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A Journey of Dedication and Growth This month marks a significant milestone for Executive Stress Office Support (eSOS) as I celebrate 25 years of providing high-quality, confidential executive PA/EA services, transcription, document production, and more. Reflecting on this journey, it’s incredible to see how far eSOS has come from humble beginnings in February 2000 working…Read more
On Joining Networks As a seasoned virtual assistant (VA) I’ve had a few people asking me whether they should join this network or that and what the benefits are. I thought I’d list the benefits I see in joining networks – both on and offline. Here are my thoughts: I belong to a number of…Read more
The Benefits of a VA What do you do if you’re a sole operator or independent professional/executive in need of professional, confidential admin support, but don’t want to go to the expense and hassle involved in hiring your own staff? What if you don’t have the space for staff, or necessary expertise to complete a…Read more
As more and more AI-generated content in the form of blogs, articles, newsletters, books, and images flood the internet, it raises the question who is the robot? Who exactly is training who?
Location No Barrier to Virtual Collaboration Here’s a story from the distant past. These days it seems like working remotely is no big thing. In the years between when I started my practice in 2000 to today, there have been advances in technology that make the following story seem ‘quaint’. But it’s probably worth telling…Read more
What’s In a Name? In the constantly changing and evolving industry of virtual assistance, there’s a recurring debate that echoes through the corridors of online business. It revolves around one simple question: What should virtual assistants call themselves? It might seem like a trivial matter, but it’s far from it. The issue stems from the…Read more
Lessons from the Day Optus Left 10 Million+ Australians in the Dark Ever had a day where your entire digital world crumbled? If you’re with Optus, you might have experienced the recent meltdown that left over 10 million Aussies disconnected. Whether you were directly affected or just heard the buzz, here’s a recap of the…Read more
One of the most frequent enquiries I receive in my practice is for transcription services – digital, microtape, standard tape (yes, still tape!). These enquiries are not just from potential clients but from new VAs wanting to ‘get in on’ what looks like a burgeoning niche in the Virtual Assistant industry. Remember just because you…Read more
Language – it’s what separates us from other animals. It helps us communicate, creates art, literature and religions. It is the basis of culture. Civilisations are built on it. It is the cornerstone of democracy. It is important. And it matters … it really does. What we say and how we say it matters. If…Read more
Generative AI and ChatGPT – you knew I’d get to it eventually… I am not an early adopter. I won’t rush out and grab the new thing because I prefer to sit back, watch how it evolves, see the bugs get worked out … that sort of thing. And if something is going to fall…Read more
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
If you are a Freelancer or Virtual Assistant then you won’t want to miss my friend Tawnya Sutherland’s Season 22 of #VAVS – the Virtual Assistant Virtuosos Summit coming this October 24 to 28 to your home office. Tawnya kindly invited me to present again this year and I can’t wait. It’s always such a…Read more
It’s school holidays already… again. They seem to come around faster and faster. And school holidays can sometimes send the work-from-home carer into a tail spin! What do you do with the kids? How are you going to get all your work done? This is a common problem for lots of work-from-home parents including Virtual…Read more
Run free Captain Jack – one flap up and one flap down! I never met this little guy in real life but was honoured to work on Dan Weedin’s latest book that included “quotes” from Captain Jack. He was definitely a real character. So much so he wrote his own obituary! You can find it…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
It’s been a tough 18 months – especially for SMEs and entrepreneurs. Now more than ever it’s important we look after ourselves. Stephanie Haywood from My Life Boost joins the blog as a guest contributor and shares her top tips for taking better care of yourself! Being an entrepreneur is often associated with late nights…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.
