Not everyone knows how to create a customized Facebook fan page.   While there are some generators out there that can surely help some, there is nothing like having a professional fan page made up for you according to YOUR every expectation, design and liking.   So guess who can do this for you?   You guessed it – your ever loving, loyal and trustworthy Virtual Assistant!   You do not need to hire a company so-to-speak to do this for you, but rather have your VA, and/or find a VA that can and will produce what you are looking for. Another point to consider is that even if you did utilize a generator you may not be able to get the results that you are seeking, but more than that you might be wasting valuable time trying to accomplish what your VA might already know how to do, and if it’s not at 100% to your liking they can edit and fix it at that, as well as manage the page! What a deal!

Never underestimate the skill-set of a Virtual Assistant, as there are many out there that can do so much more than some might have thought possible. All you have to do is ask and if you ask then you shall receive.

                          

First of all, it must be clear that a VA is not an employee. They are self employed business owners providing various types of services that usually relate to helping other business owners run their businesses smoothly.

Types of Services

The types of services offered by VAs vary depending upon the expertise of the VA but they generally apply to providing administrative services. However, the work performed by a VA is not restricted to word processing or other secretarial duties. Most have specialty services they offer depending upon their expertise and skills. The types of work performed by a VA are endless and will make the life of a business owner much easier and help him or her operate their business smoothly.

Depending upon what the business owner requires to help them in their business will determine what skills they are looking for when searching for a Virtual Assistant. Many are extremely talented in creating marketing material, or writing business plans, setting up contact management information, website design, article marketing, correspondence, concierge services, project management, event planning, making travel arrangements or even personal shopping.

Benefits

The benefit of contracting the services of a VA is that they work from their own office communicating with their clients via email, telephone, fax, snail mail, delivery service or other methods of communication. Because they work from their own office they have their own equipment and supplies necessary to perform the work they offer. This includes their own computer, fax machine, and office supplies, and they look after their own needs regarding benefits and taxes.

When you hire a Virtual Assistant you don’t have to worry about payroll, sick leave, providing work space or equipment. Payment is for actual work done at the rate both agree upon in advance and the VA will invoice the client for compensation. How much easier can it get?

Quit struggling

To determine how a VA can help you, think about what part of your business you are struggling with and if it would be more beneficial to hire a VA to look after those details. Why not use your own expertise to ensure your business is a success. Maybe it’s the day to day scheduling, or marketing, or project management you need help with. Whatever you establish your needs to be; there is a Virtual Assistant who can help you.

                          

One example might be that you are watching a TV show, you see the screen, and you hear the dialogue, but you’re not really paying attention to it, thus the end result is having no idea what the show was really about.   It works the same way with Virtual Assistants and clients. Are you really LISTENING to your client’s wants, needs and concerns? On the flip side is the client really LISTENING to your ideas, and suggestions?

The following are some tips to help Virtual Assistants and clients battle the hearing versus listening blues and will no doubt help anyone in their communication efforts!

• The first step is to discuss what your communication preferences are. Is it via email, telephone, chat, in person if that is possible. How about designating a time each week to discuss updates, projects, tasks, etc.  Again this is between the VA and the client. Choose a preference and stick with it, it will make life a lot easier!

• Once the above is settled you are one step ahead of the game! But of course there is always more:A client should be very clear on what his/her expectations are. If they are not, as a Virtual Assistant it is “our” job to fully understand what those expectations are to the best of our ability. Ask and ask again! No question is a foolish question. The more that both parties can be clear on what they want and can do the better and faster the job will get done. “Listen” to each other!    Hearing is simply not enough!

• How about implementing a “Master Project List.” A client can write up a list of tasks/projects to be done and a Virtual Assistant can follow that list with the most important project on the top, i.e., to be done first. When a VA updates a weekly report, that same list can be used to check off what has been done!

• Do not be afraid to over communicate. This holds true for both the VA and the client. If something is not completely understood, it may waste a lot of time and energy because it may have to be redone. As mentioned above, keep questioning until both parties completely understand what is needed.

