Benefits of outsourcing locally

May 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Couldn’t have put it better myself. Great article here published with smallbusiness yahoo November last year.

It is very true that businesses do struggle to get everything done, and if they spend their funds on employing staff and having to put in place all the things that go with that, office space, equipment, furniture, and the employee overheads of sick and holiday leave, superannuation, taxes, etc, it’s no wonder they get strapped for cash.

But it does make sense to outsource your needs.  IT, bookkeeping, administrative support, web support, graphic design and so on.   As Marina says in her article, it makes sense to outsource these things and she gave a source to go to for that. Another place to look for most of these services (but not all) is the Virtual Assistant industry here in Australia.  The Australian Virtual Assistant Association has a list of Australian VA Networks where you can request for a VA or VAs to support you in your business.

You just have to look at what’s happening to different industries in Australia to know that outsourcing to other businesses here in Australia makes total sense.  For those in other countries who are VAs I encourage you to look at what’s happening in your own countries and start to make a noise about businesses outsourcing locally in their own countries. While there are good reasons to do business with others in another country, there’s a ton of sense about outsourcing whatever you can in your own country.  For us in Australia the catch cry is ‘Buy Australian‘.

I also run a VA Network attached to this blog.  Certainly happy to answer questions in the comments below or by direct contact.

Filed Under: Client Ed & Case Studies Tagged With: , ,

Tips for working with a Virtual Assistant

May 22, 2013 by 1 Comment

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.

scratchIt is amazing how often I might get asked to change a page on a site, but they forget to give the actual URL of that page, i.e. www.yourdomain.com/testpage/  These things are important. We might not be as familiar with your sites as you are, simply because we work with multiple sites.

And if you’re giving a new password for a site, it’s important to include the username too – just so we’re fully aware of what is needed.

Email is always a good way to give instructions, because it helps improve the process of communication. Correct spellings are given (where a domain or password could say have ‘four’ or ’4′ in it), an outline of what is needed, clickable links and an action list to work through.

If a client gives me instructions over the phone (as some prefer the phone to email) then I make it a habit to email back with an outline of our discussion and my understanding of the actions to be carried out. That way they can correct anything I might have wrong, or add additional information and confirm that what I have is correct. This then becomes the action list I work through and mark off as I go through each thing.

So, remember, when working with your Virtual Assistant, you make it clear what you want to have done and give complete information, instead of assuming they know what you mean.

Filed Under: Client Ed & Case Studies Tagged With: , ,

Referrals, Testimonials and Professional Ratings

May 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

There appears to be a new trend of asking people, via LinkedIn, to give you a testimonial, recommendation or professional rating.  Now, that would be OK if the person asking had actually done some work for me, or worked with me on a project, and I had personal experience of their work-style and ability.  But, increasingly, I’m getting people asking me who I’ve never worked with. How could I possibly know what their work ethic is like or how they achieve things?

When participating in an online conference Saturday morning I mentioned that I had quite a few testimonials on LinkedIn, which I’ve used on my own website. The keynote speaker came back with how people can never believe them these days because of all the fake ones that are being generated by these requests.  That upset me a bit. For starters, 98% of the testimonials I’ve received were unsolicited and given to me by clients or associates, who have appreciated what I’ve done for them over the years. I think I’ve only ever asked for one, maybe two, in all the time I’ve been on LinkedIn (since 2005).  The speaker didn’t know me and I guess it was an offhand comment, but in the eyes, or ears, of the other delegates at the event, it could have changed their perception of what I was saying and the value of testimonials.  It also shows how people doing those random requests are affecting the reality of these testimonials and changing their face value. They obviously don’t understand or appreciate what they can mean to a business – or perhaps they do, which is why they’re trying to build up a list of ratings and testimonials without going through the due processes involved.

Just recently, I’ve been asked by yet another someone to give them a professional rating for their service. They have never provided me any service directly, so I declined saying I felt they should be asking their own clients. They’d also sent the request to several people and had cc’d them in the email – I really didn’t think that was appropriate either. Either send the requests individually or bcc.

When you are new to a system liked LinkedIn, having no testimonials or recommendations is probably pretty obvious – to you. Not everyone else is going to notice it. However, over time, as your business grows and you work with a number of people, those things will come and it’s worth waiting for genuine ones that will often come unsolicited. They’re the best ones to receive!

Filed Under: LinkedIn, Operating a VA Business Tagged With: , , , , ,

How do I become a Virtual Assistant?

