A VA posted a question over the weekend about a service (web design) a client asked her to provide. She wasn't sure how to go about doing it and asked at the forum. This is my response to her: It is important we only take on work we are equipped for and in that regard, also equally important we portray that on our websites as well. With the publicity around about our industry I guess it's easy for prospective clients to get confused and think that we (VAs) can do anything and everything. And … [Read more...]
Assumption Proves Professionalism Required
I received an email last week from a gentleman who was enquiring what a VA could do? I made the assumption that he was looking for someone to provide him support and told him the following: Basically we're like a Personal Assistant, except we operate Virtually - so instead of in your office, we work in our own. Work is handled mainly via email, phone, fax, courier, web upload and download. Rates vary considerably depending on who is doing it, what their rates are, where they live (cost of … [Read more...]
Benefit of Belonging to a Virtual Assistant Network
Some of the VA Networks have Requests for Proposal or Job Leads sent in by clients or other VAs. On a recent forum discussion a new VA was asking about getting jobs that paid higher than $10 an hour. She knew that it was possible but all the jobs she looked at was paying $10 or less an hour and she wanted to know what she was doing wrong. I gave the following advice: You're looking in the wrong places. You don't want to be searching job listings at all. What you want to be doing is listing … [Read more...]
What Does Your Email Address Say About You?
Saw a great message in a forum last week. It was a sample of email addresses and what they say about the sender. It backs up my own thoughts about email. There is a place for 'cute' and 'silly' email addresses but when you are operating a business and participating in business forums, it's time to put away the 'cute' and 'silly' and start using 'business' or 'clever' email addresses. To quote some of what I saw: Your email address says a lot about you.... Details are key when you are … [Read more...]
Keeping a Live Database
One of the services I provide to clients is the maintenance of their databases. Entering business cards and new contacts, updating contact details, and removing bounced addresses. Databases can get very messy at the best of times. There are always people changing jobs, shifting house, changing their lives and changing email addresses - it would be rare to do a broadcast email and not have some addresses bounce back. Some broadcast email programs just bounce everything back to you - hard … [Read more...]
Developing a Tag Line for Your Business
Recently at a VA forum we were discussing developing taglines for your business. There is a fantastic book called 'Seven Second Marketing' written by Ivan Misner who is the founder of BNI. It's about how to use memory hooks or how to make you instantly stand out in a crowd. My own 'memory hook' really works best in my own country and for those of you who haven't read my blog posts from 2006, perhaps this is a good time to explain something. My business name is "A Clayton's Secretary" and the … [Read more...]
OH&S Applies In The Home Office Too!
Have you thought about Occupational Health & Safety in your home office? It might only be you in the office but safety is still important. Do you have leads running across the floor or showing at the back of a desk that is out in the open? Do you have young children or pets that could get caught up in the leads or accidentally pull them? Do you have clients come into your home office periodically? What is lying around or sticking out that might be a hazard to guests in your home? Are … [Read more...]
Meeting with a client face-to-face
This topic was raised in my forum just recently and several team members came forward with an outline of what they'd done in the past. It is important to protect ourselves whenever in the process of physically meeting a new client for the first time. After all, in many cases, they are complete strangers to us and just because they are seeking our business support, doesn't mean that we shouldn't take precautions. Some team members reported that they meet at a neutral place such as a cafe in a … [Read more...]
Interviewed by Stan the Man!
I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by Stan Relihan of The Connections Show on the Podcast Network. Those of you in LinkedIn will know him as Australia's most connected man. Stan has a great sense of humour and I've enjoyed getting to know him over several months now. So I was delighted when he decided to add me to his lineup of impressive interviews - I hope you like it! TPN :: The Connections Show - Episode #022 [17:55m] Running a Network of Virtual Assistants : Kathie … [Read more...]