It was with sadness that I learned of the recent passing of a long-term colleague, Monika Newman of Absolutely Virtual. A well-respected, long-standing VA who had a passion not only for the VA industry, but also for helping those a part of it. I had known Monika for nearly all of the 20+ years I…Read more
Lesson 20: Give up the myth of work/life balance. We’ve all heard it. We should be striving for work/life balance. Every coach, self-help person, and so-called ‘guru’ tells you if you don’t have it, you will never be happy! Well…. it doesn’t exist. When you are working for yourself you will lose weekends and in…Read more
Lesson 19: Really enjoy what you do! Remember why you got started in your practice. It could have been because of childcare needs; elder care; disability; a desire for more freedom or to be your own boss; or as a means for re-entering the workforce. But if you don’t enjoy it why do it? Life is…Read more
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 15: Only take on work you are qualified for. If you are professional, authentic and ethical this should be a no brainer, but I have seen so many times on lists VAs saying things like “I’ve been approached by a client who wants me to do XYZ but I’ve never really done that before…Read more
Lesson 14: Be Professional – and Ethical! Being professional is another key to your success – not only professionalism in your dealings with clients but also your colleagues, and especially if you are subcontracting to them. It might seem obvious but in my 20 years I have seen some astoundingly unprofessional behaviour from colleagues. Professionalism can…Read more
Lesson 13: Be Authentic! What does being authentic mean? Well simply, don’t try to be something you are not. Don’t let people think you are in an office in the city for example if you are working from your lounge room with four kids under 5. If potential clients cannot trust you to be authentic,…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 9: Network – on and offline! Join networks: online and off – and engage in networking. Apart from the benefits of marketing your business and SEO enhancement of your site if the network offers links or a directory, belonging to a network of like-minded people gives you a sense of collegiality, opportunities for learning, and…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 5: Don’t try and be all things to all people. Find your niche! You know the old saying: If you’re a jack of all trades you’re a master of none. It’s okay to be a generalist but try to find your niche. This makes you one IN a million instead of one OF a…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
Lesson 1: Being a VA is not a hobby or a side hustle. It’s a business – with all that entails! The first thing I’ve learned in this business – being a VA is NOT a hobby or a ‘side hustle’. It’s not a way to make easy money. It’s a business – with all…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
It’s holiday season – a time for gift giving and Boxing Day Sales! But do you know your rights when it comes to warranties or returning goods? Here are a couple of great videos from the team at The Checkout well worth a look to get a better understanding of your rights when it comes…Read more
In a previous blog post I talked about the Evolution of the VA Industry. With that evolution – especially the fact so many newbie VAs are now coming from little to no experience in an office or admin environment, and others straight from school – the importance of getting training in running a business, or in…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
I was sent a video (created by OnlineMBA.com) which raises an interesting thing to consider when you’re thinking about outsourcing: Why outsourcing may in fact NOT be valuable to business. Check it out: Now, I won’t go so far as to agree that outsourcing is “bad for business”. After all I’m a virtual assistant and…Read more
Recently we assisted in the running of, and presented at, the Online International VA Convention – a convention that takes place each May across multiple timezones and countries, across three days. Demio is the webinar/conference solution we used. And it’s recently had a facelift. Marketing features have been revamped and new interactive experiences added. The…Read more
I was working on a project for a client – getting them set up with Facebook and speaking with them about engagement on social media. It became apparent during that conversation, and on posts and comments I was seeing on the platform, that even though Facebook has been available to the public since about 2005…Read more
Tim Ferriss – author of The 4-Hour Work Week – has never been the VA industry’s favourite person – especially when he advocated the exploitation of labour in developing countries for $5 per hour in order to get himself rich. As Meagan Day of Jacobin Magazine puts it: After dozens of pages of self-help and…Read more
I read an article by Shannon Aspinall of Shannon Aspinall Bookkeeping & Accounting. Even though I don’t employ people, I found it interesting because for me, some of the things Shannon said really reinforced what VAs have been saying for decades, and helped clarify the value a VA could bring to your business. In her…Read more
Some great tips from Seth Godin on how to avoid getting “blow back” when you hammer your email list. Remember Australia has a Spam Act – key elements of which can be found here – and breaches of it can land you in a lot of hot water. Now with the implementation of the European Union’s…Read more
Recently I tried to do something nice for someone – a pay it forward kind of thing – and somewhere along the line it backfired. I had discovered a gentleman whose writings I thought were very valuable. He talked about social issues on his blog that were important and had impact on the wider community, but…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
This article appeared in Business Insider – I’ve copied and pasted it below with a link to the original. Scientists Have Discovered a Personality Difference Between Entrepreneurs and Employees Around 13% of Americans are starting or running their own companies. Almost everyone else is an employee. We may have found out the difference between the…Read more
How environmentally responsible are you in your business? We’re used to reduce, reuse and recycle at home but what about your business? When my printer died I didn’t want to just throw it out and have it end up in landfill. According to Planet Ark Australians are some of the largest consumers of tech in…Read more
Have you ever thought what it actually costs you to have onsite staff? In addition to their hourly rate you’ve got expenses like payroll tax, superannuation, workcover premium, holiday and sick leave, paid maternity/paternity leave, and the costs of office space, equipment (including wear and tear and upgrades), power, lighting and telephone. Then if your…Read more
Wow that went fast!!! February 2015 marks the 15th anniversary of my being in business as Executive Stress Office Support! What began as a way for me to remain at home with my then baby daughter, and continue to contribute to the household income, has blossomed into a very busy virtual assistant (VA) practice serving…Read more
How do you know if your book is priced correctly to move the maximum amount of copies? This nice blog by Anastasia V Pergakis on Indies Unlimited may help. How do you know if your book is priced correctly to move the maximum amount of copies? For some this might take some time and a…Read more
Ever wondered what sorts of things a VA can actually do? One of my clients did and recently asked me for a list. So, here’s that list. This is by no means comprehensive and if the task isn’t on this list it doesn’t mean a VA can’t do it. Just ask and you’ll find out!…Read more
