I wonder if you take the time to check the location of a person you are emailing? Too often I get emails that are directed to me personally, and are not part of a bulk email, where the person says 'have a great day', or 'hope you're having a great summer' when the reality is I live on the other side of the world to that person so it's night not day and winter not summer. Do you think I'm being pedantic? I don't believe so. When I email someone and if I'm going to make reference to the time … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2010
Super Saturday in Adelaide
Some readers will know that I use Send Out Cards for building client relationships and keeping contact with people on my database. Great system which is cost efficient and allows me to personalise them in a unique way. Also a great way of using my photos. If you’re curious about Send Out Cards and live in South Australia and you would like to learn more I can arrange for you to receive tickets to attend the Super Saturday event coming up in Adelaide on October 16. There will be a chance to … [Read more...]
How passionate are you?
We've been having some interesting discussions on the forums about the term 'Virtual Assistant' and how we describe to those we meet what it is we do. I have a simple way of explaining it - I simply ask people if they understand how a PA (Personal Assistant) or a secretary works with their boss - they're rarely in the same office, could be on a different floor of the same building or futher apart and that the boss may travel but the PA or secretary still work with/for them. They communicate via … [Read more...]
Address or no address?
I've posted this at a couple of VA forum and it's opened quite a discussion. So I'm posting it here too for your comments and feedback. It seems to me that more and more people are not listing their addresses on their websites, in their signature blocks and on their business cards. I find this rather annoying if I want to send them something in the mail - I have to ask for their address and that then spoils the surprise had I wanted to surprise them. I go to business networking events and … [Read more...]
Quick way to fail if you’re looking for VA work
This is just a small 'beef' but an important one. I get many potential VAs filling out the application form on my site to join our team. That's great and I love to help them as much as I can. But I get some who fill out the wrong form on the website and it makes me wonder if they can actually read (English) and follow instructions. I'm sorry, but the majority of our clients speak, read and write English, so the VA must be able to as well, even if it isn't their native language. I have two … [Read more...]
Creating a Virtual Assistant business
If you're a regular reader of my blog you would have seen last week the post about a VA who had infringed upon two of my trademarks (my business name and my catch phrase) on her website. Her response had been she didn't know and had engaged someone else to do her site for her. Unfortunately ignorance is not bliss in this situation, as in many situations. The reality is she owns her website and is responsible for what is put on the site and even the business name she elects to use. In her … [Read more...]
Free advertising for VA website
Periodically there will be requests on the Virtual Assistant forums asking about free advertising. In fact you find requests for free almost everything. I'm a believer of that old saying 'you have to spend money to make money' and the fact is if you're in business, you should expect that you're going to have a number of taxable expenses. It goes with the territory. However, given that, there are a number of low cost or free options for a number of things in business and if you can save money, … [Read more...]
Being a VA doesn’t mean ‘cheap’
I get amazed by the (thankfully small) number of people who contact me looking for, and I quote ' I could do with a good inexpensive VA. My experience with them has been poor. Would appreciate your advice on this score. My response to this person was: Re 'inexpensive' VA. Not sure what you mean by that exactly. I don't have any on my lists who charge what the Asians charge but I do have Virtual Assistants in 11 countries, all English speaking and writing and depending on their cost of … [Read more...]
Trading off someone else’s business name is bad form
Why is it that new Virtual Assistants (and I guess new anything in any industry) think they can run their business using someone else's business name and catch phrase? Worse for them - both are trademarked. This particular VA is running a business in Queensland Australia. I doubt very much that they haven't heard of my business. I'm even in listed in their Yellow Pages. I hope the owner of the site I'm referring to reads my blog. This is extremely bad form and shows you have little … [Read more...]