Hire the Right Virtual Assistant

One of the most common questions business owners ask is, "How much does a virtual assistant cost?" It's an important question, but by itself, it doesn't lead to the best hiring decisions.

In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, explains why hourly rates only tell part of the story. Hiring the right virtual assistant requires understanding how cost, time, expectations, and business goals work together. She shares why many business owners need fewer hours than they expect, how to reduce hiring risk before making a long-term commitment, and why hiring based on price alone often creates far greater costs down the road.

If you're considering hiring a VA or recovering from hiring the wrong one, this episode will help you approach the process with greater clarity and confidence.

HIRING RESOURCES:

The PVA Self-Assessment Podclass: https://thepvaselfassessment.com/

The PVA Interactive Hiring Workbook: https://thepva.com/complimentary-hiring-workbook/

Book a complimentary consultation with Melissa Smith, The PVA: https://go.oncehub.com/thepva

Website: https://thepva.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/

X: https://x.com/thepva

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepva

Many business owners believe delegation is the key to growth. Yet for many entrepreneurs, delegation becomes another responsibility that requires constant oversight, clarification, and management.

In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, explains why delegation is often misunderstood and how the right VA can eliminate the need for constant task management.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

- Why delegation often increases your workload

- The hidden mental burden of managing delegated tasks

- Why energy—not time—is the true driver of productivity

- The difference between a task taker and the right VA

- How expectations create independence and ownership

- Why strong job descriptions matter when hiring a VA

- The role ownership plays in an effective VA relationship

- How the right VA anticipates needs instead of waiting for instructions

- Why delegation keeps responsibility on your plate

- How to build a support system that grows with your business

HIRING RESOURCES:

The PVA Self-Assessment Podclass: https://thepvaselfassessment.com/

The PVA Interactive Hiring Workbook: https://thepva.com/complimentary-hiring-workbook/

Book a complimentary consultation with Melissa Smith, The PVA: https://go.oncehub.com/thepva

Website: https://thepva.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasmiththepva/

X: https://x.com/thepva

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepva

Are you searching for the perfect virtual assistant? You might be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Are you actually productive… or just exhausted?

Instant gratification feels productive, but it’s often the very thing holding your business back.

If you wouldn’t do it for 10 years… why are you doing it for 10 hours? That single question has the power to completely shift how you run your business.

In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, unpacks a powerful concept inspired by Cameron Scott’s idea of long-term thinking and what it reveals about how business owners are spending their time today.

Because the truth is… most business owners don’t struggle with working hard.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

HIRING RESOURCES:

Book a complimentary consultation with Melissa Smith, The PVA: https://go.oncehub.com/thepva

Website: https://thepva.com/

Show Notes: 

In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, breaks down the real questions business owners are asking before hiring and, more importantly, what those questions are actually trying to solve.

Because hiring the right VA isn’t about finding someone who can do the work.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

- Why most “top VA questions” online are misleading (and what to ask instead)

Website: https://thepva.com/

If your week feels chaotic, it’s not because you’re lazy—or “bad at time management.” It’s because you keep restarting: priorities, plans, momentum, and decisions. Those restarts are expensive, and they quietly steal 10 hours a week. 

In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, shares a simple system that changes everything: protect one hour of sacred time each week to plan like a CEO—then hire the right VA to turn that plan into execution. Because planning without support is just organizing your own workload.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

HIRING RESOURCES:

Website: https://thepva.com/

In this episode of Hire Your VA, Melissa Smith, The PVA, challenges one of the most dangerous assumptions business owners make: believing they have more time than they actually do.

Building on her earlier teaching around time debt, Melissa walks through a sobering but empowering reality check—how many true working days you actually have in a year, and how quickly those days get consumed by commitments, distractions, and reactive work. Melissa explains how reverse planning, calendar blocking, and protecting deep work days can radically change how your business grows, without sacrificing family, health, or clarity.

You’ll learn why:

Resources:

HIRING RESOURCES:

Website: https://thepva.com/

What if the only thing standing between you and hiring the right VA is… actually creating the position? Not perfecting it, but creating it.

In this episode, Melissa Smith, The PVA, shares why the most important step in hiring the right VA is simply making the role exist, even before you feel ready. From the scrappy origins of Airbnb to her own early days in business, Melissa shows how every great thing starts imperfect, and why your VA hire should, too.

HIRING RESOURCES:

Website: https://thepva.com/