What Can A Virtual Assistant Do?

Now that you know what a Virtual Assistant (VA) is, what can a Virtual Assistant do for you?  That is a pretty easy question to answer.  A VA can do just about anything you need done.  If you have a project that can be outsourced, a VA can do it.

So what kind of projects can you outsource?

- Do you have an audio or video file you need transcribed?

- Do you have 200 business cards whose information needs to be put into a spreadsheet?

- Do you need to set up appointments with clients but don’t have the time to make the phone calls?

- Do you want to start a social media campaign but don’t know what to do first?

These are all basic jobs a VA can do to get you thinking of what you might need done.   Keep in mind there are Virtual Assistants for every specialty.  Some VAs specialize in Bookkeeping.  Some in Social Media.  Some in Website design.  Some specialize in transcription.  Make sure the VA you choose has the necessary qualifications to do the job you have in mind.

There are a myriad of projects a VA can do for you.  If you are stressed and overloaded with work, ask the necessary questions in order to clear off your desk and get back to what is important to you – building your business.

Face to Face Networking Tips

At a recent Chamber of Commerce networking event, I found it very interesting to see the many different networking styles.   What actually works and gets you clients?

How you present yourself when you walk in the room is extremely important.   Look professional as first impressions really do count.  Have a smile on your face showing that you really want to be there.  No one wants to talk to a grouchy negative person.  Your posture, handshake and tone of voice are very important as they need to display confidence and trust.

Acknowledge as many people as possible with a friendly smile or hello.  Don’t avoid anyone in particular because you feel they are not your ideal client.  You don’t know who your next client may be or who may refer you.

Is your elevator speech ready?  Have a short statement prepared that tells who you are and what you do.  You are there to meet people and introduce your business but if you can’t tell anyone what you do and what your business is, how are they going to remember you when they need your services?  Keep your speech short and sweet and give the other party the courtesy of telling you their speech.

Always have business cards handy and give them out to everyone you speak to.  But don’t be the guy that walks around the room and hands out cards to everyone in about ten minutes so he can leave to go do something more exciting. This is not the way you want to be remembered.

Take your time.  Make it a habit to speak to a few people at length and really build the relationship.  It takes time to build a network of local contacts, so expect this to be an ongoing process.

Once you have gone to a networking event you may have a handful of business cards to deal with.  Don’t just put them in a drawer.  This is a golden opportunity to connect your face to face networking with your social networking efforts.

Put those names in a database so you have all the information you need in one handy location.  The next day, if possible, send a hand written note or email to those you have talked to saying how nice it was to meet them. Connect with these people on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.  Comment on articles they have posted, which will showcase your knowledge.  Be social but not pushy.   Don’t make this a sales call.  Simply build the relationship.  At the next meeting make it a point to talk to these people.  They will appreciate that you remembered them.

Social Media Marketing is very important in this virtual age that we live in.  But if you pair that with what some people call “old fashioned” face to face networking, you will find your business relationships much stronger and more rewarding.  It does take time to build strong relationships, but it is well worth your effort.

Do you work on the weekend?

I started my day in the usual fashion – coffee followed by checking email, Twitter and Facebook. I posted a quick comment on Facebook, “Saturday. Need I say more?”, and immediately received a few comments. One saying I did not need to say any more and another commenting on working for the day. Then I read a blog post by Chris Brogan which got me thinking.

Yes, it is a weekend, but as a business owner do we really ever switch off completely? You may have set some boundaries with your clients where you do not work on the weekend. Good for you. We all need to have a few days off every once in a while. It is not healthy to work all the time.

I will probably spend the afternoon with my husband at the beach. No, I’m not working today. I’ll be relaxing with a good book. When I’m not reading, I’ll be sitting there looking at the beautiful scenery. I’ll also be thinking of new ideas for my business. Random thoughts about blogging, ways to connect with more people or software I should look into are always popping into my head. Is this considered working?

What about you? Can you switch off completely? And is it really a bad thing to think about your next step, even if you aren’t technically working? I’d love to know your comments. Are you working today?

What Direction Are You Going?

The audience only pays attention as long as you know where you are going.

–Philip Crosby

Whether you are speaking in front of a group, writing a blog post,  distributing an e-newsletter, or updating your website, you must  know what direction you are going.  Your audience will not pay attention for long if you are just rambling on.  Think about your audience, your content and your goals before you start.  Know what you want to say and get to the point.

Do you know what direction you are going?

Analyse Your Efforts

You have worked very hard to market your business.   In addition to face-to-face marketing, you have utilized all the social media outlets.  You have a website, a blog and a newsletter in which you target clients in your niche.  You probably have Facebook friends and fans and Twitter followers.  Is it working for you?

Most sites have graphs or charts showing you how many people have visited your site or read your newsletter.   This information can be of great value to you if you check it regularly and use it to move your efforts forward.  Let’s look at a few of the very basics and see what you can do with the information given.

On a blog, for instance, you might be given a daily account of how many people visit your site.  If your numbers are all over the board and you aren’t getting a consistent number of viewings, you might want to consider how often you post.  If you are not posting on a regular basis, your probably don’t have a loyal following.  Step up your writing and see if your numbers level out.  Possibly your tags aren’t strong enough for the search engines to find.  Make sure your key words are being used in the proper places.

If you write a weekly or monthly newsletter, do you link to other sites or articles?  If your viewers are not clicking on those links, you might want to consider the type of articles to which you are linking.  Your viewers don’t find them informative enough to go further.  Rethink your strategies.  Keep track of what your viewers are clicking on and post more of that type of article.

