Periodically new VAs post help! messages to VA forums looking for this item, or that or advice on how to do something. The advice part is ok but there are some things that they really need to do for themselves, for example researching how much they should charge, or setting up certain templates for regular use with clients. One of the things they really need to work on themselves, and not get a copy from someone else, is their business plan. I really believe they need to find a generic business plan (there are lots available on the web) and then work with that. They could try http://www.bplans.com/ for example.

Why?

1. Every VA business is going to look different depending on their skills, experience, their planned targeted audience, the hours they want to work, what they want to achieve. I don’t believe anyone’s VA business looks like another’s, unlike franchises which are built to the same formula, because we all bring something different to it and can do vastly different things with our businesses.
2. In developing a business plan of their own from scratch it helps the new VA to define what they want to do with their business and where they want to go – taking on a plan that someone else has already done may mean they might not read through it properly, or they may adopt something that isn’t appropriate for them, or even their geographic location.
3. Developing one from scratch also means the VA needs to do research to find out what the market is like in their vicinity, what would be suitable for them to charge as rates, any council or county rulings that are effective where they live and so on.
4. It will also assist the VA to really think about what it is they want to do, offer and be.

When I started almost 12 years ago there was no internet and I had to make phone calls and talk to people and ask questions. I bought a software template for a business plan and then worked through each section on my own – sometimes having to guess things, sometimes have to do some research or speak to my accountant. But what it did do was give me ownership of my business and helped me define what I wanted to do – before I did that I wasn’t even really sure, other than wanting to run my own business.

May I say that my business today looks vastly different to what I thought it would 12 years ago and it would be hard to really project that far ahead as to what you want your business to look like. But revisiting your business plan annually, and redefining it, is part of the growth process for your business. KMT

Many prospective or new VAs are keen to get as much experience as they can to be eligible for job leads that come along, but how do they get the experience if a client only wants someone with experience? The answer is to volunteer their services!

I don’t mean give away a lot of your time, but I do mean keep your ears and eyes open for opportunities in areas where you already have an active interest. Perhaps it’s your local kindy or junior school where a son or daughter attends. The mother’s club, parents’ association or similar is looking for someone to assist with typing of letters, developing a database, doing some mail merges or even write up grant and funding proposals. They won’t want to pay someone to do this and are open to you learning on the job – if you’re willing to give your time.

Perhaps your local church, sporting club, or industry association is seeking volunteer help with newsletters, organising events, event registrations and front desk support on the day of an event. All of these things serve to help you get experience in areas where you may want to develop and hone your skills and offer them as a service that is paid for. Or, it may help you determine what services you don’t want to offer! )

This is exactly how I built up experience over the years and it has provided me with skills I never thought of developing when I first started my business 12 years ago. Remember, the client isn’t asking that you have ‘paid’ experience – just experience that provides you with the knowledge of how to get the job done in the best possible way to help them achieve what they need for their business!

The team and I had a great chat Wednesday. It started because one of the girls was experiencing some pain in her shoulders from constant typing and she was seeking advice on what exercises she should do. The discussion opened up with suggestions on seeing an Osteopath, Chiropractor or Physiotherapist, but then it turned to general OH&S practices and what is important.

We all should be regularly taking breaks from our computers and doing something else. It’s possible that many of you have not done an Occupational Health & Safety Course and if that’s the case, I urge you to do some research on this – I know you’ll find info online.

About six months before I started my business, I was on the lookout for any information I could get, and the govt dept I worked in sent all the staff to an OH&S course – I was pleased to do it. Had my eyes checked, did some exercises, learnt about ergonomic furniture and how to set up the monitor, keyboard and chair correctly. Breaks should be taken every hour for 5-10 minutes – I usually do that by going to the kitchen to make a cuppa, or load some washing in the machine, go out and check the letterbox, water the garden, something outside of my office generally. That way I’ve moved around, stretched my body, got some fresh air, rested my eyes, arms, and hands from the constant sameness and then came back to my office. I only started wearing reading glasses 2 years ago (I’m in my late 40s) and even then, only for very small text but not for use in front of the computer. I usually only suffer aches when working at someone else’s computer (a client’s) and not my own.

Whilst getting the right equipment and being correctly set up from the start may seem more expensive than just getting any old chair and placing your computer in any convenient spot, the reality is the cost would be far greater if you ended up with continuous medical bills, and perhaps even having to stop working further down the track. Protect yourself by looking after yourself properly.

In my field I get requests for help almost every day from those who want to be VAs or those who have been trying to get their businesses going for a while but not getting anywhere. In most cases there are some fundamental things missing in their approach to develop business and two of those things are: networking and having an online presence.

They pay out money here and there for what seems a great opportunity and promise of lots of work, and then find nothing happens, except their money is gone. When, in fact, perhaps checking with others or looking to see what others do is what should be done first.

