How Can You Find (and Vet) the Right Contractor for Your Business?
So you’re ready to hire help, are ya? Well, first things first — congratulations! That’s a huge step to take as a small business owner. We know it isn't easy. Trusting someone else with your biz baby? It’s hard. But it will be so worth it when you have more time to be CEO and come up with those big ideas that keep your business moving forward!
But how do you know who to hire? What kind of questions are you supposed to ask them? Is finding good help really as hard as they say it is?
Keep scrolling — we’re answering all your questions about hiring a contractor for your online business here.
First things first — know what you want
Have you ever worked a job where it seemed like the boss or project manager changed their mind every other day? Not only was it totally not fun for you as the employee, but it probably didn’t accomplish much either.
That’s because part of being a good leader requires having a plan. And while your contractors won’t be employees or full-time help, the same holds true here. If you’re not sure what you need help with, you’re going to waste a lot of time (theirs and yours) figuring that out.
You’re rarely (if ever) going to find a contractor who can just hop onto your team and know exactly what you’re thinking. Finding someone who can immediately identify what you need and provide a solution for it is also pretty rare.
When it’s time to look for a contractor, no matter the role, come to the table prepared.
Ask the right questions
You have to ask contractors questions about their experience and availability, but what else? What else should you ask a contractor before hiring them?
This can be tricky because the right questions are usuallyy based on your industry, the role you’re hiring for, and your unique needs as a business. But there are some standard questions you can ask across the board that will help you get closer to the right fit.
- Ask them about their availability each week/month, depending on the type of help you need in terms of capacity.
- Ask them about their communication policy. Do they use Voxer? Project management tools? Or email only?
- Talk about YOUR business values and ask them how they feel about them. Do they align with your underlying mission?
Questions to ask a virtual assistant
A virtual assistant, or VA, has a more broad range of task capabilities than most roles — think of them like the jack of all trades!
There are so many things a VA can help you with, so narrowing down what you need (like we said above) is SO important. Once you know that, though, here are a few things you can ask!
- How do you feel about juggling a few different responsibilities at once?
- What’s your communication style?
- How do you manage your time?
- How do you handle it when you make mistakes? What have you had to do in the past?
- Are there any types of tasks you don’t do (web design, copywriting, bookkeeping, etc.)?
- What is your previous experience?
- Which projects/clients have you loved working with the most? (this will help you see what they’re most passionate about!).
Questions to ask a launch strategist
If you have a general idea for your launch, but you need help putting the wheels on it to make it run, then a launch strategist will probably be your best bet!
To find the right launch strategist for you, ask them questions like:
- How do you brainstorm launch plans with your clients? How do you do this virtually?
- How do you help plan out goals and step-by-step processes to get there?
- How will we work together during the process? What does that look like?
- What type of launch experience do you have? Just product launches or service-based ones?
- What have you done to keep launches on track? What happens if there are delays or complications?
Questions to ask a copywriter
Launches have so many moving parts when it comes to copy — web copy, social media captions, emails, blogs that prep the runway, and maybe even some copy within your product or course material. A copywriter can take all the need-to-know and turn it into words that convert!
Ask them questions like:
- What do you have the most experience writing? Sales pages or other forms of sales copy? Or content like blogs and social media writing?
- Do you have experience with content/launch strategy? And is that something you could help with?
- What style of writing do you feel the most comfortable with? What are the types of brand voices you’ve worked with in the past?
- Are edits included in your package or is it just one round?
Questions to ask a graphic designer
Just like your copy, there’s a lot that you need for launches when it comes to graphics and visuals, including landing or sales pages, social media graphics, and course material if you haven’t already done that yet.
You can ask your potential designer questions like:
- Do you have experience with web design? If so, which platforms have you used?
- What social media platforms have you designed content for? (make sure they’ve worked with the ones you’ve used!)
- What design styles do you feel the most comfortable with? What are the types of brands you've worked with in the past?
- Which design tools do you use? Will you give us access to originals?
Hiring can be difficult —and it’s not always right for you
All of these questions are a great starting point but remember to ask questions that feel right for your business to make sure you get the help you need.
But what if you’re realizing that maybe you aren’t as ready to hire help as you thought? Whether that’s due to time constraints, financial resources, or you’re just straight up not sure what you need yet…no sweat!
We’ve still got a few resources to help you out. Check out our template shop full of sales page templates, social media templates, copy templates, and more — they’ll help you get ready for an upcoming launch or other project so you can do the work yourself, without all the heavy lifting.