Virtual Assistant business – Page 2 – Virtual Assistant Success Strategies

Wil Hart on February 15, 2013

Read Your Way To Success

Think for a few minutes about the last book that you have read. How long has it been since you started or completed a book? Reading deeply and widely can help you tremendously in your Virtual Assistance business. Let’s take a look at several of the benefits that you can gain from picking up a book (or iPad or Nook or Kindle 😉

Reduce stress – By cracking open a book you allow yourself to disengage from what is going on in your life at that very moment. Of course this depends on your choice of reading material. Put this to the proof. If you need to relax, choose a reading topic that will take you to a place of serenity.

Increase vocabulary – Keep a pen and paper close by when you delve into your next book. You are likely to pick up a few new words of which definition you do not know. Avoid “thinking” that you know the meaning of a word. If you cannot readily define a word while at the same time provide a few synonyms and antonyms, then you do not have a good grasp and the word in this case is new.

Improve thinking ability – As a Virtual Assistant, you will face many business challenges. Reading widely and deeply can assist you with decision-making. You will begin to notice patterns in your business behavior that you may need to adjust, discard or adopt.

Broaden specialized knowledge – Would you like to improve your marketing skills? Maybe you need to develop some technical abilities. Choose any field of knowledge. If you choose to do so, through reading and application, you can become an expert on the topic.

Enhance writing skills – Good writers are good readers. If you have a blog or even desire to write a book some day, reading widely will build within you a wealth of knowledge on writing style, story-telling and content delivery.

Truly, the rewards that result from reading are endless. How many of the benefits listed above have you received from reading widely and deeply? Take note of other advantages that you have gained. Focus on how reading can help you establish and accomplish goals. It can empower you to overcome the most difficult mental blocks. When you open your mind through reading the experiences and ingenuity of other people, enriching your life and business is a guarantee.

Wil Hart on February 1, 2013

You Can Make Finding Clients Easy

Do you have enough clients? There are several ways for you to fill your business with ideal clients. However, if you do not have enough clients as you read this article, you haven’t found or implemented the steps to have a full practice.

One way that you can showcase your expertise to an audience who is waiting to hand you their credit cards is to follow the practical advice found here. So, keep reading if you want more clients to pay you to be their Virtual Assistant. Are you with me so far? Good!

Have you ever shot fish in a barrel? Not likely. But, that expression is a good way to look at finding clients. Do you want prospecting to be easier? Would you like for people who know you to be able to easily refer you business? Of course you do! Therefore, I won’t ask you any more silly questions because I know that you want to add more ideal clients to your business. Here is how you do it.

The demography of the clients you want in your business is crucial. Why? Demographics allow you to find oodles of ideal prospects in one place. It is similar to having a school of your favorite fish in a barrel. This is very simple. But, you must decide what group of people you want to serve. If you were to write out the demographics of the clients that you want to work with, what would that look like? The following questions will help you to figure this out.

Demographics:

What industry does your favorite clients work in?
Which professionals need your services? (i.e. interior designers, real estate agents, professional organizers etc.)
Where can you find these professionals in large groups?

When you decide to focus on serving a specific group of people in a specific industry, your clients win, you win, every one WINS! Why is this true? Think about this for a moment. If you identify yourself as one who specializes in solving specific problems for a specific group of people, your target market will stand up and say, “This is the Virtual Assistant that I need to help me grow my business!”

You should have clear-cut goals when it comes to marketing your business. One of those goals is to speak directly to the pain that your prospective clients are facing while demonstrating how to alleviate them of that pain. If you work with IT professionals and help them to manage their calendar, accounting and contacts, wouldn’t you want to find that specific group in droves? Of course!

It is imperative that you choose a target market so that you can locate many prospective clients at one time and show up as The Solution that they have been searching for. Marketing is simply a matter if putting your services in plain view of people who are already looking for you. I know you need more clients. Make the task of finding new clients easier on yourself by choosing a target market so that you can find ideal prospects en masse!

Wil Hart on January 16, 2013

The VA Success Cafe: Episode 9

You can only do so much marketing by speaking to prospective clients face to face. The marketing materials that you use however, can speak for you and your Virtual Assistance business 24 hours a day. It is imperative that your marketing message, both spoken and written be clearly understood by those who hear or see it. If you have a website, business cards, flyers or any other marketing collateral, what should be included in your message? Find out by clicking the play button on this audio.

Wil Hart on January 7, 2013

3 Reasons To Ask Yourself “Why?”

Let’s be honest! If you look back at the previous 12 months of your life, do you find things that are noteworthy or humdrum?

Noteworthy – (adjective) Significant or unusual.