Networking is most important – both online and offline, via business and VA forums, industry associations, perhaps software launches if the services you provide require the use of particular software (what better place to meet prospective clients?), and through any number of other avenues. But if a business advertises at all, then it is important they advertise online too and develop an online presence – I know that sounds like a ‘duh’ statement, but you’d be amazed how many people contact me who do not yet have an online presence. Advertising with a web based directory alone is not the way to do it – especially if there are no links to click on but only a phone number to dial.

There are several components required in the exercise of being online and I outline them here for the benefit of those who have not yet gone down this path.

1. Buy a domain name. What is a domain name? It’s that address used to point people to your website, i.e. www.yourname.com. There are many places you can buy domains – just key in ‘domain registrar’ into Google or your favourite search engine and hundreds or more will be listed. I prefer to use www.godaddy.com personally as it’s easy to access, I have full control over what’s happening and their prices are good – plus they have lots and lots of additional services such as webhosting, shopping carts, email services, and so on if required. Or you can find someone to do this for you – preferably someone helping with your website.
2. Get a webspace to house your website – most ISPs provide a webspace with your email account and it’s already paid for. So, unless you particularly want separate webhosting services, this is a good place to start with no extra cost. I do my own webhosting these days but this is how I got started. Your website address will be something like www.yourisp.com/~yourusername. You can get your domain name pointed to that address so that when people click on www.yourname.com it actually takes them to www.yourisp.com/~yourusername. There are other things that can be done that will disguise where people are really going but for now, I’m giving you a quick simple way to get an online presence.
3. Next get your website designed – this is not something that should be done with Publisher, Word or any other program not designed for website development. Either be prepared to spend the time and money learning how to use a program or pay someone to do it. If you are prepared to spend money on decent looking business cards and brochures (I’m assuming you would), then please do the same for your website. A simple 4 page website does not have to cost the earth but if you are planning to do regular updates and add information then finding someone who does continued maintenance without heavy cost is a good way to go, or perhaps a web designer who has the facility for you to log on and make changes to the content after the initial design is worth considering too. It’s important a website is kept up to date and appears to be a live document – which in fact it is.
4. This is the next most important thing – promote your website. There are so many ways to do this but unless it’s done people will not know it exists. Here is a list of things that could/should be done:
   - Register with search engines (there are services that can do this for you but you can learn how to do it also).
   - Include the address (www.yourdomain.com) in all forms of advertising, on your brochures, letterheads, business cards, etc.
   - Create a signature block for your emails and include it in your emails.
   - Make sure the web address actually shows up on your website too.
   - If you enjoy writing, submitting articles online to article submission sites (for others to use) or submitting articles to business magazines is a good thing to do – include your web address at the end of your bio.
   - Develop an email list from your database and via online subscriptions at your website so that you can promote specials, products, services, sales, etc.
5. Use an email address that reflects your domain name and not your ISP. If people see your email address listed somewhere they will often call up the domain to check out your website.

Whilst all of what I’ve outlined above seems simple and straightforward, there is actually a reasonable amount of work required in achieving the above and it takes time. I keep tweaking and updating my website and it’s been online since early 1996. Each year I give it a new look so I don’t get bored with it, but so my visitors can also see evident changes. I produce monthly newsletters for which people can subscribe at my site.

There are many more things that can be done in relation to the development of your website such as keyword descriptions, meta tags, search engine optimisation, Google Adwords, etc – I won’t go into detail about everything else here. The purpose of this article is to prompt you to realise that if you don’t yet have an online presence you should be considering it.

Generally businesses that don’t yet have an online presence are run by people who may not have an understanding of what the Internet can do for their business. I urge you to reconsider and seek the advice of someone you know and respect who is already online. There is an audience here you are missing!

Final point – when you do have an online presence don’t make the assumption that floods of work will come in. It won’t – it’s a gradual process. You need to make sure you are networking, networking and networking some more – but that’s another article! See http://vadirectory.blogspot.com/2005/12/networking-information-and.html and http://vadirectory.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_vadirectory_archive.html – the last article on the page called Network, Network, Network

Well, we’ve been back home for 3 days now but still suffering the jetlag thing and waking up at 2am with our minds busy! Guess it will go away eventually but a little annoying.

Although I’d switched off the forum lists I belong to and a few other things I still had a mountain of emails to go through when I got back home – although I did deal with a few whilst I was away. Having my laptop with me was really worth the hassle of getting it through security each time we went through an airport (and that was a number of times as we travelled through 5 countries Australia – Singapore – UK – Ireland – France and variations thereof). 3 of the places we stayed had hispeed Internet access so it was good to be able to log on and update my family blog to keep people informed of our daily activities. I did it originally for family and a few close friends, but it seems we had a lot more visiting the site regularly.

I had some interesting meetings with members of my team I’d never met before and also a new business contact who had called me from London only 3 weeks before we left – he didn’t know I was coming in his direction but offered immediately to meet me at Heathrow and have discussion over lunch. I just love the way we can do international business these days and the Internet makes it so easy to research and find what you’re looking for before making initial contact – which is what happened in this case.

If you are a VA without a website, then I urge you to do something about it. Providing virtual services needs a virtual presence so people can find you. I’ll explain more in detail in another post dedicated to this topic.