The end of the year might not be far away but it's not too late to plan for the New Year. I have two options available for new and emerging VAs and you can sign up today! Option 1. The VATrainer.com course runs over a 10 week period and requires you to spend some time doing research and homework. You can send your homework to me weekly or at the end of the 10 weeks in one hit. Once completed I go through your work, add comment where needed and provide you with a certificate of completion and … [Read more...]
The importance of follow up
We read often the importance of follow up when networking and meeting people for the first time but what about when they've already begun using your service or product? How many of you follow up afterward to see how things are going? A couple of years ago I decided to set up an autoresponder series for follow up after clients fill out the job request form on my website. I hadn't realised how valuable this simple action would be. Over that time I've received really valuable feedback as well … [Read more...]
Email peeve
I wrote a little while ago why I prefer email and this post covers a pet peeve of mine relating to email. I know that not everyone who uses email is a 'professional' online and many don't understand the use of it. But it does concern me if a client consistently responds to my emails without including anything of the previous email sent to them. I find a few people do this and it's very frustrating. The reason why it's frustrating is that often their replies are several days later and their … [Read more...]
Whatever happened to ethics?
On some of the business forums I belong to (not just VA forums) I see discussions amongst members who sub-contract work out to other service providers. One of the big turn-offs for some in using a sub-contractor is that some of the sub-contractors overstep their boundary and show no respect for the original relationship between the client and the person sub-contracting the work out. They make direct contact with the client seeking continued work. In the corporate world contractors or staff, … [Read more...]
Introducing the new Coaching Club
I've been working on a project in the background for some months, as if I need something else to be doing! Many of you will know that I've been running the VATrainer.com Virtual Assistant course for a few years now and I'm thrilled that we have many graduates now having gone through that program. However I do get requests from those looking to become VAs, who can't afford the training course fee, for assistance and I hate turning people away. So I've been developing the Virtual Assistant … [Read more...]
Back online
Our new internet connection didn't happen when it was supposed to and, as a result, it's nearly a week longer than I anticipated being fully back online. Somewhat frustrating when you're running an online business. Our move from the old home to the new one went relatively smoothly but I have no idea how we accumulated all that stuff. The new place has heaps of storage but I don't want to be filling it all up. Need to try and live more simply somehow. I have an 'opp box' at the moment where … [Read more...]
Off air for a few days
As you read this I will be making last minute preparations to shift to a new home. The last lot of packing will be taking place today and I probably won't be near my computer desk much. Later in the day my computer will be disconnected from the online world and it will be a few days before it's reconnected. My husband and I have bought a home on a 2 acre property in the hills and we've been looking forward to this move for quite some time. I look forward to seeing daily Australian birdlife … [Read more...]
“You have given me so much confidence”
They were the words spoken to me by a client recently. He's writing his family memoirs and getting into a mess with trying to handle Table of Contents, indexing and even line spacing between paragraphs. We spoke on the phone a few days ago and he emailed me his document. I could see right away there was much work to be done so I sent back an outline of what I thought needed to be done and how, and what my rate would be. I also suggested he speak to a local printer I know who could give him … [Read more...]
Why I prefer email
It was only 7.45am and I was catching up with emails and playing with some photos I wanted to edit. The business line rang and I wondered whether I should pick it up yet or not. After all I don't usually start work till a bit later. I answered the phone and it was one of my clients. A cheque he'd sent over a week ago still hadn't arrived and he was ringing to say he'd only just now seen my email from the previous night. I laughed inwardly as I listened to him and then when he stopped I told … [Read more...]
