I'm steadily working my way through the course every spare minute I get. It's proving to be worth every penny. I only wish I'd known about you guys sooner.
Thank you for setting up the forum too. It will certainly come in handy for exchange of ideas, tips etc.
I most definitely intend to purchase one (even two) of the template packages and will also seriously consider the Marketing course as you suggest.
All the best to you and thank you again for your continual support.
I have managed to start to look at it, just going through the course first plus before I go 100% as a VA I have to still work full time - I am planning to cut down my hours slowly though until I can eventually start out alone.
So far the documents are looking good and I have started to put my details in. Looking forward to using them and I will let you know how it goes.
Thank you again for your help. Looking forward to a long relationship with you all.
Elizabeth Brereton
I have now customised the templates that I purchased from you. Having these templates has made setting up my internal processes so much easier.
I have not yet started trading, still have some bits to sort out before I do, but I now have all my documentation in place ready for when I do start trading.
Find out why we started our own Virtual Assistant businesses, how we get clients and benefit from some top tips by listening to this free audio interview.
The most successful networkers do not attend events to promote their businesses; they go to build relationships.
Make contact within 24 hours If you got on well with people you meet, and felt a connection, call them to reintroduce yourself. If you feel uncomfortable about telephoning, send an email to say that you enjoyed meeting them.
Making contact again will make you stand out from the other people they met at the event. You will be the one who comes to mind if they need the services you can provide. They are also likely to recommend you to their contacts, too.
Arrange one-to-one meetings with people with whom you connect This should be an informal chat, perhaps over coffee, when you learn about each other and start to build a business relationship.
The aim of this initial one-to-one meeting is not to sell your services or products; it is about building a relationship. So, keep it relaxed and just ask questions to learn more about the person and his or her business. This achieves the best results.
Introduce people to your network When you attend an event, keep in mind those in your network who could be of help to the people you meet. You can then introduce them at a later event or by email. People will think that you have a wide range of valuable connections, and you will gain a reputation as a worthwhile contact.
If you follow this advice, you will be raising your profile in the local business community and promoting your business at the same time!
You may want to consider some of the following questions when writing your own client consultations.
Contact information You need to ask for telephone numbers and an email address before your scheduled consultation so that you can contact them if they don’t call.
Business type What industry do they work in? What products/services do they provide? With what types of clients do they work?
What are their goals/vision? What are their goals for the next five years? This is a good question as you can tell them how you could help them to achieve their goals.
What are they struggling to complete in their businesses? Some prospective clients may have an idea of areas in which they need some help. After I have ended the consultation, I ask all prospective clients to keep a list of all the tasks they have insufficient time to complete, or that they do not like doing, over the course of a week. I then schedule a follow-up call for a week later to go through the list to see where I can help them.
Describe a typical day for you This will reveal some details about their personality and work style, which should tell you whether you want to work with them.
Have you worked with a PA or virtual assistant before? This is an important question as, if the answer is yes, you can ask supplementary questions to see whether the relationship worked or not.
What information should you reveal about yourself? What information should your prospective clients be told about you? Do you want to tell them you work full-time, fit your work around children, or work only during term-time? Establish now what information you want to share, so that you do not forget during the call.
The bonus of being a Virtual Assistant is that you are your own boss, and it is you who determines how you want to run your business.
This means that you can choose the type of clients with whom you want to work.
You need to determine your niche market and create a profile for your ideal client (see marketing chapter for more information) in order to filter out those with whom you do not want to work.
The bonus of using a client consultation is that you can determine in advance whether you would be a good fit before you start working together. It also shows that you are a serious and professional business owner.
Do not go through the information as soon as someone calls with an initial enquiry. Have set times each week when you conduct client consultation sessions and schedule them in your diary. This makes the potential client realise, subconsciously, that you are not an employee, but are, in fact, a fellow business owner.
If you prepare your process and questions in advance, you will come across as a true professional.
Last week we talked about some of the skills and attributes you need to be a successful Virtual Assistant… Here are five more:
Are you prepared to work harder and longer hours? Being your own boss is very rewarding but also a lot of hard work. You now wear all the hats and have to learn a lot of new skills. You need to be prepared to put in the work and hours to make your business a success.
Can you afford to start up? One of the first questions many new VAs ask is: “How long does it takes to get clients?” Some people have clients lined up before ‘opening their doors’, others find it takes them up to six months. You need to make sure that you have sufficient capital to cover your expenses until your business is in a position to pay you a salary. I recommend that you have enough capital to cover your costs for approximately six months.
