Home Office Warrior

Stuck in a Rut? Try this…

Tina Hilton — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:00:35 +0000

Being a Home Office Warrior comes with a lot of wonderful perks like flexible schedules, being your own boss and more. But what many of us fail to share is that it can also come with a feeling of being alone, lack of motivation and fear. Of course, traditional careers come with all of that too, but when you’re working for someone else, staying employed tends to motivate you when these type of situations arise. When you’re self-employed , sometimes fear of failure can motivate, but it can also be paralyzing.

We’ve all been there. We may call it anything from writers block to being stuck in a rut, but no matter what you want to call it, you’re going to need to do something to get past it. Everyone is different, so I can’t say what will work for you, but I’d like to share the two things that I do when I feel paralyzed in any way.

I learn something new.

If you know what’s holding you back, find a book, blog or video by someone who obviously know what it takes to solve your dilemma. For example, a few months ago I didn’t know just what to do with my blog. I was posting on a regular basis, I had a small readership but my visitor stats were sitting still. So I went to blog expert and friend Grant Griffiths and signed up for his “31 Days to Kick Your Blog in The Butt” and actually did the things he suggested. Not only have I seen a steady increase in visitors, but it inspired me to share my own knowledge in my “Virtual Assistant Survival Series” which became the “Virtual Assistant Survival Guide“.

But what if you just feel stuck, with no particular reason why you have lost focus? You don’t just have to learn something business related. Always wanted to play golf? Make your own beaded jewelry? Become a better amateur photographer? Learn how. Having a hobby to escape to can be an amazing inspiration for your business. When we immerse ourselves in our businesses, as so many home office business owners tend to, it stands to reason that our brains go on business overload. The simplicity of disconnecting and doing something enjoyable or creative often is just the thing to help you regain your business focus.

I read or watch something I find inspirational

Currently it’s Jeffery Gitomer’s ” Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS” that provides me with small chunks of inspiration in bite sized pieces. Filled with ways to change negative thoughts and attitudes into positive ones, I can pick it up during a coffee break, lunch break or just when I’m feeling overwhelmed and it inspires me to change my way of thinking and reacting.

When I was first embarking on this adventure (both my business and my move from Maine to North Carolina) when I started questioning my sanity I pulled out my copy of “Under the Tuscan Sun” and watched as Diane Lane followed her heart , with all of the twists, turns, ups and downs along the way. So maybe a chick flick like that doesn’t do it for you, but I’m sure there’s a book or movie somewhere that does. Or maybe even a YouTube video. Seriously. Have you seen the lecture by Dr. Randy Pausch, “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”? If not, you owe it to yourself to head over there and watch it now. It could be the most inspirational hour you’ve spent on the computer…ever.

All of the experts will tell you that when you hit a wall with your business you need to take a step back. Often times that’s easier said than done. I’ve found that by using the two tips above it allows me to stop thinking so much about business and allows me to come back to it with a fresher outlook.

Answering the Question, What Do You Do?

Tina Hilton — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:00:41 +0000

What exactly is it you do?

I get that question a lot. From the first day I opened my virtual assistance business it became evident that I was going to have to learn how to perfect that so-called elevator speech, because no one that I came into contact with knew what a virtual assistant was. When called upon to introduce myself at networking events I always start by asking if anyone has heard of a virtual assistant. I see more hands now that I used to. Still, those same people who raise their hands end up finding me at some point and admitting that although they’ve heard of it, they really don’t know what one does. Or how they could use one.

In my short introduction I find it hard to really give an explanation of just what it is I do. I’ve always used the line “I provide administrative support to busy business professionals via the Internet”, but I still see a lot of blank stares. Even looking at my website copy (and that of other virtual assistants) I realize that I’m failing to truly answer the burning question.
What do you do?

Most of us have felt the need to define the term virtual assistant. It’s why so many of us have generalized what we do. And in generalizing, we’ve failed to truly inform anyone.

I think this was brought home to me today when I added a column to my Tweetdeck which brought me all Twitter Tweets with the term ‘virtual assistant’ in them.

First I realized a lot of VA’s spend their Twitter time giving examples of what ‘a virtual assistant’ can do. And next, I realized a lot of those things were not items that I provided. Which means, if someone came to me after seeing one of those other virtual assistants tweets, they might end up very confused.

No wonder people don’t know what I do. Unlike most job descriptions, this one encompasses many specialties and many industries. The background and training of each individual virtual assistant determines just what they offer for services. In reality, each and every virtual assistant offers something a little bit different than the next.

Perhaps we need to stop tweeting about what ‘a virtual assistant’ can do, and start tweeting about what we as the individual virtual assistant can do. And maybe we also need to make it a little clearer on our websites too.

In light of this revelation, I think there are two ways to deal with the looming question of “What do you do?”.

If the person is asking about virtual assistants in general I think it would be fair to compare it to being an engineer. Civil engineers, mechanical engineers and chemical engineers all do different things, yet they are all still engineers. Social media VA’s, bookkeeping VA’s and generalist VA’s are all still virtual assistants.

And when they ask specifically what I do? I’m working on coming up with a new elevator speech that is more specific to my services. Not only that, but I’ve decided I need to revamp my explanation of services on my website. I’m going to get specific. When someone comes to my website or reads my materials, they are going to have a much better idea of just what I can accomplish for them.

I think it’s time we stop trying to define the term ‘virtual assistant’ and instead show the world exactly what we can do.

2010, the Year of Changes?

Tina Hilton — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:45:17 +0000

I want to start off by saying ‘Thank You’ to our loyal Home Office Warriors. Both Grant and I are aware that the posting has been slow here in recent months.

But I have great news for all of you.

Part of the reason for that is because we have some big plans for HOW in 2010. And that means great things for all of you too. Be watching for a new look and tons of new helps and information for those of us who run our businesses from home.
And according to recent statistics, there are more of us than ever!

I want to start out by sharing a couple of items that can help you build success for your business in 2010.
If you’re a virtual assistant or virtual paralegal, I’ve got a couple of recommendations to help you get your business off to a great start for the New Year. (in fact the second item has useful information for any business providing services to others)
The first is the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series by Vicki Voisin. It’s a one of a kind four CD set that allows you to listen in on six in-depth interviews with what Vicki describes as six ’stars’ of the virtual paralegal world to answer important questions about working virtually in the legal industry.
It’s literally like being able to sit down and chat with virtual service professionals who are providing services to legal professionals daily.
Through these interviews, you’ll learn:

Why you should consider a virtual business…
How your skills will transfer to working virtually…
How to set up your business…
What equipment you’ll need…
The recommended software programs…
How to deal with security and ethics issues…
and much more.

You can learn more about the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series at Vicki’s website, Paralegal Mentor.

Yes, I’m one of the professionals interviewed, and I’ve still learned a lot of valuable information from the series, which is why I’m sure you will too.

You don’t have to be a virtual paralegal to benefit from my new e-book the VA Survival Guide. It was born because as I was penning the VA Survival Series for my blog, I had so much information to share that it wouldn’t fit in blog format. So I pulled it all together, along with a workbook that includes reusable templates and launched it to the public on January 4th.

This isn’t another ‘how to’ book for VA’s.

