perpetual learning

Speaker Support is in demand! Learn how here!

One of the things we have total control of in our business is which services we choose to offer. Sometimes we want to do something that is interesting and fun, but we have no idea how to learn about it. Take speaker support, for instance. Do you realize how many industries use speaking in their business? Some use it to get exposure to their industry, to become viewed as an expert, or to build their reputation on a certain topic or in front of a certain audience. Others use it as a means to network and to get new clients. Finding speaking gigs is time consuming though, and that’s why it’s a rapidly growing service that VAs can offer to their clients. Many… Read More »Speaker Support is in demand! Learn how here!

What I have learned (and from whom!) – a peek behind my VA business curtain!

I am a big advocate of professional development in business. I believe that in order to keep growing, you need to keep learning. And it’s definitely why I choose to teach! Of course in order to grow from your learning, you need to implement what you learn into your business. So although I suggest learning as much as you can, you still need to monitor what you are doing (especially the free stuff which can get out of control quickly!) so that you are only doing as much as you can implement. There will always be another social media class or planning day, but if you can’t put into practice what you are learning then you should think twice about… Read More »What I have learned (and from whom!) – a peek behind my VA business curtain!

Who Inspires You in your VA Business?

Who inspires you in your business? When we work alone all day, every day, sometimes inspiration is something that eludes us. At least on a regular basis. It’s important for Virtual Assistants to connect with people who inspire to do well, to build, to grow, or to do whatever it is you want to do with your business. I am on the mailing lists and in the social media groups of many, many people that I look to for inspiration. Sometimes I need inspiration to know that I am on the right path. Sometimes it’s to help me find my way through a period of growth. And sometimes it’s just to help me keep my mindset in a positive space.… Read More »Who Inspires You in your VA Business?

5 Reasons to Attend a VA Conference

Working as a solo virtual professional, we sometimes run the risk of having a little too much solitude. Sometimes networking mainly consists of water cooler-type conversations with our colleagues, and then jumping back to client work. That’s why it’s important to seek out opportunities to get out there in person. Live networking events are a great way to have actual conversations with people. It’s a great place to learn and grow, and basically refine your art of conversation. I am hosting the first VA conference in Ottawa, Ontario in May! Are you coming?   The VA Conference will be a great place to connect with your colleagues and take time to work on your business (instead of just working in… Read More »5 Reasons to Attend a VA Conference

Are You Using Facebook Live?

I saw you on Facebook yesterday. Did you see me? I’m kidding of course! But isn’t it neat that Facebook finally came up with something that turned its platform into an actual face-book? Facebook Live came out a while back and it’s starting to take off … slowly, according to my newsfeed, but people are getting more comfortable with it. I checked my pages the other day and I have access to it now. I’m not sure if I have for a while, but it’s there for sure. So I intend to start using it. Soon. LOL. Proscrastination is a big part of my video stuff. It seems to be the same for a lot of other people. So here… Read More »Are You Using Facebook Live?

What’s Left to Do?

At this time of year everyone is talking about planning – including me – it’s a very important piece of running a successful business. But one of the things I talk about also is reflecting on the previous year. How did things look financially? How did my goals work out? And I inevitably come to that one question … what’s left to do? I mean, what did I start but never finish? Have you ever made a list of the things that you ‘intended’ to do during the year, and assessed that at year end? It’s a really good exercise to do – not from a negative standpoint, but from (I think) a very positive one. Here’s what I mean… Read More »What’s Left to Do?

3 Ways Practice Makes Perfect

For some reason, many VAs I know think that they should instinctively know how to do everything in their business. They actually criticize themselves if they don’t know how to do something – like finances, strategic planning, analytics, marketing, networking, sales. These are all of the things that you need to learn to be a successful business owner. But these things don’t come naturally – to anyone, believe it or not!! You need to learn them, like you’ve learned anything else in life. And you need to practice them to get better at them. There is a quote by Thomas Edison that sits on the top of my computer monitor: Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how… Read More »3 Ways Practice Makes Perfect

A Lesson About Your Value as a VA

Last week I learned a valuable lesson. Actually that’s a funny choice of words because the lesson was actually about VALUE itself. Here’s the backstory – I went to Walmart last year to get some new contact lenses. I always pick them up from there because it’s convenient and the prices are good. Well this particular trip, the dispensing optician told me that my prescription was more than two years old, which meant that it was invalid and he could not issue the lenses. Hmm. So at the time I needed the contacts because I was travelling and I knew I probably could not get in to see my eye doctor quickly enough. The optician mentioned that they had an eye doc at Walmart… Read More »A Lesson About Your Value as a VA