Learn a new skill

As the internet will undoubtedly continue to grow and change, you can too. Keep your skills fresh. Once your business is established, take a class and learn a new skill. For example, you might learn how to set up an affiliate program or membership site. Your new skill will allow you to offer more value to your existing clients, and once you’ve mastered it, you can market it to new clients and really grow your business.

Take a look at online classes, books, and self-study programs to attain new skills. Classes at local colleges and community centres are affordable and can be a good source of practical learning.

Get a coach

Many people think coaching is only for those who are looking to solve a problem. Not true! A coach can empower you to optimize your business and grow, both personally and professionally, by helping you see and take advantage of strengths and opportunities. Perhaps most importantly, a business coach can help you make more money.

Ask your friends, family and business associates if they can recommend a good coach. Several GHVA members have benefited from being coached by Lois Raats of Ready2Grow. There are also a number of coaches who specialize in working with virtual assistants, such as Donna Toothaker.

Before you choose a coach, research them thoroughly. Make sure their approach to coaching matches your personality and needs. If possible, talk with them on the phone or by Skype before you sign up so you can determine whether the two of you will work well together.

Join a mastermind group

If you can’t afford one-on-one coaching, consider a mastermind group, which is a group of like-minded individuals who are committed to helping each other succeed. They can be motivating, inspiring and educational. Some mastermind groups meet in person, while others connect by telephone or online. Like finding a coach, take your time to find the right group for you.

Get a mentor

Another alternative to coaching is mentoring. Where a coach typically guides towards a desired outcome, a mentor acts more as a facilitator. You may be able to access a mentor through a virtual assistant organization such as the Canadian Virtual Assistant Connection or the International Virtual Assistants Association, but if you’re not a member or no one is available, there are other options. Both Cindy Greenway and Tracey d’Aviero offer mentoring to other virtual assistants.

Please note that although mentors are often from within the same industry, they do not have to be.

Read

If you don’t presently have a reading practice, create one. Subscribe to this blog and others related to the VA industry, read industry publications such as IVAACast, and make time to read books that will help you grow professionally. If you truly don’t have time to read, listen to podcasts or audio books while you’re driving or for a few minutes at the end of each day. There’s a wealth of fabulous information available!

If you don’t know where to start, ask around. Ask your clients what they read, and if they can make any recommendations. Check out the bestseller’s lists. Even a book about productivity or better business will help you grow!

You owe it to yourself and to your VA business to develop professionally. Find a coach. Read a blog. Take a class. The world is waiting for you!

Specializing makes you competitive.

When you specialize in a service or an industry it helps set you apart from your competition. When a potential customer is looking for a virtual administrator, chances are they have a very specific task in mind. If you provide that service or specialize in their industry then you’re going to make it to the top of their list.

Not specializing can make you crazy.

Choosing a specialty means you don’t have to juggle too many tasks and responsibilities. It’s challenging enough to own and grow your own business. The last thing you want to do is add more challenges to your day. If you specialize in a task or an industry then you can focus on being the best provider possible.

Specializing helps you raise your rates.

The truth is, specialists make more money. It’s not limited to the VA industry either. It’s everywhere. If you specialize, there’s a presumption that you have specialized knowledge and skills too. People pay more for that knowledge.

Specializing helps you market.

It’s tough to market your business to a target audience if you offer everything. However, if you offer forum moderation and blog management for the parenting and child care industry, it’s much easier to market your services. You know exactly who you’re marketing to and the benefit you can provide them.

There are a few considerations when choosing a specialty. First, it should be noted that you can specialize in:

An industry, such as real estate.

A task, such as social media marketing.

An industry AND a task, such as blog marketing for mompreneurs.

You might think that this degree of specialization limits you. However, consider this. If there are 500 blogs on parenting and child care and you gain five of them as clients, you’ll probably have a full schedule. There’s plenty of work to go around. Specialization simply makes your business easier to manage and grow.

Back to choosing your specialty…

Specialize in what you know. If you are skilled at transcription, specialize in transcription. If you’re an expert blogger or bookkeeper, specialize in those tasks. If you know the ins and outs of coaching, specialize in virtual administration for coaches.

Specialize in what you like and enjoy. If you love social networking, specialize in managing and creating social networking profiles. You’ll be much happier and productive if you’re doing something you enjoy.

