VIRTUAL ASSISTANT TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Setting up a virtual assistant business is relatively easy, but it's important to have a complete plan of action set out in advance.  I'm a firm believer that the initial planning phase of a business is crucial to its success.  This ensures that you don't leave any vital steps unaddressed and also prevents any unexpected surprises down the road.  Therefore, I recommend first writing a complete business plan for your business. This plan doesn’t need to be anything technical, just how you plan to operate your business including advertising methods, pricing, business hours, equipment and supplies needed, etc.

The next step is to select the appropriate name.  Take your time here as you want your business name to be an asset by appealing to your potential clients.  Your name needs to clearly express what services you provide and not limit you if you choose to expand your business into other areas.  Decide on a name that people would want to call if they have virtual assisting needs.

To operate a business you are required by law to have the appropriate licenses.  This is your permit to do business locally. It's a simple procedure that doesn't require a considerable amount of time.  Contact your city and county officials under occupational licenses for complete details or go online.  Most VAs start out initially as a sole proprietorship and then might change later.

Now it's time to set up your bookkeeping. I find that the most important ingredient to keeping good books is keeping it simple.  If it's easy to do, and doesn't require a lot of effort, I tend it do it more regularly.  You will want to keep track of all your income and expenses.  Save all receipts and pay all your expenses out of your business checking account.  A software program such as Quickbooks is ideal for our type of business.  Not only does it allow you to keep accurate records, but it also enables you to track exactly where the most money is coming from.  This enables you to target your marketing efforts more in that area.

Now you must decide how much to charge.  Don't undercharge your services.  Many make this mistake. They feel if they price their services substantially below everyone else, they'll get more business.  That's true--you might get more business, but you'll also be working outrageous hours and not making the kind of income you should.  The average prices being charge today are between $35.00 and $100.00, depending on the specialty.  I personally recommend starting no lower than $35.00/hr.

Now you need to get those clients. The key to successful marketing is to tell clients what benefits they will receive by answering their main question, "What's in it for me?"  Keep in mind, you're not selling your services, you're selling the benefits of your services.  What can you offer them that would make their business run more successfully?  An example of this would be accurate dependable service done on an “as needed” basis.  

It is also important to have an impressive marketing piece. Your brochures, letterhead, flyers, business cards, etc., should look sensational.  Think back on what has caught your eye in the past. Now design your material with that in mind. The most important requirement is that it must be professional and convey that you are more than someone typing documents. Businesses want to deal with other professionals. They don't want to risk their work, and possibly their clients, on someone who is not.  Let them know this is exactly what they will receive when they seek your services.  Places such as Vistaprints offer affordable printing.

Once established, word of mouth is your best advertisement.  When people get professional, accurate, and friendly service they tell others.  If you offer such exceptional service, you can be assured that you will need to advertise only at the onset to get your business started.  From then on, your repeat clients, and referrals from them, will keep your business thriving.

Recognition is also a key to success, whether it's through the press releases, articles, message boards, newspapers, chats, your website, radio or TV, when clients see your business repeatedly, they become familiar with your company and when the need arises, they will call you.  Therefore consider where you can advertise that can keep your name out there. 

Now that you’ve got the clients, you need to keep them.  The best way to do this is to always provide them with more than they ask for.  Go the extra mile on all assignments.  Let them know that you value their business and are eager to help them succeed. 

And finally, enjoy your business.  Many start their own business to spend more time with their family.  It’s the perfect way to stay at home and still make an excellent income.  Firmly set your hours and learn to say no.  Remember it’s your business and often your dream come true.  By learning your limitations, you can keep it a wonderful experience that both you and your family will enjoy.

Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA, available at Amazon and other leading bookstores. She specializes in publicity and book marketing and is president of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com/.  Articles are free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.

Virtual Assistant Do’s and Don’ts to Be Successful

Virtual Assistants (VAs) are highly skilled professionals who provide administrative support and specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs, executives, and others who have more work to do than time to do it.  Examples of services a VA can do include publicity and marketing, web design and maintenance, word processing, meeting and event planning, desktop publishing, article and press release submissions, internet research, bookkeeping, business start-up consultations and so much more.  This can be the perfect work-at-home opportunity for many with good computer and Internet skills.

Following are several Do’s and Dont’s to keep in mind for starting and operating your Virtual Assisting business.

