I get really concerned when I hear about Virtual Assistants that let clients and their fellow VAs down. When you're in business the buck stops with you - there is no-one else. And so when you take on a commitment to support a client or fellow VA the onus is on you to get the work done. Recently I had a client contact me who was desperate to get some work finished. She had engaged a VA, paid for the project in advance and the job was only half done before a family emergency on behalf of the VA … [Read more...]
How to get your first client as a Virtual Assistant
One question that is often asked on VA forums is 'how do I get my first client?' and the answers are always forthcoming from those who have already been there. When the new VA gets the answers they nearly always balk at the prospect of having to go out and meet people and network. I believe most of them think that in working at and from home means they will never have to go out into that big wide world again - wrong! You might be operating as a Virtual Assistant but that doesn't you mean you … [Read more...]
How is your mindset?
Periodically I feel the need to touch on this subject. I see business coaches talking to other business people about this also. The importance of your mindset when running a business. As with any industry, it's not just about how well you do a particular thing, or how much you know about it, it is also about your ability to run a business, deal with people, and not quit when the going gets tough. Because it does get tough from time to time. I can't say it's ever been easy, but I can … [Read more...]
Can you follow instructions?
May I encourage all new and prospective VAs out there, to carefully read web pages before filling out forms and pressing submit. Just recently I got told by a prospective VA that I was rude and she wouldn't want to work for my company anyway. Why did she say this to me (via email)? Because I told her that she'd filled out the wrong form and as a result we could not help her. She was looking for VA work and had filled out a form for clients seeking support from Virtual Assistants. The page is … [Read more...]
Whatever happened to professionalism?
aaarrghh! I can't believe how many emails I get these days where people do not sign off, or include contact details. What is wrong with people these days? Is email no longer considered a professional way of contacting others? What am I talking about? Signature blocks. I receive emails from Virtual Assistants, from service and product providers, from other organisations where people just sign off with their firstname and nothing else. No surname, no business name, no website address, no phone … [Read more...]
What are you promoting?
A few weeks ago I had an interesting comment from someone who was looking for VA support. They said to me "I would have asked you but I know how busy you are and didn't think you had room for me". oops, is that how people really see me? It was too late to say I was interested in the role - they'd already engaged another VA. But it did make me realise that others may have this perception too. How are you promoting yourself? It's good to let people know you're busy but are you telling them … [Read more...]
Why I wouldn’t take this job
I got an email overnight with the subject: I am looking for an experienced article writer. The message said: Dear friend, I am impressed by your writings and the content you post on your blogs. I was also looking for a Quality Technical Writer who may provide me similar quality articles. I can provide you the content which you have to write in your words. I need an engineering manual written on Mechanical Engineering subjects for which I am willing to spend around $100 to get these 100 pages … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistants – Mind Your Language!
I had a conversation recently with someone relating to internet merchant facilities. During the course of the conversation he kept using in-house terminology which didn't really mean much to me at all. I had to remind him, more than once, that he's speaking a language that his industry might understand but the client wouldn't, and I am a client. He apologised and made an effort to use language I would understand. We finally came to an understanding of what I need to do to get something working … [Read more...]
The hours you do
I received an email recently from one of my VA team members which highlighted a problem they had been having with sub-contracting VAs but it is something that all VAs should be aware of when doing work for someone - whether another VA or the client direct. And this relates to your responsibility regarding the task charged to you and also the way you carry out the work and the time that is taken to do the job. The VA says: I just thought I would let you know that a couple of times this year I … [Read more...]
