You finally hired a VA. 🎉 You pictured your inbox magically empty, your calendar colour-coded, and time to finally work on the business instead of running around inside it like a caffeinated squirrel.
But instead? You’re still replying to client emails at 11pm. Still doing the invoicing. Still wondering why your VA needs to “circle back” on something you thought was obvious.
Sound familiar?
Don’t worry — you’re not broken, and neither is your VA. But your setup probably needs a bit of love. Let’s dig into the 7 most common mistakes I see small business owners make when working with a VA — and what to do instead.
“Just take care of it” isn’t a brief.
VAs are amazing — but they’re not mind readers. If your to-do list includes items like “handle admin” or “sort the marketing,” no wonder things keep bouncing back to you half-done.
Fix it: Break tasks into small, clear actions. Think: “Update the July newsletter in MailerLite using this doc and schedule it for the 5th” — not “do the newsletter.”
💡 Pro tip: Loom videos are your best friend. Show them once. Record it. Done.
You hired help — but skipped the onboarding.
Your VA might be brilliant, but they’re still new to your business. Throwing them straight into the deep end without a floaty? Risky.
Fix it: Take one hour (yes, just one) to map out:
- How you like things done
- Where to find key docs
- What “done” looks like to you
You’re delegating the wrong things.
If you’re only giving your VA the leftover scraps — stuff you don’t want to do or haven’t explained properly — of course they’re confused. Or bored. Or both.
Fix it: Start with high-impact, low-risk tasks:
- Updating CRM contacts
- Prepping social posts
- Creating draft invoices
Then build from there.
Feedback is missing (or awkward).
If the only feedback your VA gets is silence… or last-minute corrections… or a vibe that you’ll just redo it yourself — they won’t stick around.
Fix it: Use “Start / Stop / Continue” at the end of the week:
- Start: What you’d love them to begin doing
- Stop: What didn’t work this week
- Continue: What’s going well
Your systems are… let’s call it ‘creative.’
If your VA has to check Slack, your inbox, your Google Drive, and maybe a random sticky note on your kitchen whiteboard to find their brief… that’s not a system. That’s chaos with a wifi password.
Fix it: Choose one hub (Trello, ClickUp, Google Sheet) and make it the one source of truth.
You forgot they’re human.
Even if your VA’s offshore or part-time — they’re still a human being trying to do their best work. If you never ask them how they’re going, or assume they “just get it,” the relationship starts to crack.
Fix it: Ask what support they need. Share your values. Talk like people, not task robots.
There’s no measure of “done.”
“I just need it finished” means different things to different people. If you don’t define what “done” means — on time, on brand, with XYZ details — you’re setting both of you up for frustration.
Fix it: Use simple success markers like:
- “Done by Friday at 3pm”
- “Send for review before publishing”
- “Use this checklist before marking complete”
Wrap-up: It’s not you. It’s the lack of structure.
Working with a VA can be game-changing. But only if you give them the tools and clarity they need to shine. You don’t need to micro-manage or run a corporate HR department. You just need simple systems, smart briefs, and a little support setting things up.
And hey — if you want help with that? That’s literally what I do. Whether you’re onboarding your first VA or wondering why your fifth one ghosted you… I’ve got you.
Want help making your VA actually useful?
🎯 Book a free 15-minute Fix-It Call — to discover if there are cracks and if we can patch them.