Virtual Assistants! And small business owner operators! Do you have a database? You do? Do you use it? I'm a keen advocate for networking, both online and offline, as it's important to keep meeting people and to keep letting them know you exist. You need to be visible - not invisible. What amazes me is that people go out and network, and most of them admit to wanting new work, but then you rarely hear from them afterwards. What are they doing with my business card, and the cards of others … [Read more...]
Invite your clients
As many of you know we recently had the Australian VA Conference take place in Melbourne. We had a wonderful array of speakers and also sponsors. One of those sponsors was so fired up by the conference that she has begun spruiking the benefits of using a Virtual Assistant and what takes place in our industry to her own clients and contacts and the client requests for work to be done have begun flowing in. When you think about it, a VA conference is really suitable for anyone at all who runs a … [Read more...]
17 years ago today…
I nervously and excitedly made my way into the city of Melbourne to register my new business. I hadn't wanted to share my business name idea with anyone, in case someone else beat me to it. Little did I know what might transpire in the years to come and how my business name would be used, not only for my services, but for the services of many others. The world has indeed changed in those 17 years. Computers have changed incredibly, so has the media we use for storing information. It is … [Read more...]
Check your facts!
Been involved in an interesting discussion on a LinkedIn forum. Not relating to Virtual Assistance at all but rather my passion, photography. However, what has been taking place there is something we all need to be mindful of as Virtual Assistants and therefore often as advisors to our clients. I thought I should share my thoughts here. The discussion related to Copyright requirements for photos, but this can also apply to other items we deal with for our clients. So it need not be Copyright … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistants add value to your business
The value of a Virtual Assistant is being widely acknowledged now, although there are still many business owners who are learning all about our industry. I recently shifted to a new BNI chapter closer to home and there are quite a few categories in that chapter that are perfect 'power partners' for my Virtual Assistant business. I've had 10 dance cards (one-on-one meetings) over the past few weeks and have enjoyed sharing with each BNI member the diversity of the things that I do. I love … [Read more...]
Niche VA – transcriptions
Transcription work is popular and plenty. From private individuals reciting their memoirs, to authors writing a new book, minutes of meetings, conference recordings, police reports, legal meetings, medical reports and so on, there is a growing need for conversations and public events to be recorded and then transcribed. Even podcasts and webinars. So, the need for a Virtual Assistant with excellent typing skills (speed and accuracy) is a must for those who need this type of work carried out. … [Read more...]
You don’t have to have a lot of hours….
In speaking to various people or reading articles online, it's easy to understand why some have the perception that they need a lot of hours of regular work to be done to have a Virtual Assistant looking after them. In fact, that's not true at all. While many VAs do have packages where you can buy 5, 10 or more hours a month of work to be done, not all have that system in place. Many do ad-hoc work, others simply bill at the end of the month. One of my longest-term clients started off with … [Read more...]
Have you thought about what you want to do this year?
I sent the following information to my clients recently and thought that my readers might also benefit from the information. Things to think about for your business at the beginning of a new year. Website(s) - does it need updating, changing, or anything else done to it? Are your contact details current on the site? Blog(s) - how often are you writing articles and posting, or do you need my assistance with this? If you have a blog it should be written to regularly, at least 2-4 times a … [Read more...]
Seeking good customer service
My husband and I were watching ACA (A Current Affair, Ch 9, Melbourne) program the other night and they were discussing why less people are entering the shops and more are shopping online. Talk had even been made of the home shopping option that was available for years and then scrapped because it was considered too expensive. Retailers are getting concerned about the declining number of shoppers. There were a number of possible reasons and excuses given but we both felt that the key reasons … [Read more...]