In fact, you won’t find instructions on how to become a virtual assistant in its pages. Instead you’ll find information on things like setting business policies, making changes to your business and other helps for ‘working’ your business.

If you’re ready to take your business beyond start-up or feel like you need something to help you take it to the next level, I believe you’ll find it in the pages of this e-book.

And…For a limited time, you can get it at a great price along with the truly amazing free bonus of Grant Griffiths’ popular “31 Days to Kick Your Blog in the Butt” and his “30 Days of Twitter Tips & Hints”. The free bonus alone is worth the cost of the book.
Find out how you can take advantage of this limited time price/bonus by clicking on the image below.

Again, stay tuned for exciting new changes here at Home Office Warrior. You won’t want to miss what we have in store for 2010!

A ‘Gift’ for Virtual Professionals

Tina Hilton — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:52:53 +0000

It’s the holiday season, so it only seems right that I ‘give a little gift’ to the Virtual Assistant community.

In the spirit of the Twelve Days of Christmas, I’ll be sharing survival tips for virtual assistants from Monday, December 14 through Christmas Day on the blog at Clerical Advantage. These tips were born because of the numerous times I’ve been contacted by new and struggling virtual assistants needing some advice. You can find out more here and you can even sign up for the newsletter to have them delivered right to your inbox.

But that’s not the only thing I want to share with you. Vicki Voisin, The Paralegal Mentor has compiled a Tip Guide for Virtual Paralegals entitled “Sixty-Six Solid Tips From Your Virtual Paralegal Success Team” and you can get your own copy here. I’m honored to have been included, giving my tips for online marketing.

Happy Holidays!

What To Do When You Hit a Business Roadblock

Tina Hilton — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:22:01 +0000

As entrepreneurs, whether virtual assistants or any other business venture, we start out with a bright, positive outlook. We’re excited about what we have to offer and optimistic about how successful we’re going to be offering it to others. The excitement bubbles over and we attack whatever we need to do with gusto.

But then something happens along the way. For VA’s it’s often the difficulty in finding that first client, or sufficient clients to keep the business rolling along. It seems like the real world comes crashing down on our enthusiasm and douses us with the ice cold bucket of reality. At this point, it’s easy to get discouraged and depressed.

It’s at that point when so many small business owners say “It’s too hard.”

I’m not going to make light of it here or refer to the little engine that could. If you’re at this point in your business, you’ve already repeated every inspirational quote to yourself a hundred times.What I am going to tell you is that every business owner hits this point. Yes, even the ones that have thriving and successful businesses.

So what’s the secret?

Are they the lucky ones that just happened to stumble across that client just when they needed one? Although it may seem that way, the answer is no.

The difference is in the way they deal with business roadblocks.

Have you ever noticed that some of the most successful people ‘hit it big’ when they are at their lowest point?

J.K. Rowling immediately comes to mind, but there are tons of stories about people who were in desperate situations and found success in the midst of it. It’s not just a coincidence or fate. The fact is, when you’re in that situation and things aren’t working, you have no choice but to find a way to make it work. Instead of making excuses you make changes. If you’re not attracting clients, you come up with some way of doing so, even if that way is farfetched or never been tried. You take chances because failure isn’t an option.

Granted it’s a unenviable situation, but it forces them to continue forward, because the alternative is unthinkable. In fact, I doubt they even entertain the thought of not succeeding, they just focus all of that energy on what they can do in order to succeed.

I’m not suggesting that you put yourself in that type of situation in order to succeed. But I am telling you that you need to think more the way they do. Instead of thinking that you might fail, think of ways to change your situation. No idea is too crazy. Just because someone else hasn’t done it yet, doesn’t mean it won’t work. Stop those internal thoughts that say “If I don’t get a client or more clients I’m going to have to close my business and forget my dream” . Replace them with “I need to find a new way to get the attention of clients that need my services.”

If you’re defeated in your mind, how then can you expect your business to succeed?

Think about it this way. If you’re traveling to a destination and come upon a roadblock, what do you do? Do you just sit there and hope that the roadblock will somehow magically disappear or do you find another route to reach your destination? Stop waiting for the roadblocks to disappear and find your alternate route.

Social Media, What’s in it for You?

Tina Hilton — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:35:51 +0000

I was reading a wonderful post by Danny Brown this morning which had several great points concerning social media but the one that inpired me to think, and thus write this post was what he said about measuring your return on investment (ROI) from social media.

It made me think about just what social media has done for my business. Then I remembered all of those struggling virtual assistants who seem to be so reluctant to use it.

I know how difficult it can sometimes be to embrace new technology and new ideas. Especially when you yourself can’t see the point or the wisdom in using that technology for your business. It wasn’t until I read those ROI questions that I realized maybe those of us benefiting from social media were using the wrong words and phrases when explaining why and how to use social media.

The following is my attempt to list some benefits of adopting social media for your business in a way that not only is easy to understand, but might allow the reader to see how it could fit into their business plan.

The first benefit is of course making connections. For every virtual assistant (or other small business) that is located in a bustling urban area, there is another that is located in a rural setting. Traditionally, normal networking avenues were harder for those in rural areas because small towns might not have a chamber of commerce or business networking groups. Not to mention that your target market possibly doesn’t even exist there. For those rural business owners, using social networking is priceless allowing them to connect not only with their target market, but with other business owners like themselves.
And for someone like me, who has lived in three states over the past 12 months, its been a way to not only continue to connect with people online, but to meet new people locally.
The second benefit is learning. What I’ve learned by following links and reading the blog posts of those that I follow would have cost me thousands of dollars. I would have had to purchase books, classes and seminars on a wide range of subjects. From the technical things like creating a video class to learning more effective ways to market myself, just about anything I might want or need to know can be found through someone on my social networks. People that you might otherwise not have access to like Laura Roeder, Chris Brogan and Michael Martine are on social networks giving their followers valuable advice all the time. And they usually offer special deals or early bird specials to their followers should we decide we need their paid services and products too.
The third benefit is the money savings. As I mentioned in the above benefit, you can save on education expenses via use of social media. You can also save on marketing. In fact, for the first time ever I’m going to tell my readers here at Home Office Warrior a little secret. In the two years that my business has been around I’ve spent exactly $75 directly* on marketing. And $50 of that was spent my first month in business for a failed direct mailing campaign. The other $25? Business cards. That doesn’t mean I don’t market my business. I do. I attend a women’s networking meeting as often as I can, and I have a beautiful print ad running in a local magazine that I bartered for. But the majority of my marketing efforts are done through blogging ,Twitter and other social media avenues. Do I anticipate spending more money on marketing in the future? Yes, definitely. But the good news for start ups and struggling virtual assistants is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money on marketing to begin with.

I’m sure others could give even more benefits, but these were the three that I felt compelled to share today. If you’re one of those people who still isn’t quite sure how social media can help you, I hope that this post allows you to visualize how you might possibly make it work for you.

One thing is for sure, social media isn’t going away.

It may evolve and change, but it’s not going to just disappear. It’s not a fad. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can find ways to make it work for your business.

**I say directly because of course my blogsite cost money to set up and maintain and my internet connection costs money. But both of these were items I would have to have for my business anyway.*

Is social media working for your business? Still not sure how to use it? Questions about this post. Take advantage of the comments section and let’s talk about it!

