Important to understand the difference. I saw a post recently, on a business Facebook group, where a member posted a request for what she needed and outlined that the role would be 20-30 hours a week and needing to be available during particular hours EST plus that it would be a competitive 'wage'. Immediately, I didn't see this as a VA role at all, although that's what had been indicated. I queried the role and they later amended it to being a 'sub contractor' role that wouldn't stop the … [Read more...]
5 Good Reasons Why Your Business Needs a VA
At some stage business owners start to weigh up what kind of support they need in their businesses. Should they be hiring an assistant or should they look at getting virtual support? I'd like to share with you 5 reasons why Virtual Assistants should be the answer to that question. During the course of operating a business there comes a time when the business owner must consider whether it's more efficient for them to engage support in order for their business to move forward. Whether … [Read more...]
It’s not going to happen today…
Or even tomorrow, or maybe next week, but it will happen, if you're persistent and consistent. What? might you ask. Your new business and, in particular, I'm talking about new Virtual Assistants. I see so many posting at forums lamenting that they haven't got a client yet, that they're despondent and sad it's not happening and they don't think they can make this work. When being questioned how long they've been in business the usual answer is 'a month', 'a few weeks', or 'I've just … [Read more...]
How do you set a realistic budget for engaging a VA?
I was asked this very question at Quora recently and thought I'd share my answer here. A ‘realistic’ budget can be different for every business owner. But let me put it this way. Have you assessed what it is you’re doing that isn’t earning you money, that you could outsource to a VA? The reality is that a VA will, most likely, do it in a much more timely and efficient manner than you. Example: If you have 100 business cards that need to be entered into your database and then imported to your … [Read more...]
How many clients do you have?
This isn't meant to be a competitive question at all, but designed to make you think about how important your business is. If you're running a business then you MUST have more than one client. There are all sorts of reasons why. For example, if that one client didn't want to do business with you anymore, or lost their business, or passed on, then you'd no longer have a business, would you? However there are other good reasons, including being able to prove to the tax dept that you are running a … [Read more...]
Being a VA is not a fill-in role
It both amazes me and annoys me that people think they can become a VA while studying at Uni, or just as a fill in till something else comes along. I don't know about you, but in my way of thinking, a VA needs to have a good amount of past experience behind them to be a good VA. They must have a working knowledge and experience with the programs they're planning to provide a service with and experience in working with clients. None of the VAs in my network have less than 5 years' working … [Read more...]
Choosing to become a VA at the right time.
I had a lady ring me yesterday about becoming a Virtual Assistant. She wanted to know if she could join my network. We talked about what office-based experience she might have and it turned out she had very little and was studying at college currently. She also had a health problem which is why she was looking to work at home. I explained to her that VAs are business owners and, as such, are responsible for making decisions about how things are done for their clients. The buck stops with them. … [Read more...]
Advice on getting started as a VA
On a VA forum recently a new VA was asking for advice on getting started. She'd outlined her experience and then went on to say she didn't want to start her own business but work for someone else, building up enough experience to pick up jobs here and there. My immediate thought was that this lady didn't really understand the nature of being a Virtual Assistant. And this may well be as a result of articles online that continue to promote that VAs are employees of agencies. The reality is that … [Read more...]
Reasons for joining a VA Network
There are many reasons why people become Virtual Assistants. I've often shared the importance of joining a VA Network. Why is that? There are a number of reasons: Most VA Networks have their own discussion forums. Community. This industry is very much built on community and when you're working home alone all day, being able to connect with others online is a saving grace. Being able to learn from others without necessarily paying for that learning. Joining in and sharing your knowledge … [Read more...]