One of the things that we’ve learnt over the years running a small business is to trust your instincts.

How many times have you heard someone say “go with your gut”?  But do you do it and how do you apply it to business?

Clients or Working Partnerships

In the corporate world you would read a job description and submit your CV to the company if you think the role is right for you.  The organisation would then interview you and based on your competencies and experience they would offer you the role.  In small business, clients or new working partnerships come about in different ways – through recommendation, networking, advertising and so on.  There isn’t a formal interview so you may have to make up your mind very quickly as to whether it is going to work or not.

We have to accept that each person is different and works in different ways.  If you clash (maybe too similar or extreme opposites) then your relationship may be difficult.  Look out for the following signs:

• Is the person cold or blunt towards you?
• Do you find it awkward speaking to them?
• Do you communicate well with each other?

In order to have a long-term relationship with a client, especially as a Virtual Assistant, means that you have to understand each other.

You will also need to trust your instincts when approaching contractors.  The below example is for the property management sector but this could be applied when finding a new web designer, bookkeeper, project manager to work with.

Property Management

Finding the right contractor to carry out routine maintenance tasks should be easy right?  Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case – work that appears to be satisfactory on the surface can sometimes cause problems down the line.  So how do you find the right property maintenance contractor?

• Recommendation – if someone has been happy with a contractor then they are worth speaking to
• Get several quotes – this is good advice from a cost perspective but it will also allow you to see how they communicate with you
• Communication style – we’ve found that sometimes that contractors who either criticise previous work done at the property or talk too much might be hiding something
• Availability – it’s always a good sign if the contractor is busy but how easy are they to get hold of? If they don’t answer their phones or emails, making it difficult to set up an appointment then think about how it would be if you require them to come back to make adjustments to their work

We’d also like to add that if you aren’t sure of a client / contractor / situation then do try and get a second opinion or find another way to cover yourself.  Maybe have a minimum term set out in any client agreements so that you aren’t tied into working with someone you don’t get on with for months and months.

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