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Are You Struggling With a Business Mindset?

Mindset plays a key role in many areas of your business. It probably sounds kind of woo-woo to talk about intangible things like mindset, but how you think about your business often dictates how you act, and how successful you are. “You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be.” – Marianne Williamson Isn’t that a great quotation? It is true. A positive mindset goes a very long way in everyday life. Think about it. When you start your day focusing on things that make you annoyed, or anxious, or upset you in any way, what kind of a day do you think you will have? The key is to consciously decide how to change… Read More »Are You Struggling With a Business Mindset?

When Is It Time for a Virtual Assistant to Hire a Coach?

If you are spinning your wheels in your VA business, it might be time to start working with a coach. Now I know I’m a Virtual Assistant coach, but this is not an article trying to convince you to hire me! What I want to talk to you about today is how to figure out when it might be time for you to hire someone to coach you (me, or someone else!). Because the time is not always right. But sometimes it is. Many people I talk to about coaching are happy when they realize I am not a high pressure kind of coach, who tells you that you need coaching for every little thing in your business. But I… Read More »When Is It Time for a Virtual Assistant to Hire a Coach?

Rental cars and fire alarms: how to adapt when things go wrong

What do you do when things don’t go exactly the way you plan them? Stay on your path no matter what obstacles get in your way! See if you can find the path through whatever is going wrong. I am a planner. I like to be ready for what is coming. But sometimes things don’t go according to plan. Here’s a little story on how you can keep going when things seem like they are not quite right. I was recently getting ready to travel to Toronto for a speaking engagement with the Association of Administrative Professionals Toronto Chapter. Sure it’s a long way for me to go for a talk, but it’s a group that I have built a… Read More »Rental cars and fire alarms: how to adapt when things go wrong

What Do You Need to Learn to Be a Fantastic Virtual Assistant?

I see you there. You want to be the BEST Virtual Assistant out there. You want to earn lots of money and work with lots of clients. I know that. But you’re not there yet. You are struggling. You don’t have clients. Or you don’t have great clients. You’re not making enough money. Or you aren’t making any money. You feel lost. You don’t know what to do next. You can’t figure out why it’s so hard to start your business. Lots of other VAs are doing it. You see them all the time on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. So why not you? Well, it’s probably a pretty simple answer. You probably just haven’t learned what you need to know yet.… Read More »What Do You Need to Learn to Be a Fantastic Virtual Assistant?

Market Your Business (Well!) in 20 Minutes a Day

Are you spending all day marketing your business? Or no time at all? I run into this often when I am talking with VAs. Either they say they are spending all day looking for clients, because they have no client work to do. Or they are spending all their time doing client work, and they don’t have time to organize and do marketing. Neither of these are going to serve you in your business. Marketing is so important – whether you are actively looking for clients or not, you need to be sure that you have a marketing plan that suits your schedule, and helps you meet your goals. Here are some of the things you can do in just… Read More »Market Your Business (Well!) in 20 Minutes a Day

Time Tracking: Don’t Waste Your Client’s Money

I recently had a revelation about Virtual Assistants and how they track time. I talk to a lot of VAs in my circles and one of the biggest discussions remains how much to charge for something. The answer to that is usually centred around how long it takes you to complete a task – whether you are quoting an hourly rate or a package rate. But I didn’t really stop to think about the vast parameters of that thought: how long it takes you to complete a task. What I realized is that everyone works at a different speed. And there is nothing wrong with that. But are you working at the RIGHT speed? If you aren’t, you could be… Read More »Time Tracking: Don’t Waste Your Client’s Money

My Housecleaner is Back! And More Lessons About Communication

A few months ago I wrote to you about my longtime housecleaner retiring, which meant that we needed to replace her. How hard could that be, we thought? 🙂 We brought in someone new and expected her to be able to do things the way our previous cleaner had. But we didn’t help her very much, by giving her clear enough instructions. I made a strange (I realize now it was strange) assumption that the new girl would be able to seamlessly take over for the other one. She did not. Long story short (you can read it here),  it didn’t work out with the new girl. But the good news is that when I called our old cleaner to get… Read More »My Housecleaner is Back! And More Lessons About Communication

How to Onboard Clients (the Right Way!)

First impressions matter, in every relationship – but especially in business. When a client has paid you money or agreed to work with you, their expectations kick into gear immediately. If you aren’t providing a great first impression, you could be losing a bit of your client’s trust before you even start working together. Have you developed a great onboarding process for your new clients? If you haven’t, I have some great tips for you. Your process for onboarding clients should be all about clarity and communication. 1. Send a welcome letter or email. Once a client agrees to work with you, clearly outline what comes next for them. Be succinct in your emails – try not to get too… Read More »How to Onboard Clients (the Right Way!)