?

Have you come to a point in your business where you realise you cannot do everything?  You might still want to do everything, but you acknowledge that for your sanity, health, relationships, clients, family and friends, you need to outsource some work.
 
You have heard that a Virtual Assistant could be a good way of outsourcing specific tasks.  They are flexible, reliable and professional, but where do you start looking for one who will help your business grow?
 
If you run your own business, you will undoubtedly have a network of fellow business owners, so this is a great place to start.  Ask your network if they currently, or previously, have worked with a Virtual Assistant.  Even if they haven’t worked with a Virtual Assistant themselves, they will probably know a Virtual Assistant through their network, so might be able to tell you a bit about them.
 
When asking your contacts, you might get lots of recommendations along the lines of, “such-a-body I know is a VA”.  However, you will find the quality of the recommendations is better if you can be specific about the type of tasks you want to outsource.  In fact, being clear about the type of work you want to outsource before you start to look for a Virtual Assistant will make the process much easier.

Clearly, a recommendation is the best way to go.  If you wanted some building work or some landscape gardening done at your home, you would ask family, friends or neighbours if they could recommend someone they had used.  And hiring a VA should ideally be approached in the same way.
 
However, if your network is not able to provide any recommendations what do you do?

There are virtual assistant agencies you could contact as well as freelance marketplaces where you can post a job and receive proposals, but you might be better starting with the Society of Virtual Assistant’s ‘Find a VA’ database.  The Society of Virtual Assistants is the largest organisation for UK based VAs.  Their database lets you search by the skill you are looking for, or by location, in case you prefer working with a Virtual Assistant who is located closer to you (there can be advantages to that).

Most Virtual Assistants will speak to you upfront for free, this might be called a discovery call.  As you would with hiring a builder or a gardener, it is usually worth speaking to a couple of VAs.  This will let you get to know the Virtual Assistant and if you get on with them.  It will also give the Virtual Assistant chance to get to know you and the type of work that will be required.