DO -- Decide on a targeted market and initially focus your marketing efforts in that area.   By developing a “niche” in your field, your reputation spreads quickly and soon you become a recognized expert.  Several specialties include:  publicity, medical, legal or business transcription, resume consulting, transaction coordination -- real estate industry, working with authors, academic typing, internet research, etc.

DO -- Be creative about where you can find business.  The Internet offers a large variety of potential for clients just waiting for you to contact them. Actively network and don’t limit your marketing to simply sending out one press release or posting on a board or two. You want to find where there might be a need and go fill it.  Always present a professional image and network. Become the expert that everyone looks to when they need information on your niche. 

 DO – Offer exceptional services.  Word of mouth can be one of the most effective ways to secure new clients as well as keeping those clients for years to come.  Always go above and beyond and let those clients know they were right in entrusting you with their business.

 DO -- Write a complete business plan and marketing plan.  Too many leave out this vital step and waste valuable time unorganized and without a clear-cut goal and direction for their business. When starting a business you will have tons of ideas floating around.  You need to materialize all these and put them into a workable plan of action.

 DO -- Develop a website that looks sensational! Your website is often the first connection a potential client has with your services.  It must immediately let them know that they are dealing with a professional.  Your site must then have the POWER to draw them to you and contact you.  Let them see that you value quality by the look and feel of it. Additional tips include letting them know what services you offer and why you are qualified to offer those services by mentioning your experience and education.  Be sure to include points on why you stand out among the rest and are the BEST!  For example, if you have been featured in articles, radio shows, etc., have add that to the press page.  Stand out and those clients will look to you first.  

 DO -- Learn everything you can about starting a business.  Knowledge is power and the more you know, the greater your chances for success.  Look to online services and message boards and chats to talk with other Virtual Assistants operating a business. Remember these are often run by pros who have been in business for years and are willing to share their experience. 

 DO -- Join associations that are targeted for our Industry.  By connecting with these associations and being active, you learn from them what works and what doesn’t and you are able to post your questions to associate members via list serves often getting answers to your questions within minutes.

 DO -- Read, read, read.  By frequently continuing to increase your skills and your knowledge of your profession, the end result is a more confident satisfied you.  Every tip you get from a book can be a new tool in your business.  I recommend highlighting areas from several books and adding them to your library.  Keep in mind that you might not use that idea today, but it might apply to specialties you might add down the road. 

 DO – Enjoy.   There’s no greater feeling than landing that first client or finishing your first big project.  Plus, wait until you get the opportunity to tell someone you own and operate your own virtual assisting business. It sure beats I’m a secretary at ....  Plus, when you enjoy your business it shows. Your clients will sense your positive attitude and want to be a part of your team.   

 DON'T -- Underprice your services. The average virtual assistant today makes somewhere between $35 to  $100+ an hour, depending on their skills, services offered, location, and years of experience. Don’t make the mistake of assuming if you charge the lowest prices, you’ll get the most work.  You won’t.  Instead, you’ll end up working outrageous hours for peanuts!  Clients will pay more for professional services.  When a potential client discovers you’re charging a lower rate than standard, they often feel they will receive a quality of services that is also lower. 

 DON'T -- Overextend yourself.   One of the common mistakes many virtual assistants make is to accept too much work and then not be able to accurately complete it.  Learn to say no or have a back-up helper who can assist you with any overflow work.  Remember one of the most important ingredients for success is keeping your clients satisfied.  If you overextend yourself and make a lot of errors, it will jeopardize your business.

 DON'T  -- Get discouraged.  It takes time to get a business going.  Plan ahead and have money saved in reserve.  Don’t buy items until you have found the best possible price and there is an absolute need.  This advance planning takes the pressure off of having to make money NOW.  If things are slow and the phone just isn’t ringing ... MAKE IT RING!! There’s plenty of work out there, you just need to aggressively pursue it.

 Finally, the most important ingredient for success is your belief in yourself.  If you believe that with your skills and experience, you can own your own business, then there’s nothing stopping you.  DREAMS DO COME TRUE. SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN. 

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Diana Ennen, Author, Virtual Assistant: The Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA, & Words From Home /  http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com,   diana@virtualwordpublishing.com.   Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains.  Stop by our site for a free booklet on obtaining clients.

