Virtual assistants have to be proactive about finding and acquiring these ideal new clients. Thanks to the Internet, prospecting for clients has become easier in regards to your ability to reach more people in a shorter amount of time. But the basic business practices that apply in the brick and mortar world still apply.

There are three ways to grow you business, online or offline. And they are:   

A smart virtual assistant’s business should strive to run as smoothly as their local 5-start restaurant. At anytime you should be able to add a new client to your workload and not miss a beat in your productivity and service standards.

Creating and documenting your business procedures can be done quickly and easily if you take a few steps. And thanks to technology, we can create our systems plan in a variety of ways. Here are three steps to get you started:

1. Gather Your Information. This step is quite challenging for many because it means collecting all of the information you have previously stored in your brain (and all over your office) into one specific document. Your goal is to record your daily business routine to paper. Be sue that it includes all passwords, resources, the web addresses, phone numbers, contact information, etc.
2. Create a Video Record. In addition to recording your information on paper creating a video tutorial where you explain and describe exactly what you’re doing and why you are doing it. You can use Camtasia or its open source counterpart CamStudio to complete this step. The benefit of the video is that you’ll be able to share them with future contractors or employees.
3. Monitor Your Results. This step involves paying attention to your business. For example, let’s say when you began your virtual assistance business you were using Excel to keep track of your accounting. But now you have more clients and Excel is becoming cumbersome. So you decide to try a program like FreshBooks. So you’d take a moment to compare how much time you are saving (or losing) with your newly proposed accounting system. Once you’ve examined your experience you would update your systems document.

Business systems can be broken down into three words: Plan – Do – Review.

• Plan out how you want you business to run.
• Do what your systems plan outlines; don’t improvise or change anything until you get to the next step which is to Review.
• Review if the way that you’re working is the most effective way to get business done and if not, make adjustments as necessary. By repeating these steps you’re well on your way to a well-run business organization.

One big issue that comes up in our business is the one of how to get and stay profitable. Women, especially have issues with this idea of profitability. We tend to be hard workers with a passion for what we do and deliver an excellent product to our clients. However, we don’t always “own our value” in the marketplace. What does that mean? “Owning your value” in the marketplace means charging, receiving money, and asking for money.

Another is the fear of standing out. How many of us really feel comfortable standing up in front of people and saying, “You know what? I am awesome at what I do.” For many even the thought of saying those words might make you squirm. It could be because doing so triggers a lot of old baggage that we may have picked up as we were growing up about being modest and not acknowledging our accomplishments.

As with all fears (False Evidence Appearing Real), these limiting beliefs can be conquered by taking advantage of the many resources available. Some of these include:    

Whether you call them resolutions or goals, the point is the same — to clarify what you will accomplish in your business in specific, measurable terms. Perhaps you want to enroll more clients in your business, raise your rates or expand your team. Whatever the end result is that you want to achieve, you need to set a specific goal and then break that goal down into action steps that will bring the desired results to life.

Smart Virtual Assistants set S.M.A.R.T. goals, which means their goals are:

Taking time to establish the groundwork will give you a strong foundation, which will help your business stand out. Not only will a new client continue to use your VA services, they will refer others to you as well. The following tips will help you to develop a strong relationship with your clients right from day one:

• Put everything in writing. It’s important to have a written contract. That way you both are in agreement about the details of the partnership. Be sure to provide your client with a copy of your policies and procedures, detailing how you operate your business. This should include your hours of operation, fee structure, billing schedule and termination policy.
• You’ll want to summarize the items you and your new client have discussed and include this summary along with the contract you send the client to sign. This will let your new client know that you have a good understanding of what the expectations are including deadlines and any special or specific tasks the project involves. It will help things to run smoothly from the beginning and avoid problems down the road.
• Once the client has decided to work with you, forward them your contract documents as soon as possible. Include in these documents a client profile intake sheet so you can gather important details about your client’s business. Having this information at your fingertips will allow you to serve your clients better and more efficiently. Do not start working on any projects until you have a signed agreement and payment in hand. Doing so will show your new client that you really value his or her business and are ready to start working.
• From the very beginning, it’s important to establish good communication with your clients. Tell them up front what your communication plan is. Be clear about your accessibility, how often the two of you will talk, your turnaround time for responding to emails and how each of you prefers to communicate. Strong communication is the backbone of any successful relationship, so you’ll want to be proactive about staying in regular communication with your clients. This also includes taking meticulous notes during your conversations with the client. Pay attention to what’s being said (and what’s not said) and ask the necessary questions to get clarification. You’ll want to have all of the necessary details in your notes so that you can refer to them once you start the requested task or project.
• Further to this, make sure you understand exactly when work is to be completed. One thing you ALWAYS want to do is to meet deadlines and avoid excuses. Although unexpected delays will come up, make it a good practice to meet all deadlines. Meeting deadlines and excellent client service is critical in building a good relationship with your new client. If you find yourself in a situation where you see that you aren’t going to meet a deadline, advise your client of this right away. Be honest about the situation and present solutions that will solve the problem. DON’T wait until the deadline has passed and then tell the client you weren’t able to complete the job. Being forthright about the matter will increase the trust and respect your client has for you.
• Give your clients more than they ask for by having a policy of under promising and over delivering. If they need something by a certain date and time always try to get the task completed before that time. If you can take some extra time to make certain a presentation is even better than they asked for or expected that’s even better. Do not over promise by setting unrealistic deadlines for yourself.
• Make it a point to back up your work on a consistent basis. Your clients are depending on you to protect their work so make certain that it is protected. Back up to an outside source (such as Mozy, Syncplicity or iBackup) as well as to an external hard drive in your office. In addition, have the habit of proofreading ALL of your work and then reproofing it by reading it at a later time to avoid mistakes. You want to deliver high quality services at all time.