Specialize in something that’s in demand. Take a look at the job boards. What jobs are commonly posted for virtual assistants? Chances are, that’s an in-demand niche. If it’s also something you enjoy and are skilled in then you have a winner.

Remember, you can grow and change.

You might be worried about limiting yourself if you specialize. However, you can always add more services to your portfolio. Your needs, tastes, and business will grow and change. It’s perfectly acceptable to change your services as you grow. Specializing simply helps you attain the success you desire.

What is your niche? Is it a specific service, a target market, or both? How did you choose it – or did it choose you?

Photo:  ©PhotoXPress.com / Paul B. Moore

Referrals

GHVA Group members report that the majority of their business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations. Referrals often come from past and current clients, former colleagues, networking associations, and even through volunteer work.

When you find clients that you enjoy working with, ask them for referrals. People tend to be attracted to like-minded individuals and clients referred from existing clients tend to be of the same calibre. In short, good clients refer good clients!

Some VAs reward their customers for referrals by giving them a discount or credit towards future services.

Network

Networking, both online and in person, is a fantastic way to find great clients. Sometimes you click with another business owner, and a simple, “I’d love to see how we can work together” may end up producing profitable results for years to come. Even those who are not a good fit for your business may know of someone who is. In fact, you may find that networking is the best source of ideal clients for your VA business.

Even though virtual assistants can support clients anywhere in the world, when you participate in local networking activities, you’re able to form relationships with people on a different level than is usually possible through social media. Our members have benefitted from involvement with many different networking groups throughout the Golden Horseshoe area, including:

• BNI
• Burlington Chamber of Commerce
• Company of Women
• Connect Us
• Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
• Mississauga Board of Trade
• Oakville Chamber of Commerce
• People in Connection
• Women Who Excel

Partnerships

Many GHVA Group members call upon other members to assist when they don’t have the time and/or skills to complete a client request or to provide coverage when they are away for a conference or vacation, but partnerships can be made with business owners in other industries as well. For example, a virtual assistant who specializes in social media management might partner with a graphic designer to offer a complete marketing package.

Ask

Put the word out there. Let your friends, family and associates know that you’re looking to add two or three quality clients to your schedule. You might be surprised at what you find. You might even end up with more quality clients than you have time for!

Before You Begin Searching For More Great Clients

There are a few steps to take before you begin searching for more VA clients. Taking these steps will ensure that you’re attracting the type of client you want and that you can accommodate their needs.

1. Identify exactly what you want in a client. Who is your ideal client? What makes a client great to work with? Are they easy to communicate with? Do they provide minimum instruction? Do they pay well?
2. Make sure you have room in your schedule for new clients. If not, consider eliminating some of your current clients or tasks from your calendar to free up time for clients who fit your ideal client profile.
3. Take steps to show your clients how much you appreciate them. A good VA client can stick with you for years. It’s worth the time and effort to show your appreciation.

Where do you get most of YOUR clients? Where did you get your first client? Your biggest client? Your most recent client?

Illustration: © iStockPhoto.com / pagadesign

Fortunately, current technology allows you to contract with an entire team of professionals, without hiring a single employee. Virtual assistants come in many forms, from administrative, to technical, to very niche-specific.

Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) lets you concentrate on profit-generating activities rather than the day-to-day tasks such as bookkeeping, customer service, updating your website, posting blog posts, article marketing and so on. You can actually be holding yourself back from having a successful business if you don’t let go of jobs that you find tedious, or that you don’t know how to do well.

When you work with a virtual assistant, you only pay for the actual time spent working on your business, not benefits, breaks, or extra taxes. In fact, everything you pay your VA is a deductible business expense. You don’t even have to pay for training, because a virtual assistant is an expert in his or her niche.

Virtual assistants can be terrific resources regarding technology and business organization, so take advantage of that fact by asking your VA for advice regarding various aspects of your business. A VA can even help you take your business to the next level!

The very best reason to hire a virtual assistant is the time savings and freedom that you will experience. Instead of working around the clock, you’ll have an assistant who cares about your return on investment because if you’re successful, they’re successful.

Hiring an experienced and dependable virtual assistant to help you run your business can pay off in many ways. You’ll have more time for your family, your spouse and your friends, and if you choose wisely, you’ll have one more expert at your fingertips to help make your business more successful than you ever dreamed possible.