Examples of things that are noteworthy:

Accomplishing meaningful goals.
Building or repairing important relationships.
Breaking through a paralyzing limiting belief.

Humdrum – (adjective) Lacking excitement or variety; dull; monotonous.

Examples of things that are humdrum:

Allowing hours, days and months to pass you by without making quality contributions to your life or that of others.
Embracing a life that is stuck in a rut.
Empowering others to dictate how your life will turn out.

Do you recall the day when you planted the idea in your mind to start your own Virtual Assistance business? Has that seed sprouted and begun to flourish? Did the idea motivate you to take some action in order to create a vision for yourself, set some goals and act on those goals?

If your seed of a thought has not yet sprouted, I can tell you exactly the reason it lays dormant in your mind. Your ‘WHY’ is not BIG enough! I cannot stress the importance of having a tremendous motivating factor. I know the feeling of setting a goal and shortly forgetting about it because it wasn’t strong enough to move me to action. Have you ever felt that way?

Here are 3 reasons you need to have a compelling ‘WHY’ in order to become a successful Virtual Assistant. This will force that implanted mental seed to germinate. Knowing your BIG WHY will do the following:

Force you to be relentless. Have you ever been in a financial bind? It is amazing the resources that become available to you when you need money fast. (Just to be clear, I do imply legal resources.) During that time, when your mortgage is due, you won’t stop searching until you have a solution to the problem. The same is true when you are seeking to build your own business. You will find the resources and the mentors who can help you to be successful in business. You will not allow anything to stop you from doing so.
Compel you to complete projects. A successful business is the result of completing a series of projects. When you have a vision of the type of business that you want to create, you will then need to map out the action steps that will enable you to accomplish your goals. Completing those action steps fulfills your goals.
Empower you to create a life-enhancing business. We all have to work in order to provide for our families. If that isn’t a BIG WHY for showing up at a place of employment (that you may detest), I don’t know what is. I have spent the majority of my career as an employee. If you were to ask me why I worked for the companies that I’ve worked for, I would’ve stated, “I have to eat and pay bills!” That was my BIG WHY. If you’d like to know why I am now self-employed, send me an email and I will gladly share with you my new BIG WHY.

If you look back at 2012, do you find that experienced a year that was noteworthy or humdrum? If you were aiming for noteworthy and accomplished it, then CONGRATS! If you have just realizes you were living a humdrum year and want to make a change, I invite you to start where you stand and strive for something more. If you are now an employed administrative professional, think of ways that you can make your 2013 year-end review remarkable! Make a list of trainings that you can take. Look for daily tasks that you can complete quicker so as to improve your productivity.

If you are already working full-time as a Virtual Assistant, focus on how you can make 2013 a noteworthy year. Define what success means for you. It may be enrolling a certain number of clients or earning a specific income. Whatever the case, clarify your vision for success so that you can invest outstanding contributions to the fulfillment of your goals. Start taking the appropriate action today. Would you like a copy of the formula that I use to help me stay focused on my vision and take the right action to completing my vision? Email me (Wil@EAtoVA.com)!

Wil Hart on

3 Reasons To Ask Yourself “Why?”

Let’s be honest! If you look back at the previous 12 months of your life, do you find things that are noteworthy or humdrum?

Noteworthy – (adjective) Significant or unusual.

Examples of things that are noteworthy:

Accomplishing meaningful goals.
Building or repairing important relationships.
Breaking through a paralyzing limiting belief.

Humdrum – (adjective) Lacking excitement or variety; dull; monotonous.

Examples of things that are humdrum:

Allowing hours, days and months to pass you by without making quality contributions to your life or that of others.
Embracing a life that is stuck in a rut.
Empowering others to dictate how your life will turn out.

Force you to be relentless. Have you ever been in a financial bind? It is amazing the resources that become available to you when you need money fast. (Just to be clear, I do imply legal resources.) During that time, when your mortgage is due, you won’t stop searching until you have a solution to the problem. The same is true when you are seeking to build your own business. You will find the resources and the mentors who can help you to be successful in business. You will not allow anything to stop you from doing so.
Compel you to complete projects. A successful business is the result of completing a series of projects. When you have a vision of the type of business that you want to create, you will then need to map out the action steps that will enable you to accomplish your goals. Completing those action steps fulfills your goals.
Empower you to create a life-enhancing business. We all have to work in order to provide for our families. If that isn’t a BIG WHY for showing up at a place of employment (that you may detest), I don’t know what is. I have spent the majority of my career as an employee. If you were to ask me why I worked for the companies that I’ve worked for, I would’ve stated, “I have to eat and pay bills!” That was my BIG WHY. If you’d like to know why I am now self-employed, send me an email and I will gladly share with you my new BIG WHY.