Should Virtual Assistants Shun Twitter?

Tina Hilton — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:08:35 +0000

Something special for this week’s post here at Home Office Warrior, I’ve recorded my first video blog post!

Please forgive the quality, it seems that if I plan on doing more video posts (and I do!) that I’ll be investing in something other than my built in laptop webcam.
The video post is regarding whether virtual assistants need to you use social media, especially twitter, in order to be successful. I give you my thoughts on the subject in the video.

There you have it, my feelings on the subject. What are yours? I welcome your comments and opinions.

Virtual Assistant Tip: By All Means, Barter

Tina Hilton — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:11:43 +0000

I’ve found, from my own experience, and from hanging around the virtual assistant forums, that most virtual assistants don’t start their businesses with an advertising budget.

In fact, I’m sure that there are plenty of small start up companies out there in the same boat. In this economy it’s all about bootstrapping. Especially for micro and small service businesses.

Yet, in order to get clients, one must get the word out somehow.

There are low-cost alternatives out there that many of us are taking advantage of like blogging and social media. But have you ever considered bartering?

bar·ter [bahr·ter] :

-verb (used without object)
1. to trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money.

Exchanging your services for advertising could be just what you’re business needs to give it the exposure it deserves. Trust me, magazines and newspapers are feeling the economic pinch too. Hiring freezes and cut budgets are leaving people overwhelmed. They might not be able to contract with a virtual assistant due to the cost, but they still might need some additional help.
Now, don’t go e-mailing Ladies Home Journal. I’m talking local magazine and newspapers here.

My suggestion is that you attend a few local networking meetings and pay particular attention to the newspaper and magazine editors in the crowd. When you get a chance to talk with them, ask them about the administrative challenges they are facing in the down economy. Chances are this will open the door for you to let them know what you could do to help. If they seem interested, make sure you exchange information with them and then contact them the next day.

Don’t make your sales pitch at the meeting, just entice them with information about how you could make their job easier.
A day or so after the meeting, follow up by contacting them. If you’re lucky, you may find someone that can pay your rates and sign on as a client.
On the other hand, if they seem like they want the help but can’t afford it, this is when you bring in the bartering skills. Offering your services in exchange for a small ad in their publication may just open the door to getting your business advertised.
What if that’s not a possibility either?

Obviously they were interested in what you do and the services you offer. Mention to them that their readers might be too and ask about the possibility of having an article published about what you do. The focus of the article would depend upon their readership. For example, some publications would benefit from an article focusing on the ‘green’ aspect of using a virtual assistant, while another might be more suitable to a money saving focus.
Regardless of your advertising budget or lack thereof, it’s worth the time and effort to connect with your local media markets. And who knows, you may barter your way to success.

Virtual Assistant Interview Series V- It’s ME!

Tina Hilton — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:45:35 +0000

So far I’ve been the one asking all the questions. We’ve had some great interviews in the series haven’t we? I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone that participated in the interviews again.

This week, it’s the last post in the interview series and I’ve turned the tables on myself. I decided I’d share my answers to the interview questions with all of you. And not to stop there, I want you to use the comments section to ask me more. If there are things that you’d like to know about being a virtual assistant, starting a VA business, working with a virtual assistant or anything else related to virtual assistance, go ahead and ask me now! Who knows, there are probably other people out there that want to know the same thing. And I’ve found that lots of times comments tend to be some of the best starting points for great blog posts.
Now, here are my answers to those interview questions:

HOW: How long have you been a virtual assistant?
Tina: Two years, in fact Clerical Advantage just celebrated it’s 2nd anniversary on Sept. 1st. I’m even running an anniversary special through the end of the month in celebration. (Sorry, shameless plug)

HOW: What first drew you to become a VA?
Tina: Desperation. The title company I was title processor for closed it’s doors due to the real estate ‘crash’. And they weren’t the only ones. Southern Maine, where I was living at the time, was suddenly full of out of work escrow/title processors and real estate paralegals and no openings to be found. In fact, jobs in general were few and far between and there was certainly nothing that was going to pay what my former salary had been and cover my housing costs and bills. I allowed myself to panic and wallow in self pity for about a week and then decided I needed to figure out how to make money with the things I did best.
I did a search on the internet for those skills and amazingly, somewhere deep in the search results the term virtual assistant came up. As I researched it, I realized that my experience, education, skills and abilities were a perfect match for becoming a virtual assistant.

HOW: What did you find to be the biggest challenge when starting your virtual assistant business?
Tina: I think it was figuring out how to find that first client without spending any money on marketing. I was surviving on unemployment checks during the first few months that my business was open, thanks to a special program the state of Maine offered. The checks paid the rent and bills, but left nothing for my new business.

HOW: How long did it take you to sign your first client?
Tina: I had signed my first client, a retainer client, within 3 months. Looking back on it, it was pretty amazing to not only sign a client that quickly, but a client that required a large amount of hours.

HOW: What did you find was the most effective way to market your virtual assistant business?
Tina: As I said before, I had no marketing budget whatsoever, so I turned to the Internet. I’d been blogging for years on a personal level, so I decided to start a business blog. I also started visiting blogs of people whom I thought might benefit from using a virtual assistant and I also started visiting a variety of sites that talked about the ‘business of blogging’. It’s still the foundation of my marketing, although now I’ve added other social media and in person networking to the mix.

HOW: What do you feel is your biggest challenge in marketing your business?
Tina: Knowing who I was marketing to. Finding your target market is hard. And as a new business owner, you’re so afraid that if you only market to a small segment that you’ll never get a client. After all, usually you’ve marketed to pretty much everyone and didn’t get one right? It sounds cliche, and I know it’s hard to believe, but finding a smaller group of people that you can market directly to actually works much better. In one of my blog posts at Home Office Warrior I likened it to fishing in a smaller pond and it’s true.

HOW: What do you find to be your biggest client related challenge?
Tina: I think it would have to be getting over those ‘new client’ rough spots. Lots of times working with a virtual assistant is new territory for them. They’ve come to me because they’ve heard of all the benefits of working with a VA. So when the first project or two is a little bumpy or takes longer than they anticipated they sometimes get discouraged. I try to remind them it’s like any new working relationship in that you have to get used to how the other person works, learn how to communicate with one another and generally get your working rhythm going. Communication is another new client ‘issue’ that I see from time to time. E-mail is a crucial communication tool for a VA and some clients just aren’t as e-mail ‘centric’ as we tend to be. Learning to communicate instructions for projects via e-mail can be daunting.

HOW: What type of changes, if any, have you made to your business since start-up?
Tina: Even though it’s only two years old, I’ve made lots of changes. And I believe that a key to growing your business is to welcome change. I started out offering an unending list of administration services which I’ve whittled down over time. I no longer offer some services, like title processing services and phone services but now I offer new ones like blog consulting, assistance and maintenance. In fact, I kind of feel like I’m the “Blogging VA”. I’ve also narrowed whom I provide services to. In the early days I was directing my marketing pitch to just about anyone who would listen. Now I’ve narrowed it down to legal professionals and business creatives (coaches, writers, teachers, etc.).

