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virtual assistant business tips

Can You Really Make a Living as a Virtual Assistant?

If you have just discovered the Virtual Assistant industry, it may sound too good to be true. Can you really make a living working from home? The idea of working from home, setting your own schedule, and being there for your family sounds great when you are slugging it out every day at a job you don’t like. But it’s a scary leap, to leave the comfort of collecting a regular paycheque, to being a Virtual Assistant, isn’t it? I get this question all the time from women who want to know… can you really make a living as a VA? The answer is, of course, yes. However there are many factors that come into play to come up with… Read More »Can You Really Make a Living as a Virtual Assistant?

5 Routines You Can Implement Now To Become a More Efficient Virtual Assistant

If you are not working with regular routines in your VA business, and instead handling everything ‘as it comes up’, you are probably wasting time and risking burnout. Routines are an excellent way to bring regularity into your VA business. All business owners have lots of balls in the air, and it’s important to manage them well regularly, so none of them drop. One of the best ways you can manage your ever-changing workload is to implement regular routines that can help you to keep on top of what needs doing, prioritize it accordingly, and get it done. Routines improve your productivity and efficiency – and they don’t have to be boring. First, here are some ‘don’t do this’ tips… Read More »5 Routines You Can Implement Now To Become a More Efficient Virtual Assistant

Why Aren’t You Making Enough Money as a VA?

When I coach Virtual Assistants around money, we often come to an uncomfortable conversation. I have to ask pointed and direct questions. It’s not to be mean or catch them off guard. It’s to get to the real issue behind something they are struggling with. Recently, I had a conversation with a VA who wanted to package her services. Actually, more accurately – her business coach wanted her to package her services so she could make more money each month. That’s always a funny piece of advice to me… a business coach is directing someone to do something. (That’s not the role of a business coach, fyi). I mean, it sounds good. The coach wants you to make more money.… Read More »Why Aren’t You Making Enough Money as a VA?

How to Improve Your Self-Confidence As a VA

How would you rate your self-confidence as a Virtual Assistant? Are you near the top of the scale? Or are you closer to the bottom? If you’re near the bottom, don’t worry – it’s not just you (and it’s easier to fix than you think!) I read the most interesting fact recently. Most women won’t apply for a job unless they meet 100 per cent of the qualifications. Men will respond if they have only 60 per cent of the qualifications. Well it was a fact shared by Sheryl Sandberg, but I can tell you in my experience that it’s absolutely true. I see VAs all the time who will not put their hat in the ring for an RFP… Read More »How to Improve Your Self-Confidence As a VA

Stop Doing This Now To Become a Better Virtual Assistant

You teach people how to treat you (especially as a VA). This lesson was engrained in me by one of my business coaches, many years ago. When I got into business, I didn’t know how to be a business person. I am guessing it was the same for you. I knew how to be an assistant – doing whatever my ‘boss’ (client) needed done. I was very good, though. I could anticipate a lot of things. One of my managers called me ‘Radar’ like the character on the tv show M*A*S*H. I could get things done for him before he even knew he needed them. I was an excellent assistant. When you make the leap to becoming a Virtual Assistant,… Read More »Stop Doing This Now To Become a Better Virtual Assistant

Is Your Virtual Assistant Business Profitable?

Is your VA business profitable? Sure, you may be making money because your clients are paying you, but are you keeping as much money as you should be? Profitability isn’t usually something that comes to mind when you are operating a service-based business. We always say we trade our time for dollars. And we do, as Virtual Assistants. Whether you are charging by the hour, by the task, by retainer or by the project, you are still doing work in return for money. Our rates are all based on how long it takes us to get something done. So we don’t think of our business in terms of profit. But we should! Your business should be profitable, like any other… Read More »Is Your Virtual Assistant Business Profitable?

5 Steps Virtual Assistants Need to Take to Fix Mistakes

We all make mistakes. It’s how you handle them that can set you apart from your Virtual Assistant colleagues. What do you do when something goes wrong for one of your clients? • Maybe you have sent something out with a typo or a broken link on it.• Maybe you have answered a client request incorrectly.• Maybe you charged a client the wrong amount for something they bought.• Maybe you forgot to schedule important social media posts.• Maybe you have taken three times as long to complete a task as they budgeted.• Or maybe you have done something differently than what the client expected you to do. The list can go on. We are all human, including our clients. Mistakes… Read More »5 Steps Virtual Assistants Need to Take to Fix Mistakes

Find Your Virtual Assistant Squad – Not Where You Think

Stop asking for advice in VA groups about every little thing for your VA business. Is that a harsh piece of advice? I’m sure it sounds harsh, and it’s kind of meant that way, but for good reason! Virtual Assistants are full of questions. We are a naturally inquisitive type of personality. As a business owner, that can be a good thing. In fact, I regularly encourage you to ask questions wherever possible! But more and more I see VAs asking for advice about the SIMPLEST things. I see VAs ask others if their rates are too high, because although they say they are confident with their rates, clients are telling them they charge too much. I see VAs ask… Read More »Find Your Virtual Assistant Squad – Not Where You Think