It was a Hit! Last night we at EAtoVA.com held our first “Attract Your Next Ideal Client” class.  The students enjoyed learning our 6 Step System to filling their business with clients that they love working with.

If you missed this dynamic teleclass, you will have another opportunity to join us.  In the near future EAtoVA.com will host several new teleseminars that will teach you how to operate a successful Virtual Assistance company. Do you want to get a strong start and succeed? Stick close to this environment that is designed especially for YOU!

We are constantly creating new products and services that are tailored to the feedback that we receive from you. So, keep your questions coming! Continue posting to the blog when certain articles stimulate your interest. We are always excited to find new ways to support your success.

My business partner, Wil Hart taught the class and had tons of useful information to share with the participants.

To become attractive to prospective ideal clients, you need to adapt your business to the following process:

1 – Identify your ideal client

2 – Choose a target market

3 – Understand the needs and desires of your target market

4 – Present your unique selling proposition

5 – Speak clearly about who you do

6 – Get in front of your target market

No doubt you want to build a successful Virtual Assistance business. You owe it to yourself to acquire full understanding of how to market your services to the right prospects. You absolutely have the right to choose your clients. With that being the case, you should make sure that those clients 1) work in an industry that you enjoy 2) fit the personality type that complements yours and 3) have problems that you know how to solve.

This is the recipe for building golden working relationships. In the corporate world, your choices of whom you work with are quite limited. You may choose a certain J-O-B because of the salary, benefits, location etc. Now, you run your own business and can create the environment that you desire. So, marketing your services has a different meaning altogether. It’s about creating an environment that will support your lifestyle and add immeasurable joy to your life!

I invite you to write in questions regarding this 6 Step System. Comment here on the blog and receive feedback directly from Wil and me. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have about business development or marketing. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

By Sydni Craig-Hart

The word marketing probably invokes fear at times. It may be fear of rejection. Perhaps you may fear needing a large budget to market your business. Yet, another fear may be that of feeling cheesy and inauthentic. These feelings are all real and it is okay if you personally feel this way.

There is a remedy to this marketing illness. Stick with me as I outline for you easy and effective methods that will build and sustain your business. We will highlight three marketing strategies: 1) Reach out to your “warm market” 2) Join a leads exchange group and 3) Attend networking events.

Warm Market

Maximize the potential of your  “warm market”. Your warm market is the core group of contacts that you know personally. Included in this group is your family, friends, colleagues, employers and anyone else with whom you cherish a personal relationship. Continue Reading »

By Sydni Craig-Hart

Imagine filling your business with clients who are as enjoyable as your friends. Do you know that you have the right to choose to work with only ideal clients? Think about your best friend or a loving close relative. Now, picture yourself getting paid to work with those very same people. I think you will enjoy runningn your business a lot more if you follow these 6 Steps and see how you can attract your next ideal client.

Step 1: Identify Your Ideal Client

Would you like to be inspired with great energy to do your BEST work? Of course you would. That is why you only want to work with ideal clients. An ideal client is a person that is practically your friend. You almost question how in the world do you get paid to work with such a person. It’s not that the relationship is problem free. The blessings are found in the compatibility of the relationship.

Therefore, you need to figure out what personality traits you enjoy spending your time with. Who are your favorite people in life? You can find the traits of these individuals to be the gems that you seek in your clients. Clarify the personality traits that you enjoy, find prospects that possess these and turn enjoy your new ideal clients.

Step 2: Choose A Target Market

When you identify your ideal client, you will look for such clients with the realm of your target market. What is your target market based on? This too involves your choice of work, skills, and knowledge that you enjoy. Your target market should be an industry that you will truly appreciate working in. 

Do you enjoy working with real estate agents, business coaches or authors? Analyze why you appreciate the industry. Make that your focus for your marketing efforts and enjoy the process of finding more prospects and clients than you ever imagined. It is like fishing in a school of fish instead of searching for one bite. It comes down to one question, Do you want to increase your chances of getting ideal clients? You must pick a target market.

Step 3: Understand Why People Buy What You Sell

When you begin to value your services, others will too. Think about what you have to offer your clients. How do you help them? What do you help them to accomplish? You will find unbelievable value within yourself. You will resonate with the people that you are meant to serve when you find the value in your work.

This will open your mind to the problems that you solve for your target market. Ah, now you are a ‘problem solver’. Do you see your value increasing? This mindset of being a problem solver will reveal to you why people give you money to help them. Everyone within your target market has needs help and wants to accomplish goals. Do you realize how much you have to offer? Great! Now, help your target market appreciate how you solve their problems. Continue Reading »

by Sydni Craig-Hart

Life is riddled with challenges. There are roadblocks to becoming a successful parent or spouse. There are certain difficulties that hinder strong friendships and family ties. There are challenges to remaining financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually healthy. Therefore, whether you have a job or run your own company, you will meet obstacles. The key that unlocks the door to personal success is knowing how to meet and defeat challenges. What might prevent you from attaining victory in your Virtual Assistant practice?