HOW: What is the one thing you wish you knew before you started your business?
Tina: Honestly, nothing. It’s been the learning experiences that have made me better at what I do and made my services better for my clients. If I say I wish I’d found my ‘niche’ earlier than I wouldn’t have learned important lessons or realized why it’s so important. It’s like anything, if it’s handed to you on a silver platter you don’t tend to appreciate it quite as much.

HOW: What do you envision your business being like in 5 years?
Tina: I see Clerical Advantage being a multi-VA & VA referral business and THE company that legal professionals and business creatives think of first when they need a virtual assistant. I know my daughter is just waiting for the day when I’m ready to bring on another VA. I see myself being more of a teacher and speaker and a strong, highly visible advocate for virtual assistants, virtual paralegals and virtual legal assistants. I picture myself teaching classes of people who not only want to learn how to work with a virtual assistant, but people who want to know how to become a VA and grow a strong business. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll realize my dream of becoming a published author?

So there it is. Don’t forget to add your questions or comments to the comments section and take advantage of an opportunity to find out more about virtual assistants and the business of providing virtual assistance.

Next week it’s back to normal. I’ll be talking about the possibility of trading your services to get more exposure.

Virtual Assistant Interview Series IV

Tina Hilton — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:37:32 +0000

This weeks interview is with Tara Nelson, Virtual Assistant and certified social media and internet marketing specialist. Let’s find out how a newer virtual assistant is dealing with the challenges of starting and running her new business.
Hello Tara, welcome to Home Office Warrior.

HOW: How long have you been a virtual assistant?

Tara: I had been successfully telecommuting as a recruiting, editing, and scheduling independent business contractor since 2006, but started thinking about becoming a VA in the spring of 2008.

HOW: So you already had plenty of experience in working remotely. And what first drew you to become a VA?

Tara: Behind my fierce work ethic, motivation, and years of professional experience has always lied a deep entrepreneurial spirit. I am also very concerned about the environment, and working remotely makes a huge impact (or makes less of an impact, depending on how you look at it)… no daily commute, and most of the work is done over the Internet making the process almost paperless! I try and do whatever I can to incorporate earth-friendly practices into my business.

HOW : What did you find to be the biggest challenge when starting your virtual assistant business?

Tara: When you are self-employed and work from home - you are always at work. I have made strides in becoming less of a workaholic over the years, but my biggest challenge continues to be separating the two. But I’m not complaining - I love my work!

HOW : How long did it take you to sign your first client?

Tara: I continued to research the virtual assistant industry over the summer of 2008 and partnered up with my first client that fall.

HOW : What did you find was the most effective way to market your virtual assistant business?

Tara: I am a Certified Social Media and Internet Marketing Specialist, and I am sold on the amazing power of Twitter! It is often misunderstood. If you aren’t already using it as a business tool, (coupled with it’s equally impressive applications) try and make it a priority. Leveraging social media is a must..

HOW : I agree, Twitter is an amazing networking tool! And what do you feel is your biggest challenge in marketing your business?

Tara: My biggest challenge in marketing my business is that it often seems like there is not enough hours in the day! Normally, I keep busy marketing and servicing my clients!

HOW : What do you find to be your biggest client related challenge?

Tara: I have been fortunate to work with amazing partners. But respect and communication are certainly keys to any rewarding relationship. Make sure you are on the same page and that expectations are clear for both sides.
The other change I have made is by taking a course to be a certified Social Media Marketing Specialist. I wanted to have as much information as possible to be able to assist my clients who are requesting these services..

HOW : What type of changes, if any, have you made to your business since start-up?

Tara: Many! This industry, coupled with my niche of social media and Internet marketing, is ever-changing. I consider myself a lifelong learner and I always want to be ahead of the curve. I feed my brain anything I can get my hands on! There are so many great resources out there!

HOW : Now that you’ve had time to learn so much more, what is the one thing you wish you knew before you started your business?

Tara: Have I mentioned I love Twitter? I wish I would have been more versed with the potential of Twitter earlier.

HOW : It’s nice to see someone as sold on Twitter as I am. So,what do you envision your business being like in 5 years?

Tara: I always think of clients as partners that I would like to grow with. I plan on continuing to form meaningful and valuable long term partnerships. The sky is the limit for this type of industry!

I want to thank Tara for taking part in this interview series. If you’d like to learn more about Tara, you can find out more at http://taramnelson.com and of course follow her on Twitter, where she is @Tara_Nelson.

Next week, in the final installment of this interview series, I’ll be answering the interview questions myself!

Web-based services help cut costs without cutting effectiveness

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:26:02 +0000

Guest post from Luc Vezina

Read any book or blog (including this one) that offers advice about working from home and you’ll find one of the first recommendations is the importance of controlling your costs. Whether you’re starting up your own home-based business or working out of your home for someone else, the less you spend on up-front on technology, the more money (and sanity) you have left for yourself.

One cost-effective strategy that can help you in that area is moving away from buying technology that requires software and/or hardware, and instead signing on for Web-based services. These services offer a “pay-as-you-go” model that eliminates the need for huge up-front capital expenditures, high maintenance costs, and ongoing support costs. All while assuring the technology you’re using has all the latest features and upgrades.

Here are three ways Web-based services can help you work better for less:

No IT costs - When you buy a business application you have to install it onto a computer or server – either by yourself (if you’re tech-savvy) or more likely by bringing in an expert. Once the application is up and running, you’ll probably need an IT person to keep it running at peak efficiency. If there is a significant software upgrade there is another cost, and you again have to call on a technology expert. If you’re using a server and it goes bad there’s an additional cost to replace the hardware. Moving to the Web-based model greatly reduces your overall expenses. That big up-front cost for hardware and software is replaced by a small monthly fee. In most cases you can easily get the service running yourself.
Free maintenance- The maintenance happens behind the scenes, saving time and money while assuring you’re benefiting from the software’s latest features. Should a technical issue arise, one call to the supplier’s tech support group generally solves the problem at no cost to you.
Use them for nearly everything - This move to Web-based services isn’t just for “outlier” applications anymore. Core applications such as your office productivity suite are now moving away from the traditional hardware/software model to being Web-based. The reason is simple: since keeping applications running is the service provider’s primary business, they dedicate considerably more time and resources to that function than you can on your own, resulting in greater uptime. You can focus on your own business, and leave the tech stuff to the experts.

While home workers choose to go that route for a variety of reasons, no one does it so they can spend more time trying to keep their computers running. Web-based services give you a way to avoid all the geeky stuff – and save money in the bargain.

Luc Vezina is product marketing manager for MyFax, a provider of Internet faxing services for individual home users, small businesses, and large corporations. MyFax has won a number of awards in head-to-head competitions for ease of use, reliability, and best overall value. He can be reached at lvezina@protus.com.

Virtual Assistant Interview Series III

Tina Hilton — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:01:28 +0000

This weeks interview is with Patricia Eales, a certified Social Media Marketing Specialist and owner of Your Extra Pair of Hands.

As I’ve stated before, I hope this series of interviews with virtual assistants will help others overcome that “going it alone” feeling and make them realize we’ve all dealt with the same difficulties, doubts and challenges along the way. There will be one more interview in this series and then I’m going to share my own answers to the interview questions with all of you.

Time to say hello to Patricia:
HOW: Patricia, How long have you been a virtual assistant?

