Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about improving and expanding your skill set as a VA.
Today’s Quote: Education is not the filling of a pot, but the lighting of a fire. – W.B. Yeats
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
So because I really love this quote that’s where I want to start today.
Education is not the filling of a pot, but the lighting of a fire.
When we first start our VA business, there is much to learn.
Most VAs I know love to learn, so that’s usually a good thing.
Until you get stuck in the learning and you don’t move forward.
But that’s another conversation!
Here we are talking about fire.
When you got your VA business started, you had a fire in you.
You felt passionate about what you were doing, why you were doing it, and you were voraciously reading and learning everything you could about it so you could make a go of it.
Then you started your business and either did well or struggled.
But in either case, you probably settled down into the day to day and stopped learning.
I know for me I got so busy with client work that I really didn’t do much for myself anymore.
Maybe it’s the same for you.
But when we learn something new, there is a light that goes on – I think it’s that fire – and we see new possibilities, and new pathways to where we want to go.
You didn’t start your VA business to give yourself a job, you started it to help people. To help yourself and your family.
So I want to talk today about how to light that fire – that spark – and get you moving again.
Identify Areas for Improvement
The first thing you need to do when you want to learn something that is significant – or will move that needle, is to figure out what will make some kind of a difference.
Conduct a self-assessment or an audit of what you are doing in your business right now.
What services are you offering?
What platforms are you using?
What are you doing really well?
What are you struggling to do well?
What bugs you?
What do you love?
When you start to look at everything you do, you can find the areas where you might need some help – or just want some help.
Maybe you have been putting off getting a certification as a Facebook Community Manager, or Quickbooks.
Maybe you finally want to finish those Dubsado demos, or get better as using Canva.
Maybe you need to get better at time management and managing the distractions that you are dealing with when the whole family is home for the summer.
Being able to assess what areas are ripe for improvement is the first step.
Then you just need to figure out where the best place is to get the training you need.
Online Courses and Certifications
I always tell VAs that for the most part you don’t need any certifications to do what you do.
That’s not always the case of course, some service offerings require you to have training and experience, like medical and law services, sometimes even real estate.
But just because you don’t need it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to look into it.
I always felt that if I could show someone that I was trained in something that it would hold more significance than if I just said i knew how to do it.
Freelance U was my go-to place for skills training when I was learning, and I proudly displayed the badges from the certifications I took. I do think it made a difference that these were prominently displayed on my website.
It certainly helped with my confidence when talking to potential clients.
So we learn for various reasons, and sometimes certifications is a part of that.
But definitely online courses are (for me) the way to go. I love the self study or the self paced program. I like to be able to learn on my own schedule, and go as quickly or as slowly as I want.
There are lots of places to learn online. Some of them you will need to invest in and some will be free, and there are worthy trainings of both types.
I always advise that VAs stay updated with industry trends and new technologies – things move fast these days and however you can help your clients stay at the top of their game the better.
You should keep ahead of their industry trends as well as yours for your business.
It’s not difficult to convince a VA to take training – many of us are what I call perpetual learners. I know I love to learn new things. That it can help you be better at being a VA is key.
Attend Workshops and Webinars
You don’t have to attend every free Facebook ads webinar out there, but making a point of attending workshops and webinars that can help you stay sharp in your VA business is essential.
Live training sessions are the most valuable ones in my opinion, because you have the ability to ask questions of the expert in real-time.
I do love my pre-recorded sessions – that I can take on my own time, but there is much merit in being able to implement what I learn quickly and if I have questions, having the trainer available is amazing.
Training also helps you a lot with your confidence and resilience. When you are a step ahead of your clients or your colleagues, that is really powerful. Being able to help others by showing them the way, or helping them with something complex is really good for your confidence.
Professional Associations and Communities
Becoming a member of a professional VA association like CAVA is helpful in a lot of ways – many of our CAVA members say that it makes them feel more professional or serious about their business when their clients can see that they are investing in being a part of a trade association for their industry.
We also offer a lot of benefits for VAs that help them start, run and grow their VA business.
Online communities where your colleagues are hanging out are also great places to spend time.
No one understands your VA business like another VA, and when we need advice, support, or just a place to take a break, our VA colleagues can be invaluable.
VA communities like CAVA and My Virtual Assistant Lounge have VAs in them that are at all stages of their business.
Being a part of a community allows you to share your experiences and learn about the experiences of others – and you instantly feel like you are not alone.
Sharing best practices is one of the most important pieces of being in a community with other VAs. That can even give you some solid information about what training you should focus on next!
Read Industry-Related Books and Articles
Are you reading business books at all?
I ask this of most of the VAs I work with.
It’s a really simple way to build your little arsenal of knowledge every month. It’s cost effective and it can really help you focus on one thing at a time.
Whether you are trying to fix something in your business, or if you are just trying to grow to something or somewhere you haven’t been before, reading business or industry related books can be really helpful.
Along with books, subscribing to blogs and newsletters of those who teach what you want to know is also good practice.
It makes it easy to stay informed about the latest trends, tools and other topics that you need to know about, without a whole lot of effort.
Pick a few people to follow or to receive email from – the key is to make sure that whatever you are receiving you are implementing in your business. Anything else is just noise.
Practice New Skills
The important thing about learning something is putting it into practice – implementation is the key to making what you learn valuable.
There is something to be said for the timing of training or learning, and as a VA it’s really important to find that balance.
If you take a course or a training session, pick at least one thing you can implement from it – if you don’t, you are probably wasting your time.