Virtual Assistants Globally Taking Clients To New Frontiers - The International Connection

You would have to live under a rock to not hear about the latest craze that is spanning the globe - Virtual Assistants.  With the economic outlook diminishing, and more and more companies working with fewer employees, businesses are flocking to find the right virtual assistant for their team.  The need is simple:  Someone that can do the work virtually, professionally, and with the upmost of confidentiality.  Fortunately, Virtual Assistants meet all those needs and more.

Virtual Assistants, like their clientele, are highly skilled professionals working as independent contractors from their home offices. Virtual Assistants use leading edge technology to communicate work assignments via the Internet, e-mail or disk transfer. Traditional methods such as regular mail and overnight shipping are also used. While most Virtual Assistants will never meet their clients, it is not unusual to find a VA providing pickup and delivery service in their local area. Many have found success in a combination of the two, local and virtual clients. And what is even more impressive, is that most Virtual Assistants now realize the amazing power of the Internet and their client base spans globally.

The ultimate goal of Virtual Assistants is to partner with their clients. By partnering the VA learns all they can about their clients’ business to become a trusted and valued member of the team—an extension of their organization. At the same time, the VA only charges for time on tasks so it ultimately saves the client in overhead expenses while affording them the necessary time to take care of more business.

A perfect example of a Client/VA partnership is the sole proprietor; let’s say a consultant, who charges $300 an hour for his consulting services. The consultant is spending time each week  preparing presentations and teleseminars, rummaging through paperwork, marketing his business, keeping up with the social networks, generating mailings and sorting through the tons of email he gets on a weekly basis. Since the consultant is doing this work himself he is paying $300 an hour for these services when, in reality, it would benefit him to partner with a VA at a rate of $40 to $95/hr (depending on specialty)  and save tons of money a year. Plus, he could be generating more revenue because he would have more time available for doing what he does best—consulting. See how it works? As evidenced in this example, clients can’t afford NOT to have a virtual assistant on their team.

In addition to the financial rewards for the client, the following list reinforces other areas clients benefit when working with a virtual assistant.

Personalized attention – The virtual assistant works one-on-one with clients and often knows their clients’ business better than they do. That personalized attention allows clients to keep things under control and more organized and often relieves the pressure of having to do it all and remember it all.  How great would it feel to just say to your VA, please handle this for me and know that it was done.

Exceptional service – Virtual Assistants are a proud bunch and take great pride in the Virtual Assistant Industry.  One of the ways that VAs protect the integrity of this Industry, is to always offer exceptional services.  Virtual Assistants  want their clients to tell others about them and how having a VA on their team is one of the best business investments they have ever made. Therefore, most Virtual Assistants go above and beyond what is expected of them to make sure the work is done accurately, professionally, and successfully.

Experience in the latest technology – A virtual assistant knows that there’s always an easier and better way to do things and are constantly looking for those ways.  Most continue to update their skills and network extensively with others to learn the latest and greatest tools out there.

A colleague to brainstorm ideas with  - Have you ever had this great idea, but just couldn’t bring it to fruition because you couldn’t get it all together?  Not anymore.  Virtual Assistants are there to brainstorm and work with you to help you bring those visions to reality.

No benefits/no equipment/no office space  - That’s a given.  It’s obvious that clients won’t be paying for their Virtual Assistants’ office space or equipment.  But in today’s economy, think how truly important that is.  By not having to pay for someone’s electric and office use, that saves money.  Money clients can spend in growing their businesses. 

Specific knowledge of your niche – This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits that a virtual assistant can offer - specific knowledge of a clients’ particular niche.  Virtual Assistants specialize in different areas, fine tuning their skills always striving to be the best in that niche.  Therefore, when you partner with a virtual assistant that specializes in the area of your business, you have someone who knows the lingo and knows the ins and outs and what works and what doesn’t.  It’s a win/win for all.

What types of services can a virtual assistant perform?  Sit back and be amazed.  Virtual Assistants can assist with tasks as simple as transcribing every day correspondence to as detailed as implementing an entire marketing campaign.  Virtual assistant services include the following:  publicity and marketing, article and press release writing and distribution, social networking updates, legal, medical and general transcription, bookkeeping, web design, administrative tasks, and so much more.   

