On one of the forums I participate a member was asking how to market their VA business and get work. I joined in the conversation and highlighted the importance of networking. My response is below. Networking is a key to developing business and a big part of it. I believe you should be networking both online and offline. I started with offline networking in the early days of my business because there was no Internet then but online networking today is just as important - you need a mixture … [Read more...]
Taking on a new client
I regularly have clients contacting me via my website asking for a Virtual Assistant to support them. The work is quite wide and varied, with some jobs being one-offs and others being short- or long-term commitments. Most of the time I introduce the client to a Virtual Assistant team member and I don't hear from them again, unless it's to thank me for my assistance in connecting them - but very few clients do that. However, on odd occasions a client will come back to me to ask for a new VA and … [Read more...]
I’m sick, should I tell my clients?
Interesting discussion arose recently on one of the VA forums and I thought I'd bring the topic here. How do you handle things if you're not well and have client work to be done? I guess the answer really depends on the timing for that work and the relationship you have with your clients. Also, just how sick you might be? If I've had a day where I've felt a bit 'off' but not needing to be in bed, I will work at half capacity, completing anything that might have had a deadline for that day and … [Read more...]
I’m a new Virtual Assistant, do I need a website?
This was a question posted at a VA forum very recently and it is something often asked by those entering our industry. She wanted to know if creating a flyer for now would do as she didn't want to spend money on a website till she had work coming in. What did I advise them? If you're not going to have a website then I encourage you to join one or more of the VA networks that provide an online listing for you so you have a presence online and you can use that as your web page address for … [Read more...]
Looking for a standard rate…
I often get phone calls from prospective clients or emails from new VAs asking what the 'standard rate' is for carrying out particular jobs. I do understand their question but they haven't really thought about what they're asking. When you're buying a product such as a book, software or other things then there are often 'recommended retail' prices for that particular item. However, when it comes to providing services, it doesn't work the same way. It's not like you're paying an employee that … [Read more...]
No. 8 Mistake VAs Make
Continuing on in our recent series... Using free accounts such as hotmail, yahoo, etc for their email address. Domains are very cheap to purchase and even if you don't yet have your own website, there is no reason why you can't have your own domain (to reflect your name or your business name) for your email. This assists with branding and people are more likely to remember your business or business name if you use a domain address to reflect that when corresponding with them. Show people you … [Read more...]
How much should I charge?
Regularly on the VA forums, and sometimes via direct email, I see this question from new VAs. They have worked out what services they are going to provide, have begun seeking ways to network and find new clients but then when they get asked 'how much?' they get stuck. That's ok, we've all been there in some form or another. What did I do when I was treading this same path 15 years ago? I looked at what I was earning the previous year in a corporate job. I knew that if I was going to make … [Read more...]
Number 7 Mistake VAs Make
Not keeping the client in the picture. Some clients will get very anxious if they don't hear from you within an expected time frame and will either go off and find someone else to help them or get very annoyed when they do connect with you. Always a good idea to ask what the time frame is and make sure you report back regularly if a large or long project or regular ongoing work. And particularly for new clients - they won't know what to expect and for many, using a VA for the first time can … [Read more...]
Mistakes VAs Make
I hope you like the series I've been doing on the mistakes VAs make in operating their businesses. I've been getting great feedback - both here at the blog and via email from various people and the list has been growing as I've been thinking about it when away from my office and doing other things. So, where did I get the idea to do this? Twitter. What Twitter? Yes. I saw someone post some weeks ago the number one mistake in their industry - it was just a single post and didn't continue on, … [Read more...]