Overcoming Fear

What fears do you hold close to your heart? There are some fears that we tend to plant and cultivate. Fear is natural and normal to experience. It is a mechanism employed by the subconscious mind that attempts to keep us safe and out of harm’s way. This fear prevents us from making unwise decisions, but can also prevent us from embarking on new endeavors. That is why red flags and bells go off in our mind when we step outside of our comfort zone. That is why your palms get sweaty and you start to get the jitters when you reach the edge of your comfort zone.

This is the perfect time to host a conversation with your fear. Ask your fear, “What is the worst that can happen?” Ask too, “Why do you want to hold me back from trying this new endeavor?” (This is actually a conversation with yourself that acknowledges the fear you are experiencing). Fear is appropriate. That is why it is so important to engage it and analyze it. Efforts to suppress it are counterproductive. Continue Reading »

Check out this article from MSNBC that features why it’s a good idea to get training when starting a new business and where you can get solid training to start your Virtual Assistant business.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30887001/

By Sydni Craig-Hart

Throughout your life you have worked with or been trained by a mentor.  Especially during the early stages of life, like when you were taught how to walk. Think back to your school days. What purpose did teachers, guidance counselors and advanced students serve? They were mentors designed to help you succeed. What about your last J-O-B? Who showed you the ins and outs of working for a new company? Well, a mentor trained you.

Having a mentor will elevate your game. How so? A mentor will provide guidance is many ways, but let’s just mention a few.  A good mentor will:

• Move you to think bigger about yourself and your business
• Support your business growth
• Help you develop new ideas and expound on old ideas
• Cheer on your success
• Give you a swift kick in the pants when you need it
• Honestly and objectively give you feedback on what is important to you

Can you imagine being where you are today without the help of the many mentors that have guided you? Can you imagine reaching the success that you desire without having a mentor now? Think about where you want to take your business. If your goals seem unrealistic, talk to someone who has already accomplished what you desire. See if that person can be your mentor.

There is not a single successful person who reached the top of her game without some guidance. Life just doesn’t work that way, no matter what the endeavor. First time moms seek the advice of experienced moms who have raised productive children. Great athletes mimic the habits and thought patterns of those who preceded them.
Personal experience is not always the best teacher. If you know someone who has paved a successful path, wouldn’t you like to avoid the unnecessary pains and struggles they experienced? Of course you would! Why not ask that person to be your guide?

Successful people owe much of their success to the many individuals who have supported, coached and mentored them along the way.  About a year after I started my company, I began coaching with one of the “heavy hitters” in the Virtual Assistant industry.   We worked together ON my business for a year and a half, and accomplished some truly amazing milestones.

Working with a good mentor will help you to grow and thrive because you will have a safe place to bounce around ideas, brainstorm, share your trials, get solid business advice and be cheered on by someone who REALLY understands your business.

As an industry we seem to resist investing in ourselves and in our businesses. That is truly unfortunate, because we each have the potential to create the EXACT success we want, earn WHATEVER dollar amount we want and work with ONLY the ideal clients of our choosing. Try not to sell yourself short, give your business the attention and resources (yes, that means money!) they need to grow and thrive. Your growth and potential is limited only by your imagination. What is noticed over and over again with highly successful entrepreneurs, is that they invest regularly in themselves and their businesses.  No one has what it takes to build a successful business all on their own.

So I encourage you, to reach out and find a mentor or a group that will support you in growing your business. Join a group coaching program or mentorship group. Connect with other local Virtual Assistants on a regular basis to share ideas, resources and support one another. Get involved in online networking groups (like our community on LinkedIn) that have strong leadership and a diverse membership base. You will be amazed at how much more fun your business becomes, how much more you accomplish and how your business grows by leaps and bounds.

We have had mentors all of our lives. Now, is one of the MOST important times to have someone guide and encourage you on your journey of being an entrepreneur.  Find a good mentor and benefit your business and your life!

©  2009 Executive Assistant to Virtual Assistant! All rights reserved.

Just because you are a solo service professional, doesn’t mean you have to work alone in your business. I have found that a direct link between the success of my business and the high-level of support I’ve built around me to help me to stay motivated, focused and accountable.

Today on “The Virtual Wire” I’m talking about the importance of building a community of supporters around you, the benefits you’ll enjoy and how to actually create a supportive community of your own.

Enjoy!

http://www.thevirtualwire.com/2009/05/whos-in-your-community.html

Most of us started our Virtual Assistant businesses, in part, because we wanted to be our own boss.  Call the shots.  Take control of our career.

In theory, starting your own business does automatically make you your own boss.  But in reality, many new (and even not so new) VAs struggle with embracing the mindset of a business owner.

It’s understandable.  Many of us don’t have a background in entrepreneurship.  We’ve been programmed by our corporate jobs to think that we are “just” the Assistant.  Someone else dictates what type of work we do.  Someone else decides how much money our time, energy and talents are worth.

Not so in the world of Virtual Assistance!  By making the decision to start your business, you have taken the first step towards breaking out of your employee persona and embracing the mindset of a successful CEO.  But, that is just the FIRST step.  It’s going to take you some time to really understand what this means for you.