Photo: ©iStockphoto.com / hjalmeida

1. What’s the Going Rate for the Task?

Before you can begin setting your own rates, you might want to look at what others are charging. This is by no means the only determining factor. As you’ll see, there are other considerations that are more important. However, knowing what your competition is charging is useful information. With a little research, you’ll be able to better position your business and your services.

2. How Much Is Your Time Worth?

A better question may be: How much do you want to make per hour? This is a fantastic starting point. You can then take a look at how long it takes you to complete a task and set a rate. For example, your goal might be to make $50.00 per hour. If it takes you two hours to transcribe an hour audio file, then you know to charge a $1.60 per audio minute.

3. How Are You Going To Charge?

You essentially have two choices: by the project or by the hour. Sometimes it takes longer to complete a task than you might have intended, and charging by the hour ensures you don’t accidentally underestimate the project.

However, when you charge by the hour most clients will want an estimate. They’ll want to know how long the project will take. You can quote a range. For example, tell them it’ll take two to four hours. If it looks like it’s going to go over, make sure they’re okay with it before you proceed.

To set an hourly rate, take a look both at your experience and your specialization. You can charge a higher hourly rate if you’re offering a specialty service. You can also charge a higher hourly rate if you’re experienced or skilled with the service you’re providing.

Your rates aren’t set in stone!

Keep in mind that you can charge differently based on the task you’re managing. For example, if you’re setting up a Facebook Fan Page for a client then charge by the project. If you’re managing their social networking then charge by the hour.

You can also change your rates as your needs change. If you want to gain a lot of clients quickly, set your rates a little below market rate. You can then raise them in six months to a year.

To position your business as an exclusive provider, you might set your rates above market value. Take a look at your goals. Evaluate your niche. And consider the type of clients you want to work with. Consider your business vision. Then you can begin to set the rates for your services.

GHVA Founder Janet Barclay is one of several experts who were interviewed for the FabJob Guide to Become a Virtual Assistant, a comprehensive resource covering a wide range of important topics such as starting a business, marketing, education and training, and how to become a great virtual assistant.

In the 268-page e-book, Barclay is quoted as saying,

A great virtual assistant has a thirst for knowledge, is constantly learning new things, and shares that knowledge with his or her clients by making recommendations to enhance the client’s business. There are so many rewards, including the flexibility to create my own schedule, and the knowledge that I don’t have to do the same old work day after day. But perhaps most rewarding is being able to constantly learn and apply new technical and creative skills.

To learn how you can get involved in this growing profession, make your first investment the FabJob Guide to Become a Virtual Assistant.

The course included 20 hours of video sessions, 3 general assignments and one master assignment to achieve certification.

While the course covered the more technical “how-to” process of assessing, coordinating and implementation, this is a brief summary of the benefits of holding a live event, the types of events and a general outline of how to assess which would best suit a particular client.

The course taught how to:

• Plan, produce and prepare  a virtual event
• moderate (i.e. introduce guest speaker/s, welcome guests,  assign access levels, monitor
  chat area, feed questions)
• handle technical problems anyone may have and provide information (i.e. how to mute, chat, ask questions)
• record the event
• share and repurpose the recordings

What are the benefits of holding a live event?

• They are interactive, convenient and more spontaneous than recordings, as questions can be asked and answered immediately, helping the client better understand their market.
• They are not region-based, the client can reach people from  around the globe.
• Offering free seminars leads to list building.
• Virtual events clients stand out from the crowd. They look like risk-takers with a knowledge of new technologies.
• There is no need for the participant to travel thus making it green friendly (no emissions). The participant can decide to attend at the last minute as there are no travel arrangements to make.
• There is a high completion rates for training courses.
• Virtual training events are 50-75% less expensive than live training and can be profitable with only a few attendees.
• Recordings are easily edited and customizable and can be repurposed into other products for marketing and/or passive income generation.
• FACT – There has been a 14% in increase in webinars and a 13% decrease in live events

What is a live virtual event?

There are four types of virtual events:

• Webinars – with audio and video, done over the computer or participants can dial in over the phone to listen in. When recorded they’re called webcasts.
• Teleseminars – Audio only over the telephone.
• Live Internet radio – Audio only. Once recorded are called podcasts.
• Live Internet TV – Audio & video. Can be live or recorded.

