Been involved in an interesting discussion on a LinkedIn forum. Not relating to Virtual Assistance at all but rather my passion, photography. However, what has been taking place there is something we all need to be mindful of as Virtual Assistants and therefore often as advisors to our clients. I thought I should share my thoughts here. The discussion related to Copyright requirements for photos, but this can also apply to other items we deal with for our clients. So it need not be Copyright … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistants add value to your business
The value of a Virtual Assistant is being widely acknowledged now, although there are still many business owners who are learning all about our industry. I recently shifted to a new BNI chapter closer to home and there are quite a few categories in that chapter that are perfect 'power partners' for my Virtual Assistant business. I've had 10 dance cards (one-on-one meetings) over the past few weeks and have enjoyed sharing with each BNI member the diversity of the things that I do. I love … [Read more...]
Full time job as a Virtual Assistant (VA)
This week I saw a post where someone has posted a 'job for a fulltime Virtual Assistant'. Before any of you get excited, let me tell you why this is not a good idea. First and foremost, Virtual Assistants are business owner/operators - they provide a service to other business owner/operators. Several - not one. If you are in the situation of having only one client, then the tax dept in your country could see your working relationship as that of employer/employee which can open a whole can of … [Read more...]
Niche VA – transcriptions
Transcription work is popular and plenty. From private individuals reciting their memoirs, to authors writing a new book, minutes of meetings, conference recordings, police reports, legal meetings, medical reports and so on, there is a growing need for conversations and public events to be recorded and then transcribed. Even podcasts and webinars. So, the need for a Virtual Assistant with excellent typing skills (speed and accuracy) is a must for those who need this type of work carried out. … [Read more...]
Niche VA – Blogs
I first began blogging in 2005 I think it was. Lost track really. Blogging for me was the perfect outlet for the frustrated writer inside. I love to write! I've found over the years blogging is a great way to keep fresh content on your site, and to demonstrate your expertise and knowledge in an area. A marketing guy I was speaking to recently confirmed for me my own thoughts - the importance of keeping a blog to its topic of choice and then start a new one if you have another topic you want … [Read more...]
What are you promoting?
A few weeks ago I had an interesting comment from someone who was looking for VA support. They said to me "I would have asked you but I know how busy you are and didn't think you had room for me". oops, is that how people really see me? It was too late to say I was interested in the role - they'd already engaged another VA. But it did make me realise that others may have this perception too. How are you promoting yourself? It's good to let people know you're busy but are you telling them … [Read more...]
You don’t have to have a lot of hours….
In speaking to various people or reading articles online, it's easy to understand why some have the perception that they need a lot of hours of regular work to be done to have a Virtual Assistant looking after them. In fact, that's not true at all. While many VAs do have packages where you can buy 5, 10 or more hours a month of work to be done, not all have that system in place. Many do ad-hoc work, others simply bill at the end of the month. One of my longest-term clients started off with … [Read more...]
Going on a trip?
Then don't leave it till you're at your destination to find out if you can access your email. This is something that should be organised before you leave - not afterward. When my husband and I went to Canada and Alaska in 2009 I knew I'd need to check email daily. While I had left my business in the hands of some of my VA team, I expected there would be occasional questions about how to deal with a situation or anything else that cropped up. So having daily access, even if only for 15 mins … [Read more...]
Google Alert – great tool
I was chatting to a client the other day about ways to find blogs to comment on and I asked them if they knew about Google Alert? They didn't. So I explained about how this very simple tool can assist you daily in your business. I don't know how long I've been using it. Their system doesn't tell me. However, I've used it for many clients and also for myself. Simple really. Click on the link above and then enter in a keyword or phrase (which should be in quotes " ") and then tell it when you … [Read more...]
