There seems to be a wave of new Virtual Assistants entering the industry that have an inaccurate understanding of what a VA is and what they're supposed to be doing as a VA. Which is a shame as this just adds more confusion to clients as well. Let's get it straight. A Virtual Assistant IS a business owner/operator. They are NOT employees. As such they are responsible for their own taxes, insurances, software, hardware and other expenditure relating to running a business. Oh, and that means … [Read more...]
Why does it cost to join a VA network?
At a VA discussion group a question similar to this was asked. The new VA said it was a problem that every network costs to join and she wanted to find a free one or if she could have her dues deducted later once she got paying clients. This was my response to her - and I've added more for the benefit of the readers here. Those sites are run by people who spend their time, their energies and their own money running them. Charging a fee helps to recover those costs. Believe me there's a lot … [Read more...]
Where do your clients hang out?
When you're a new Virtual Assistant, it can sometimes be difficult to determine where to find your potential clients. All the obvious things come to mind: newspapers, flyers, Yellow Pages, noticeboards. Some of these things cost money and some don't - just a bit of time and effort. But there are other things you can do or use to help you find your potential client base. The important thing first may be simply working out what your client might look like. Not physically but more with respect … [Read more...]
My birthday but you get the gift!
It's my birthday this week so I thought I'd give away a gift to those seeking to get some Virtual Assistant training. For one week only! Sign up this week and get the course at 33% discount! You want to become a Virtual Assistant but don’t know where to start? Then this program is a good choice. Read below for details. Why choose this program? Learn from an experienced Master Virtual Assistant (MVA) who has over 15 years’ knowledge of the industry Work out what skills you can use and … [Read more...]
Twitter for Virtual Assistants webinar
If you've been wondering whether or not to provide social media services for your clients and where to begin, then this webinar will be very timely for you. I met Keith Keller at a recent Networking World event and we found a perfect synergy with what he does and what I do. I've been assisting clients with Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for sometime and am well aware of the challenges clients have with respect to not just understanding how social media can help their businesses, but also how … [Read more...]
Call me a snob, but…
If someone sends me an email (unsolicited) promoting their products and expecting some interest and hopefully a sale, wouldn't it be in their business interests to sign off their name properly, add their business name (if they have one), include contact details (other than a generic email) and perhaps even a website? I mean, if they're in business, promoting to people online, wouldn't it make sense to make the best possible use of their time with their email to encourage people to do business … [Read more...]
Why would you join BNI?
There's been a discussion on a VA forum recently about the value of joining BNI as a Virtual Assistant. If you don't know what BNI is it stands for Business Network International and can be found at www.bni.com internationally or here in Australia, bni.com.au. I belong to the Melbourne East region. I joined when it first came to Melbourne around 10 or 11 years ago and was a member for over 5 years. Things changed for me on the business front and I decided to leave BNI for a time. My husband … [Read more...]
Twitter 4 VAs
Networking is such a useful thing to do. Less than two weeks ago I attended the 90 Day Networking Event in Melbourne, being held by Networking World. I met quite a few people (there were over 150 in attendance) and have connected with some of them since. One of these people is Keith Keller, whom I like to nickname "Mr Twitter". Keith is a Global Social Media Coach who focuses entirely on Twitter. He teaches you how to get the best out of your Twitter experience and runs sessions called … [Read more...]
The etiquette of posting on Facebook page walls
I logged into my business page last week and was surprised with a promotion for a service by someone else that I hadn't put on my wall. What disgruntled me was that I also provide that same service (Wordpress Training) and I thought that person had a cheek promoting on my wall to all my likers about their services. I reported it as spam and removed the post. I had tried to leave a comment on their wall however because they were an individual posting and not from a business page, and I hadn't … [Read more...]