Why would someone hold a  virtual event?

• To deliver information
• To do an interview with a product owner
• Offer live training
• To do a live product launch
• Q&A sessions

Some things to consider when assessing what kind of virtual event the client should use:

• What is their motivation and business outcome?
• Have they ever delivered a virtual event before?
• The client’s comfort level using web-based technology
• Who is their target audience?
• The audience’s comfort with technology
• What level of interaction they want  during the event
• What kind of event they are planning (conference, sales meeting, multi-speaker, training program etc)

Comparing types of events

• Teleseminars & Internet radio – easier technically, only has audio, fewer buttons, speaker can multi-task, easy to replay, cheaper to produce
• Webinars & Internet TV –new tool,  technically harder, has a visual component, can be more demonstrative, higher perceived value

The Planning Process :

• Planning the event (who, what, when, where, why, how)
• Production (setting it up, creating templates re: registration page & emails, reminder emails etc)
• Promotion of the event  (autoresponders, social media etc)
• Preparation (dry run, rehearsing with client, creation of Powerpoint slides)
• Presentation (who will be the moderator? How many guest speakers will there be?)
• Post event (replays & repurposing)

For any VA considering adding virtual events coordination to their services, I highly recommend this course. It was interesting and very informative. The assignments requiring us to plan, do and record our own live events were challenging and fun!

A virtual assistant (typically abbreviated to VA, also called a virtual office assistant) is generally self-employed and provides professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office.

Virtual Assistants work as independent contractors, enabling us to work for a variety of different businesses, usually from our own home offices. We use current technology to perform a wide range of administrative and other tasks. The following is just a small selection of roles a VA can fill for your business:

Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant

Some VAs specialize in social media, video, or other online marketing strategies to help you promote your business. Editing and formatting articles and posting them on article marketing websites can be very time-consuming for you to perform yourself, but will add tremendously to your return on investment if completed on a regular basis.

Bookkeeper

With a virtual bookkeeper to keep your financial records updated, you always know how much money you’re making, how much you owe, and how much is owed to you. When your books are up-to-date, you’ll have no surprises when tax time rolls around!

Webmaster

A virtual assistant can look after your website, updating content, monitoring traffic, and checking for broken links or other problems. A VA can also add products to your online shopping cart system, or blog posts to your blog.

Technical Support Specialist

Some VAs offer remote technical assistance, using technology such as GoToMyPC, Webex PC, or other remote-access solutions to sign on to your computer and fix any technical problems you may be facing.

Executive Assistant

In addition to the specialized services listed above, many VAs provide traditional administrative functions such as editing, word processing, proofreading, calendar management, organization and so on.

Depending on your specific needs, you may work with an individual virtual assistant who provides all the services you require, multiple VAs to look after different areas of your business, or even a larger VA business with team members who can fulfil all your requirements. In each case, you will not be required to provide equipment, office space, or training, nor to pay for healthcare, benefits, or taxes. Instead, you only pay for the time we are actually working for you.

To find a Virtual Assistant that can help you further your business, take a look at our Members Directory or submit a Request for Proposal.

1. Billing Boss

A free service for invoicing. You can upload your contact list or add it separately. Billing Boss will email invoices and make a PDF version. Clients can pay online or pay with PayPal, just click to pay! Unfortunately you cannot make a custom invoice, and it won’t track your time. There are additional items that cost to connect them. Mobile version is a cost and you can do it from your phone! Can allow others to run reports.

Recommended by Janet

2. Doodle

Doodle offers a basic free scheduling service to connect to your personal calendar, and ad-free premium services with advanced functionality. All accessible from anywhere, anytime.

Recommended by Angela

3. Dropbox

Great place to share documents with clients. I have different folders for each and they can only access their folder. 2GB of Dropbox for free, with subscriptions up to 100GB available.

Recommended by Salma

4. Echosign

Free for contracts and agreements. Upload your agreement, enter your client’s email address, then you get an email when your client has signed it. You can download the PDF with the electronic signature. Free up to 5 signatures per month. Uploading a document, making changes to a document, and sending a document for signature are included in the 5 transactions with a free account. The 5 transactions are tracked within a 30 day rolling window from the time the free account is activated.