So, as you move forward in your business and are confronted with different situations, be aware that your brain will automatically think like an employee.  But you now have to re-train it to think like a business owner.  Here are a few examples of how this will work:

Situation/Question: How do I get prospective clients to hire me?
Employee Mindset: There is so much competition out there. Will I ever get noticed among all the VAs? Plus, the economy is bad. Who would hire me? Maybe I don’t have enough experience to be credible to prospective clients.
CEO Mindset: I am a talented support professional with an extensive background and solid expertise that will make a different in my client’s lives.  I am looking to partner with like-minded professionals in a long term collaborate relationship.  All I need to do is to focus on my ideal client, put myself in front of them and offer my solutions to their problems.

Situation/Question: You have a good conversation with a prospective client, but they feel your fees are a bit out of their budget and ask for a discount.
Employee Mindset: Maybe I should lower my rates? I wonder what other VAs rates are. I should adjust to the rates that my clients expect.   Maybe I should offer a discount?
CEO Mindset: I’ve gone through the process of determining what my fees need to be to support my business and my life style.  I am running this company for me, not for the whims of my clients, so I’m going to tell this client, “My fees are reflective of my skill set and abilities.  They aren’t for everyone. “

Situation/Question: You find a training program that will teach you a skill set you desperately need to learn (i.e. how to use virtual technology, marketing strategies for Virtual Assistants, etc.) but feel you can’t afford it.
Employee Mindset: I need to save my money instead of spending it. I can read books and teach myself whatever I need to know. It may take more time, but that is ok.
CEO Mindset: If I want my clients to invest in my services I MUST be willing to invest in myself.  A smart investment in necessary training will likely help me to make more money because I’ll be able to charge more for my services or work more efficiently with my clients.  I will make sure that my fee structure includes allocated funds for regular educational opportunities.

Do you see the difference between the Employee Mindset and the CEO Mindset?   A Virtual Assistant with a CEO mindset is going to run her business like a corporation.  She is going to make smart financial decisions, invest regularly in her business and confidently market to her ideal clients because she is the expert solution to their problems.

Embracing this mindset is a process, and may take some time.  The important thing is to recognize that you MUST shift how you think about your work, your value and your business.  True Virtual Assistants are highly trained professionals that offer tremendous value to the marketplace, not unlike CPAs, Lawyers and Doctors.   Be really proud of that!

Understand that if you are an experienced Administrative Professional and have specific solutions to offer your clients to help them save time, make more mo.ney or just make their lives easier, that is a HIGHLY valuable service.  And you should charge what that service is worth.

Finally, don’t view your business as a hobby.  To be a successful Virtual Assistant you must invest time, energy and financial resources into your business.  You need to plan ahead for your growth.  You must learn to think like a CEO!

Your Action Plan For This Week:

1. Take a few moments to think about the current state of your business and be honest with yourself about how your “Employee” mindset is affecting you.  Write down the situations that come to mind and then write down how a CEO would handle those situations.  Keep this sheet handy and review it often.
2. Outline all of the standards of how you run your business, including your fees, hours of operation, ideal client profile, etc.  Everything that represents your “perfect” business.  This will give you a solid measuring line on which to base your decisions going forward.  If you are faced with a situation that doesn’t respect these standards, then you’ll be in a better position to make  a “CEO” decision about how to handle it.
3. Connect with other Virtual Assistants in the EA ~> VA community either at the LinkedIn Group or here on the blog.  Share your challenges and ask for support.  There is NOTHING you are going through as a VA that hasn’t happened to one of your colleagues, so tap into the community for guidance and ongoing support!

I received this email this morning and wanted to share it as it may provide some exposure for your business.

NOTE: Please do not contact me about this directly as I am merely passing this information along.

Summary: Women Starting a New Business

Name: Lahle Wolfe

Category: Business & Finance

Email: guide.womeninbusiness@about.com

Title: Columnist for About.com

Media Outlet: About.com Women in Business

Specific Geographic Region: N

Region: Global

Deadline: 06:05pm PACIFIC - 15 May

Query: I am looking for three women who are interested in starting, or just now
starting their own businesses (in business less than 6 months). Strong
preference for women who have not owned their own businesses before.
Each month, I will feature an article discussing your challenges,
progress, and successes and solicit readers for strategies and encouraging
ideas. Think along the lines of “Reality Women in Business.” only nice.
The goal is to help encourage other women to start their own businesses –
not to shame someone for trying. About.com’s WIB main readership is
comprised of United States business women, but I will consider any woman
entrepreneur with an interesting personal or business story anywhere in the
world. MUST be willing to let me follow your business and share your
story for up to one year on a monthly basis. No compensation is
offered. No adult-industry, illegal, or gimmicky businesses will be
featured. YOU MUST HAVE A WEBSITE LAUNCHED BEFORE YOUR STORY CAN BE FEATURED. Due to a high volume of mail received, please be patient for a reply - but I will respond to all reasonable inquiries.

“The art of positive choices helps you to create the life you want. Positive choices help you to discover what truly makes you happy and realign your priorities. Life is a series of additions and subtractions. You control the calculator.”

~ Gail McMeekin