As the CEO of a jobs board for business owners, Fiona Campbell has connected hundreds of entrepreneurs with contractors. In this piece, she explains how to find the best support for your venture, plus some crucial hiring mistakes to avoid.
In my role as the CEO of the Virtual Assistant Lead Network, Australia’s premier jobs board for connecting business owners with virtual support, I have spoken to – with no exaggeration – hundreds of small businesses seeking online business support. In most cases, they come to my skills marketplace looking for help when they’re already overwhelmed.
This is not an ideal scenario for finding top-tier talent, given they’re making rushed decisions. When I’ve got such a person on my hands: frazzled, busy and uncertain of who to look for and how to spot them, I always defer to these top tips. It never fails them.
Picture your person, then write your role
In the same way you’d niche down your offering, apply this same theory to hiring. Picture exactly who would best meet your needs right now and in the future, and write for them.
For example, how many years of experience do they need? Did they do vocational training? Do they need to work well in a team, be a natural-born communicator, or get excited by working in the guts of data and systems?
This process may open your eyes.
Let’s say you’re seeking accounting support. While you thought you just needed someone with a knack for keeping the books clean, when you consider your added requirement for specialist training in corporate accounting, who you’re actually describing is a registered BAS agent.
Bear in mind that analytical and creative skillsets generally aren’t complementary, so there may be two different roles.
When writing, I encourage you to request the skills you want. If your ideal person truly possesses “an eagle eye”, have they noticed you asked for the phrase ‘blue banana’ included in their resume?
To save time, use an inbox filter to weed out applications that don’t mention it.
You also want to easily check through their public recommendations, like LinkedIn or Google My Business, and if you are seeking design support, ask for examples of objectively similar projects, or if you are making a significant investment in a support service, ask if you can contact one of their clients.
Seek value over cost – you’ll spend less in the long run
It can be very tempting to lead with price. In my experience, it’ll be a quick race to the bottom.
Contractors confident enough to charge more are generally more experienced and efficient, taking up less of your time explaining, re-explaining, or re-doing work.
Your time is money too and there’s an opportunity cost in training.
Last year we surveyed hundreds of VAs to understand what they were charging. According to the data, 87 per cent told us they enjoyed working on an “as needed” basis. 42 per cent stated they didn’t expect a minimum number of hours.
If you are price-sensitive, request a fixed-price quote based on agreed deliverables.
Don’t set and forget
While I am the CEO of a jobs board, I’ll be the first to say platforms like ours shouldn’t represent your sole effort.
Reach out to your network of fellow entrepreneurs: who can they recommend? If you have a strong social presence, attract attention with humour. Captions like “I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME MONEY” are easy to engage with, increasing reach. Consider a referral fee if someone suggests a great fit.
Finally, never hire the first person who looks good.
I’m not saying they’re not perfect, but it’s worth giving your posting at least two weeks to attract the best talent. From there, shortlist, and from there, promptly offer the job. Worthwhile talent doesn’t stay available for long.
The good news is that in 2025, you don’t need to keep wearing all of the hats. Once you start offloading responsibilities not best suited to your skillset, you’ll be amazed at what can sprout.
