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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

Make Your Virtual and Live Connections Count!

I’ve been to a few ‘in person’ events lately and it really does make a difference when you are face to face with someone – how your relationship can build quickly. But planning is the key to helping you quickly build solid connections with the people you network with. Do you make your connections count? Here are a few tips for you when you are connecting with new folks, live or virtually: 1. Develop a plan that suits you. Plan where you will go, and who you hope/plan to meet. Figure out what you want to accomplish at each event or gathering – ahead of time. If you are looking online, think of a couple of LinkedIn group that might be… Read More »Make Your Virtual and Live Connections Count!

How Committed Are You To Success In Your VA Business?

In preparation for my group mastermind and hosting my own mastermind, I have been faced with this question often: how committed are you to your success? I think all of us that get into business for ourselves have some level of commitment at the start. Whether we foster that commitment or let it fizzle out is really an important thing. If we forget why we got into business to begin with, the commitment can be watered down with the everyday icky stuff that comes with business. And we can become unhappy. Or even resentful. And trust me, neither of those attitudes will have success showing up at your door. How committed are you to your success? What is it that stops you from… Read More »How Committed Are You To Success In Your VA Business?

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

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

Do You Do This Too? Accepting Status Quo

This week I was sitting at my desk when wham! Big crash. Suddenly my phone, keyboard, mouse and mousepad were sitting on the floor at my feet, along with my sliding keyboard drawer. You think I would be shocked or stunned. But, no. Ever since I built my desk (don’t judge me!) about 10 years ago I have known that the keyboard drawer has been loose. Yep, right from the get-go. Design flaw I think. But I’ve tolerated it all these years. I can actually tell when it’s loose and might fall, so I can make a quick adjustment and reinforce it, Then I move on until the next time. So this week when it happened I really stopped and took notice.… Read More »Do You Do This Too? Accepting Status Quo

Dealing with Difficult Clients as a VA

Have you ever had a difficult situation arise with a client? Let me give you a few examples: – they send you all their work last minute (their lack of preparation means your emergency, doesn’t it?)- they don’t pay you on time (or without constant nudging) – they complain about every little thing – they ask the same questions over and over again – they send you a million emails to communicate something simple – they don’t change subject lines in their emails if the subject matter changes (this is a huge pet peeve of mine! – how do I ever find that thing we talked about?) You get the picture. Virtual working brings with it a need for steady… Read More »Dealing with Difficult Clients as a VA

Planning Time – Make a Big Change for Your Virtual Assistant Business

Researching, planning, organizing, deciding, shopping, implementing. Running a business is a lot like holidayshopping, isn’t it? Maybe not as fun, but definitely as hectic, and the payoff is definitely as good if not better if you get it right. When was the last time you sat down and really planned what is coming next in your business? You know the way to business growth is through planning, goal setting and then implementing those goals. But are you doing it? I spoke with a VA last week who was not motivated to start doing anything because she was happy with the ‘status quo’ in her business. When I pressed her for some goals, she decided that yes, she wanted to make more… Read More »Planning Time – Make a Big Change for Your Virtual Assistant Business