With gas prices rising, many displaced from their jobs, and more and more businesses downsizing, comes the need for finding an alternative way to make a good income. Now more than ever, families are seeing the need for two incomes. One Industry that is increasing in popularly today, being rated one of the top 5 home-based businesses by Entrepreneur Magazine, is virtual assisting.
Becoming a VA allows you to work from anywhere in the world and requires little in the way of start-up costs or fees. The main requirement is the ability to type well and a good understanding of the Internet.
By definition, a Virtual Assistant or VA, is a highly skilled professional who provides administrative support and other specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs, authors, online businesses, executives, sales professionals and others who have more work to do than time to do it.
Many VA's also provide web design and maintenance, publicity and marketing, desktop publishing, word processing, and business start-up consultations. The services are endless depending upon the VA’s knowledge, skills and creativity.
Virtual assistants are instrumental in helping businesses with their marketing, capability to run their offices getting more work accomplished, and also they have a solid understanding of the latest tools to make a business succeed.
One example is blogging. We all know that it is essential for a business to have a blog today to succeed, yet many businesses don’t have the time to create and maintain a blog. A good virtual assistant will handle that for you and more.
What started out in the 80s as home-based word processors have grown into what we are seeing today. Plus more and more clients realize the need to outsource their work and let a professional virtual assistant do it, so they can focus on that they do best, running their business.
Virtual Assistants (or VAs) perform many tasks for their clients. They do everything from proofreading to helping their clients provide great customer service to website design and website maintenance to setting up teleclasses and sending out newsletters to many more.
Since virtual assistants perform all these tasks from their own offices, a virtual assistant business is a perfect business to promote online. I have taught online marketing to many virtual assistants, and here are top 5 tips I have for you, whether you are just starting a new virtual assistant practice or you are a seasoned VA:
Find A Target Market For Your Virtual Assistant Business. I have seen too many virtual assistants who are just starting their own businesses take on everyone as their target market. While it might be tempting to say that everyone is your target market, finding a smaller target market will help you create a better marketing message, get clients faster, and ultimately, succeed with your business.
Have A Professional Website. Since you are offering professional virtual assistance services, it is only fitting that your website has a professional image.
Make sure that your website has a professional look and feel and creates a good first impression for your potential customers.
— Explain What You Do. Not everyone is familiar with the term virtual assistant. Make sure that you explain what it is, and what services you provide. Telling your prospective clients about your services will make it easier for them to understand what you do.
Drive Traffic To Your Website Using Article Marketing. Article marketing is a great way to show your expertise and promote your virtual assistant business. When you publish articles, each one of your articles comes with a Resource Box. The Resource Box contains information about you and your business.
However, the most important thing that the Resource Box contains is a link back to your website. Web sites and blog owners who reprint your article include your Resource Box with a "live" link back to your website. Thus, your articles help you generate a unidirectional (one-way) links to your website. These unidirectional links are great for driving more traffic to your website.
Get a Blog and Start Blogging. A business blog is an excellent tool to toot your own horn, let the world know about your virtual assistance business, as well as your services, and tell your target customers why they should do business with you, rather than your competitor.
A business blog is also a great tool for attracting potential customers to your blog and your website.
Use these five tips to take your virtual assistance business to the next level. Internet is a great place to promote your business and find clients — make sure your use Internet marketing techniques to promote your virtual assistant business.
Being of value to your client or your boss is invaluably important to job security. But how does one go about creating value? You become more knowledgeable and indispensable. Learn as much as you can about what your boss/client does.
Ask questions. Most people are flattered to know that you care enough to ask how they do what they do and why they do it.
By learning more and asking more, you will be able to answer questions about the client/boss to his or her potential clients. If you can help him or her along this is way, you will inevitably become indispensable.
Make suggestions. If you see ways to improve a particular process or task — whether it creates greater efficiency or saves money — you'll look like the hero.
Offer to save the client/boss money. Everyone — I don't care how rich or poor they are — likes to save money. Don't recommend something you know to be a waste. Instead, offer a better, cheaper, more efficient option.
Practice good will. It goes a long way. A good example: This week a client asked about finding a particular list for him. No problem, I'd researched something similar for another client. I gave him the contact information, so he could check it out and perhaps buy the list (from another vendor). He asked,
"Well, how are you going to make money on this?"
My response?
"I won't and I don't need to — all I did was referred you to someone who could help you out."
He would have gladly paid me $100 for the referral — even offered to. But, my offer of good will in not accepting that $100 will net me a lot more in future business than just $100 one-time. I don't want him to think that every time I do a favor he owes me money. I want to build up that favor bank, so he owes me favors and has no other option but to pay those favors back in the way of referrals and/or future business. And, because he now knows I'm not going to rip him off, he'll keep coming back forever!
