How to Get the Most Out of Your VA: What Successful Clients Do Differently

Fair warning - this post contains some tough love.

There’s no shortage of business owners who dream of “handing it all off” to a virtual assistant. But there’s a big difference between hiring help and actually building a strong, sustainable partnership.

After working with hundreds of creative entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants, one thing is crystal clear: the clients who get the most value out of working with us are the ones who treat it like a partnership. Not a hand-off. Not a “fix my mess.” Not a one-way transaction.

Here’s what they do differently—and what you can learn from them if you’re ready to stop doing it all alone.

1. They know where they’re headed.

Our best-fit clients are successful business owners. They already know how to generate revenue, how to serve their clients, and what makes their business tick. If you’re a photographer, you already know how to take incredible images. If you’re a coach, you know how to guide transformation.

But here’s the difference: the clients who thrive with VA support have a clear vision for where they want to go. They don’t expect their VA to create their strategy for them. What they need is a partner to help them get there faster, smoother, and with less stress.

And hey, if that struck a chord and you’re thinking, “ok whoa, maybe I need the strategy first" - then great! That’s a wonderful first step. Send us a DM or an email and we can connect you with an amazing coach who can do just that! And when you have that clarity, come back to us and we can be your implementation partner.

2. They treat us like partners—not task robots.

The best working relationships happen when there’s mutual respect. That means:

• Looping us in early,

• Welcoming our ideas and suggestions,

• Trusting our expertise, and

• Communicating clearly and consistently.

What doesn’t work? Clients who drop a bunch of to-dos into a message and then disappear for two weeks. Or clients who say they want help but push back on every suggestion. A VA isn’t just an extra set of hands—we’re here to think alongside you.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. But you do need to stay in the room.

3. They delegate real, concrete tasks.

A lot of new clients hesitate to let go of things like:

• Social media scheduling

• Email newsletters

• Blog publishing

But these are exactly the kinds of tasks that drain time and energy—especially when you're the one doing everything else in your business.

Our most successful clients hand off these “should-do” tasks with clear end goals in mind. It’s the stuff that would otherwise fall to the bottom of the to-do list every week. With support, they’re no longer “just surviving”—they’re showing up consistently, marketing their work, and staying visible.

Plus we know with these three projects in particular they are a long-game strategy. You’re likely not to see immediate results, so it’s hard for us as business owners to do them consistently because it’s easy to punt them. But a great project to delegate because once the process is nailed down, it’s repeatable for a partner month after month.

4. They make space for collaboration (and feedback).

A strong VA relationship isn’t plug-and-play. It’s a collaborative process, and it takes time to build trust and rhythm. The clients who see the best results:

• Respond to questions and approve content in a timely way

• Share feedback when something’s not quite right

• Are open to new workflows that save time or reduce stress

It’s not about perfection—it’s about being in it together.

5. They understand: “I’m not just handing off tasks—I’m building a team.”

This is the mindset shift that changes everything.

You’re not outsourcing busywork. You’re creating a business that doesn’t rely on you doing everything. That kind of shift takes leadership, clarity, and a willingness to let go.

If you’re looking for someone to magically fix everything without needing your input, this isn’t it.

But if you’re ready to build a team that understands your goals and helps you get there—one system, one email, one client experience at a time—we’d love to be that team for you.