Archive for September, 2008

Running a VA Business: Establishing Relationships with Your Clients

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

One of the most important things that you can do when you start running a VA business is to think about the relationships that you want to have with your clients. For example, let’s say that you only want to be contacted during the business hours that you’ve set, you’re going to want to be sure that, in the course of running your VA business, you make it clear that you won’t pick up the phone outside of those hours – and you’re going to want to stick with that decision.

You’re going to want to think, while you’re running a VA business, about the time that you are willing to commit to your business and the time that you want to set aside for spending with your family, your friends and – most obviously – the time that you want for yourself.

In other words, one of the things that you are going to want to be sure of when you’re running a VA business is that you know your limits and that you are willing to work within them. The only way that you are going to be able to establish healthy relationships with your clients is going to be to know and respect your own limits.

Running a VA Business: You Need to Have a Plan

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

When you’re going to be running a business, it’s a good idea to have a sense of direction: where do you want your virtual assistant business to be in 6 months? 2 years? 10 years? By taking the time to identify your plans, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to stay on top of the process of running your business.

Of course, having a plan doesn’t necessarily mean creating a full on business plan. You’ll just want to be sure that you have enough of a plan so that you can tell what you should be researching, the opportunities that you have for growing the VA business you’re running and to be sure that you’re thinking about your business. With a plan, you’ll be able to look at your VA business finances and to see where you can cut costs and what you should invest in. You’ll also find that you’re able to measure the progress that you are making towards reaching your business goals.

Simply put, having a plan when you are running a VA business is the best way to stay on top of what you are doing from one day to the next and to ensure that the actions you are taking will help you to reach your business goals.

Running a VA Business: Staying Motivated

Monday, September 8th, 2008

When you are going to be running a VA business, particularly when you are starting out small and your intention is to work from home rather than out of an office – and especially if you don’t have the space to dedicate to creating a home office – you’re going to find that it’s important to know what it takes for you to stay motivated.

Part of staying motivated while you are running a VA business is all about focusing on your goals – and making sure that those goals are something that you can update along the way, adding more as you reach them. Part of staying motivated while you are running a VA business is all about knowing that you’ve created the right space for getting the job done.

If you are only going to be running a VA business from one end of the table in your dining room, there are going to be challenges to your motivation each and every day; it’s going to be up to you to set aside the space and to use it to focus on work. If you have a home office from which you will be running a VA business or you’ll be working out of an office, then make sure that you’re avoiding distractions and creating a space that you want to be in – a space that will let you get the job done.

Virtual Assistant Skills: A Look at Social Networking

Sunday, September 7th, 2008

It’s impossible, these days, to look at most blogs without seeing a tool that makes it easy to submit the post or the site to a web-based bookmarking and ranking site. Likewise, it can be difficult to get away from the popularity of MySpace and Facebook and even of Twitter, LinkedIn, Tagged and similar social networking sites that allow members to connect based on interests and experiences. For virtual assistants who want to be sure they are providing the right services to their clients, it’s important to become familiar with social networking sites.

More and more frequently, those who are looking for virtual assistant skills aren’t just looking for someone who can answer the calls and emails that come into their offices; they are also looking for virtual assistant skills and services that will ensure that they are able to have a high quality profile on all of the major social sites.

What’s great about social networking as a virtual assistant skill, however, is that not only are there going to be a large number of clients who are looking for the service, but also it’s a great tool for marketing your business while you’re getting each social networking site all figured out.

Running a VA Business: Finding Support

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

One of the things that you’re going to find when you are running a VA business is that things can get pretty overwhelming – both when you’re getting started and getting your business up and off the ground and when you have been in business for a while. When you need support, you’re going to want to be sure that you are able to find it.

Running a VA business, particularly when you’re working as a solo VA, is just like running any other business: there are finances to keep in order, there are phone calls that need to be returned, emails that need to be answered, documents that need to stay organized and tasks that absolutely must be accomplished.

There are going to be times when you need to bring someone onto your team who can help you with a difficult client. There are going to be times when you need to talk with someone who has been running a VA business for a while to ask the questions that you have about growing your business. It’s important to know where to turn.

When you are running a VA business, you’ll find that it’s best to know where to turn when you could use a little support; in many cases, you’ll find that it’s all just a matter of having the right network and support.

Points to Consider When Running a VA Business

Friday, September 5th, 2008

When you’re going to be running a VA business, one of the things that you are going to find is that there are a number of points you’ll want to keep in mind.

When you’re going to run a VA business, you’ll want to consider:

  1. the prices that you are going to charge for your services
  2. the hours that you’ll be running your business during the day
  3. the services that you’re going to provide
  4. the experience that you’ve had while offering administrative services
  5. the knowledge that you have of marketing
  6. the types of clients you’re going to want to work with

In other words, when you’re running a VA business – or you’re still thinking about becoming a virtual assistant – you’re going to want to be sure that you are looking at your options and that you are aware of what running a business entails. By looking at the big picture of running a business, by knowing what to expect and what help you might need along the way.

Can Becoming a VA Help You Ride Out the Economy?

Thursday, September 4th, 2008

When you start paying too much attention to the economy these days, chances are good that it’ll make you a little bit panicky. For those who are looking for the chance to start up a business of their own without having to deal with a lot of the risks involved, becoming a virtual assistant is a great way to start small and increase business over time, a great way to put their skills to work for themselves and – as a result – a decent way to work through the stress of a tight economy.

When you become a virtual assistant, after all, you’re going to have to spend less time commuting – and that’s going to mean less money spent on gas. When you become a virtual assistant, while you may want to look into business training, there won’t really be a while new set of skills that you need to pick up.

What you are going to find is that when you go into business for yourself there are going to be a number of advantages; by becoming a VA, you’ll find that you are able to take advantage of all of those benefits. When you become a virtual assistant, you’re going to find that you can look at the big picture and steer your career down a path that you want to take.

Becoming a Virtual Assistant: What Does It Mean for You?

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

When you are thinking about becoming a virtual assistant, one of the things that you’re going to want to think about is what becoming a VA means to you.

Simply put, those who are planning to become virtual assistants have their own motivations. For some, it’s all about making sure that they are able to spend more time with their families. For others, the focus of becoming a virtual assistant is the knowledge that they will be able to go into business for themselves rather than continuing to work for others (and, as a result, struggling to really reach the goals that they have set for themselves professionally).

Regardless of why you are thinking about becoming a virtual assistant, it’s important to have a sense of what matters to you. While it’s important to understand what is involved in becoming a VA, you’re going to find that it’s even more important to know what it means to you. By doing so, you are going to find that you are in a far better position to reach the goals that you’ve set for yourself.

Virtual Assistant Marketing: Getting the Word Out

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008

A big part of running any business is making sure that those who can benefit from the products or services offered know that the business is out there. When you run a virtual assistant business, you’re going to want to be sure that you market yourself, your business and your services.

Virtual assistant marketing is all about making a connection with the right people at the right time. It’s about knowing that you are making an effort to know which types of professionals, what types of businesses and what you have to offer. Virtual assistant marketing, however, is also about knowing what it’s going to take to get the word out.

For marketing your virtual assistant business, you’re going to want to be sure that you are able to take advantage of the internet and what the web can do. You’re going to want to know that you are getting the information out there in your local area – and the best way to do that often involves print marketing.

You can learn a lot about what not to do with your virtual assistant marketing when you make mistakes on your own, but you’ll find that the best way to learn what to do is to talk with other virtual assistants to learn more about what’s worked for them.