Start Your VA in Under 12 Weeks! Are you interested in running your very own Virtual Assistant business but don’t know where to start? Would you like a career change for 2024? VA Trainer could be your answer. First created back in 2006 by Kathie Thomas, VA Trainer has been undated and relaunched in 2023 with added Resources and Templates and email support. If you're after a self-paced course that you can do in your own time, then this course is for you. Feel free to contact me, … [Read more...]
3 Tips for Gaining More Time in Your Day
Solopreneurs often bemoan the fact that their to-do lists are miles long and they wish they had more time in the day to get all their tasks done. Add in the number of clients they have to serve during the week and the stress can become overbearing. Even though we all have only 24 hours in each day, here are some strategies for working more efficiently so it feels like we’re gaining extra time. 1. Use the Time Blocking Method on Your Calendar Time blocking simply means assigning a block of … [Read more...]
Whose service are you using for email?
Have you been missing receiving important email and are using a MS based email service? Here's a good argument for having your own domain for sending and receiving email. I shared this with my VA group on Facebook this week. Are you using a Microsoft owned email address? That is hotmail, live.com or outlook.com? Think very carefully about using these email services. They've blocked my domain vadirectory.net and I've now heard they've done it to others too. It is believed that MS … [Read more...]
Wondering how our VAs can help you?
I recently ran a poll on our VA Facebook Group and this is the result of the poll responses. This chart may change, over time, as more VAs join our group and respond to it, but I thought it might help you to see the types of things that can be done for you. It might even make you realise there is more that can be done for you than you thought. You may be wondering about the cost as well and that will vary considerably, depending on the type of work being done. Some will charge hourly, … [Read more...]
Tips For Working At Home
Talk of the coronavirus is rife at the time of writing this post. We're about 10 weeks or so into when the virus began to break out into the world. No-one knew what it might mean in their countries and at home, and we're, as yet, to learn how long this might go on for. So, as a consequence, there is lots of talk about people working at home - in those industries where it is possible. Working at home, though, can have its own challenges, especially for those who haven't done this before. It … [Read more...]
I want to make…
In some groups online I see new, or relatively new VAs talking about how much they want to earn a month and when by. I can see why they do it - putting it out there and the universe (may) help you get there. But sometimes, just sometimes, the figures mentioned are probably beyond achievable in just a few months, as much as they would like it to happen. We all would! However, there is preparation and thinking to be done to achieve what is spoken. This was my response to the VA hoping to make … [Read more...]
How do you find your clients?
I was asked this simple question recently in a VA forum and here's my simple answer. It was in relation to my work as a Secretariat for Not -for-Profit organisations but the same can apply for any line of work in our industry. They find me :-) Word-of-mouth referrals through networking and meeting other people, plus my website and my LinkedIn Profile. One of the NFPs I'm looking after happened because I met a new committee member at a networking event about 9 years ago. Another was because … [Read more...]
Is $5 an hour too cheap for a VA?
I answer a lot of questions at Quora - are you familiar with this site? Today I was asked if $5 an hour too cheap for a VA. My answer was this: Depends on a number of things: Where you live and your cost of living The currency you’re working with The type of services you’re providing Your background experience and skill-set How many hours a week you want to work How much you want to earn on a weekly/monthly/annual basis Have you actually done a budget forecast … [Read more...]
What are the typical start up costs for a VA business?
It really depends on what type of services you're planning to provide and my answer below is fairly generic. As a VA who provides general secretarial and administrative support, the initial costs were: a reliable computer - most people already own this but didn't when I started in 1994 a reliable printer - ditto above somewhere to sit that is ergonomic to protect your back and neck from aches suitable software for the services you provide. Microsoft Office is still the standard. … [Read more...]