This is a reprint of an article I wrote in September 2004. I feel it's important to bring this topic back up since there are new VAs on the scene all the time, and new clients. The team and I had an interesting discussion online the other day, which resulted from a client and team member having a different understanding about something. And that something was the time involved, and related costs, in transcribing a recording. What the client hadn’t understood was that there is a difference … [Read more...]
Membership to VA Networks – do they add value to my business?
I recently had a new VA email me about joining the network I manage. She asked a number of the usual questions but then also asked the question which is the subject heading of this post. Interesting question and one I thought I would share here. I know that whenever anyone starts up in business they are looking for value for their money. They want to spread the word about their business as far as possible without it costing them an arm and a leg. I wanted to do the same when I was first … [Read more...]
Be Careful of the Technology You Choose
I love exploring all the things available to us in various software programs but there are some things I prefer not to use, although they were designed to make my life easier. Read Receipts for example - I don't necessarily want people to know the minute I've read their email so I have my program set not to process read receipts, even when someone requests it. Which is probably frustrating for them. I had one person contact me on the weekend and said she was using them because she wanted to … [Read more...]
Presenting Your Business Via Email
Regular readers will have noted my recent absence but hopefully they will have known or realised I was away on leave - well and truly overdue and very much enjoyed. I went to Japan with my husband to visit one of our daughters - if you read my family blog you'll see some of my posts there with photos. Whilst I was away there was an innumerable amount of emails, even with my going 'nomail' on the chat forums I belong to, and so I did check regularly in case of important matters, i.e. family … [Read more...]
The Importance of Follow Up
As a Virtual Assistant looking after a number of clients, it is really important to diarise items that need following up. With the increased number of emails, phone calls, and information to read and take in, it is very easy to get in overload mode and not realise that someone didn't respond to your email or phone call till several days later, or even weeks later. I usually do make a note to follow up on behalf of clients but often forget to do this for my own personal things. I mean, you … [Read more...]
I love surprises!
This year has been a very different year for me as I've made some shifts in what I've been doing in my business. Moving some clients onto other VAs as I made room for increased writing activity and public speaking. I have a passion for helping women who want to work at home and be there for their families, just as I have been blessed to do for the past 13+ years. All the same, I felt bad for 'abandoning' those clients - although I know that's not the reality. They have very capable people … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistant or Virtual Worker?
As the VA industry evolves and more people become aware of this excellent way of working, it is only natural that there are going to be companies developing who have a staff of virtual workers. We've been seeing this in India for sometime but now it's expanding to other parts of the world, with at least one that I know of in the US and I became aware of another in the Philippines recently. I'm sure there are others too. And that's not to mention the agencies that tap into the VA market - there … [Read more...]
Seeking a VA – price and where to search?
I was having a chat to someone recently about places to seek Virtual Assistant support and elance.com and guru.com were mentioned. I immediately thought 'oh, oh' and waited for him to finish speaking before I tackled this aspect of our conversation. Earlier in the week I'd had another business operator contact me looking for support for their business and because they know I have a network of Virtual Assistants in 15 countries he wanted to know which was the lowest cost country he could get … [Read more...]
When There’s An Event On
Are you aware there is a site that announces Virtual Assistant courses, seminars, training events and other things? No? Then you need to go over to www.va-announcements.com and subscribe to the list. Many of the VA networks list their events regularly at this site, plus place announcements and it's a good one-stop-shop for the industry. So make sure you head over to www.va-announcements.com and catch up on all that's happening for the industry right now! KMT … [Read more...]