A bounce list is another important feature.  If you are paying for a mailing list or are sending to email addresses that are not working, you are using up important space.  Check your bounce list to see who is not getting your newsletters.  Take them off your list and find out what the correct email address is.  You might be missing someone who could be a potential client.

Another important factor is the time of day your posts are being viewed.  If more people are viewing your writing in the morning, then post more in the morning.  Why post in the afternoon if you already know you will have less viewers.

Check your numbers often.  This is very valuable information that can help you reach potential clients.  Take advantage of this information to redefine your marketing efforts.  You spend a lot of time marketing your business.  Isn’t it time you worked smarter and used the information at hand to your advantage?

Make it Perfect

As a Virtual Assistant, I am very critical of my own work.  Before I submit a final project, post a new blog entry, or send an email to an existing or prospective client, I take extra time to proofread my work. Lately I have read many newsletters, ezine articles, blog entries, etc., with spelling errors.  These articles have been written by different types of professional people.  This should not be the norm.

Virtual Assistants, as a group, need to hold themselves to a higher standard than other groups.  What we do is two-fold and one small mistake can tarnish the reputation of our clients as well as ourselves.  As our industry grows it is even more important that we proofread our work, as the work of one VA is representative of the entire industry.

Why not take the extra minute or two to proofread your work?  Why would you want to publish something that is not perfect?

The Psychology of Color

As I was researching for this blog post, I discovered that information on the psychology of color is everywhere. There are blogs, articles, and books stating yellow is bright and cheerful like the sunshine, red is bold, black is classic like the little black dress but could be somewhat mysterious, and green is the color of money. You can also read that blue is a calm and restful color, orange is the most edible color with pumpkins and carrots, and brown is the color of nature representing stability.

I was very frustrated as to what to write about that would be original. I decided to take a break and do my grocery shopping. As I was in my car driving over the causeway to leave this wonderful little island that I live on, I was greated by a wonderful site that flooded my vision with color. On this sunny day the water in Tarpon Bay was a clear turquoise blue/green. The sky was a light blue with just a smattering of fluffy white clouds. The bridge in front of me was a steel gray and black that showed its permanence. The sails of the sailboats were dotted all along the water, fluttering in the soft breeze.

I walked into the grocery store to find a myriad of colors in the produce department – red peppers and tomatoes, yellow bananas, a large variety of greens in the broccoli, celery and lettuce section. The apples were greens and reds. White onions, brown potatoes and even purple eggplant.

Later that day we went to the beach for a few hours of relaxation. It was a beautiful day and there were many people on the beach with the same idea. As it was quite sunny, the umbrellas were up in full force. There were dots of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, and purple for as far as you could see. What a lovely sight.

At that point I didn’t really care about the psychology of each individual color. I knew that I loved being surrounded by all the colors. What a wonderful cheerful feeling it was. I am so thankful that my world is full of color. Now to complete the picture I need to see a rainbow after a spring storm and find the pot of gold at the end. Wouldn’t that be nice!

New Logo Design

As a Virtual Assistant, I have had the opportunity to work with many wonderful people. But until recently I have never worked with another VA. I was asked by Kelly Cairns of KC Virtual Solutions if I wanted her help with designing a logo for my business. I jumped at the chance.

Kelly was amazing to work with. She started out asking me a few simple questions about my vision for my logo. She wanted to know if I had any preconceived ideas about what the final product would look like. Within a few hours she sent along the first draft. After going back and forth a few times with a few more drafts and a few more questions, we ended up with what I think is an awesome logo. What do you think?

Working with a Virtual Assistant was a pleasant experience. Kelly Cairns of KC Virtual Solutions is located in the UK. Admin Etcetera is located in Florida. All of our communication was done by way of email. No matter what the project is, working with a VA has no boundaries, given all the wonderful benefits technology has to offer.

I would highly recommend Kelly Cairns for your logo design needs. She has the talent and vision needed for this type of project. She is a professional Virtual Assistant at its finest. Thank you, Kelly, for a job well done!

VAF

I have been in the business world for a number of years. I have worked for a large telecommunications firm, an interior design firm, a government agency helping abused children, and most recently, a small computer repair company. I have worked with all different types of people – the good, the bad, hardworking and slackers. But until recently, I have never met a more dedicated group of individuals as I have then those who frequent the Virtual Assistant Forums.

On a recent thread the question was posed, “How many hours do you work a week?” The answers varied – ranging from 40 to 80 hours a week. There were no complaints about this. It was just stated as fact. As sole-proprietors of their businesses, the men and women who frequent this particular forum are very enthusiastic about their job. They are very quick to answer a thread with support for other Virtual Assistants. The tips and suggestions are always very informative as these people know what they are talking about. Their dedication to their clients is a top priority.

I am very proud to belong to a group like this and want to thank them for all the support they have given me. I have learned so much from them and hope that I can be just as much help to others that come along after me.

Hello world!

January 2009 is half over.  Where did it go?  I never got around to making my New Year’s resolutions.  Sure, I’ve thought of the usual things.  But never did anything about it.

This year has started out differently.  With the launch of a new business, Admin Etcetera, I have been thrown into a new world (the world of Virtual Assistants),  learned new words (what is social media marketing anyway?), and acquired new skills (it may have been through a template, but I did my website myself.  Check it out.)  You can teach an old dog new tricks!!

Blogging is new to me.  It is yet to be seen if I can come up with enough information to interest anyone but me.  There is so much out there, so I will do my best to keep current and pass on what I hear and learn.

So far I have enjoyed my new venture.  I have met some very supportive people through the Virtual Assistant Forums and Twitter.  I plan on sticking around, meeting new friends, supporting my clients in any way I can, and growing my business.  You will hear from me again!