Can you be self disciplined with your time? Your time is now money. However, you will find that not everyone values your time as you do. The main offenders will be your family and friends, who believe that you only work part-time and spend your time sitting at home watching daytime TV!
You need to be self-disciplined and create boundaries for your friends and family; they need to appreciate that your work time is just that.
Do you have support from your family and friends? The support of family and friends will motivate you to make your business a success. You may need to make some sacrifices with your time in the early days. This will be easier if they understand why your business is important to you and how they can help.
Have you conducted all the research? Starting up in business is a very serious decision to make, and is one that should not be taken lightly. The first steps you need to take are research, research and more research. This way you are fully prepared for the journey you will be taking towards a full, thriving and successful VA business.
By becoming a VA, you are entering an exciting industry, full of supportive people. Join the organisations and become involved – this way you will get to know your fellow VAs.
Raving fans are satisfied customers who are happy to tell the world about the benefits of using your VA business. They are a fantastic marketing tool. And, they are free!
A couple of quick ways you can create raving fans are:
Provide added value Look at ways you can add value for your clients with your services – a referral programme, extra services, etc.
Treat all clients like VIPs Your clients will appreciate being treated like VIPs and be delighted to talk about it. So, think about how you can make your clients feel special.
For more ideas on how you can create raving fans who will happily promote your Virtual Assistant business to others, check out our free 10 Step Downloads at http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-freebies/10-step-downloads/
So, you want to be a Virtual Assistant? Well done for finding this exciting and rewarding career.
However, running a VA business is hard work and isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Before taking the leap into running your own business, you need to consider the following to make sure this is the right route for YOU.
Can you motivate yourself? Moving from the corporate world to self-employment requires quite a mind shift – you now need to think as a business owner, not as an employee. This is something you need to come to terms with quickly. Self-motivation is essential, as you no longer have a manager to motivate you.
Are you extremely organised? As a VA, you will be working with a range of clients from different sectors, as well as running your own business. Your time management and organisational skills have to be strong to ensure that you complete all work to the agreed deadlines.
Working for a range of clients can be interesting but difficult for some people to switch their minds from task to task – you need to have a system that works for you.
Do you have the right skills? There is much debate on the international VA forums about the necessary skills for a VA. Some believe that a successful VA should have a minimum of five years’ upper-level administrative experience, while others feel that set skills are not required. The only thing I recommend is that you should be skilled, experienced and competent in the services you offer, as clients are paying you for these tasks.
As a rule in my VA business, I do not offer any service if I feel that I do not have the necessary skills to undertake them.
Do you need office banter? The life of a VA can be quite lonely, as you may not leave your office for several days, and when you do, it is to attend a networking event. At the end of a long day, when you are with your family or friends, you may realise that you have not seen anyone else for a while.
If you need the interaction with other people, why not try to meet other VAs or home-workers in your area to get together for a coffee.
Next week, we will continue with five more necessary attributes for aspiring Virtual Assistants.
Communication is key when working with multiple clients as a Virtual Assistant.
Because you do not see your clients face-to-face every day, as in corporate roles, it is important that you get the communication right, so that you get the work done, while simultaneously building your relationship.
Send a weekly activity report Detail which tasks have been completed, hours worked and any relevant comments.
Set up a regular time to talk Communicating by email is OK, but you need to talk to your clients regularly to build the relationship. You do not have to meet in person; make use of telephone or video-conference facilities.
Include all updates on one email Instead of sending several emails to your clients – adding to their email overwhelming inboxes –just send one email with a breakdown of all their projects, whenever possible.
NETWORKING COURSE: Use the power of networking to build your Virtual Assistant business. Practical course that takes you through the basics of networking
The templates I have purchased from your website are fantastic – I had no idea where to start with producing these kind of documents and your forms are brilliant. I have customised and tweaked and have already put into please the Pre-consultation Questionnaire....and I look forward to using the Client Consultation form tomorrow when I meet the potential new client. The welcome pack and information pack is also extremely useful and I spent the weekend branding them all as my own.
Thank you so much for these – the process was easy to download....fast....reasonably priced...and exactly what I was after! It would have taken hours of my time had I even attempted to put these docs together myself from scratch...so thank you again! You have made my life easier and my business look more professional! I love them!
After starting my VA business last year in the recession I was feeling that I had lost my way. I signed up to have a one to one with Justine and I was very impressed how clear everything became. It is so important to talk through your worries and fears with someone who has been there and done it.
I have revamped my website and have clearer goals than before.
I really appreciated the feedback and support that Justine provided.