Patricia: Officially, I have been a VA for 6 months, however, in past positions as a Corporate Executive Assistant, I did work remotely for various executives.

HOW: And what first drew you to become a VA?

Patricia: I am a born entrepreneur, and saw the opportunity to combine my 20 + years of skills and experience as an Executive Assistant, with the flexibility of owning my own business. I have not regretted making that decision.

HOW : Wow, over twenty years is a lot of experience to bring to any clients. What did you find to be the biggest challenge when starting your virtual assistant business?

Patricia: The first challenge I encountered was in seeking the best way to find clients, in as cost effective and time efficient way as possible.

HOW : How long did it take you to sign your first client?

Patricia: I was only in business for 2 weeks when I signed my first client, with 2 more signing with me very quickly after that. It was very exciting.

HOW : Signing clients never gets old does it? You seemed to know just what to do to get clients quickly. What did you find was the most effective way to market your virtual assistant business?

Patricia: Networking has been the best resource for me. I belong to BNI, and other networking groups, as well as online social networking forums and groups. Building personal relationships, and demonstrating the value of your services is key.

HOW : And what do you feel is your biggest challenge in marketing your business?

Patrica: I feel that the biggest challenge in marketing my business would have to be in doing it in the most cost effective way without appearing cheap. The adage “you have to spend money to make money” is true, but finding the right balance is crucial and requires constant tweaking.

HOW : What do you find to be your biggest client related challenge?

Patricia: What I find to be the biggest client related challenge is working with clients who have never worked with a VA before and to help them understand the meaning of virtual assistant as opposed to administrative assistant. I have clients who still feel that they need to personally hand me projects, as opposed to virtually giving me the projects. Of all of the clients I had who had this challenge, I am now down to just one client who still needs her “hand held”, and we are working on that.

HOW : What type of changes, if any, have you made to your business since start-up?

Patricia: When I first started, I was willing to “do anything” to get the signed contract. I have realized now that cutting my costs to get the client, devalues myself and the value of my business. I am worth the rate I charge, and if the potential client doesn’t understand the value I bring to them, they are not the “ideal” client for me. The ones that I “discounted” my services to, have often been my most difficult clients.

The other change I have made is by taking a course to be a certified Social Media Marketing Specialist. I wanted to have as much information as possible to be able to assist my clients who are requesting these services.

HOW : What is the one thing you wish you knew before you started your business?

Patricia: Knowing what “niche” I was going to focus on would have been valuable so as to define how to approach the “ideal” client and offer my services, but I found that I opened myself to all possibilities and in just 6 months have discovered what my niche offerings are.

HOW : What do you envision your business being like in 5 years?

Patricia: In 5 years, I would like my business to be running at about 30 billable hours per week for me personally with more business that I can sub-contract out, or possibly be able to have a Multi-VA service.

Patricia, thank you for sharing with us and being a part of our interview series here at Home Office Warrior. It’s so wonderful to see the willingness to share experiences here in the virtual assistant industry.

I’m sure that Patricia’s answers, as well as our other interviewed VA’s, will prove to be helpful to many others. For those of you that want to learn more about Patricia and her business, be sure to head over to Your Extra Pair of Hands . You can also find Patricia on Twitter.

Look for another virtual assistant interview next week!

Virtual Assistant Interview Series II

Tina Hilton — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:30:58 +0000

As I stated in last week’s post, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing several virtual assistants with varying degrees of experience and I am sharing those interviews here. My purpose in sharing them is to help those of us who sometimes feel alone in the challenges of running our own virtual assistant business.

This week my interview was with Jeannine Clontz of Accurate Business Services.

HOW: How long have you been a virtual assistant?

Jeannine: Eleven Years

HOW: What first drew you to become a VA?

Jeannine : By accident - I was looking for a business opportunity for my husband - just worked out to be a better option for me

HOW : What did you find to be the biggest challenge when starting your virtual assistant business?

Jeannine : If I could do it all again I would wait until I had about 2-years of my former corporate salary tucked away to keep us going while the business was growing.

HOW : How long did it take you to sign your first client?

Jeannine : I had a client - or did a sizeable project, prior to starting my business. Once I opened my business I immediately joined a BNI group - so it was less than 30-days before I had several clients and prospects.

HOW : What did you find was the most effective way to market your virtual assistant business?

Jeannine : Word of mouth - networking and referrals

HOW : What do you feel is your biggest challenge in marketing your business?

Jeannine : Initially I made a HUGE mistake and invested a large chunk of my marketing budget on Yellow Pages ads - it took me lots of classes and trial and error before I developed a marketing plan that really worked.

HOW : What do you find to be your biggest client related challenge?

Jeannine: None now - my message is very focused and I’m pretty picky about who I work with - I would say probably collections as people are taking a lot longer to pay.

HOW : What type of changes, if any, have you made to your business since start-up?

Jeannine : Oodles - I went from a generalist to specializing in one niche - now have two niches and several additional options since utilizing sub-contractors.

HOW : What is the one thing you wish you knew before you started your business?

Jeannine : Nothing really - I think I learned more by making all the mistakes I did - now I use those past mistakes to help other budding and established VAs through my coaching programs.

HOW : What do you envision your business being like in 5 years?

Jeannine : I have been doing a lot more coaching and professional speaking - so I see my business (the VA practice) being more and more focused on sub-contractors doing all the work and me continuing to develop and grow the client base - then I’ll have plenty of time for the coaching and speaking part which I find I’m quite passionate about.

I want to thank Jeannine for sharing with us and being a part of our interview series here at Home Office Warrior. We appreciate you sharing what you’ve learned over eleven years in the VA industry. For those of you that want to learn more about Jeannine and her business, be sure to head over to Accurate Business Services.

Jeannine can also be found at VA Business Coaching.

Next week we’ll share the insights of another virtual assistant in our Interview Series.

Virtual Assistant Interview Series

Tina Hilton — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:21:14 +0000

Let’s say you’re a new or relatively new virtual assistant. Working from home has it’s perks, but there are a few drawbacks as well. One big one is the feeling of being alone. Not just in the obvious ‘I work from my home office’ physically alone feeling, but the “am I the only small business owner dealing with this” alone feeling.

Sure, there are online forums and communities where one can go to, but have you noticed something about forums? It’s great for getting questions answered and learning new things, but the information you get isn’t the same type you might reap over say, a cup of coffee and croissant now is it?
I can’t speak for all virtual assistants, but I know I’m pretty reluctant to talk about personal stuff too much on the forums. But when I think about it, sitting with someone over a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea somehow makes it easy to share my story with someone else. Or for them to share their story with you. And let’s face it, sometimes just exchanging business horror stories can reassure you that someone else understands what you’re going through.

But unfortunately, I haven’t yet found any other virtual assistants here in the Hickory, NC area to meet up with for coffee. And I bet there are other VA’s out there who are in the same boat.
So in an attempt to help us all feel like we’re not alone, I decided to do a few interviews with established virtual assistants, asking them questions regarding their businesses, such as how long it took them to sign their first client and what they found to be their biggest business challenge.

The first intereview is with a relatively new virtual assistant, Elizabeth Oldham of Ressor Virtual Solutions.

HOW: How long have you been a virtual assistant?

