I've posted this at a couple of VA forum and it's opened quite a discussion. So I'm posting it here too for your comments and feedback. It seems to me that more and more people are not listing their addresses on their websites, in their signature blocks and on their business cards. I find this rather annoying if I want to send them something in the mail - I have to ask for their address and that then spoils the surprise had I wanted to surprise them. I go to business networking events and … [Read more...]
Quick way to fail if you’re looking for VA work
This is just a small 'beef' but an important one. I get many potential VAs filling out the application form on my site to join our team. That's great and I love to help them as much as I can. But I get some who fill out the wrong form on the website and it makes me wonder if they can actually read (English) and follow instructions. I'm sorry, but the majority of our clients speak, read and write English, so the VA must be able to as well, even if it isn't their native language. I have two … [Read more...]
Creating a Virtual Assistant business
If you're a regular reader of my blog you would have seen last week the post about a VA who had infringed upon two of my trademarks (my business name and my catch phrase) on her website. Her response had been she didn't know and had engaged someone else to do her site for her. Unfortunately ignorance is not bliss in this situation, as in many situations. The reality is she owns her website and is responsible for what is put on the site and even the business name she elects to use. In her … [Read more...]
Free advertising for VA website
Periodically there will be requests on the Virtual Assistant forums asking about free advertising. In fact you find requests for free almost everything. I'm a believer of that old saying 'you have to spend money to make money' and the fact is if you're in business, you should expect that you're going to have a number of taxable expenses. It goes with the territory. However, given that, there are a number of low cost or free options for a number of things in business and if you can save money, … [Read more...]
Being a VA doesn’t mean ‘cheap’
I get amazed by the (thankfully small) number of people who contact me looking for, and I quote ' I could do with a good inexpensive VA. My experience with them has been poor. Would appreciate your advice on this score. My response to this person was: Re 'inexpensive' VA. Not sure what you mean by that exactly. I don't have any on my lists who charge what the Asians charge but I do have Virtual Assistants in 11 countries, all English speaking and writing and depending on their cost of … [Read more...]
Trading off someone else’s business name is bad form
Why is it that new Virtual Assistants (and I guess new anything in any industry) think they can run their business using someone else's business name and catch phrase? Worse for them - both are trademarked. This particular VA is running a business in Queensland Australia. I doubt very much that they haven't heard of my business. I'm even in listed in their Yellow Pages. I hope the owner of the site I'm referring to reads my blog. This is extremely bad form and shows you have little … [Read more...]
Being a Virtual Assistant
Interesting discussion at one of the forums I belong to related to the term of title 'Virtual Assistant'. Some found it hard to explain to people what they do, some wanted the title changed and others were happy to stay with it. The title isn't just a title though, it's a whole industry. And it's an industry that birthed in the mid 90s, and is here to stay, still evolving as technology changes, still getting noticed by those out there who have need of our services. It's like any industry or … [Read more...]
Tips for clients to find the right VA
On my site there is a form for clients to fill out and the information therein goes to my VA team so that the client can receive several responses. However, often I have to write back to the client, before the request is sent to the team, to ask for more information. Things that are really useful to know, when responding to a request for work to be done are: - What software program are you using? If you want data entry done for a database or bookkeeping done, it would be useful to know if you … [Read more...]
You can’t build it 100% online
I know I'm going to get people arguing with me on this one but hear me out. If you're running a Virtual Assistant business then you are servicing clients who need your help. Those clients come from all walks of life and not all of them live on the internet as many VAs do (me included). So, to get in front of them we have to go out and meet them. That means doing face-to-face networking and meeting people in person. Yes, we have the avenues of the internet, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, … [Read more...]