Wil Hart on

3 Reasons To Ask Yourself “Why?”

Let’s be honest! If you look back at the previous 12 months of your life, do you find things that are noteworthy or humdrum?

Noteworthy – (adjective) Significant or unusual.

Examples of things that are noteworthy:

Accomplishing meaningful goals.
Building or repairing important relationships.
Breaking through a paralyzing limiting belief.

Humdrum – (adjective) Lacking excitement or variety; dull; monotonous.

Examples of things that are humdrum:

Allowing hours, days and months to pass you by without making quality contributions to your life or that of others.
Embracing a life that is stuck in a rut.
Empowering others to dictate how your life will turn out.

Force you to be relentless. Have you ever been in a financial bind? It is amazing the resources that become available to you when you need money fast. (Just to be clear, I do imply legal resources.) During that time, when your mortgage is due, you won’t stop searching until you have a solution to the problem. The same is true when you are seeking to build your own business. You will find the resources and the mentors who can help you to be successful in business. You will not allow anything to stop you from doing so.
Compel you to complete projects. A successful business is the result of completing a series of projects. When you have a vision of the type of business that you want to create, you will then need to map out the action steps that will enable you to accomplish your goals. Completing those action steps fulfills your goals.
Empower you to create a life-enhancing business. We all have to work in order to provide for our families. If that isn’t a BIG WHY for showing up at a place of employment (that you may detest), I don’t know what is. I have spent the majority of my career as an employee. If you were to ask me why I worked for the companies that I’ve worked for, I would’ve stated, “I have to eat and pay bills!” That was my BIG WHY. If you’d like to know why I am now self-employed, send me an email and I will gladly share with you my new BIG WHY.

Wil Hart on December 19, 2012

The VA Success Cafe: Episode 7

Standing apart from your competition can be accomplished in a few simple ways. After all, marketing is merely presenting your solutions to people who are already looking for them. In this audio, we discuss a few ways to make sure that your Virtual Assistance business can stick firmly in the minds of people that you meet. A few tweaks to your business card and website can do the trick. You also want to clearly articulate who you are and what you do. You have to listen up to see how to can improve your “scent-hound” skills.

Wil Hart on December 5, 2012

The VA Success Cafe: Episode 5

The easiest way to attract new prospects to your business is to focus on a target market. What is a target market? Why is it very important to choose just one? How will doing this make your life easier and getting new business more fun? Find the answers in this audio.

Wil Hart on November 28, 2012

The VA Success Cafe: Episode 4

Your Virtual Assistance business can be compared to building of a house. That is why your business foundation needs to be solid and sturdy. In this audio, you will learn about a few holes that may be in your foundation and how to fix those holes. Let me know if you have any questions and post them below.

Wil Hart on September 10, 2012

3 Surefire Ways To Get Your Clients To Pay On Time!

Protecting your business interests is a must. Always remember that you are not running a not-for-profit organization. That means getting paid late by your clients is a “No, no”! How can you avoid payment problems with your clients? Look at the three tips listed below.

1. Sign A Contract

A contract is an agreement that safeguards you and your clients. This is the first line of defense to protect yourself from client who may be trying to avoid paying you. Your terms as a service provider must be made clear in writing. Clients should know exactly what services they are paying for and how much they will owe you. Additionally, your contract should include when payment is due and what constitutes a late payment. Likely, you have heard the term, “the pen is mightier than the sword”. When you have terms and agreements in writing, life if much easier than fighting to get someone to pay you for services that you have already rendered.

2. Get 100% Pay Up Front

When you work with a new client, do not feel bad about receiving your fee in full before you start to work on his project. When payment is made up front, there will be no money matters to squabble about during the working relationship. In fact, you as a service provider will be able to work with a clear mind and laser focus because you now have to deliver on the promise that you have been paid for. Your work is positively affected when you do not have to worry about when or if your client is going to pay on time.

3. Monthly Retainer

A great way to manage your cash flow is to work with clients on a retainer basis. For instance, you may have a 3-month retainer as your policy. That means, when your prospective clients agree to work with you, they know that they are locked in for a minimum of three months. When the agreement is signed, you both understand that the relationship is established for three months. This will surely minimize late payments, especially if you get paid before you start working. How would your cash flow change if you have three to five 3-month retainer clients?

As a Virtual Assistant, you are providing valuable services to your clients. It is part of your duty to ensure that your clients pay you on time so as not to disrupt the working relationship that you have created. Implement these three business-building habits into your practice and notice the dramatic improvement in your income and client relationships.

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