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…
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 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…
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….…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Lesson 14: Be Professional – and Ethical! Professionalism 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…
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…
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…
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…
Lesson 10: Use 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
This article appeared in Business Insider recently – the original is a bit hard to read so I’ve copied and pasted it below with a link to the original. Scientists Have Discovered a Personality Difference Between Entrepreneurs and Employees Around…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
