Hire Your First Contractor or VA

Find, vet, and onboard a contractor without the usual mess of unclear scope and missed deliverables.

Define the Role

• List 5-10 specific tasks they will own this month
• Identify which of those tasks you'll teach vs. which they should already know
• Decide hourly vs. project rate — hourly for ongoing, project for clear deliverables
• Set a budget cap per week and a trial period (2-4 weeks)

Find Candidates

• Post on Upwork, OnlineJobs.ph, or your network — pick one channel and go deep
• Job post includes outcomes, not just tasks ('publish 4 blog posts/mo at this quality bar')
• Filter for English level and time-zone overlap if needed

Vet

• Send a small paid test task — 1-2 hours, real work, real pay
• Compare results from 2-3 finalists side by side
• 30-min video call to confirm communication and tone fit
• Check 1-2 references from prior clients

Contract & Setup

• Independent contractor agreement signed (NDA + IP assignment + payment terms)
• Collect W-9 (US contractor) or W-8BEN (foreign contractor)
• Set up payment method: Wise, Deel, or direct ACH
• Calendar payment day so you don't forget — late payments lose good people

Onboard

• Loom video walkthroughs of every recurring task
• Shared doc with passwords (via 1Password or Bitwarden), tools, brand voice
• First-week checklist with quick wins so they feel momentum
• Weekly 30-min check-in for first month
• Define what 'great work' looks like with examples

Manage

• Async daily update: what they did + what's next + blockers (3 lines max)
• End of trial: written review — keep, adjust, or part ways
• Document what worked so the next hire is faster