As long as you are confident with your current set of skills, then you have a starting point. You should (obviously) already have a good computer at home, reliable internet connection and the necessary hardware and software to complement those skills. Mixing and mingling with others via VA forums is a good thing to do. Networking away from VA forums, i.e. going out there and meeting local business people is a must. Not only will you learn things about running a business locally from other … [Read more...]
GoDaddy server down
I've been seeing messages at Facebook that people’s websites are down because GoDaddy’s server got hacked. There’s an article here about it. This is a worry, obviously, to anyone who has their sites hosted there. But then it doesn’t really matter where our sites are hosted, are they truly safe? For as long as the hackers don’t have their sights set on your host, your site will remain up. Something that is really important for anyone who owns a website is to make sure your site is backed up … [Read more...]
10 Tips for Getting Started as a Virtual Assistant
You've decided you want to become a Virtual Assistant but now what to do next? There's lots of information out there, some of it conflicting, and it's hard to know what to decide upon. Well, providing you have a good computer, reliable internet connection and a decent printer you're part of the way there, but there's lots to do still. Being a virtual assistant means you are going to be a business operator. That means there are legal things and tax things required. You should find a local … [Read more...]
Helping clients with Social Media
This was a discussion at a LinkedIn group and below is my response on how I think about helping clients with Social Media. Your comments are most welcome - you may, or may not, agree with me. Then why not let me, and our readers know? "It's hard with social media. It's a networking tool. Networking is about building relationships. It's not about throwing information out there and expecting others to take it up, and not give anything back. It's a two way thing. I happily set up Facebook … [Read more...]
Are you running a charity or a business?
I participate in several VA forums to share information and learn from others and it's at these places that some of my material for this blog comes from. One recurring theme or should I say 'thought' is the one that makes VAs, particularly newer ones, think they should be able to get stuff cheap or at no cost. These are things that relate to running their VA businesses. Don't forget that those providing the tools for you to run your business are also running a business. They need to be able … [Read more...]
Forums or Networks and how many should I join?
This is a question I see asked on many VA forums. The reality is that it's important for you to share and learn from your peers, but also make sure you're getting exposure for your business too. I belong to several forums and participate at each one from time to time, but not every day for all. However, I do believe it's important to belong to VA Networks as well as forums and I am a member of 4 currently. These have both forums and job postings from clients so I get both sides covered there … [Read more...]
Should we drop the “Virtual Assistant” title?
This question, or variations of it, I've seen on many VA forums. It gets hashed over and over again and in the end, there is no foregone conclusion. Personally I don't know why it keeps getting raised. I could understand it being raised back in the mid 90s when we first began to use it. I was really against the term at that time. It had come hot on the heels of 'virtual reality' and I wanted people to know that I was very real and not make believe. However, over time, the industry has grown … [Read more...]
Small Business Vic is here again… soon
Each August Victoria's Small Business Festival is put on throughout the whole month. Some councils are very actively involved and I've recently received notification from the City of Knox about events they have on. Of course, you'll be able to look up events happening in your area if you live elsewhere in Victoria. And for those, interstate or overseas, do you have a month that is focused on small business? If so, why not share it below in the comments for others to see? To view and book … [Read more...]
Saying thank you to clients
A couple of years ago I joined Send Out Cards, which is a company that allows you to design cards, or use existing templates, to send out cards to anyone you wish via their website. Good quality printed cards at a low price. I began using it as I wanted to get cards printed with my own photos on them and to bulk print was both costly and not effective, i.e. I didn't want 1-200 copies of the same card printed. I wanted to be able to do lots of different cards and just one or two of the same one … [Read more...]