Even though this may only be a few tips to help clients and VA’s communicate more effectively, the same holds true for any relationship at all.   The key to effectively communicating is to understand what the other person or party may want or need. Reading the words, hearing a voice, or watching a screen is simply not enough to become a successful communicator. Just because you hear someone or read something does not mean you are listening and understanding! Much like this article:do you “understand” what this article is trying to tell you? If you do, then you are on your way to becoming a much better communicator, and in the long run will help clients and Virtual assistants alike communicate more effectively and efficiently!

                          

It’s really simple if you think about it. While a client is actually paying a Virtual Assistant for their time, and a job being worked on, the client will actually start making money in the process. Okay, how? Let’s say client “A” has a business, his or her focus would be to generate sales for whatever the business is. However, how can client “A” generate these sales when everything else needs to be in place first, and even more than that it is continuous work.    To elaborate further, a VA will insure that a web site is up and running, search engine optimization has been done, a press release has been written, social media marketing is done on a daily basis, a blog is live and active and the list can go on. Who is going to operate all of these things while client “A” is trying to generate and make these sales?

Having a business online today is not exactly the same as it was years ago. Years ago we created a web site and hoped that people would visit us. Of course there was still some prep work that was needed to be done, but today what is needed to get done far exceeds what was needed to do back then, which of course equals to time. Who has that kind of time?  Just looking at the to-do list alone is tiresome all by itself!

So you set out to find your perfect Virtual Assistant to do all of the above, plus more, while you generate those sales that you need to keep your business running; to keep you sane, and also to pay your VA for all of his or her hard work. But remember one thing:while your VA is working the set amount of hours that they’ve been hired for, could be per week, per day, two hours a day, etc, they are alleviating you from doing all of this work that you’d be stuck doing and probably would be taking much longer to do at that. A Virtual Assistant is huge reprieve in the business day when it comes to this extra work that is essential to keeping a web site active.

Think of it as a team effort if you will. Client “A” tells his/her VA exactly what needs to be done, the leads and traffic starts making its way to Clients “A” site.   One sale alone, in some cases, can pay for your VA’s salary for the day, and two sales can bring home the bacon. Now obviously it all depends on what is being sold, but little by little that VA’s salary will be paid for completely by the business over time, plus you will see an increase in traffic and those much needed sales.

Is there a guarantee of sales? There aren’t any guarantees no matter what you do or what business that you are in; however, with two people working on the same goal, just in different capacities, any client has double the power to get on the online track to success.   Double the power might mean double the sales and in most cases more than that, as traffic is generated from all kinds of venues. So don’t think of hiring a VA as an extra expense, think of it as added exposure which leads to income!

                          

When speaking to other VA’s I have heard that a frustrating part of doing business with their clients is their lack of understanding as to how these VA’s can help them. Running into this problem myself I honestly believe it comes down to lack of communication. We must ask the questions that will bring the answers we need to better serve our clients. Have you been clear as to what your needs of your VA are?

Knowing where you need help.

Is your Virtual Assistant aware of all that you do? Are you utilizing her expertise to the fullest? Are you communicating? Do you know what your needs are?

Knowing where you need assistance to ensure your business operates profitably and efficiently can be a challenge. I quite often recommend to my clients that they take the time to track what they do each day for a week. It may appear to be a daunting task to keep a record of what you do each day but this information can be very insightful. It possibly will surprise you as to the many things you do that are an actual waste of your time.

You could in fact better utilize your time operating your business while your VA takes care of some of the mundane duties that need to be done. She can be operating behind the scenes taking care of many things that may not have even occurred to you that a VA can do. By reviewing together the tracking sheet of your schedule and by communicating your needs to your VA she may better serve you.

Sharing information with your VA

Share your information with your Virtual Assistant and discuss everything with her. You might be amazed as to what she can take care of to create more time for you to do what you actually need to do to ensure your businesses success.

