I had a prospective client contact me recently as she was seeking someone local she could meet face-to-face to do her work. She'd been using a VA but struggled with the remote aspect of working together and asked for some tips. This is what I told her: Communication is the key. I have a client who's been with me for over 11 years. Every Monday we have a phone meeting, but sometimes we use Skype, and we discuss the task list she's sent me for that week. I do around 15 hours a week of work … [Read more...]
The Tale of Two Assistants
Saw an interesting post a little while ago with the title 'The Tale of Two Assistants'. It was apparently about an 'actual assistant' and a 'virtual assistant'. I wasn't sure what they meant exactly by the 'actual assistant' as it seems that the 'actual assistant' had other clients anyway, so it would seem they were not an employee but someone they outsourced to. So, I wonder what made the difference between the AA and the VA? They were able to prove that the VA they hired was more efficient … [Read more...]
Supporting the Client
Through my years as a VA I've had lots of wonderful opportunities and have learnt lots of new skills in the process. Often a client asking me to investigate something can lead to a new service I start providing - it's expanded my horizons. But there are times when we (VAs) need to know when we can't do something for a client and that they must do it themselves. Networking for the client is one of those things. I know that some clients are so busy that they just want to hand everything over to … [Read more...]
Keeping a Live Database
One of the services I provide to clients is the maintenance of their databases. Entering business cards and new contacts, updating contact details, and removing bounced addresses. Databases can get very messy at the best of times. There are always people changing jobs, shifting house, changing their lives and changing email addresses - it would be rare to do a broadcast email and not have some addresses bounce back. Some broadcast email programs just bounce everything back to you - hard … [Read more...]
Providing Website Support to Clients
I did a post sometime ago about VAs whose websites had been copied. Today I want to discuss the other side - creating websites for clients. Recently I had a client send me a whole lot of text for a website I am putting together for her. I copied and pasted the text into the various pages, formatting as required, and then noticed that the words 'contact' and 'email' were hyperlinked. When I checked to see what they were linked to, they led to totally different domains. I went and checked the … [Read more...]
A 4-Hour Work Week Experiment
I came across an article a few weeks ago at SBInformer about someone who had read Tim Ferriss' book and he thought he'd try it out and get a VA of his own. Trouble with this is the majority of people who read this book don't do the research - they just read the book and go to the sources quoted without really understanding our industry or even realising that if they Googled 'Virtual Assistants' they would come across our industry associations and learn what a true VA is. They would also get a … [Read more...]
College Graduate or Experienced PA?
Saw a post at WebsitePublisher.net about someone who is seeking to use a VA. But the guy has got it wrong - he's seeking college graduates who just don't have the required experience he requires. I followed through to his blog and found a post there where his VA has written to him asking if they can take on other work whilst they wait for him to provide them with more work. Come again??? Is his VA an employee or an independent business operator? Why would they have to ask permission to take … [Read more...]
Prospective Client Gets Rejected II
Further to my previous post, I was pleased to see that Valerie visited here and added comment. She advised that she did research transcription companies before looking further afield. She just hadn't indicated that in her article and it might have helped those of us who commented on her article to see a more complete picture before commenting. It is important to note here that transcription companies don't necessarily mean Virtual Assistants and vice versa, although Valerie had mentioned both … [Read more...]
More than a reminder service…
I read a posting on a blog written by a man who was talking about his Virtual Assistant (girlfriend). This VA was rather different, in that it was really an email and web based reminder service that he could use to assist him with remembering actions, meetings and other activities throughout his busy day. It's amazing what the term 'virtual assistant' gets attributed to these days. I can't blame Eric for thinking that way though - I know in the past, when I was working in the corporate world, … [Read more...]