As Virtual Assistants become as commonplace in the workforce as the computer in everyone’s office is now, there’s never been a better time to analyze what your business needs are and how the right virtual assistant will meet those needs.  Stop by our site at Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com for complete information on what a virtual assistant is and how you can find that virtual assistant to add to your team. Today’s the day to start running your business better.  The start begins with one simple step – Hire a Virtual Assistant.

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Diana Ennen is the co-author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA with Kelly Poelker and Words From Home: Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business. She specializes in publicity and book marketing and is president of Virtual Word Publishing http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com. Email us at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com <mailto:diana@virtualwordpublishing.com> for a free business informational package. Articles are free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.

 Work at Home Parents Enjoy Many Benefits Including Being Able to Care for Sick Children

Margate, FL (May, 2008) Working parents everywhere are realizing the extra benefits of working from home including being there for their children when they are sick. In fact, Diana Ennen, president of Virtual Word Publishing was recently featured on CBS Channel 4 News in Miami, http://cbs4.com/video/?id=53473@wfor.dayport.com on a segment on working parents and handling sick children and states that one of the biggest advantages to being self employed is the ability to not send her kids to school sick. 

Ennen states, “I’ve walked to school and seen the agony on a parent’s face when they have had to drop their children off at school ill, just because they couldn’t take time off from work.  Not only is it sad for the parents, but also the other children in the classroom are now exposed to added germs as well. Changes need to be made.”

Apparently lawmakers think it’s a good idea too. Officials from 11 states are considering a bill that would make paid sick days a basic labor standard. Even Presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama were involved, coming out in support of mandatory paid sick days. Also Congress may vote on the Healthy Families Act, which would require businesses with fifteen or more employees to give workers at least seven paid sick days per year.

These are changes that all should support.  However, businesses don’t need legislation to make a change.  A simple change in company policy is all that is needed to protect the health and well being of their most valued assets, their employees and their families.  If companies allowed sick days for employees when they kids were sick, we would see a dramatic drop in diseases, and also employees would be more satisfied at work.

Some might also find it beneficial to do as Ennen did and consider working from home.  By staying at home, Ennen has been able to work while caring for three children including her 10- year-old daughter Amber.  “My hours are my own and the flexibility is just great,” said Ennen. Amber appreciates the added attention she gets and has told me that one of the greatest things about me working from home is that I’m there for her when she is sick. For her to realize that is very gratifying,” added Ennen.

 Ennen has been working from home since 1985 when she decided to quit her job and start her own business as a virtual assistant, writing  press releases, marketing authors and their books and offering virtual assistant and PR coaching.  Ennen has written several books about starting a virtual assistant business including Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA and The Corel Word Perfect, Virtual Assistant Solution Pack.

 To read more about Ennen or view the CBS video in more detail go to Ennen’s site at Virtual Word Publishing www.virtualwordpublishing.com

I’M PROUD TO SAY I’M A HOME-BASED VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

 Long, long ago VAs were faced with the dilemma of convincing their clients that they were professionals and could do the work at home just as well, OR BETTER, than what was being done at the office.  The illusion of a person sitting on a kitchen table with a word processor, soda can, papers spread across the table, had to be smashed.  That was then and this is now.

 Home-based businesses are now considered a norm and are highly respected as well.  We have achieved the recognition and respect among not only our peers, but the professional world that we have long deserved.  Technology, the internet, and a lot of hard work and proving our abilities has earned us the reputation that we have today.  The reputation of Professional Virtual Assistant.   A reputation that we can be proud of.  A reputation that we should continually work to achieve and improve upon.

 Our home-based offices are often like executive suites at the some of the best business offices in town.  We have the latest equipment and we keep it up and running in good working order because we don’t want downtime.  We stay connected to other VAs and associations so when new technology or new advancements become available, we are aware of them and can act accordingly.  We decorate it according to our likes and needs.  We value our clients and always want to go above and beyond what is required of us.  Therefore, when you come to our home-office you will feel not only the professionalism of a qualified VA, but the personal touch of someone who is there to help make your business succeed.   

We are proud, yes.  We are virtual assistants who know that we can make a difference.  We love what we do.  Now if you still wonder if someone from home can do your work, just ask us. We’ll gladly tell you how we can.  But don’t be surprised if we continue to tell you a lot more about not only that, but how we can do so much more for you and your business.

 Diana Ennen

http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com