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Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: Express Scribe

Express Scribe is a transcription software that I have been using for many years. It’s a free software that operates like a transcription machine. You load the audio you want to transcribe, and then you can stop it and start it as you type. You can also control the speed at which you listen, so you can slow the audio down and keep up with it more easily. I highly recommend Express Scribe as a tool to manage any kind of transcription you need to do.  The basic software is free. You can purchase a foot pedal to go with it, or you can use keyboard shortcut/hot keys (that’s what I do!).  There is a professional version and other add… Read More »Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: Express Scribe

10 Content Ideas for Your Virtual Assistant Blog

I was recently working with a VA who was trying to get some content up on her blog and website, as she was starting to network with potential clients. I suggested that she populate her new blog with a few posts so that when people showed up to check her out, she wouldn’t look quite so brand new. She was stuck because she said she didn’t know what to write about. This is a common stopping place for VAs – not knowing what to write on your blog. We often don’t see our own value and we think, ‘What could I possibly write about that would interest anyone?’ So I decided to put together a quick list of some content… Read More »10 Content Ideas for Your Virtual Assistant Blog

Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: Coffee Cup Software

Coffee Cup Software is one of my favourite things I use in my business. They have an entire suite of website design products developed to make your website look amazing and have fantastic functionality. The two products I use every day are their HTML Editor and the FTP Client. I also have a number of other products of theirs as well, but I really think I could not do my job as a VA without the two items above. The HTML Editor is easy to use and really helps me to build great looking pages for myself and my clients. The FTP client is invaluable to upload and keep track of server files, again, for myself or for my clients.… Read More »Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: Coffee Cup Software

What Is It You Really Want For Your VA Business?

As this year is coming to a close, we are once again in planning and strategizing mode for the upcoming year. It’s a time to reflect on the year that has passed, and a time to look forward to see what we want to accomplish in the new year. One of the key pieces to setting up for a new cycle of business is to consider your goals. Business goals, personal goals, any goals you want. When you know what you want, you can plot the course or the direction that will take you there. By putting a tangible goal on paper, and then determining the steps you need to take to reach that goal, you can break it down… Read More »What Is It You Really Want For Your VA Business?

Three Questions To Solve Any Problem

“To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?” – Jim Rohn I love this quotation. It tells me that to solve any problem, first you need to think through it, then you need to learn about it and then you should seek advice. I wholeheartedly believe in this process. I’d like to expand on it here. Take any issue you are currently having in your business – big or small – and do this exercise. First, what could you do to fix it? Think about the problem itself, and as many possible solutions as you can think of. Make a list… Read More »Three Questions To Solve Any Problem

Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: Evernote

Evernote is a cool (free!) way to keep track of things you find on the Internet. I am a big fan of keeping a ‘swipe’ file, which is basically when you grab someone else’s information in some form, and save it so you can model* something on it later on. That could be a website page layout, a format of a program or service package, or even some wording from an email campaign. Whatever it is, you liked the way it was presented and you want to be able to do something of your own that is put together the same way. Evernote helps you organize that type of thing easily. You ‘clip’ web page addresses or other bits of… Read More »Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: Evernote

Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: WP eStore

WP eStore is a WordPress plugin that is a great alternative to paying for a monthly shopping cart. It’s a one-time  purchase for around $50, and it integrates with your WordPress website pretty seamlessly, so you can set up products to sell online. You can use it with Paypal and also with a couple of payment gateways like Authorize.net and 2Checkout.com. I have used it with a client for a while now and I also have it set up on my website. It really is easy to set up and use. It also interacts well with several other plugins from the same developer (tipsandtricks-hq.com) so that is great too. Because it’s a one time purchase it can be a really… Read More »Favourite Tools for Virtual Assistants: WP eStore

No clients for your virtual assistant business yet? What are you trying to sell?

“The really unhappy person is the one who leaves undone what they can do, and starts doing what they don’t understand; no wonder they come to grief.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I recently came across the quote and I was immediately struck by it. One of the big problems I see with Virtual Assistants who are either just starting out, or who are trying in vain to grow their business, is exactly the essence of this quotation. They try to build their business doing something new or something that they have not gained expertise with. I have had many conversations with people who are starting their VA business, and they don’t realize how much value they have in the… Read More »No clients for your virtual assistant business yet? What are you trying to sell?