Operating a VA Business | VA Directory

Moving towards the New Year as a Virtual Assistant

This time of year is traditionally one where people take stock of what they've achieved throughout the current year and what they might change or do in the new year. Many of my regular readers will know that I usually have a Prayer and Planning day mid January to plan for the new year. I've been doing this for several years and having had a business coach has helped with that process. This year (2010) was different in that I found it harder to be focused at the beginning of the new year. I'd … [Read more...]

Have you done your Christmas Cards yet?

There's been discussions on various VA forums about whether or not to send Christmas cards to clients or Christmas emails. It was generally agreed that emails do get lost, filtered out, read later, but a printed card in the post would be read and put on a shelf or on display somewhere for the client to see each day. Some like to get cards designed and printed, others purchase cards from somewhere and handwrite in them. Still more are undecided and as a result, often they just don't get … [Read more...]

Niche VA – Social Media

I thought I'd touch on the various Niches that a Virtual Assistant can work in. Today I want to touch on Social Media - a subject that is very popular in today's business climate. Social Media covers so many things but largely relates to the form of networking you might do for your business and the tools you use for it. Tools can include: Blogs LinkedIn Facebook MySpace Twitter Plurk Gist, and the list goes on. It seems that almost every day there's a new tool being developed to … [Read more...]

Do they know you exist?

I was just saying to someone I met last week that often if it's not online then they lose a sale from us. Example: Graham and I frequently go away and stay at B&Bs. I can't be bothered going to travel agencies or RACV to find out what listings they have. I simply Google B&Bs in the area we're looking for and book online. If they're not online we don't know they exist. Same for a lot of services and products we buy these days. My husband and I do a lot of our purchasing … [Read more...]

It’s not cool to ask

In fact, it's rather rude. What? you say. I'm talking about those who beg for work at Virtual Assistant forums. They join and then start sending PMs (Personal Messages) to members at the forum, or email them, or ask on the forums itself for work. This is not what the forums are for. They are about learning and sharing information and over time people get to know each other. It's what networking is really about - developing relationships. When you're at a face-to-face networking event you … [Read more...]

Yet another company hopping on the VA bandwagon…

I received an email this morning from 1shoppingcart.com advising all its users that they can now make use of their new partnership virtual assistant services. What? I thought they were a shoppingcart service that provides broadcast emails, autoresponders and shoppingcarts. Now they want to enter the Virtual Assistant Industry too? I don't know about you but I am a Virtual Assistant who has brought them much business over the years, inviting many of my clients to use their service. Doesn't … [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...]

What are you doing next year?

Did you know it's only 12 weeks to Christmas? yeah, I know, but someone had to say it. We don't like being reminded of how close the end of the year is, do we? Seriously though, have you thought about what you're doing next year? If you fit into any of the following, then I have a special offer for you: - You're looking to become a Virtual Assistant and not sure where to start - You have been running your VA business part-time but want to take it to the next level - You've been a VA for … [Read more...]

Address or no address?

I've posted this at a couple of VA forum and it's opened quite a discussion. So I'm posting it here too for your comments and feedback. It seems to me that more and more people are not listing their addresses on their websites, in their signature blocks and on their business cards. I find this rather annoying if I want to send them something in the mail - I have to ask for their address and that then spoils the surprise had I wanted to surprise them. I go to business networking events and … [Read more...]