Recommended by Janet

5. Hardware: 2^nd monitor

A second monitor connected to your computer, so you can have email on one screen, and QuickBooks or another program open on another screen. You can drag open windows from one monitor to the other.

Recommended by Jacquie

6. Infusionsoft

Better than 1shoppingcart. It puts customers on a promo list, takes them off easily. Customer service is very good.

Recommended by Angela

7. Mailchimp

No cost to a certain level, up to 2,000 contacts at no cost! Low cost compared to others. A lot more plug-ins, opt-in forms for your blog or website. Has a hook-up to sign up through your Facebook page. Send out 6 email blasts per month free. Easy templates.

Recommended by Crystal

8. Meetingwizard

Free and low-cost options. Easy to get started. No downloads required. Integrated with Microsoft Outlook™

Recommended by Peggy

9. QuickBooks

With over 4 million users worldwide, QuickBooks is the #1 best-selling accounting software in North America.

Recommended by Jacquie

10. Roboform

A password manager. It works like a bookmark. There is one called RoboForm Everywhere that supports mobile devices. You can password protect it for opening the files. It will pop up and ask if you wish to save it. Free up to 10 logins.

Recommended by Janet

11. Screenshot in MS Office 2010

You can quickly and easily add a screenshot to your Office file to enhance the readability or capture information without leaving the program that you are working in. This feature is available in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. You can use it to take a picture of all or part of the windows open on your computer. These screenshots are easy to read in printed documents and on PowerPoint slides that you project.

Screenshots are static images. When you take a screenshot of something (for example, a Web page), and the information changes at the source, the screenshot is not updated.

When you click the Screenshot button, you can insert the whole program window or use the Screen Clipping tool to select part of a window. Only windows that have not been minimized to the taskbar can be captured.

When you choose Screen Clipping, your entire window will temporarily become opaque or “frosted over”. After you select the part of the window that you want, your selection will show through this opaqueness.

Recommended by Crystal

12. SendOutCards

SendOutCards’ convenient system lets you send that birthday, anniversary or thank you card without the hassle of pen, paper, stamps, envelopes or mailboxes. Sending a card has never been so easy! With just the click of a button, you can choose your custom card, add a personal photo, write your message and click send. We print, stuff, stamp and mail the physical card for you.

Recommended by Salma

13. Surveymonkey

Surveymonkey is great when compiling a simple survey; it’s confidential and the free version is very good.

Recommended by Manda

14. WordPress Videos

They are very clear and easy to understand and to follow through.

Recommended by Debbie

15. Zoominfo

From their website: “We are the leading provider of business information and the market’s only source of just verified, in-depth profiles on millions of businesses and employees.”

Recommended by Peggy

Can you think of any other “must have” tools for virtual assistants?

One of the speakers was OIVAC founder Sharon Williams. In her presentation, Letting Go of “D” (Difficult) Clients, Sharon described ten types of “bad” clients:

1. Free Samples Guy expects you to complete a project for free before he agrees to sign a contract.
2. Scope Creep Gal agrees to a set price for a small project, which gradually grows into a much larger one.
3. Vague Victor doesn’t really know what he wants.
4. Fannie Freebie can’t afford to pay you, but tries to tempt you with the “ideal” volunteer opportunity.
5. Mr. Unavailable doesn’t respond to your emails, then wonders why his work isn’t completed.
6. Clingy Sue wants constant progress reports and communicates with you multiple times each day.
7. Revisionist Ronnie never finds your work quite good enough.
8. Gossip Girl wants to discuss her personal life or previous VAs.
9. “The check is in the mail.” ‘Nuff said!
10. The Lowballer tries to negotiate a lower rate than you charge your other clients.

If you’re a new VA, it can be tempting to take on anyone and everyone, but it’s important to ask lots of questions and get to know each prospect as well as possible before entering into a long-term contract. It’s much harder to disengage from a client who isn’t a good fit for your business than it is to turn them away in the first place.

If you’re in the market for a virtual assistant, do you see yourself on the above list? Of course, you have every right to expect excellence from your VA, but mutual respect is the key to all successful relationships. You’re far more likely to form a thriving long-term partnership if you articulate your requirements clearly, respond to all your VA’s questions on a timely basis, and treat him or her with the same courtesy you would give to any other professional.