One of the members of our VA forum was doing research for a client on women's health issues in the mid-life years and asked for suggestions to be added to the list she'd compiled. Many came back with additional problems and then discussions took place on how old or young each feel and various problems different ones had. One member gave advice to the younger ones about the importance of keeping active. As I read it I was reminded of my grandmother, whom I adored. My grandmother passed away … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2009
Virtual Assistant or Employee?
There are other adjectives I can think of but I won't use them here. I saw a post advertising for a Female Virtual Assistant/Content Writer that says, and I quote: You'll be writing about 3-4 250-350 articles per hour based on the keywords I will specify. I am going to expect you work full time (only for me and not anyone else) (my emphasis) You have to have experience in article writing. Amongst other things. The 'virtual assistant' had to be living in the Phillipines too. I left a comment … [Read more...]
Checked your spam filter lately?
I was concerned recently when I received several emails from a lady who had registered for my VA Trainer course but hadn't heard from me. I had responded to every single email she had sent me but still her emails kept coming, upset that I'd not responded. This concerned me a great deal. There was no other contact information with her emails and she'd just signed off with her name. I looked up her phone and fax number from the form she'd filled out and tried to ring and fax her - with no … [Read more...]
A great line up for FoVA
Message from Barb who is organising this event: What do these people all have in common? Kathie Thomas Michelle Jamison Jeannine Clontz Mary Lou Ashton Pam Ivey Tawnya Sutherland Yvonne Weld Stacy Brice Dawn Goldberg Danielle Guerin Frances Palaschuk Kristi Pavlik Lauren Pibworth Rob Neilly David Hansen Mitch Solway and me... Barb Lang They are coming from all around the world to be in Niagara Falls Canada June 4-7, 2009. Each of these incredible people has put together a one of a kind … [Read more...]
Advertising Advice for Virtual Assistants
Recently a VA posted a question to a forum I moderate asking for advice about the advertising she had been doing. She listed a number of sites she'd registered with and wanted to know what else she could do. My response to her is below. I see you've joined social networking groups but you haven't mentioned if you're active in them. A large percentage of my clients have come through personal networking and getting to know people over time. I began my business before the internet so attended lots … [Read more...]
Should a Virtual Assistant Network For a Client?
I saw an interesting article today titled "Take Advantage of Social Networking with a Virtual Assistant" so of course I went and read it straight away. I have very firm ideas about what a VA should and shouldn't do for a client and networking is one of those things I don't believe we should be doing. I agree we can set up profiles for clients and hold their hand and help them through the process of learning to use tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and others but I strongly believe we … [Read more...]
FoVA not far away now
I can't believe it's around 9 months since I was invited to speak at FoVA. It seemed like such a long way ahead and yet it's now only 3 weeks away. I'll be meeting many well-known names in the Virtual Assistant industry face-to-face which is something I never thought would happen. You never know what's around the corner and the opportunities that will arise. If you haven't yet booked to attend the Forum on Virtual Assistance in Niagara Falls, Canada, it's not too late. And there's great … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistants and Twitter
There are quite a number of Virtual Assistants on Twitter now and with it growing groups. One of them focuses on FoVA 2009 and the group is listed as #FoVA09 if you're looking for it. If the link doesn't work try http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23FoVA09 It's amazing how a new networking tool can soon become addictive, if you let it! Where once I thought I only needed one blog and now own many (on different topics), it would seem the same applies to Twitter profiles, depending on the audience … [Read more...]
The countdown is on!
4 weeks today Graham and I will be winging our way to Canada. It will be a long flight (so we'll be glad to get there) but then we'll have almost 4 weeks visiting in Canada, with the first stop being FoVA09 in Niagara. And then 6 days later we'll head over to Vancouver to join a tour with APT to see some of Canada's beautiful scenery before spending just over a day with a friend and her husband in Vancouver and then back home again. When you're in business you don't tend to think about … [Read more...]