Elizabeth: I have “officially” been a virtual assistant since May 2009. Before than I dabbled in freelance and helped friends and family out with virtual and non virtual administrative problems they might have come across.

HOW: What first drew you to become a VA?

Elizabeth: I have always been an “outside of the box” kind of thinker. I knew I had the education (BS in Economics/Minor in Business Management) and the experience to be able to offer this kind of service. I also saw the HUGE problem that so many small business owners and entrepreneurs are faced with, which is the extra expense of hiring an employee. I knew that I could offer a solution by offering the services with no overhead cost to the client. So, when I was faced with the decision of starting my own business or going to work as an administrative assistant… I took the plunge, signed the papers and Ressor Virtual Solutions was born!

HOW: What did you find to be the biggest challenge when starting your virtual assistant business?

Elizabeth: I have always been a good salesperson, but I have never had to “virtually” sell anything before. The hardest hump to get over for me was the online marketing. Although I have worked directly with public relations and marketing individuals in previous positions, I have never been solely in charge of getting a business clients or revenue. Even with the previous experience I have working with those individuals, the projects have never gone from thought to launch 100% from me. I have really worked hard to get up to speed with marketing strategies that work. I have researched what has worked for other successful entrepreneurs and tried to implement that into my business plan.

HOW: How long did it take you to sign your first client?

Elizabeth: Ressor Virtual Solutions opened in May of 2009 and I signed my first client on June 30th 2009. How exciting it was to hold the signed contract in my hand!

HOW: What did you find was the most effective way to market your virtual assistant business?

Elizabeth: By far the most effective way that I have marketed Ressor Virtual Solutions has been social networking sites. I have been introduced to so many like minded individuals. The key to these sites is to target the people that you want to work with. In my case I have searched, requested, followed and engaged in conversations with entrepreneurs or small business owners. I have also gotten back in touch with many high school and college acquaintances that are farming Ressor Virtual Solutions out to individuals that could use my assistance! If used correctly these sites can push clients to your business. I would suggest Twitter and Linkedin to start off with. Twitter gets your name out there and Linkedin is like a virtual resume that everyone can see.

HOW: What do you feel is your biggest challenge in marketing your business?

Elizabeth: I ran into roadblocks in the very beginning with scams. I posted advertisements on a few sites and was very excited to see so much interest, only to open the hundreds (I am not exaggerating) of e-mails that offered me a position transferring money from one account to the other and such! It was frustrating and discouraging to spend so much time weeding through those e-mails thinking that there would be a diamond in the rough! I eventually deleted those advertisements and began searching on those sites. I contact everyone that is seeking an assistant and let them know the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant. If they are local I throw in the fact that I do free on site consultations.

HOW: What do you find to be your biggest client related challenge?

Elizabeth: Well, I really haven’t had any challenges yet with my clients. I do however anticipate that there will be some difficulty in the future with the confusion between employee (which I am not) and contractor (which I am). I think that this can be handled with a level of diplomacy and a little reminder that I am also an entrepreneur and a small business owner… we are equals and on the same page!

HOW: What type of changes, if any, have you made to your business since start-up?

Elizabeth: I have made a couple changes and I am sure there will be many more in the future. The first and most effective, I touched on above with the switch in marketing. The second would be the change in my idea of “set” hours. When I first began I wanted to have certain hours that I worked. I soon found that the best way to run Ressor Virtual Solutions was to have many different “set” hours. I work when I am needed and am normally available even when I am not officially working. I think one of the most inviting things about being a virtual assistant is that I can get a call at 9:00 PM that goes to my voice mail. By 9:02 PM I have listened to it and am starting to devise a plan. By the AM I am hitting the floor running with ideas!

HOW:What is the one thing you wish you knew before you started your business?

Elizabeth: That it is discouraging at times! There are many days in the beginning when I questioned my decision to venture out and start this business. I felt like I was getting nowhere. I am so happy that I stuck with it and was able to experience the feeling of securing my first client on retainer! I also wish someone had told me that it is difficult starting your own business if you have never done so. The amount of information I had to dig to find was astonishing! I was lucky enough to run across many different forums for entrepreneurs and also for virtual assistants that have helped me gain loads of knowledge.

HOW:What do you envision your business being like in 5 years?

Elizabeth: In five years I would like for my business to be an accomplishment for myself and a positive experience for prior clients. I would love to one day maintain a referral only basis for new clients. I want to keep our client base manageable so that each client feels like they are our only. My husband is a co-owner of Ressor Virtual Solutions and helps me on occasion, mostly with marketing and our business finances. I would like to see our business grow to the point to where he could be the primary contact for a future client. His knowledge base is very different than mine so we would need to target a different niche, which would mean growth for Ressor Virtual Solutions!

HOW:Elizabeth, thank you so much for agreeing to be a part of our interview series here at Home Office Warrior. I believe that your willingness to share your experience will be a big help to other virtual assistants, especially those that are new to the industry. It sounds like you have Ressor Virtual Solutions on the track to success!

Next week I’ll share another virtual assistant interview, this time a ‘veteran’ VA with 11 years of experience as a virtual assistant. At the end of the series, I’ll also share my own answers to the interview questions. And it’s not too late to be included in the series, if you are or know a virtual assistant who would be interested simply send me an e-mail, thilton at clericaladvantage.com.

Marketing Your VA Business- It’s Not About You

Tina Hilton — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:51:46 +0000

I follow Chris Brogan on Twitter, partly because he gives great business advice, but mostly because I find him interesting. If you follow Chris for any length of time you’re bound to see him post the following in some way, shape or form: It’s not about you.

I’m sure some people would apply that to Twitter alone, fed up with the pushy hard sell DM’s and Tweets that many Twitter citizens seem to be so fond of. But me, I think you can apply these words of wisdom to all aspects of your business and to life overall.

I don’t want to wax poetical and give you life applications, after all, I’m writing this for virtual assistants, their clients and anyone else who might have some interest in the virtual assistance industry. Plus, I don’t want to bore you. But I do want to try to give you something to think about in regards to how your conduct and market your business.

This morning, halfway down my ‘To Do’ List, I’ve written, “Review website copy. It’s Not About You.” I added this to my list on Saturday and it had pretty much slipped my mind until I read it this morning. Now I’m reminded that two days ago I did an Internet search for virtual assistants. There are some great VA’s out there with great websites, but most of them have one thing in common. Most of the copy is about what they can do, how they work and what experience they have. And while these are all things that you certainly want to address on your website, it shouldn’t be where the focus is.

Why? Because all of that stuff is about YOU. And focusing on who you are, what you do and what you know might impress a potential client but it most likely won’t cause them to hit that contact button. And isn’t that the the ultimate goal of your website?

What will get them to hit that button is focusing on them. Make the majority of your website about what they need, how your services can solve their problems and giving them answers to their questions. Potential clients are much more likely to hit the contact button if they feel you are just what they have been looking for.

If you think about it, isn’t that why you purchase items and services? Because they meet your individual needs? If you’re not getting the results from your website you think you should, maybe its time to add “It’s Not About You” to your “To Do” list.

Virtual Assistants, Are Your Rates Set Correctly?

