When I was first growing my VA Network it soon became obvious to me that I had to find a way to put all the members in touch with each other, without having to pass on email addresses all the time or get them to remember to 'reply all'. It was around that time (late 1996) that I was invited to join an online forum for home based businesses at Boxplanet and I saw first-hand what I needed for my team to be able to chat to one another. So our forum was started and shifted to a few places before … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2009
OIVAC is just around the corner!
Welcome to those guests who have been following the OIVAC blog hopping tour! Seasoned VAs (or those that have been around for longer than 12 months) will know that the Online International Virtual Assistants Convention is gearing up for another fantastic event. I was privileged to be a member of the steering committee for the first 3 years and really enjoyed the experience but (personal) events over the last 12 months have led to my stepping down. I don't believe this to be a bad thing - it … [Read more...]
Use the ‘squeaky wheel’ principle
I often get asked by VAs what they should do if they've submitted a proposal to a client's request and a few days have passed and they've heard nothing further. I always advise them to use the 'squeaky wheel' principle. What do you do when you have a squeaky wheel? You pay attention to it. So the client needs the same prompting - you should be in regular contact (without making a nuisance of yourself) and follow up. If they've heard from several Virtual Assistants and life is busy for them … [Read more...]
All work and no play…
... makes Jack (or Jill) a dull boy (girl). Or so the saying goes. I'm one who has been obsessed with my work - I love being a Virtual Assistant and I love being at my computer and in my office. I look forward to being in the office every single day - even after 15 years. But I do recognise the importance of getting away from the office and being refreshed. It is so important. Over the years I've tried picking up former hobbies of knitting, walking, gardening, etc and even joined several … [Read more...]
Honing new skills
Many VAs, particularly those new to the industry, are so keen to get clients that there are times when they will accept a job only to find they really don't have the skillset or experience to carry out the role. They then end up in a quandary - do they tell the client or try to find out quickly how to do that particular job? The questions asked at VA forums often show a tendency for the latter, rather than the former, or perhaps they have already told their client, but are going ahead with the … [Read more...]
Getting back to basics – Becoming a VA
I've seen many posts recently via Twitter and forums where people are asking about how to become a Virtual Assistant. As I haven't written on that for awhile I thought I'd give an update here. Providing you have good computer skills and experience in using the web for sharing files, downloading and receiving information and so on, then chances are you are eligible to become a Virtual Assistant. A Virtual Assistant is someone who provides assistance to others on a virtual basis, be it the … [Read more...]
What you feed grows, what you starve dies
I was just climbing out of my car after visiting my business coach when I heard the final sentence of something on the radio and it caught my attention. The guy was saying 'remember, what you feed grows, what you starve dies'. This is such a profound statement and hit me straight away. It was very relevant to the plans for my Virtual Assistant business and where I want to take it next, after having been with Stuart for the past hour. We'd been talking about the progress of my Virtual … [Read more...]
Email etiquette and autoresponders
As a Virtual Assistant I manage a number of autoresponders, both for my own business and that of my clients, mainly through shoppingcart services such as 1shoppingcart.com. What amazes me is the number of recipients of these emails who don't realise that they can update their email address or remove their addresses simply by clicking on one of the two links at the bottom of the emails they receive. I receive numerous requests, almost on a daily basis, for me to update this person's email … [Read more...]
A time for getting together
The Virtual Assistant industry has a number of events coming up over the next couple of months. IVAA has its Summit coming up this month, followed closely by OIVAC in May and then FoVA in June. Both IVAA Summit and FoVA are onsite events whereas OIVAC is purely virtual - you can attend from your home office. While it might not be possible for you to attend all three events it would be good for you to make an effort to attend at least one. It's a great time for getting to know your peers, … [Read more...]