Finding Reliable Help for Your Pokemon Business: Where to Find and How to Vet

After hiring 15+ people over 10 years (some great, some disasters), I learned this: finding reliable help is a skill. The difference between a great hire and a bad one is your vetting process.

Let me show you exactly where to find reliable help and how to vet candidates to avoid costly hiring mistakes.

Where to Find Virtual Assistants

Platform 1: Upwork (Best for Experienced VAs)

Pros:

• Large talent pool
• Built-in time tracking
• Payment protection
• Reviews/ratings visible

Cons:

• More expensive ($15-50/hour)
• Competition for good VAs

Best For: Experienced VAs, specific skills, project-based work

How to Find:

1. Post job listing (e.g., "Pokemon Card Listing Assistant")
2. Review proposals (20-50 typical)
3. Check ratings/reviews
4. Interview top 3-5
5. Hire for test project

Platform 2: Fiverr (Best for One-Off Tasks)

Pros:

• Fixed-price gigs
• Clear deliverables
• Fast turnaround

Cons:

• Less suited for ongoing work
• Variable quality
• Communication can be difficult

Best For: One-time projects, testing before committing

Platform 3: OnlineJobs.ph (Best Value)

Pros:

• Philippines-based workers (English-speaking, lower cost)
• $5-15/hour typical
• Long-term reliability

Cons:

• More vetting required
• Time zone differences
• Learning curve for Pokemon specifics

Best For: Long-term, ongoing help at lower cost

My Go-To: OnlineJobs.ph for ongoing help (hired my current VA there 4 years ago, $10/hour, incredibly reliable).

Where to Find Local Help

Source 1: College Students

Post at local colleges (bulletin boards, campus job sites):

• Business majors
• Marketing students
• Anyone needing flexible work

Pros: Eager, flexible, lower cost ($12-18/hour)

Source 2: TaskRabbit/Craigslist

Post tasks on these platforms for local help.

Pros: Fast hiring, trial-friendly

Source 3: Community Groups

• Facebook groups (local job seekers)
• Nextdoor app
• Church/community bulletin boards

Source 4: Family and Friends

• Kids, spouse, siblings
• Friends needing work

Caution: Mixing personal and professional can be tricky.

The Vetting Process (Critical)

Step 1: Clear Job Posting

Include:

• Specific tasks (not just "Pokemon card help")
• Hours needed (10 hours/week)
• Pay range ($10-15/hour)
• Requirements (reliable, detail-oriented, basic Pokemon knowledge helpful)
• Application instructions (see Step 2)

Example Job Post: "Pokemon Card Listing Assistant: Create 20-30 eBay/Mercari listings weekly. Research prices, write descriptions, upload photos. Must be detail-oriented and reliable. $12/hour, 10 hours/week. Apply with: (1) brief intro, (2) relevant experience, (3) answer: What's your favorite Pokemon?"

Step 2: Application Test

The "Follow Instructions" Test:

In job posting, include: "To apply, email with subject line 'Pokemon Helper - [Your Favorite Pokemon]'"

Result: 50% of applicants won't follow instructions. Auto-eliminate them. If they can't follow simple application instructions, they won't follow work instructions.

Step 3: Resume/Proposal Review

Look For:

• Attention to detail (typos = red flag)
• Relevant experience (ecommerce, eBay, retail)
• Clear communication
• Reliability indicators (long tenure at previous jobs)

Red Flags:

• Generic copy-paste proposals
• Poor grammar/spelling (if English required)
• Vague experience claims
• No specific examples

Step 4: Short Interview (15-30 min)

Questions to Ask:

1. "Tell me about your experience with online selling/eBay/similar work."

   • Looking for: Relevant background, understanding of platforms

2. "Describe a time you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it?"

   • Looking for: Accountability, problem-solving

3. "How do you stay organized when managing multiple tasks?"

   • Looking for: Systems, reliability

4. "What's your typical availability? How quickly do you respond to messages?"