Let the client/boss know what else you can do. Listen to him rattle on about his thoughts, ideas, and business philosophies. When you hear some little tidbit that you can help with — mention it! You'll get more work, and he'll have more faith in your abilities.
Be willing to accept suggestions. Of course, this one's a no-brainer.
Don't whine! When a client/boss asks for something, don't whine about it — just do it. If they think they have a whiner on their hands they won't want anything to do with you.
If you work as an admin or assistant of any kind, you need to be able to enjoy serving other people. That's the basis of your job — realize that use a corresponding attitude
Improve your skills. If you're so-so at using Excel, being a whiz will carry you far. Most software programs have tutorials build right in. Use it! In your own time, run through the tutorials and practice, practice, practice. Join a chat group if you need to learn more of the software's functions. Then let the client/boss know what you can do. It's always impressive when someone says,
"I know how to do this now, and may I help you?"
A good share of being a good admin is putting yourself in the other person's shoes. Ask yourself on a regular basis,
"How would I want this done and what response would I expect from someone working for me?"
Your answer to that question is exactly how you should handle the situation/request.
What Type of Services Will You Provide?
We all have certain areas where our talents and interests lie. You have so many choices as to what areas you want to special in. There’s a good chance you already have experience in some specialty areas. Maybe you don’t even realize all the areas VA’s are working in.
Here’s just a small sampling of the services you could offer:
Administration
Writing services (technical or creative)
Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)
Scheduling
Bill paying
Simple website design
Newsletter distribution
Reminder services
Event planning
Concierge services
Research
Data processing/data management
Desktop publishing
Transcription services
Mail and email services
Telephone/fax services
Internet services
Bookkeeping
Purchasing services
Marketing services
Personal services
Once you know the types of services you are going to offer, it’s time to find you some clients.
What to Charge
It isn’t too hard to figure out what to charge. Start by contacting local support service businesses in your area. Ask them if they can send you a price list. Get several of these to learn what everyone else is charging. You don’t want to charge too much and you don’t want to under price yourself so you look like you don’t do great work. Find the happy medium and go with that amount. Prices are not set in stone. If you have to change your prices down the road, so be it.
Get Some Business Cards
If you want to look professional, make sure you get your business cards right away. You never know when you might meet someone who needs the services you’re offering. When that time comes, all you need to do is pull out your card and hand it to them. Never be without your business cards!
Here are some great sites where you can get business cards from free to as low as $10 for 250 cards.
http://www.overnightprints.com
Vista Print Business Cards(Try them out for free)
Tell Your Circle of Friends and Family About Your Business
Since you already have a relationship with your family and friends, don’t forget to tell them about your new VA business. While your brother might not need your services, there’s a good chance that he might know someone who does. You can start networking right away with those you already know.
Think about designing a letter or over sized postcard about your service and send it to everyone you know. Maybe even include a picture of yourself, the name of your business, the services you offer and ask that if they can’t use your service, to please recommend your business to others who might. If you send a letter, include a couple of your business cards for passing on to your possible clients.
Send Out Press Releases
A press release is a great way to start your business off with a bang. I want to mention here though that a press release is not something you just send out when you open your business. I’ll talk more about this a little later.
Here are some great places to find press release tips and templates:
http://www.press-release-writing.com
http://www.marketingsource.com
Where to send your press releases:
- Local Newspapers
- Local Business Publications
- Local Radio Talk Shows
- Local TV News Stations
Other reasons to send out a press release:
· You’re offering a new service
· Launching a website for your business
· You’ve won a high profile client account or contract
· You’ve had an unusual challenge or adversity and overcome it; especially when others thought it couldn’t be done.
· You participate in a fundraising event or you are to serve in a charitable organization.
· You’re offering or sponsoring a workshop, seminar, or conference
· If you’re changing the company name, location, web address, or product name
I’m The Answer to Your Problem
Convincing your future clients that they should hire you might seem a little scary at first. But once you build more clients, and they start telling you what a godsend you are, your confidence level is going to soar.
Here are some convincing ideas to consider…
- Tell your future client why they need you. Maybe you work odd hours, or you have very reasonable rates. Go over the services you offer and why you are so good at what you do.
- Explain to the client what skills you possess, your background, and your education.
- You can help your client catch-up on a backlog of work that other employees aren’t able to get to.
- You offer reduced costs and expenses for your client. They don’t have to pay you benefits or sick time.
- You will help their business grow with your marketing techniques.
- Thanks to the technology that is currently available, using your services will save the client money. Explain that you reduce overhead. They only pay you for work completed. They aren’t paying someone if there is no work to do. Plus your client doesn’t have to pay for sick or holiday time, or for health benefits.
It won’t be long until you’re confidence, strong and bright, shines through. You won’t have any problems explaining to a future client that you are the right person for the job, or that you are the solution to their problems.