I don't believe it is but there seems to be a wave of people who work for themselves that lack a dedication to commitment. I have no idea why. The way I see it is that if you are providing a service to consumers (clients) then your word should hold and you should commit to work that is booked in, whether on your own premises or onsite with a client. While I know that this applies to other industries, at this stage I'm talking about the Virtual Assistant industry. Often I've heard from other … [Read more...]
Anniversary Celebrations IV
This is the last week of celebrations for my business anniversary of 18 years, which was two days ago. So, what can I give to any VA that they would really appreciate and value. I don't want to disadvantage existing VAs and want to open it to all VAs, new and experienced. I thought about it long and hard and decided that a place at the Australian VA Conference being held on 4-5 May would be ideal. This event is suitable for all VAs and will help you move your business onto the next step, no … [Read more...]
18 years today!
Hi everyone, today is my 18th anniversary of when I registered my business (on National Secretaries Day in Australia) and opened the doors to "A Clayton's Secretary". I had no idea what was about to be birthed only a short time later - the world wide web and a brand new industry - The Virtual Assistant Industry. Haven't we come a long way since those days? For those who are just thinking about starting a Virtual Assistant practice, or perhaps you've been going for a short time and wondering … [Read more...]
Anniversary Celebrations III
By now you will have gotten the idea that a few lucky VAs have gone into the draw for various prizes (gifts) to help me celebrate my 18 years in business. What have I got in store this week? Jan King has been kind enough to offer a complimentary copy of her course "Virtual Assistant Speakers Course", teaching you how to become an assistant for one or more professional speakers. This is something I have been doing personally for many years and have been fortunate to work with some of the … [Read more...]
National Secretaries Day dates
I noticed that many people have been researching the dates for National Secretaries Day - which is in fact, "Administrative Professionals Day" these days. The official dates in the US for the next few years are: April 25, 2012; April 24, 2013; April 23, 2014; April 22, 2015 The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is the professional organisation in the US. Here in Australia the date is the first Friday in May, however breakfast dates celebrating this event … [Read more...]
Anniversary celebrations II
Week two of my anniversary celebrations. What will I give away to a lucky new VA this week? You may be aware that I provide a 10 week coaching course guiding those who want to be a VA and don't know where to start, or simply filling in the gaps for those who have been a VA for awhile but feel there's still some information missing. Enter VATrainer.com. I wrote this program several years ago and it is updated from time to time. It covers things such as starting your business, what to expect, … [Read more...]
Watch your language!
As Virtual Assistants we are constantly using the written word to communicate with clients, potential clients, our peers and others online. We help our clients reach out to their clients as well and use many different mediums to achieve this. Ways to do this include blog posts and e-newsletters. The thing we have to remember is that our audience is global - not just local. And I find so many lists I am on forget this. Just simple things such as saying 'welcome to Spring' when, in fact, half … [Read more...]
Tips for working with a VA
Looking to engage a Virtual Assistant but not sure what to expect? The tips below are designed to help you enjoy the experience! Each Virtual Assistant works as an independent contractor in their own business. Some work full-time and some part-time and also in temporary positions. Because they work independently, prices may vary so feel free to shop around. Please understand that until the work is sighted, it is sometimes difficult to accurately price a job. Because each VA works in their … [Read more...]
Celebrating 18 years in business
Hi everyone, 24th March marks the 18th anniversary of my business being opened. It was National Secretaries Day on 24 March 1994 when I registered my business "A Clayton's Secretary" and officially announced to the world that I was open for business. Well, announced to anyone I met in Melbourne, Australia, really. The internet wasn't operating then so I didn't have any real way of announcing to the world, nor did I envisage wanting to. My focus was on finding clients as close to home as … [Read more...]