   • Looking for: Matches your needs

5. "Why are you interested in this role?"

   • Looking for: Genuine interest vs. just needing any job

6. Pokemon-Specific: "Are you familiar with Pokemon cards? Which Pokemon do you know?"

   • Looking for: Honest answer (not required to be expert, but honesty matters)

Red Flags in Interview:

• Can't provide specific examples
• Defensive about questions
• Unrealistic availability claims
• Doesn't ask any questions (shows lack of engagement)

Step 5: Test Project (Critical)

Don't hire without testing first.

Test Project Examples:

For VA (Listing): "Create 5 sample listings for these 5 Pokemon cards. Research prices on TCGPlayer, write descriptions, take photos (I'll provide cards if local OR use these sample images)."

For Shipping Helper: "Package these 10 sample orders following these instructions."

Pay for Test: $50-100 for 3-5 hours of test work. Fair to them, worth it to you.

What You're Testing:

• Quality of work
• Attention to detail
• Following instructions
• Timeliness
• Communication

If Test Goes Well: Hire for ongoing work. If Test Goes Poorly: Thank them and keep looking.

My Experience: 60% of test projects reveal deal-breakers. Testing saves hiring disasters.

Red Flags to Watch For

Red Flag 1: Too Good to Be True

• "I can list 100 cards/hour perfectly" (no one can)
• Promises unrealistic results

Red Flag 2: Poor Communication

• Takes days to respond
• Vague, unclear messages
• Doesn't ask clarifying questions

Red Flag 3: No Questions

• Good candidates ask questions (shows engagement)
• No questions = not thinking critically

Red Flag 4: Pushback on Test Project

• "Can't you just trust me?"
• Unwilling to prove capabilities

Red Flag 5: Payment Red Flags

• Wants payment upfront
• Only accepts unusual payment methods
• Vague about rates

Trust Your Gut: If something feels off, keep looking.

Onboarding the Right Way

Once Hired:

Week 1: Training

• 2-3 hour training session
• Create SOPs (written procedures)
• Walk through each task
• Answer all questions

Week 2-4: Close Supervision

• Check all work initially
• Provide feedback immediately
• Build trust gradually

Month 2+: Increase Independence

• Spot-check work
• Regular check-ins (weekly)
• Adjust systems based on feedback

Managing Remote Help

Communication Systems:

• Slack/Discord: Daily communication
• Asana/Trello: Task management
• Google Sheets: Shared inventory/work tracking
• Loom: Screen recording for training

Time Tracking:

• Upwork (built-in)
• Toggl
• Harvest
• Honor system (if trust built)

Payment Schedule:

• Weekly or bi-weekly (better for retention)
• Use platform payment systems (protection)

When to Let Someone Go

Performance Issues:

• Not improving after feedback
• Consistent quality problems
• Unreliable (missing deadlines, disappearing)

Don't Drag It Out: If it's not working after 4-6 weeks of trying, move on.

How to Let Them Go:

• Be direct but kind: "This isn't working out. Your last day is Friday."
• Pay for work completed
• Don't burn bridges (professional always)

Building Long-Term Relationships

Once You Find Good Help:

Retention Strategies:

• Pay fairly (market rate or above)
• Recognize good work (praise, bonuses)
• Increase hours/pay as business grows
• Treat with respect (they're people, not robots)

My Best VA: 4 years, started $8/hour, now $15/hour, handles 50% of my operations. Worth 10X her cost.

Good Help is Gold: Treat them well.

Action Steps

1. This week: Choose platform (Upwork/OnlineJobs.ph/Local)
2. This week: Write clear job posting with application test
3. This month: Post, review applications, interview top candidates
4. This month: Run test project with 2-3 finalists
5. This month: Hire best candidate, begin training

Ready to Find Reliable Help?

Module 6.2 - Pokemon Business Startup Course

Enroll Now →

---

Module 6.2 of Week 6