Executive Stress Office Support
Professional. Authentic. Honest. Reliable. Providing quality VA services since 2000.
You’ve got a business that has outgrown your current office arrangement of a kitchen table, laptop, and cell phone. Or, if you started out like me, a cupboard in the living room! Congratulations! But now what? Where will you find the room? Shy of kicking one of your children out of their bedrooms, you’re going…Read more
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced today (7 March 2023) our tenth consecutive increase in the official cash rate. This means interest rates are the highest they have been in over 11 years. We’ve seen rising fuel costs, interest rates climbing, returns on investments going down, grocery store prices continuing to increase week on…Read more
We buy and sell goods and services throughout the year – but especially at Christmas time, at Boxing Day Sales, Black Friday Sales, and end of financial year run outs. Warranties apply to all goods and services sold in Australia and in addition to manufacturer’s warranties, store warranties and express warranties, there are a set…Read more
I posted a quote to social media which caused a bit of a stir: “If you take a lot of time to ask, ‘how will this pay off’, you’re probably asking the wrong question. When you are trusted because you care, it’s quite likely the revenue will take care of itself.” – Seth Godin The stir…Read more
Check out this timely webinar from @myfreelanceu and Discover 7 Proven Pathways to Freelance Success in 2021.
Lesson 18: Don’t sweat the small stuff! I have seen so many VAs get really upset online when they see an article for example promoting the use of offshore VAs. Instead of getting riled up and attacking the author, refocus your marketing efforts on educating the market on what professional VAs really look like! Write…Read more
Lesson 17: Things change – accept it. Be aware things change and accept it. As Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “The only constant in life is change”. The economy changes. Laws around doing business change. Clients change their mind. Your circumstances or those of your clients change. Perceptions around getting work done change. New technology emerges. Competition comes…Read more
Lesson 16: Remember you are in a service industry. Remember you are providing a service – by which I mean we are in technically a ‘service industry’. After all our primary goal is to solve problems for clients. So you cannot help the client who calls you? Send them to someone who can – let them know…Read more
Lesson 12: Learn to set boundaries and say no! It is really important that you set boundaries with clients and that you realise it is okay to say no. If you don’t, sometimes clients can take advantage of you and your time. It’s important that clients understand from the outset that your time is valuable…Read more
Lesson 11: Define your ideal client and target market! Defining your ideal client and target market can be a tough one especially when you’re starting out and all work is good work, but you will eventually work out who you like working with. When defining your ideal client it is important to get really specific….Read more
Lesson 10: Make use of your tribe! Following on from Lesson 9 and the importance of networking is – use your tribe. Don’t underestimate the importance of people who know you well already. Tell people including your family, friends, old bosses and work colleagues what it is you are doing now, the benefits of outsourcing to…Read more
Lesson 8: Research your trainer! If you are the sort of person who likes training – and training is good – especially ongoing professional development – make sure you research your trainer! There are so many trainers out there now promising they can show you how you can make $10,000 in your first month or be a…Read more
Lesson 7: Be selective in your advertising. When you are starting out it can be tempting to go all out with newspaper ads, mail outs, cold calling, flyers, yellow pages (print or online) – but not all these tools work. You need to find out what works for your area – and for your target market….Read more
Lesson 6: Whilst a niche is good… be flexible! This is especially important when you are starting out because all work is good work. The most important thing you can have is a satisfied client – even if that client is another VA. You’re after testimonials. Testimonials are one of the best tools you have…Read more
Lesson 4: Have an I’m the Boss mindset! A common misconception is that this means you can do what you want. When I say no to coffee dates during the day, kick out friends who drop in, or when my daughter was at school and I used to respond to questions about what we were…Read more
Lesson 3: You must have the support of your partner or family if you want to succeed in business. If you decide you are serious about setting up a VA practice, and you fully understand what’s involved and that this is not a hobby or a ‘side hustle’, then you must have the support of your…Read more
Lesson 2: Being a VA is not for everyone – and not everyone can be a VA! Just because you can type doesn’t mean you can run a successful transcription business. Just because you know your way around WordPress doesn’t mean you’ll have a successful web design business. Just because you were a PA or…Read more
On the 28th February 2020 I will have been in practice as a virtual assistant for 20 years. I began when my daughter was then about six or seven months old. I want to share a few things I’ve learned while being in business: hopefully they’ll be of some help to you on your journey. Remember…Read more
Tech transformations that happened in your lifetime A couple of months ago I was invited by veteran VA Sharon Williams of The 24 Hour Secretary and OIVAC to join a committee comprising other veteran VAs from around the world to discuss updating the Core Competencies we had worked on back in 2004. The other members…Read more
Why you need all three if you want a web presence! One of the services I offer to clients is helping them set up their domain name and website. I also provide (for WordPress sites) an updating service including site, theme and plug in updates, as well as blog posting, social media graphics etc. (Contact…Read more
Just a reminder: If you are setting your assistant’s rate or dictating their hours and manner of work completion, they aren’t a VA – they’re a teleworker or home-based employee. One defining feature of a VA is that they are SELF-EMPLOYED. That means – among other things – they: They are, for all intents and…Read more