It may seem necessary to jump at that free or paid training on whatever subject right now but be sure that you are going to use it now, or it really isn’t the right time.
Being able to practice is also key. If you have great clients who don’t mind you dipping your toes into new things, that can be really helpful.
Otherwise, sign up for a free trial to practice if that’s a possibility.
Same thing with implementation – if you learn something to offer as a new service, you need practice to make sure you can do it well for your clients.
Technology is Your Friend
Learning tech is one of the best ways you can uplevel yourself as a VA.
You don’t have to become a techy VA, but leaning in to technology is a good way to stay up on the new developments and trends that are happening in the VA world.
New apps and platforms are popping up all the time – I don’t mean you have to learn it all of course, but be on the lookout for things that are relevant to the services you offer, and check them out.
Our clients are always looking for the best ways to do things, and we should be too. For our own VA business but also for theirs.
If you can be one step ahead that’s good practice as a VA.
Knowing what is out there that is relevant to your service offerings and to your clients’ businesses can be really smart.
When I was offering virtual event services for my clients, I checked out every new webinar platform when it came out, so that I could offer my insight to my clients when they inquired. I knew the key differences between what the new platform did versus what we already were using.
It was easy enough to stay on top of without learning how to use every new thing.
Automation tools are especially important. How do they work? How do they work with what you are already using or doing?
Repetitive tasks are the things that automation can really help with.
When we are talking about time being money as a VA, automation can be super helpful.
What can you look at on a regular basis that will help you stay on top of stuff like this?
Seek Coaching and Support
I will always recommend finding a coach who can provide guidance and support for your professional development.
It’s important to have someone to go to, to share your struggles and successes with.
Moving your VA business forward means taking steps, and sometimes we need some help to take those steps.
Support comes in the form of professionals and also your colleagues. Joining a mastermind group like The Virtual Circle is a great way to keep yourself taking those steps, with the support you need.
Private coaching is also a good option when you need specific strategy and support. It costs more, but can be really worth it when you need fast results.
Set Goals
This often sounds icky to VAs – for some reason goal setting reeks of corporate or sales, but it’s really not.
Goals are important to keep you moving forward, and they don’t have to be heavy duty.
Knowing where you want to go is the first step in how you will get there.
In fact, so many of the things that VAs come to me with because they are struggling can be fixed by actually setting a goal and action steps to reach it.
It’s a simple process, and if you aren’t setting and reaching goals, that could be the one thing that changes everything in your VA business.
I’m going to leave it here for today.
So let’s circle back to today’s quote: Education is not the filling of a pot, but the lighting of a fire. I just love this. I think I’m going to put this up in my workspace.
To keep your fire stoked, add knowledge.
That’s how I feel about learning – and teaching. And I’m always so grateful that you trust me to teach you to be a better VA.
I hope I’ve given you some good tips to help you take some steps forward today.
As I say, you don’t have to full-on go back to school to learn new things.
Look for the opportunities that suit your business, that are relevant to the services you offer, and that are relevant to the clients you work with, and you will be growing every single day.
It’s important to get or remain competitive, relevant, and valuable in the virtual assistant industry which is always evolving. Continuous learning and skill development will help you provide higher-quality services to your clients and open up new opportunities for growth in your VA business.
If you want more information about the program, drop me a PM. I’ll share more info in the coming weeks across all of my social channels, but I’m available to answer any questions you have right now too.
Thank you again for trusting me to teach you and to guide you. I truly love to be here for you every week.
If I could ask you a favour – to subscribe to the podcast or leave me a review if you haven’t already. That’s something I should say every week and I never really do. But it matters and it will make sure that I know you are finding value in what I create just for you every week.
Do You Need Help?
If you are looking to build the kind of business I’m talking about – a 50K and beyond VA business, that’s where I can help. I am here to help you become a ridiculously good VA.
I have helped hundreds of VAs who are stuck get moving through private coaching, group coaching, and live and self study trainings. If you want to talk about how we can work together, let’s connect on a Cut to the Chase call. You can book yours at YourVAMentor.com/chase
Thanks for tuning in this week! I’ll see you next time!
What You Need to Do Next:
PRIVATE COACHING: Let’s work together privately to get you to your really big goal. It’s the fastest way to get results and we can start right away. Learn more about private coaching here.
GROUP COACHING MASTERMIND: The Virtual Circle is a group coaching mastermind option that costs less than private coaching, and can help you achieve the goals you set for yourself. . Check it out here: The Virtual Circle Group Coaching Mastermind for Virtual Assistants . We’d love to have you join us!
50K VA GROUP COACHING PROGRAM: If you have been struggling to build your VA business, get in on this live coaching program where we will help you create the framework for a business that can earn you 50K a year and beyond. LAUNCHING FALL 2024, stay tuned!
MONTHLY EMAIL MEMBERSHIP: I also have a brand new low-cost monthly membership program that will help you build your VA business – and it doesn’t require you to be on social media! It’s an email membership that I call The Virtual Toolkit! Every Monday morning you’ll receive a lesson and a downloadable resource in your inbox, that you can use to take a step further in your VA business. Get more details and sign up here now!
SELF STUDY PROGRAM: My self study program Getting Started as a VA can help you get your VA business started easily and quickly too. You can sign up right away and be on your way to getting clients by the end of the program, with all the right foundations in place. Check out the program here.
COMPLIMENTARY CONSULT: Reach out to me if you need to talk about where you are stuck and what the right option might be to get you moving. It’s literally all I’m here to do is help you get to where you want to go. Book a complimentary Cut to the Chase call with me here.