I created my very first website in April 1996 with MicroSoft Publisher. The Internet in the business world was very new and I was keen to be a part of it. It was a single page, with some MS Clipart and my contact details and list of services. But later that year I began adding more pages, listing my background, providing a newsletter for whomever might read it, list of services and my contact details. Already I was exploring what else I could do with the site. Are you familiar with the … [Read more...]
Babyboomers started the VA industry
It's amazing what you read out there about the Virtual Assistant industry and assumptions about how it got started. Some even thinking it started with digital products like Siri, but I want you to know that the industry started back in the mid 1990s and was started by...... Babyboomers. Yes, Babyboomers! People who were born between 1946 and 1964. It began with people, like me, who were operating home based secretarial businesses, because they wanted to get out of the corporate world, and be … [Read more...]
Working at home not always good…
Recently my husband was chatting to someone who has been working at home for the past year or so now. At first it was exciting for them and they were very focused on what they were doing. But, more recently, they're finding it hard, can't focus, not feeling productive and feeling very alone. They're losing their motivation. My husband told this person that he and I both also work at home, and we have each other for company. But he's only been at home, himself for just over two years, whereas … [Read more...]
The Cost of Doing Business
I don't know about you, but when I started my business almost 25 years ago, I expected to have to pay out for things to get started. Things such as: equipment, furniture, software, business registration, business name registration, printed business cards and stationery, industry association memberships, advertising and so the list goes on. The old saying 'you have to spend money to make money' rang very true back then. Additional but hidden costs were taxes, insurances, superannuation, … [Read more...]
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!
Recently you would have seen my article about not having two accounts on Facebook. It amazes me just how many people justify why they do it and why they ignore the Terms of Service that Facebook has in place. It doesn't matter if you have multiple email addresses - I do too! But it does matter that you have only one account, not multiple accounts. And I wish people would understand the difference between a Profile and a Page. A profile is attached to your account and it's in YOUR OWN NAME. … [Read more...]
Usernames in social media
I've always worked with the same username on many social media tools, where possible, to develop a footprint on the web. That way if people Google my username they can find where I am online and the different places I've been active. How about you? Do you do the same? I encourage you to think about it. Here's a cool tool to see where your username has been used and whether it's available elsewhere and also as a domain. It's called Namech_k and I love that helps you to find out what domains … [Read more...]
Who sets the rate?
Many 'trades' set their own rates, although some might be guided by industry requirements and expectations. Solicitors, bookkeepers, accountants, business coaches, plumbers, painters, mechanics, and so the list goes on. So, why then, do many of the public feel they can tell Virtual Assistants how much they should be charging? I've heard many VAs talk about this - they get contacted by a potential client who wants a lot of stuff done, often things that require someone with a great deal of … [Read more...]
How I use LinkedIn
How often are you in LinkedIn? I'm logged in every day. I have multiple tabs saved as my 'home pages' and LinkedIn is one of them. So I'm prompted to be there every day, checking for messages, invitations and articles and posts of interest. LinkedIn is a great networking tool, if you use it as intended. LinkedIn never intended for us to connect with strangers but with people we knew or had a passing acquaintance with. Of course, these days they make it really easy to connect with strangers by … [Read more...]
Two accounts on Facebook?
I get amazed that people don't check into things like Terms of Service instead of making assumptions or taking the advice of others who probably don't know either. I want to set the record straight. You can only have ONE account on Facebook. Further, that account has to be in your real name - see item 3 under your commitments in the link above for having an account. For your benefit here: item 3.1 states: Who can use Facebook When people stand behind their opinions … [Read more...]