Tina Hilton — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:30:13 +0000

A while ago I did a post concerning whether or not a new VA should charge less. Regardless of whether they should have to or not, many of them do. But unfortunately they are doing so out of a lack of understanding about setting their business rates, rather than because they feel being new means costing less.
What do I mean by that?
I’ve notice that many new VA’s are charging in the $20 to $25 per hour range. When I see this, I wonder just what formula they used to determine that. Sadly, I think few of them actually use any type of formula. I believe that they look at $20 or $25 an hour as a great hourly pay. And granted, if an employer offered you that it would be pretty respectable. Yet, for someone running their own business, it’s very low. And it makes me wonder.
I wonder if :

They are taking into consideration that they need to pay their own taxes. That’s a hefty 15.3% of income. You can find a calculator here that will help you see how much you would owe in self employment taxes based on an actual or estimated income amount. For example, if you made 24,000 this year with your virtual assistant business you would owe $3,391 in taxes on that income. And don’t forget that there will be state and possibly local taxes as well. A wise person once told me to figure on at least 30% of my income to go toward paying taxes.
Are they covering the cost of any business licensing or registering that their state or local authorities might require?
Are they taking business expenses into account? Think of what you need to pay for to keep your business running. Supplies like paper, ink cartridges and other items your office requires, the cost of a separate phone line or web based system as well as any long distance charges you might incur, cost of postage for clients and your own marketing, hardware like printers, scanners and computers, software, Internet charges, charges for online applications like project management, e-mail marketing such as MailChimp or Aweber, fees associated with memberships, fees associated with payment/credit card processing. are just some of the items I can think of that you should be taking into consideration when setting your rates.
Have they considered the cost of starting and maintaining a website/blogsite? Purchasing your own domain name is something I strongly suggest a new virtual assistant do. First, even if they can’t afford to purchase hosting immediately, they can get e-mail hosting and will have a professional looking e-mail address that looks something like yourname@yourbusinessname.com. As your business grows you will likely want to add a hosting package that you’ll need to pay for and also consider the cost of designing and building your site.
Are they thinking about publications, classes and books they will undoubtedly want to purchase to help them learn how to grow a successful business.

Although most of the items listed above can be considered for tax deductions, a virtual assistant still has to pay them throughout the year. If you have set your rates based only on either what is considered a good employee rate of pay or just on what you yourself are looking to make for income you’re going to find yourself either falling very short of what you need or needing to take on more clients than you can comfortably handle. Doing the latter means that you’ll find yourself working long hours, more days a week than you anticipated and you can say goodbye to the flexible schedule and more free time that you saw as a benefit of working from a home office. Plus you also risk not being able to provide quality services due to being overwhelmed.

If you’re a new virtual assistant just setting your rates, make sure you take all of your costs and expenses into consideration. If you’ve already established your business and are finding that you can’t seem to make enough money, perhaps it’s time you sat down and figured out just how much you need to charge and raise your rates. I know that there is no way I could have a successful business were I only charging $25 an hour.
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If you’re a new or aspiring VA have you checked out the free “10 Step Guide to Starting a Virtual Assistance Business” ?

Why VA’s Should Read Jobsite Listings Carefully

Tina Hilton — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:37:07 +0000

I’ve written this post especially for virtual assistants looking for clients, but those of you trying to determine if a virtual assistant is the right choice for you will find some words of wisdom here too.

I know it seems like I’ve done the ‘definition of a virtual assistant’ thing to death, but too many new VA’s are so desperate to find clients that they may eventually find themselves in a situation far removed from their dream of being a successful virtual assistant.

Like many virtual assistants, I have a Google alert set up to bring me news from the VA realm. This morning I was greeted by this link. At first glance, this may appear to be a great opportunity to gain a client, but before you get too excited, look closer.

The very first section gives a savvy VA a hint that this may not be a great opportunity. You’ll notice that in the forth line they mention interviewing and three lines down from there it states you must be available on Skype during working hours. Virtual Assistants conduct consultations with potential clients to see how their services,etc. might fit a clients business, which is different from being interviewed for a position. They also work their own set hours, not necessarily the same business hours a client might consider their work hours.

Even without reading further this tells me that this company is looking to reap the benefits of a virtual assistant (no taxes and benefits) while gaining an employee. And sure enough, as you get down further you find under the section labeled “Payment” the phrase: This is a full time job. This means I expect that you don’t have other jobs besides this one.

To those of you thinking you may want to hire a VA, if this is one of your requirements, a VA is not for you. Hiring a virtual assistant is like hiring an accounting firm or an attorney, you should expect that they are going to have other clients as well as you.

At this point in the posting you should also notice the hours expected to work, 8-12 hours a day, 6 days a week! I wasn’t expected to keep those type of hours when I was a title processor, and that’s a demanding job!

And what are they willing to pay you for all of those hours you’re working .77 ¢ an hour. What? you may say, it says $200 a month? Exactly. And for that $200 you’re working an average of 60 hours a week. In my opinion, this company isn’t looking for a VA or an employee, they’re looking for slave labor. No one can survive on 77 cents an hour.

What started out looking like a professional request for assistance looks more like a travesty now doesn’t it?

As a new or inexperienced VA I know it gets frustrating when you haven’t landed those first clients yet, or you need to pick up just a few more to make ends meet, but be cautious when replying to jobs posted on job sites, freelance sites and the like. Make sure you read them thoroughly and watch for warning words like interview and resume. You must remember that you are a business, providing a service to another business. When is the last time you asked your plumber for a resume?

When examining payment amounts, make you notice how many hours they are looking for and do the math. And the minute you see anything in the post about working for them exclusively or doing the job according to their time schedule and exactly as they want it done remember that the IRS calls that an employee and won’t take kindly to a business who doesn’t pay taxes, benefits, etc. just because the company calls it a Virtual Assistant position.

As hard as it is, it’s much better to stay true to your rates and policies and wait for clients who understand not only that a virtual assistant is not simply an employee who works from their own office, but the true value of working with an experienced professional.

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If you’re an aspiring virtual assistant, don’t forget to get the free “10 Step Guide to Starting a Virtual Assistant Business” !

6 Tips for Clients of Virtual Assistants

Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Virtual Assistant?

Tina Hilton — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:45:47 +0000

Starting your own virtual assistant business requires more than just a desire to make money working from home. Ask yourself the following questions and answer honestly. Too many individuals look at becoming a VA as a way to make easy money from home, but the truth is, running your own business is anything but easy. Your honest answers to these questions will give you a clearer idea of what it takes to become and succeed as a virtual assistant.

Do I work well independently without the need to be told what to do or when to do it?
Am I able to get along well with all different types of personalities, even those that many people find difficult?
How good am I at making decisions?
Do I have the stamina to put in the long hours and days required to run my own business?
Am I good at planning and organizing?
Do I have the motivation to keep going even when the responsibility of running my own business becomes difficult and stressful?
Am I capable of the self control needed to set and meet deadlines without supervision?
Can I remain focused and able to resist distractions?
Do I have a good support system?
Do I have adequate professional office experience?
Do I have the technical expertise required?
Am I able to market myself and my services?
Can I handle sitting at a computer all day?
Do I enjoy working alone?

