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...]
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...]
Are you doing the work?
I sometimes wonder just how much effort some put into building their VA businesses? They join a network or forum, put up a website and then I see very little of them after that. Sometime later I get told they're closing their business or resigning from the network. What has taken place in between? Have they worked their networks, spent time marketing, have they gotten to know other VAs to increase the opportunities for sub-contracting or outsourcing? Have they participated in forums and … [Read more...]
Employer/Client – what’s the difference?
Well, I sincerely hope you do know the difference or perhaps you shouldn't be going into business. But it does astound me how many (new) VAs will refer to a prospective client as an employer. WRONG MINDSET and it's not going to help you grow your business. It is so very important to have the right mindset when going into business otherwise confusion can reign in your mind and it will make things difficult for you when establishing boundaries. What's the difference? Employer - sets the rates, … [Read more...]
Looking for Virtual Assistant work?
As the owner/manager of a well established Virtual Assistant Network I get many requests from people who want to join my team of VAs. I would love to help them all but there are some who really disqualify themselves very early in the process, which is a shame. I know they're anxious to get work and anxious to establish their businesses but it's important they pay attention to detail. One of the most common mistakes a potential VA makes is they fill out the wrong form. They fill out the form … [Read more...]
Forum membership etiquette
My regular readers will know I participate in several forums - not just Virtual Assistant forums, but also other forums relating to business and/or other topics I have an interest in. My business has grown with the internet, i.e. I began in business 18 months before it entered the business arena here in Australia, so I have grown in business as the internet has grown also. I've seen a lot of trends come and go and things develop and change over the years. Prior to networking online, I did all … [Read more...]
How many clients do you need?
A chance comment at a VA forum made me realise that a new VA was using the scatter gun approach to finding new clients and was, therefore, trying to prevent travelling all over the countryside and use cold calling instead. Except she was unsure how to go about it. She'd obtained (legally) a directory for her target market and wanted to approach them all to introduce her business and was seeking advise about this. I'd made comment that face-to-face was more personal and why didn't she just go … [Read more...]
Forum Etiquette
One of the VA groups I belong to was discussing limiting sales pitches to seminars or webinars and how did members feel about it? My response was: I think that people who come along to promote/sell something at a list that doesn't belong to them are being presumptous. I have a problem with it personally. You spend time building a list and then they come along and think it's their right to pitch to that list - without having anything to do with building it in the first place. My own opinion and … [Read more...]
