I often get asked by VAs what they should do if they've submitted a proposal to a client's request and a few days have passed and they've heard nothing further. I always advise them to use the 'squeaky wheel' principle. What do you do when you have a squeaky wheel? You pay attention to it. So the client needs the same prompting - you should be in regular contact (without making a nuisance of yourself) and follow up. If they've heard from several Virtual Assistants and life is busy for them … [Read more...]
All work and no play…
... makes Jack (or Jill) a dull boy (girl). Or so the saying goes. I'm one who has been obsessed with my work - I love being a Virtual Assistant and I love being at my computer and in my office. I look forward to being in the office every single day - even after 15 years. But I do recognise the importance of getting away from the office and being refreshed. It is so important. Over the years I've tried picking up former hobbies of knitting, walking, gardening, etc and even joined several … [Read more...]
Honing new skills
Many VAs, particularly those new to the industry, are so keen to get clients that there are times when they will accept a job only to find they really don't have the skillset or experience to carry out the role. They then end up in a quandary - do they tell the client or try to find out quickly how to do that particular job? The questions asked at VA forums often show a tendency for the latter, rather than the former, or perhaps they have already told their client, but are going ahead with the … [Read more...]
Getting back to basics – Becoming a VA
I've seen many posts recently via Twitter and forums where people are asking about how to become a Virtual Assistant. As I haven't written on that for awhile I thought I'd give an update here. Providing you have good computer skills and experience in using the web for sharing files, downloading and receiving information and so on, then chances are you are eligible to become a Virtual Assistant. A Virtual Assistant is someone who provides assistance to others on a virtual basis, be it the … [Read more...]
What you feed grows, what you starve dies
I was just climbing out of my car after visiting my business coach when I heard the final sentence of something on the radio and it caught my attention. The guy was saying 'remember, what you feed grows, what you starve dies'. This is such a profound statement and hit me straight away. It was very relevant to the plans for my Virtual Assistant business and where I want to take it next, after having been with Stuart for the past hour. We'd been talking about the progress of my Virtual … [Read more...]
Email etiquette and autoresponders
As a Virtual Assistant I manage a number of autoresponders, both for my own business and that of my clients, mainly through shoppingcart services such as 1shoppingcart.com. What amazes me is the number of recipients of these emails who don't realise that they can update their email address or remove their addresses simply by clicking on one of the two links at the bottom of the emails they receive. I receive numerous requests, almost on a daily basis, for me to update this person's email … [Read more...]
A time for getting together
The Virtual Assistant industry has a number of events coming up over the next couple of months. IVAA has its Summit coming up this month, followed closely by OIVAC in May and then FoVA in June. Both IVAA Summit and FoVA are onsite events whereas OIVAC is purely virtual - you can attend from your home office. While it might not be possible for you to attend all three events it would be good for you to make an effort to attend at least one. It's a great time for getting to know your peers, … [Read more...]
No. 9 Mistake VAs Make
Recently I became aware of a challenge a VA was having and it is something I've come across before but had forgotten about it. It's an ideal post for this category. Be clear about your quotes/rates when discussing a job with a client. This VA had quoted a rate which the client accepted but there was a problem. You see the client thought the quote was the total price for the job, whereas the VA was giving a quote... per hour! She had forgotten to add those very words 'per hour' and the end … [Read more...]
English and the VA world
We periodically have wonderful discussions on the forums relating to the spelling and use of English wording. In fact it often provides a constant source of mirth when we discover that a word can mean something completely different in another English speaking country. How does that happen? Whilst most of the conversations are full of laughter and fun there are times when misunderstandings can occur and some get hurt simply because of the use of a single word. If that can happen on a forum … [Read more...]