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This is a question I get asked from time to time, via email, and I thought I’d answer it here.

One of the very first things I notice when I get this request, is how the email is written. Some write the email well and professionally but others write to me like they might be writing to a family member or even similar to text speak on mobile phones.

I can say that not writing the email professionally instils little confidence for me that the person writing is going to be able to manage a VA business.  Email is the first point of contact in many cases, so it’s important to project yourself in the best possible light.  Your clients need to know that you are going to represent their business well, when acting on their behalf, so very important that you represent your own business well.  If you were applying for a job you’d take great care in the letter and application, so the same should go when contacting someone about starting up a business – any type of business.

When I respond to these emails and ask a small number of important questions, the way you respond and the information you give is very important. It helps me to see that you can follow instruction and that you do read the emails properly.  After all, if you decide you would like to join the VA Directory, then I need to know you’ll look after our clients well – as they will become your clients.

Apart from these two things, there are other things you can do.

  • Join a VA forum (or more than one) to mix and mingle with other VAs and learn about your peers and the industry.
  • Make sure you have a recent computer, good internet connection and at minimum, Microsoft Office. If you’re providing services that need other software programs, make sure you have the full copies and that you are conversant with them.
  • Make sure you have a decent desk and chair to use, because you will be sitting at, and on, for long hours each day.  Protecting your back and other parts of your body is very important, as your health is too.
  • Phone service and also a good backup system. Dropbox is commonly used by VAs the world over and is a good program to use.
  • Start telling people what you are planning to do.  Build up the interest and expectations.  Marketing is something that needs to start from the very beginning and should never stop.  When you stop marketing, the work stops coming in not long after. So it needs to be constant.
  • Plan what services you want to provide and do your homework to work out rates that are right for you. Copying someone else’s rates won’t work, especially if you don’t know what taxes, insurances and other expenses you need to be covering.  Seek out an Accountant who can direct you accordingly. Remember that almost every service you provide will have a typing component to it, so being able to type properly is important.
  • Seek a mentor, coach, or VA trainer to help you get things in order.
  • Look for an industry based association to join.  In Australia there is the Australian Virtual Assistants Association (AVAA), in the US there’s the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA) and in the UK, the International Association of Virtual Assistants (IAVA). Each of these organisations are run by a board of practicing Virtual Assistants and have the VA industry at heart.  In every industry there is always an industry association that is designed to guide members of their industry and provide support services and often education too. So it’s good to know that there are associations available for the VA industry too.

Apart from the above, all that’s needed is the skillset and experience to provide the services you want to offer and the decision to get started.

I’m also asked what type of income can be expected?  A VA can earn a full-time income but it does take time to build that up.  It can easily be between 6-24 months before you are earning what could be considered a full time income.  It very much depends on what type of services you plan to offer and how much time you spend networking and marketing your business. And remember, that ‘full-time’ might not necessarily mean the same income you’re earning in your current job, but rather sufficient income to pay all your living expenses minus your additional expenses relating to being at a job, i.e. travel, uniforms, meals away from home, childcare, etc.  It’s realistic that your expenses will change once working full time at home.

Filed Under: Operating a VA Business, VA Education Tagged With: , , , , ,

Sign it off!

May 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I’m amazed at how many emails I receive where people don’t sign off properly. It might be a client, a colleague, a friend but all people who are in business. I use a signature block all the time, and when I hit reply to an email it automatically appends. It also automatically shows when I create a new message. If someone wants my phone number, it’s there, same with my website to click on, or even my Facebook Page, LinkedIn profile and Twitter account. They don’t have to forage around, looking for that information.

So, it amazes me that many people in business don’t do the same. Personally, I think it’s a sign of professionalism and email is a regular form of contact for most of us these days. So, why aren’t people doing this? Is it because they don’t know how to set it up in their email program? Is it because they don’t think of it? Or maybe they think that since we know each other it’s not needed. Wrong.

I don’t know how many times I’ve had to go searching for a phone number, or a website (if they don’t use a domain email address) in order to check something, look for something, or simply to give them a call.

And if you’re using a phone to respond to an email, that is no excuse for no sign off. You can still put your name and hopefully other information.

Make it easy on everyone you email – and append your signature, even if it’s just your name, phone number and web address. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just useful.

emailsignature

Filed Under: Email Etiquette Tagged With: , ,
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