The name has been with me for such a long time I forget that others might not know what it means. There is an explanation on the About page of this site but I thought I'd share the information here as recently at a VA forum one of the VAs mentioned she'd often wondered what it meant. It does not mean that I live in Clayton, or that my business was established in a place called Clayton as others have thought in the past. For those who were in Australia in the mid 80s, they may well remember … [Read more...]
Protect yourself and your business
Once you've got an established presence online and even listings in business publications, you will start getting phone calls asking you to participate in this directory, or sign up for this program or something else. I decided a long time ago that I won't commit to anything over the phone. I need to see it in writing. Email is fine, as is fax or a written letter, but if someone wants me to commit to something, which invariably may require a payment, then I won't commit to it over the phone and … [Read more...]
Mix and Mingle with your Peers
There are many now pursuing a career as a Virtual Assistant. However, not all manage to find work directly with clients and often locate sources that later appear to be not what they purport to be. I encourage all who are interested in learning from other Virtual Assistants and gain work from genuine clients, to join Virtual Assistant Networks that have been set up to assist the VA industry. I really can't say how many there are these days. Quite a few. However, I can tell you that all those … [Read more...]
Are you doing the work you love?
I fell into the Virtual Assistant Industry simply by being in the right place at the right time. I'd left a corporate job where I was feeling frustrated by the lack of opportunities for moving up the corporate ladder. I had good skills that I felt were going to waste and I was often looking for ways to add to my job while I was there. I know I made it difficult for my successor in that role, simply because the position had been molded around my own abilities. And I know the 8 Project Officers I … [Read more...]
Do you have an accountant?
If you're in business you should. Doesn't matter if your business is part-time or full-time. If you're operating a business of some sort then you should have a professional guiding you and helping you with your business. Yes, it costs to have an Accountant but those costs are a taxable expense. And if you don't have the structure set up properly you could be costing yourself a lot of money over the long run. For example, are you aware (particularly here in Australia but could well apply … [Read more...]
Announcing 4th Annual Australian Virtual Assistant Conference
It doesn't seem that long since the last one but here we are, organising the next one. At the 3rd annual event we announced that AVAC 2013 will be held in Sydney and it didn't take long for a small committee of Sydney based VAs to be formed to assist Anita and I with the planning. They've been to do the site inspections of venues and have put the short list together. We've made a decision but just waiting on some final details from the venue before it's locked in place. But, we can tell you, … [Read more...]
Time to start thinking about cards… for Christmas
Dare I say it? Christmas is not that far away now! So time to start thinking about your Christmas lists. You know, not just family and friends, but loyal clients, colleagues, people you work with. And if you want to include that specialised touch you can use your own pictures or design a card completely of your own, and still use your handwriting without having to experience writer's cramp. Have you revisited Send Out Cards lately? It really is worth a visit. Regular readers will know I'm a … [Read more...]
As a Virtual Assistant, how did you get your first client?
This is a discussion I've seen at a couple of VA forums and I thought I'd bring it here to share with you. My first client came through my church in 1994. He needed some typing to be done. My second was through a lady I knew at the time - she was working with an NFP that needed admin support. From there more referrals came in and that's how much of my business was built pre-internet. I still believe in face-to-face networking very much today. A lot of referrals still come that way. And no, … [Read more...]
Got a listing with Hotfrog?
I was following a thread at a forum the other day and we were talking about our Google listings. Someone commented that Truelocal, Hotfrog and others will always bring up your listings first. They didn't for me, but that's not the point. At any rate I found a Hotfrog listing for my website much further down and thought I'd go see what was there. Very basic, listed my business name with a web link and my suburb. That's it. So I decided to claim the listing and proceeded to enter my details. I … [Read more...]
