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Smart Time Tracking Tips for Virtual Assistants

Whether you are just getting started in your VA business, or if you are looking to grow, you will need to have a solid time tracking system in place. Effectively and accurately tracking your time is something that seems easy to do, but can just as easily get out of control if you let it. ‘Losing time’ can not only set your schedule behind, lead to disorganization and late night catch-up, but it can also impact your revenue if you forget to bill for work done. Many VAs I talk to think that time tracking is a chore that they can’t wait to get away from – but I say not so fast! Here are a few reasons why: Why… Read More »Smart Time Tracking Tips for Virtual Assistants

Research Potential VA Client Questions To Handle Sales Conversations Better

If you are new to the Virtual Assistant industry, you may not realize that there are many great ways to collaborate with your clients. This is definitely an area that you want to research, to be sure you can offer your prospective clients more than one option on the logistics of working with you in a virtual relationship. Finding specific ways you can support your clients is key to signing them easily. Knowing the answers can be the difference between signing the client during a sales conversation, or being left to simply stay in (and you may have lost your chance!) I was recently speaking with a new VA and she told me about a prospect call that didn’t end the way she… Read More »Research Potential VA Client Questions To Handle Sales Conversations Better

Can I Really Make A Living as a Virtual Assistant?

When you are considering starting a VA business, this is often the first question that you ask someone. Can I really make a living as  Virtual Assistant? Of course you can! Thousands of women (and men!) and doing it worldwide. It probably seems to good to be true – working from home, setting your own hours, setting your rates – and the clients just roll in. Right?  Well, not quite. Being a Virtual Assistant is often much more difficult than just getting up and going to a job every day. Yes you have the luxury of not having the commute, or that crabby boss, but you really need to set yourself up for success if you want to be a… Read More »Can I Really Make A Living as a Virtual Assistant?

I Need You To Know This

I do a lot of networking with virtual assistants. Of course I have lots of colleagues, having done this type of work for almost two decades. But I also connect with VAs on social media and at in person events for Your VA Mentor and for the VA Associations. I like to think I am generous with my knowledge and I share what I can when I can. So I tend to spot patterns of issues that new or struggling VAs are facing fairly easily. This week I saw several posts, in several places, that are very common … and I decided that I have to tell you something this week. You are in charge of your business. You are… Read More »I Need You To Know This

Favourite Tools for VAs: Facebook Live

I am going to start using Facebook Live. Haven’t tried it out yet. I tried Periscope and liked it but I could not save the videos to my phone for some reason so gave up on it. So I’m going to call it one of my favourite tools, because I watch a lot of people using it now, but this is a blind recommendation (for once!). Maybe I’ll circle back in a week or two and tell you my favourite things about it! 🙂 See you there!

Favourite Tools for VAs: Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud filing system I use in my business every day and I could never be without it! Dropbox allows you to save documents to a folder in the cloud as well as on your computer so you can access them anywhere. You can also share the files you want with clients or colleagues or even the general public. A couple of years ago I moved my entire business filing system into Dropbox so I can literally work from anywhere just by logging in. And the neat thing about Dropbox is that you can earn extra storage when you invite people to join. The price of about $100 per year is more than worth it for me for Dropbox… Read More »Favourite Tools for VAs: Dropbox

Virtual Assistants: To Track Time or Not?

Virtual Assistants need to have an effective and accurate time tracking system in place. It’s easy, but it can get out of control if you let it. ‘Losing time’ can not only set your schedule behind, lead to disorganization and late night catch-up, but it can also impact your revenue if you forget to bill for work done. Here are a few answers to those questions you have about time tracking: Why should I track my time? First of all, because you need to know how you are spending your day. How much of your time is being spent on billable work? Non billable work? Wasted time? Things you dislike doing? If you write it all down, it will be… Read More »Virtual Assistants: To Track Time or Not?

Favourite Tools for VAs: Roundcube Webmail

Roundcube Webmail is one of my favourite tools to access email anywhere. If you are like me, you have several clients and they all want to set up an email address for you so you can communicate with them and their clients. I used to set these folks up in my Gmail, until my Gmail got filled up. Now I choose to access their email from Roundcube, a web-based program, and that means I can log in when I need to, to work directly on their stuff. It is liberating for me and it is a super easy way to keep things organized, since only that email information is contained in the webmail program. Sometimes simple really is best. I… Read More »Favourite Tools for VAs: Roundcube Webmail