Have you thought about how you are going to help your clients in the new year? The following is an email I sent out to a selection of clients I know have toyed with some of these ideas over the past couple of years but still haven't quite gotten down to it. Perhaps I can help them move forward in 2013. So, 2013 is almost here. Do you remember what you were planning for this year, or even the previous year, but never got around to it? I know I’ve mentioned this before but these things are … [Read more...]
How did you get your first client?
A question I'm often asked in different places. Usually by new VAs who are dead set keen to get their first client and not sure how to go about it. I thought I'd share how my first clients came about and encourage readers to add theirs as well. For me it was 1994. I was telling everyone I knew what I was planning to do... leave my job and start up my own secretarial business at home. A man at my church came and asked if I could do some typing for him and that was my first job. Only a few … [Read more...]
What are you planning in the New Year?
It's that time of year again. Thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. Plans for the New Year. What are you planning to do? Have you been thinking about running your own Virtual Assistant business but just haven't taken the plunge? Or, perhaps you have been for awhile but feel there are some things missing in what you need to do and how to do it? Maybe it's time to get some guidance and training so you can kick off the New Year filled to the brim with ideas and confidence! … [Read more...]
Do you have an accountant?
If you're in business you should. Doesn't matter if your business is part-time or full-time. If you're operating a business of some sort then you should have a professional guiding you and helping you with your business. Yes, it costs to have an Accountant but those costs are a taxable expense. And if you don't have the structure set up properly you could be costing yourself a lot of money over the long run. For example, are you aware (particularly here in Australia but could well apply … [Read more...]
Tips for building your Virtual Assistant career
As long as you are confident with your current set of skills, then you have a starting point. You should (obviously) already have a good computer at home, reliable internet connection and the necessary hardware and software to complement those skills. Mixing and mingling with others via VA forums is a good thing to do. Networking away from VA forums, i.e. going out there and meeting local business people is a must. Not only will you learn things about running a business locally from other … [Read more...]
GoDaddy server down
I've been seeing messages at Facebook that people’s websites are down because GoDaddy’s server got hacked. There’s an article here about it. This is a worry, obviously, to anyone who has their sites hosted there. But then it doesn’t really matter where our sites are hosted, are they truly safe? For as long as the hackers don’t have their sights set on your host, your site will remain up. Something that is really important for anyone who owns a website is to make sure your site is backed up … [Read more...]
Are you running a charity or a business?
I participate in several VA forums to share information and learn from others and it's at these places that some of my material for this blog comes from. One recurring theme or should I say 'thought' is the one that makes VAs, particularly newer ones, think they should be able to get stuff cheap or at no cost. These are things that relate to running their VA businesses. Don't forget that those providing the tools for you to run your business are also running a business. They need to be able … [Read more...]
Top FAQs for Clients II
Last week I shared on the top 4 questions (as asked of me) from clients seeking to engage the services of a Virtual Assistant. Here are more questions asked, not necessarily on my site, sometimes on forums. Where can I find a Virtual Assistant? This question always amazes me because it's very simple to put into a search engine 'Virtual Assistant' and thousands of references will come up. But perhaps there lies the problem - thousands. Perhaps the question should be how do I know I'm going to … [Read more...]
Top FAQs for Virtual Assistant Clients
Do you have an FAQ page on your Virtual Assistant website? Have you considered the possible questions that might be asked of you about how working with a VA would work for a potential client? Because I manage a network for VAs as well as provide a service for clients from my site I have a mixture of questions that relate to both VAs and Clients. But let's just focus on clients for today. Below are lengthy explanations but you can shorten them somewhat for your own purposes. Possibly the … [Read more...]