You’re dreaming up big projects, but you don’t have the resources or budget to hire full-time employees. After hours of googling how to work through these growing pains, you decide to look into hiring virtual contractors. With the right people in place, utilizing a virtual team can be an excellent way to get work done quickly and efficiently. But managing a virtual team can be daunting, especially if you’re not used to it. Here are a few tips from one biz owner to another, to successfully manage your virtual team.

Get Clear on expectations to better manage your virtual team

When you’re working with a virtual team it’s important that everyone understands what is expected of them from the start. Ask for input from your team when setting expectations so that each person feels supported and valued. Create milestones and deadlines that are clearly planned out and achievable for each member of your team. If everyone knows what their roles and responsibilities are upfront, there will be less room for miscommunication in the middle of the project.

Create Meaningful Connections

Meaningful Connections. Something that’s often forgotten about in the online biz world. We’re all human. We not only naturally desire meaningful connection, but we need it to thrive. Just because your team is virtual doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) develop real connections with your virtual team members. Set aside time during each meeting for informal chats with your virtual team — spend time building genuine relationships between you and your team. Use Zoom, Google Hangouts or voice notes to help make conversations feel more personal. Make it a point to always communicate to your virtual team members how valued they are and how much their work benefits your business.

Encourage Open Communication

Communication is invaluable when working remotely. Without regular face-to-face conversations, it is so easy for misunderstandings to arise or issues to go unresolved. Being in constant communication with your virtual team about what’s going well and what needs work will allow your team to feel valued and heard and encourage communication. Regular team calls will help keep everyone informed and provide an opportunity for feedback or any other pertinent information that might need to be shared among the team members.

I’ve got a solution for you

Working with a virtual team of contractors can be a lot at times—but it doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming! By setting clear expectations, creating meaningful connections with your team, and encouraging open communication within the group, you’ll be able to manage your virtual team and keep everyone feeling valued and appreciated. Are you ready to create your own virtual team for your biz? Great— we would love to chat and hear how we can support you.

Do you already have a virtual team but feel like you could use a few more tips to manage your virtual team? No worries— I’ve got a solution for that too. Check out my FREE guide all about onboarding your virtual team into your biz. This guide will set you up for open communication and meaningful relationships with your virtual team.