Discussions via the VA forums get quite interesting and it's good to see really meaty topics take place. Recently one of my team posted a series of questions for other members to answer and it gave real insight into the background of many, their experience, why they started out as VAs, would they ever return to the corporate world, and so on. One answer given to a question asked brought to memory something I'd done a couple of times (hopefully I've learnt from it) where I became dependent on … [Read more...]
Advice For New VA’s
Time again on VA forums I see the same request. "I'm just starting my business and want to know how to get clients". They get a number of responses and are often encouraged to read the archives of the forums for further information. I thought sharing via this blog might help those considering a career as a Virtual Assistant. Apart from the obvious requirements such as computer, internet connection, suitable software, good knowledge in how to use that software and suitable experience in … [Read more...]
Putting an Accent (Emphasis) on Your Business
I read today a newsletter that's just been published online for the VA industry. Had some great information in it - it's obviously tax time in the US! Along with it was a very useful article about how seriously VAs should take their businesses and the survey done in 2004 by the Brenner Information Group. The article is on page 6 of the newsletter (thanks Ramona). Please note that the figures quoted throughout the article are in USD and I believe a large number of those surveyed would have been … [Read more...]
Love/Hate Relationship With Quiet Times
Why is that when things are so hectically busy I long for a quiet time to start that new project or idea and then end up starting it anyway because I can't wait? It often means I'm on my computer till midnight to get it up and running, and then not being able to switch off my mind when I finally go to bed. And then when the quiet time does come (usually between Christmas and New Year, or just before the end of the financial year when people don't want to spend any more money) the 'new project' … [Read more...]
Employee Mentality or Business Owner Thinking?
It is often hard, when starting out as a VA to determine what information you should be seeking, whether something can be sourced elsewhere, or whether you should be doing it all on your own? I participate in several VA forums and often see new VAs asking for items that they really should be sorting out for themselves. Things like contracts, rates sheets, brochures, business plans and other items. What should they expect help with and what should they be doing on their own? The key word here is … [Read more...]
Maintaining Your Professionalism at Home
How do you do it? How do you cope with family and working at home? I was asked these questions recently at a networking breakfast but it's not the first time I've been asked such questions. Perhaps the answers came naturally to me, perhaps they were instinctive, or maybe they were something instilled in me at a much younger age, but it all seems pretty much common sense these days. And yet not so for others. Hence why they ask the questions I suppose. What am I talking about? Managing my … [Read more...]
Outsourcing or Offshoring?
There has been a lot of talk and many articles printed about the benefits of Offshoring as opposed to Outsourcing locally. There has also been great debate about whether the cheaper costs of Offshoring are outweighed by the benefits of Outsourcing locally. Within a space of a few short years it has become evident that not all cases of offshoring have been beneficial with the end user (the consumer) becoming disgruntled with trying to communicate with telemarketers who do not understand the … [Read more...]
The Email Tamer
Do you fight a constant battle with incoming email? Would you like to see an almost empty inbox again? Well, here’s something that will help you! In my July newsletter I wanted to outline the merits of using a Filter or Rules Wizard in your email program. Probably the most widely used email program is Outlook but you may be using a different program – hopefully it will have the ability to do some, or all, of these things for you. As a business operator you may find yourself working for more … [Read more...]
Should I join a network?
There seem to be lots of virtual assistant networks on the web. How do I know which is the right one and whether I should be paying for a membership or not? There are a lot of networks and each has its own culture. Some do charge membership fees and others don't and this is really a measure of what they provide. Some provide a free chat forum, others have the chat forum and directory listing on the web. One or two provide yellow pages advertising in various countries, several provide job leads … [Read more...]