The importance of your answers to these questions can’t be understated. As a business owner you and only you will be responsible for all aspects of the business. You’ll not only be providing your clients with VA services, but you’ll also be responsible for bookkeeping, invoicing, marketing and all of the other aspects of keeping a business running and making it a success.
You might think that because you’re virtual, getting along with people isn’t as important, but remember, clients come with different personalities and so do people you network with. Making major decisions regarding your business, as well as the way you complete client work will be something you do daily. You’ll put in more hours than you ever imagined, and need to be more organized than you ever thought.
You’ll be surprised at how much more distraction is present when working from a home office, so it will be important to be able to shut out the things around you and focus on business. You’ll need to know how to set and stick to deadlines without someone prodding you to get the work completed.
The need for adequate professional office experience can’t be emphasized enough; there are some things, such as professionalism, that can only be learned through the proper experience. To be considered professional office experience you should have been at the very least an administrative assistant with certain amount of responsibility within the office. This means you would have been required to make decisions and perhaps supervised others.
If have answered the above questions honestly and still feel confident that becoming a virtual assistant is for you, you can now move forward knowing that you’ve truly put some thought into what it takes to run your own business.

For those of you who made it through the list and are convinced that virtual assistance is the career choice for you click the link below to receive your Complimentary Copy of The 10 Step Guide to Starting a Virtual Assistant Business.

Get The 10 Step Guide to Starting a Virtual Assistant Business!

Virtual Assistants-7 Red Flags That Say You’re in Over Your Head

Tina Hilton — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:45:49 +0000

(Listen to the Podcast: 7 Virtual Assistant Red Flags )

I tend to get quite a few inquiries from new virtual assistants looking to ‘hire on’ with my company or perhaps ’sub-contract’. Honestly, I’m not at a point where I am comfortable sub-contracting work to another VA, but I have been known to send clients who need services which I don’t provide to another virtual assistant. That said, I make it a policy not to send them to just any VA. I want to be sure that they will be as committed to providing the same high level of service that I am committed to at Clerical Advantage.

Between conversations, e-mails and checking out websites, I’ve seen plenty of ‘warning flags’ that some new VA’s may have jumped in over their heads.

Here are the Top 7 Red Flags that scream you’re in over your head:

#1: Lack of a dedicated e-mail address. If I’m getting an e-mail from sexykttn411@hotmail.com it’s the first red flag. If you’re going into business as a VA, you need a professional grade e-mail address. Ideally it should be yourname@yourbusiness.com, but if you really can’t afford to purchase your business domain name w/e-mail (and I would argue you can’t afford NOT to) then at least look into the option of a personal domain name (you@yourname.me) w/e-mail hosting or a more professional free webmail account like your.name@yahoo.com.

#2: You don’t respond to my e-mail for more information about your business. I’ve actually had new VA’s call and ask if I’d received their e-mail requesting subcontracting,etc. and when I respond that I sent them an e-mail in reply they say “Oh, I haven’t checked my e-mail for a few days”. Uh, hello? Are you sure you want to be a virtual assistant? We pretty much live and breath e-mail.

#3: You call and ask me how to run your business. Hey, I’ll give you advise gladly, because I have a passion for this industry and I enjoy helping others. But if you’ve signed a client and are asking me what your next steps are, you aren’t ready to be signing that first client. Months before signing your first client, company forms and policies should be drafted and ready to go. You should also have a plan as to how to proceed from the initial contact to the signing of the contract and beyond.

#4: You have a cookie cutter website and/or tons of typo’s and grammatical errors. Look, your website is a chance to show the world what you have to offer, if it’s straight out of SiteBuilders ‘R’ Us with nothing to distinguish it as yours, the message you’re giving is that you don’t value your own business enough to invest time, effort and/or money into it. So why should a client invest in your services? And nothing screams unprofessional more than typo’s and grammatical errors. Period.

#5: Your website contradicts your services offered. For example, you offer proofreading and editing services but your site is riddled with grammatical errors. You offer blog services and don’t have one yourself. You offer website maintenance and customization and your site is a basic template with no personalization. Get the idea?

#6: You lack professionalism.This is not something you can learn from a book, course or class. This is something that you obtain through experience and is yet another reason actual professional office experience is required. Trust me on this one, working in a corporate or attorney’s office teaches you a totally different aspect of professionalism than working in the office of the local grocery or department store. I’ve done both and know from experience that it’s like night and day. As an owner of your own business, your level of professionalism should be extremely high, otherwise don’t expect to be taken seriously.

#7: You tell me you’re ready to be a VA because you completed a course or class. Just because you complete a course, which may have truly been a stellar program, doesn’t mean you’re ready to become a VA. Do you have professional office experience? Have you been in a position that carried some degree of responsibility? Did you work independently or have all of your work assigned by a superior? These things make a difference. As a business owner you will need to be self motivated, no one is going to be reminding you that work needs to be done, it’s your responsibility to get it done and get it done well. No class, course or e-book can teach you that type of thing, it comes from experience. Plain and simple.

I’m sure some within the virtual assistance industry might view this as being a bit harsh. I view it as being truthful. Regardless of the fact that it’s tends to be portrayed as an easy, low cost ‘work-from-home’ job, everyone is not virtual assistant material. If I can help people understand that, even though it may come across as being a bit harsh, so be it. I’m proud of being a virtual assistant, and I’m proud of my fellow VA’s as well. I encourage those of you who have the experience and the passion to explore the option of becoming a virtual assistant. But in the same vein, I would ask that you seriously examine if it’s the right career choice for you.

S.E.E. Your Way to Clearer Communication with your VA

Tina Hilton — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:39:46 +0000

In my last post here I gave people who work with virtual assistants six tips. My third tip was to communicate clearly. But just what constitutes clear communication in a collaboration with a virtual assistant? How do you know that you’re giving your VA the information they need to do the job? One way is to apply the S.E.E method as you’re composing your instructions. S.E.E is an acronym for Specify, Elaborate, and Example and should be applied as follows;

Specify- This refers to being specific about the task or project. This includes time constraints,background and other details. You may send a rough draft of a blog post on ‘best dogs for women’ and you want it to be posted just before Mother’s Day, thinking it might draw customers to your pet store to get Mom a truly unique gift. Knowing what you’re trying to accomplish with your project/task might not seem important, but it helps your virtual assistant to be able to visualize what it is you want their work to accomplish for you.

Elaborate- Always elaborate when giving instructions. For example, instead of saying “Please post this to the blog” you say “Please post this to the blog, with a picture of a puppy, place hyperlinks where I’ve indicated and block quote the information I’ve placed in italics. Place it in the pets category and do a spelling and grammar check” Of course as you work together over time you’ll be able to shorten that to “Please post with puppy pic in pets category and do the normal checks and insertions.” But don’t take anything for granted. As a VA we don’t want to overstep by changing what you’ve written or inserting links, pics, etc unless you’ve directed us to.

Example- If applicable and at all possible, give your VA an example or template to refer to. This is especially useful when having documents drafted, formatted or converted, but applies to other tasks as well. If you’re looking for your VA to create an e-book cover, send them several examples of covers you like, pointing out the details you’d like to see in yours.

By using these suggestions you will not only give your virtual assistant a clearer picture of what you need them to do for you, you may also save time, as your VA will most likely have less questions concerning the task/project. Help your VA to see what you need by using S.E.E..

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