getting started as a virtual assistant

Are You Stuck in Research or Planning Mode?

When you are getting started with your Virtual Assistant business, you need to do a lot of research and planning. It is very easy to get stuck in this mode, and not actually take a step forward to launch your business. Sound familiar? If you are stuck in research or planning, you’re not alone. It can feel overwhelming – all the things you need to learn to get started. It’s also scary. Putting yourself out there. What if you fail? What if you make a mistake? It’s not always fun. But here’s the thing – you have to take a step forward or you’ll never get moving. If you are stuck in that research mode, first consider what it is… Read More »Are You Stuck in Research or Planning Mode?

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What Firing My House Cleaner Taught Me About Communication

Do you have an onboarding process for a new client? How about for a new team member? When you bring someone in to work with you in any capacity, you should have an intake procedure that helps you get the information you need from them, and give the information to them that they need to do their job properly. What about communication policies? Do you have a set of rules around how you communicate with people in your business? You should be very clear about who does what, and how everyone communicate with each other. I learned a valuable lesson about both of these things recently – and it had nothing to do with clients or team members (well, not really!). It had… Read More »What Firing My House Cleaner Taught Me About Communication

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Are you making excuses? Or do you just need a little help?

Are you enjoying your business every day? Do you feel like a success? A lot of Virtual Assistants – no matter what stage of their business they are in –  just fly by the seat of their pants, and then they wonder why they are not successful. I hear from them every day. When I ask them how their business is going, I get a lot of the same responses I don’t know where to find clients. I am not making enough money. I’m stuck on a business name. I can’t start marketing until my website is ready. I’m still working on my logo. I’m no good at networking in person. Some of these problems are just excuses to not start… Read More »Are you making excuses? Or do you just need a little help?

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Get Your First, or Next, VA Client

Good clients are NOT hard to find. Whether you have lots of clients, or are still looking for that elusive first one, it is important that you find GOOD clients. The backbone of any business is clients. Without clients you have no revenue … you have no business. And frankly, life is too short to work with clients that you don’t like or who stress you out. Look at your client list right now. Do you love each person you work with? What do you like about them? Is it the work you do for them? Their personality? The rate they pay you? Be honest with yourself and really determine what makes a GREAT client for you. It may not be… Read More »Get Your First, or Next, VA Client

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Being Your Own Boss is So Great!

This week I hosted a free information session for Virtual Assistants. One of the first things I ask anyone when they are thinking of starting out: why they want to start their own business. I have heard a variety of answers to this question, but many times the answer is ‘to be my own boss’. When I start to work with someone as their coach, I ask them to look deeper into that statement. Why do you want to be your own boss? There are always more underlying reasons that simply because you want to. And we often talk about needed to understand WHY you want to be in business for yourself. Because some days are hard, and some decisions… Read More »Being Your Own Boss is So Great!

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Accepting Payments For Your VA Services

Accepting Payments You can accept payments in advance, in portions, as recurring payments (ie multi pays) or as ongoing payments for a specific period of time. Depending on what your business is will determine how your payment structures are set up. Coaches accept payments in advance. Graphic artists or project consultants may get paid with a deposit, a mid project payment and then balance on completion. Some people may get paid for completed work only. It really depends on how your business is set up. There are many ways you can accept payments for your services. Cheque or money order (certified cheque) – you have to wait for the money to be received, but once it is the services begin.… Read More »Accepting Payments For Your VA Services

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15 Services You Can Offer As a VA

The Virtual Assistant industry has really broken out of its shell over the last several years. I remember when I first started out as a VA, there were only a few places to find really good information about getting started in the business. I am happy to be able to share some of my knowledge with you! As various industries have begun to embrace the idea of hiring off-site administrative help, people are beginning to realize all the tasks that a VA can provide for them, that maybe they didn’t think of before. Once you get started, you can decide which services you want to provide, and you can even get some specialized training, but it’s easy to get started… Read More »15 Services You Can Offer As a VA

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Hosted Blog Or Self Hosted Blog – Which is Better For Your VA Business?

There are two ways that you can get your blog online, and there are definite pros and cons to both choices. Here are some things to consider when you are trying to make this decision for your Virtual Assistant business. Hosted Blogs A hosted blog simply means that your blog is set up on someone else’s server. Free Hosted Blogs There are free services for this, such as WordPress.com, Typepad.com and Blogger.com. These services make it easy to get your blog started immediately, because you just select a template, name your blog and you are live. Benefits of a free hosted blog are: * it’s free * it’s easy and quick to set up * it’s always up to date… Read More »Hosted Blog Or Self Hosted Blog – Which is Better For Your VA Business?

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