The #1 Mistake Business Owners Make When Hiring a VA (and How to Avoid It)

One of the most intelligent things that a business owner can do is to hire a Virtual Assistant (VA). You can save time, experience less stress, and do high-value work that drives growth, with the right support. However, as well as the positive points are quite obvious, lots of entrepreneurs commit the same error when they employ a VA, the mistake that may cost them time and money.

The #1 mistake? Failure to specify expectations before the recruitment of a VA.

Even the most competent VA will fail to satisfy your needs without understanding what and how to do, where to go, and why. This is why this error occurs, how it appears in real life, and how you can prevent it by hiring a reputable VA agency.

Why Clarity Matters When Hiring a VA

A lot of business owners choose to outsource a VA when they are already burned out, when they are doing too many things, and just need to take a break. They move too fast and forget to develop a clear scope of work. Such ambiguity may result in:

  • Poor and incompatible expectations between the VA and the business owner.

  • Several rounds of revisions or deadlines missed.

  • Frustration on both sides.

  • Squandered time in activities that do not help to drive the business.

The upfront definition of expectations is not about micromanagement, but rather about targeting the VA with directions on how they can succeed.

The Most Common Oversights

These are the areas where business owners fail when it comes to hiring a VA:

  • Task clarity - Did not describe how the VA will work on the task (admin, marketing, tech, or creator support).

  • Onboarding - Expecting a VA to learn it on their own without communicating processes, tools, or brand rules.

  • Feedback loops - Missing part of the regular check-ins and leaving problems to be solved until they become bigger.

That is, it is not a question of getting the wrong person on board; it is a question of not preparing the individual to succeed.

How to Avoid This Mistake

The positive bit is that this is a simple mistake that can be avoided. The following are 3 steps that you can take to ensure that your VA experience is smoother:

  • Define your needs clearly. Segregate tasks into daily, weekly, and monthly duties before hiring. Choose to hire general administration, marketing, technology automation, or affiliate content. It will also assist you to learn the various kinds of virtual assistants.

  • Develop a basic onboarding. Share your workflows, logins, tools, and expectations with your VA. Even a brief guide can simplify their work and increase the consistency of their output.

  • Establish routine communication. Get weekly check-ins scheduled or adopt project management software to ensure you are always aware of what is being done- and can provide feedback in real time.

Why Working With a VA Agency Is Safer

While individual VAs can be a great fit, many business owners prefer virtual assistant services from an agency because it reduces risk. An agency such as Next Level Virtuals will offer:

  • Customized matching - You are matched to a trained VA who suits your goals and working style.

  • Niche skills - Having access to various kinds of VAs (admin, marketing, tech, affiliate) without recruiting a team of freelancers.

  • Best practices established - Organized onboarding, communication, and accountability systems designed.

  • Scalability - With scaling, your support can increase as your business grows without necessarily having to repeat the hiring process.

It also makes an agency a safe option when a business owner requires a reliable long-term support without having to worry about trial and error.

Final Thoughts

The process of hiring a VA is an action with a strong growth potential, and the largest mistake you can make is to ignore the clarity stage. Defining your needs, developing straightforward onboarding, and selecting the appropriate support system will help you establish your VA, as well as your business, on the right path to success.


At Next Level Virtuals, we ensure that business owners never fall into these traps because we offer reputable, trained Filipino VAs who are customized to meet your unique requirements and are backed by systems that have been tested and proven. Explore our virtual assistant services to see how we make hiring simpler, safer, and smarter.

Let us know what you think in the comments!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

About Us

We are a Filipino-led virtual assistant agency providing skilled, reliable, and values-driven support to content creators, coaches, and online entrepreneurs. We specialize in LTK management, content planning, systems setup, and launch assistance so you can grow your business with less hustle and more focus.

Inspiration in your Inbox!

Free Signup

© 2025. All Rights Reserved

Home | Terms & Conditions