Start Your VA in Under 12 Weeks! Are you interested in running your very own Virtual Assistant business but don’t know where to start? Would you like a career change for 2024? VA Trainer could be your answer. First created back in 2006 by Kathie Thomas, VA Trainer has been undated and relaunched in 2023 with added Resources and Templates and email support. If you're after a self-paced course that you can do in your own time, then this course is for you. Feel free to contact me, … [Read more...]
5 Ways to De-Stress Your Christmas …
Christmas can be a very festive and fun time of the year but it can also be quite stressful to its lead up, especially if you are running a business. #1 … Organise a Kris Kringle Our family changed over to KK quite a few years ago now. Names are written on a Christmas Card and each of us picks one out. We spend a minimum of $50 and that’s it. It takes the stress out of buying lots of gifts just for the sake of buying something and we spend a bit more and get something ‘better’ rather than … [Read more...]
Connect Her Podcast with VA Directory
During August, I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the Connect Her Podcast with Lee Cummins, where I spoke about the VA industry, how I got into it and all about VA Directory. Grab a cuppa and get comfy on your favourite chair and have a giggle with us (I'm so not an expert podcaster and forget the questions LOL). Watch it here Listen to it here. Let me know what you think and please feel free to share this around to your socials too. The more people who know about VA Directory, … [Read more...]
Are Virtual Assistants Good or Bad for Business?
I recently answered this question at Quora and thought I'd bring the discussion here on my own site. My answer was in response to the inference that they could be damaging to someone's business. And there seems to me, that some think you just engage a VA when you want something done - they don't realise that this can be a long-term arrangement. I'd like you to consider that a Virtual Assistant can be long-term use, not just short-term. Why engage lots of different VAs when you can keep one … [Read more...]
Networking isn’t just about building a business…
It's also about companionship. Most of us come from a job - a place where we are amongst many people and then when we venture out on our own, suddenly we're alone. No wonder many VAs return to a job in the first or second year of their business. It's not always about whether they're making enough money, or whether the business is surviving - it is often very much about the person who is running that business needing companionship. In my first couple of years I could see that being home alone … [Read more...]
Do the research!
I feel saddened when I hear about VAs who have set themselves up as a trainer, or coach, or mentor or something and then start giving inaccurate advise. It's so important for you, the one who is wanting to learn, to do the research and make sure that whomever you're going to pay for advice, is qualified to give you that information. Or that the information they are giving is accurate. This includes how long they've been operating as a VA. Generally if it's less than five years - they're still … [Read more...]
No, not everyone can be a VA
Seems, these days, that if someone is between jobs, seeking to run a business but has no idea what, or has a job they hate and want to leave, the common cry is 'Why not become a VA? Anyone can do it!' Well, I'm here to say that's not the case. Not everyone. It takes a special set of skills but also a mindset and I would go so far as to say, a certain personality as well. Yes, most people can use a computer these days, but that doesn't mean they're good at it. Yes, most people are on the … [Read more...]
Can you afford NOT to have a VA?
It's interesting seeing posts on social media from time to time, asking for an 'affordable VA'. The operative word being 'affordable'. And this can mean many things, depending on where you live, what currency you work with, and what you're currently earning yourself and so on. It's really quite relative, isn't it? What people really need to think about is how much time they'd like to free up so they can continue to build their business. If you're spending 2-10 hours a month on admin, … [Read more...]
The Cost of Doing Business
I don't know about you, but when I started my business almost 25 years ago, I expected to have to pay out for things to get started. Things such as: equipment, furniture, software, business registration, business name registration, printed business cards and stationery, industry association memberships, advertising and so the list goes on. The old saying 'you have to spend money to make money' rang very true back then. Additional but hidden costs were taxes, insurances, superannuation, … [Read more...]