This was the question I was asked by a lady recently, who is looking to become a Virtual Assistant. She is thinking of joining my Virtual Assistant Network and wanted some assurance that she would earn an income. This is not an uncommon question and I thought I'd share my answer with you all here on my blog. In answer to that question - no, in the short-term and yes, in the long-term. There isn't a direct answer. What I mean is when you join you might get a client straight away or it … [Read more...]
Getting the right support for your business
I mentioned the IVAA Oz Coffee Chat we had the other night and the discussion about a number of VAs losing a major client. One of the other things discussed that night was finding a suitable Accountant for our businesses. I'm amazed at the number of VAs who don't have an Accountant. When you're new in business chances are the only thing you know to do well is the service you are offering, be it word-processing, transcriptions, social media support, and so on. Few of us are across the … [Read more...]
Why does it cost to join a VA network?
At a VA discussion group a question similar to this was asked. The new VA said it was a problem that every network costs to join and she wanted to find a free one or if she could have her dues deducted later once she got paying clients. This was my response to her - and I've added more for the benefit of the readers here. Those sites are run by people who spend their time, their energies and their own money running them. Charging a fee helps to recover those costs. Believe me there's a lot … [Read more...]
Where do your clients hang out?
When you're a new Virtual Assistant, it can sometimes be difficult to determine where to find your potential clients. All the obvious things come to mind: newspapers, flyers, Yellow Pages, noticeboards. Some of these things cost money and some don't - just a bit of time and effort. But there are other things you can do or use to help you find your potential client base. The important thing first may be simply working out what your client might look like. Not physically but more with respect … [Read more...]
Twitter 4 VAs
Networking is such a useful thing to do. Less than two weeks ago I attended the 90 Day Networking Event in Melbourne, being held by Networking World. I met quite a few people (there were over 150 in attendance) and have connected with some of them since. One of these people is Keith Keller, whom I like to nickname "Mr Twitter". Keith is a Global Social Media Coach who focuses entirely on Twitter. He teaches you how to get the best out of your Twitter experience and runs sessions called … [Read more...]
When flattery will get you nowhere (and cost you money)
When you have a presence online there will come a time when the thieves come out of the woods and make themselves known. More like wolves in sheep's clothing. They will butter you up and tell you how fantastic you are and convince you that you should part with your hard-earned money to invest in their project. In this case a 'who's who directory of people' from some unknown but impressive sounding company. When you get approached by someone to list in a Who's Who Directory it would be well … [Read more...]
Setting goals for your VA business
When you first start out with your Virtual Assistant business it's easy to get caught up in the daily activities of finding clients, setting up systems, establishing what your service offerings are going to be, learning from other VAs and so on. There does come a point in time though when you could begin to feel like you're always working, always marketing, always doing something, but very little for yourself. Setting goals for yourself is a good way to help you get focus - providing … [Read more...]
I’m new in business and want to get started
This is a common question for those new to the Virtual Assistant business. How do they find clients? Should they be networking? Do they really have to go out and meet people? What about those sites where you have to pay to get work and so on. Networking is paramount, both online and offline. If people don't know you exist, then they're not going to think of you when looking for your type of service. Building relationships is still very important in business, probably moreso because people … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistant – are you going it alone?
Being in business is tough any time. You have to wear multiple hats, or be able to employ sufficient people to wear all those hats: CEO/Owner, marketer & promotions/PR, bookkeeper, database manager, worker, and so it goes on. I still hear from those who have been operating a Virtual Assistant business entirely on their own, unaware there is a whole industry out there, of peers whom they could be connecting with to learn from and share. It would seem that some are so busy inside their … [Read more...]
