I've come across so many stories as to why people have chosen to become a Virtual Assistant. For me it was about family and has always been that. I began before the internet and in those days we were known as home-based secretaries. But the reasons why were the same. Fed up with corporate life and the rat race. Fed up with driving into the city and back every day, or being stuck because a train has broken down. Fed up with office politics and all that went with it. Fed up with being blocked … [Read more...]
Do you need a VA in your region?
One of the great things about VA Directories that are international is the ability to seek a VA in your own country or region. Recent posts I've written have been about sourcing a VA in Australia (because that's where I live) but what about in your own country, if you are elsewhere? While it is true that a lot of work can be done by a VA anywhere in the world, there are also some good reasons why you might want to consider a VA in your own region. And they include the following: Being aware … [Read more...]
Tips for working with a Virtual Assistant
One of the biggest delay factors in getting work completed for a client, is the delay in getting complete and accurate information. If incomplete information is given then we have to wait for you to get back to us if we leave a phone message or send an email with a query about what needs to be done. It's important to remember that we don't share the same head space that you do so you need to give the complete story, not just the bit that you want done. It is amazing how often I might get asked … [Read more...]
Starting out as a VA
On one of the LinkedIn groups for VAs a new VA asked about getting started and landing her first client. Some had been giving her advice about her LinkedIn profile. Below is my (edited) response to her. At LinkedIn people prefer to see photos rather than an illustration. So you might want to consider changing your profile pic. Your LinkedIn profile definitely needs adding to. Have you tried Googling your name? If people knew about you and were looking for you, the results that come up should … [Read more...]
Support services for Virtual Assistants
As new VAs establish their businesses they become aware of different services they need to gain access to. Some of the more obvious ones are Accountants, Solicitors, office suppliers, printer suppliers, etc. But what about merchant facilities and insurances? As your business grows and develops, and therefore your need to be able to provide protection to your equipment and business, and also your clients, then it soon becomes obvious that these other services area also needed. But who do you go … [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...]
A non-negotiable thought…
Hi everyone, we're back from the Australian VA Conference and I think this would have to be the best one yet. They've all been good but they get better and better! Below you can see a photo of the group at the end of the first day - we were definitely having a good time. I plan to share with you some of the lessons learnt at AVAC 2012 and the first one I have to share with you is one that was re-iterated by several speakers during the two-day event. Attending professional development events … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistants – Network or Agency?
I often get new VAs, or those planning to become a VA, contacting me to find out whether they should be joining my VA Network, or for advice about another group they are thinking of joining. I don't mind people contacting me to ask these questions and I'm always happy to help and give guidance. Ultimately the decision is their's but I like to give them things to think about, to help them with their decision-making. Let's look first at some definitions of these two words. On … [Read more...]
