As the VA industry evolves and more people become aware of this excellent way of working, it is only natural that there are going to be companies developing who have a staff of virtual workers. We've been seeing this in India for sometime but now it's expanding to other parts of the world, with at least one that I know of in the US and I became aware of another in the Philippines recently. I'm sure there are others too. And that's not to mention the agencies that tap into the VA market - there … [Read more...]
Seeking a VA – price and where to search?
I was having a chat to someone recently about places to seek Virtual Assistant support and elance.com and guru.com were mentioned. I immediately thought 'oh, oh' and waited for him to finish speaking before I tackled this aspect of our conversation. Earlier in the week I'd had another business operator contact me looking for support for their business and because they know I have a network of Virtual Assistants in 15 countries he wanted to know which was the lowest cost country he could get … [Read more...]
When There’s An Event On
Are you aware there is a site that announces Virtual Assistant courses, seminars, training events and other things? No? Then you need to go over to www.va-announcements.com and subscribe to the list. Many of the VA networks list their events regularly at this site, plus place announcements and it's a good one-stop-shop for the industry. So make sure you head over to www.va-announcements.com and catch up on all that's happening for the industry right now! KMT … [Read more...]
Another Great Tool For VAs
Have you used Xe.com's currency conversion site? I love this site - so easy to use and I can quickly work out the different currency rates for various things, especially if I'm promoting a new product or tool on any one of my sites. The other day I learnt of a currency I'd not heard of before and went off to my favourite site to check it - sure enough, it was listed there. If you work with different currencies, or perhaps clients in different countries, then this is a worthwhile site to … [Read more...]
8 Random Facts About Kathie Thomas
I've been tagged (again), this time by Angela Wills of StarVA so here I go with some new random facts about me. I'm the eldest of 4 children. I grew up in South Australia. I'm constantly told I don't look old enough to have 5 daughters in their 20s ;-) Yay! I once spent 6 months dressed as a nun - at least in a theatrical play I was. As I grow older I want to spend more time writing - got so much to share! I have written lots of poetry and songs in the past. I used to play guitar and … [Read more...]
Can A Virtual Assistant Be An Employee?
I saw this question posted at a forum I participate in and thought I'd share my answer here for readers too. Virtual Assistants are self-employed operators, they are not employees. The VA industry has evolved with the growth of Networks (which are not employer companies) - networks of virtual assistant members who benefit through web site (directory) listings, referrals or job leads from clients, members benefit from existing advertising already in place (many of the networks are well placed in … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistant Needed
I like to keep watch on various things posted online, as many of us do and it never ceases to amaze me to see someone seeking a 'virtual assistant' and then putting the price on what they want to pay. It frequently doesn't match up - the rate the client wants to pay versus the work they want done. Do they think that VAs are monkeys? Because it seems all they want to pay is peanuts a lot of the time. I recently saw a job post at DoMyStuff.com where someone was advertising for a VA to assist … [Read more...]
Blogathon Interview
Chris Conley at Startup or Bust contacted me recently for an interview for his upcoming Blogathon which is now taking place. Why not head on over there and give him some encouragement and read all the interviews he's done on many different subjects? Mine is interview number 4 out of a total of 48 he's doing over a 24 hour period. You can see him live in action during the Blogathon. KMT Blogathon, blogging, interview … [Read more...]
Do You Skype?
Skype is frequently used by VAs the world over now to have discussions with clients, participate in seminars, partake of coaching and contact distant family members. Recently on one of the VA forums I belong to there was a question about Skype and how easy it was to use. A VA's family member is going to be overseas for a period of time and they wanted to be assured of making contact regularly, easily and at low cost. There are costs involved for some of the services but we've not as yet made … [Read more...]