Enrolling a new client into your practice is the beginning of an exciting adventure! By following the steps noted above, you’ll build a strong foundation for a long-term, successful and profitable relationship.

I think this is the case with most entrepreneurs. We are so great with coming up with ideas. We LOVE to start new projects. But we aren’t always great at finishing those projects or keeping our business affairs in order. That fact often leads to a whole host of challenges.

It can result in a lot of wasted time (which directly affects one’s income). It can also create a lack of clarity (which prevents focused, consistent action). It will almost ALWAYS lead to frustration (which affects one’s mood and is NOT client attractive).

The good news is that organizing your business and implementing systems is not nearly as difficult as one might think. Following are a few strategies I’ve learned (in JUST two sessions) from my friend and organizer extraordinaire, Joshua Zerkel:

But what is going to be so different about the new year? I can’t foretell the future and I don’t know what exciting changes and opportunities are in store for you. But what I can tell you is that the one thing you can control is…..

Your mindset!

Your mindset is simply the perspective from which you view the world. More specifically, in this case, the way you view your business. How are you feeling about your business these days? Are you struggling to fill your practice with clients? Wondering how you’re going to pay your bills? Overwhelmed by the time and energy it takes to run your business?

If so, you are not alone! Many in the industry are feeling the same way. BUT, there are many who are making progress, working with a practice full of clients and generating a consistent income. “What is different about these VAs”, you ask?

Their mindset!

So, let’s talk about how you can get on-board the VA” success train”. Here are the three keys to changing your mindset and achieving success in your business:

Gain Clarity

Feelings of overwhelm and frustration often stem from a lack of clarity. When you are clear and focused in your business, it’s easy to get off track and difficult to achieve your goals. So, one of the first things you need to do is to get clear on what it is you are trying to accomplish. Here are some questions to consider:

1. What am I really trying to accomplish in my business? (Be specific, i.e. the number of clients you want to work with, the amount of revenue you want to generate, etc.)
2. What are the results and benefits I provide to my target market? (Hint: I help ________________ do/eliminate/find_________________.)
3. Who is my ideal client? (Be VERY specific here – Make up a persona that needs and wants to buy your services from you.)
4. Where can I start connecting with groups of my ideal clients (Think trade associations, networking groups, chamber of commerce events, friends, family and past/present colleagues.)
5. What strategies can I use to connect with my client? (In person networking, online marketing, mailing a letter of introduction, etc.)

The goal here is to step back from what you’re currently doing in your business and get crystal clear on the results you want to create. Don’t worry about what hasn’t worked in the past. Embrace a positive, abundant attitude. Instead of saying “I can’t do that,” ask “How can I do that?” Shift the way you look at yourself and your business away from self-doubt, insecurity and procrastination to a mindset of confidence and tenacity.

Take Action

Now that you are clear on what you want to accomplish, it’s time to take action. If you want different results in your business, you’ve got to take action, starting NOW!

You aren’t going to overhaul your business overnight and you shouldn’t try. But what you SHOULD do is to break larger projects/tasks down into manageable pieces and schedule the time to make it happen. That’s right! Schedule it! Don’t leave it to chance.

Plan ahead now to:

1. Create your business and marketing plan for 2010 (Need help with this? Be on the look out for a special announcement next Tuesday!)
2. Research your target market and find out what their current needs and struggles are. (NOTE: People’s lives change everyday. You have to stay abreast of what problems your ideal clients are looking to solve.)
3. Research networking opportunities either live or online where you can start connecting with your ideal clients
   Practice talking about what you do so that it’s comfortable, authentic and attractive.

Embrace The Results

Now that you’ve gained clarity around what you want to accomplish, have started implementing and taking action, it’s time to enjoy the results! Start a journal where you keep track of the “wins” in your business (no matter how “small” they may seem”) and choose one person in your life to share them with.

Enjoy the process of upgrading your mindset. When you find a moment of overwhelm or discouragement coming up, open up your journal and review your progress and pat yourself on the back for what you HAVE done. Use this exercise to quiet the negative voices in your head that may be trying to hold you back.

Start stepping out of your comfort zone! It’s ok to take small steps, but you want to be progressive in your business. If an opportunity doesn’t work out as you planned or a particular networking event doesn’t offer any leads, don’t view the situation as a failure. Rather, look at what you can learn from it and how you can do better next time. That’s the beauty of being self-employed, you can make changes anytime you want to improve the quality of your business!

Here is the simple formula:

Gain Clarity + Take Action + Get Results = Entrepreneurial Success

Implementing these simple strategies will help you to overcome a limiting mindset and start attracting the business success you deserve!

Your Action Plan For This Week

1. Answer the questions listed above to get clear on your business goals
2. Map out your action plan and schedule time on your calendar to implement
3. Post your thoughts/feedback/comments below and let us know how you’re doing. We want to cheer you on!