Top Skills for a Virtual Assistant in the Crochet Industry

A few weeks ago, we talked about what virtual assistants want crochet designers to know. But a good relationship between a VA and a crochet designer is collaborative. It should be reciprocal. I wanted to give designers a voice, too! So I listened to designers and have put together a few of the top skills crochet designers look for in for a virtual assistant.

When a crochet designer’s business starts to grow, they may be faced with more tasks than they can handle. They started this business because they love to design, but now they’re overwhelmed with creating content, scheduling social media, and everything but designing. It’s time to hire help.

But sometimes it’s not that simple. Maybe it’s their first time working with a virtual assistant. They have lovingly built this business from the ground up and they’re hesitant to release control. Or perhaps they have worked with a VA before who wasn’t a great fit—or worse, maybe even set their business back. That’s why it’s so important for designers to find trusted support.

To get an idea of what that looks like, I asked designers if they could wave a magic wand and create the ideal virtual assistant, what qualities and skills would that person have? Here’s what Debbie, CPN Founding Member and the designer behind MadameStitch had to say:

Beyond the normal duties of managing social media, writing blog posts, organizing events, the most important thing for me is clear and timely communication. I also value a willingness to try new things and an open mind about how to get things done. It helps when your VA understands your brand/voice to create consistency.

– Debbie Field, MadameStitch

Top Skills Crochet Designers Want in a Virtual Assistant

I’ve taken responses to that question, as well as some casual feedback from designers, and put together a few things (certainly not an exhaustive list) of qualities that crochet designers are looking for in a VA.

Surprisingly, the many of top skills for a virtual assistant in the crochet world have less to do with technical abilities and more to do with soft skills and how you relate. So let’s see what they had to say.

Communication

Specifically, designers need clear and timely communication. When you’re first starting out with a client, get on a Zoom call and iron out the specifics. Really get to the heart of what this particular client wants.

This may look different from one designer to another. Some designers have specific processes in place that they would like you to follow. Others will give you a lot of freedom. In the latter case, lay out a plan and present it to the client. Before you go ahead, make sure you’re on the same page. However you get there, set clear expectations for the work and the timeline.

If you’re unsure about something, ask! You’re not pestering the designer. You’re making sure you’re delivering exactly what they want. Clear expectations prevent confusion and disappointment.

And then, check in regularly. Ultimately, a business collaboration is a relationship. So nurture that relationship with consistent contact. Reach out over Slack, Facebook Messenger, or email. Set up a Zoom call once a month. The better you know each other, the better you can help each other grow your businesses!

By the way, communication was a high priorities for VAs, too. So just communicate! It’s a win-win.

Follow-Through

VAs, once you have established clear expectations with a client, please do what you have agreed to do. This sounds like a no brainer. But unfortunately, I have more than one designer friend who has been left hanging on a big project. It can damage a designer’s business and affect their ability to trust service providers in general.

In my experience, crochet designers tend to be kind and understanding people. Of course, you don’t want to make a habit of pushing deadlines or failing to deliver. But we all have personal lives and family commitments. Things happen. So if you have an emergency and can’t make a deadline, let them know as soon as you can.

There’s nothing worse for a designer than planning a big launch, depending on their VA to handle critical parts of it, and then when launch day comes and they’ve disappeared without a trace. So in short, do your very best to deliver and if you can’t, let them know!

Flexibility and Adaptability

Although it’s important to establish and stick to expectations, we know all know that creative projects don’t always go as planned. Sometimes designers need to shift course in order to better meet their goals and serve their customers.

Maybe a certain piece of technology breaks (no fault of the designer or the VA) and now you need to find a workaround. Perhaps a scheduling conflict comes up suddenly. Designers like when you’re willing to pivot and look for creative solutions.

Understanding their Brand

Designers really appreciate when a VA understands their brand. When you’re creating content to be shared with their online audience, understanding their brand and voice creates consistency. But on a deeper level knowing the values they uphold in their business can help you work together in a way that feels good for both of you.

When you take on a crochet designer as a client, here are a few ways you can gain deeper insight into a designers brand:

• Take a deep dive into their website. Pay attention to their brand colors, their writing style, their patterns, etc.
• Check out their social media. Follow them on all the places (if you don’t already): Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube.
• Join their Facebook community and get a front-row seat to interactions with their ideal customers.
• Get face-to-face. Video calls are great and in-person networking is even better. If you don’t quite understand who their ideal customer is, ask!

Bonus Tip for Learning a Designer’s Brand

A fun thing I do as a crochet VA is to keep private Pinterest boards for designers I work with. When I’m flipping through Pinterest on my down time and I see something that reminds me of a client, I pin it there. This keeps me connected to their brand and thinking like one of their ideal customers.

Same with Facebook or Instagram. When I see an impactful post, I screenshot it and save it to a folder on my phone. I can refer to these ideas later when creating content.

If I see a particularly great idea, like an eye-catching pin or engaging Facbook post, sometimes I’ll even share it with the client as inspiration.

How to Be the Best Virtual Assistant for Crochet Professionals

Hopefully this gives you an idea of how to be a good virtual assistant to crochet designers. At its best, the collaboration between a crochet designer and a virtual assistant can lift both of their businesses to new heights!