No matter what your business is, a Virtual Assistant can be of assistance. Realtors have their VA’s take care of their website, listings, fact sheets and a hundred other little things that need to be done when buying or selling homes. Insurance sales persons utilize their VA’s by having them take care of correspondence, scheduling, etc. Speakers or trainers have their VA’s organize speaking engagements, tracking registrations, responding to inquiries. Many lawyers take advantage of the skills of many Virtual Assistants with legal experience. All business sectors should utilize the social media skills of their VA to create a campaign that will enhance their online exposure. You too can benefit by having the assistance of a Virtual Assistant.

Your VA has a vested interest in you and your business.

If you find that you are not fully taking advantage of the skills of your Virtual Assistant communicate with them. Have an established routine for communicating with your VA, discussing what is happening with your business whether it is about your achievements or your challenges. Your Virtual Assistant has a vested interest in your business and wants you to succeed thus enabling her to succeed. See what a little communication can do for you? It will help your business grow and flourish. Give your VA a call regularly.

                          

But animal kingdoms aside, did you know that the colours you use in your branding actually SAY something about you? So often I speak to business owners who say they chose those specific colours because ‘they liked them’, or ‘they were pretty’, or because that is what their designer chose. But the real trick in choosing colours for business is too use the hues and shades that appeal to your target audience, not to you. Think about it – who are you trying to appeal to? Obviously you already like your business – you are running it?

We spend so much time and money on marketing, social media, and promotion, but why not use the science of colour to attract clients as well? Of course, colors can mean different things depending on the culture, situation and industry. However, in my experience, I believe these have some universal meanings – and so does John Williams, president and founder of LogoYes.com.

He categorizes colour this way:

Blue: Cool blue is perceived as trustworthy, dependable, fiscally responsible and secure. Strongly associated with the sky and sea, blue is serene and universally well-liked. Blue is an especially popular color with financial institutions, as its message of stability inspires trust.

Red: Red activates your pituitary gland, increasing your heart rate and causing you to breathe more rapidly. This visceral response makes red aggressive, energetic, provocative and attention-grabbing. Count on red to evoke a passionate response, albeit not always a favorable one. For example, red can represent danger or indebtedness.

Green: In general, green connotes health, freshness and serenity. However, green’s meaning varies with its many shades. Deeper greens are associated with wealth or prestige, while light greens are calming.

Yellow: In every society, yellow is associated with the sun. Thus, it communicates optimism, positivism, light and warmth. Certain shades seem to motivate and stimulate creative thought and energy. The eye sees bright yellows before any other color, making them great for point-of-purchase displays.

Purple: Purple is a color favored by creative types. With its blend of passionate red and tranquil blue, it evokes mystery, sophistication, spirituality and royalty. Lavender evokes nostalgia and sentimentality.

Pink: Pink’s message varies by intensity. Hot pinks convey energy, youthfulness, fun and excitement and are recommended for less expensive or trendy products for women or girls. Dusty pinks appear sentimental. Lighter pinks are more romantic.

Orange: Cheerful orange evokes exuberance, fun and vitality. With the drama of red plus the cheer of yellow, orange is viewed as gregarious and often childlike. Research indicates its lighter shades appeal to an upscale market. Peach tones work well with health care, restaurants and beauty salons.

Brown: This earthy color conveys simplicity, durability and stability. It can also elicit a negative response from consumers who relate to it as dirty. Certain shades of brown, like terracotta, can convey an upscale look. From a functional perspective, brown tends to hide dirt, making it a logical choice for some trucking and industrial companies.

Black: Black is serious, bold, powerful and classic. It creates drama and connotes sophistication. Black works well for expensive products, but can also make a product look heavy.

White: White connotes simplicity, cleanliness and purity. The human eye views white as a brilliant color, so it immediately catches the eye in signage. White is often used with infant and health-related products.

Putting it into Practice

So the “science” is there – but how do I use it? Let me use my own branding strategy as an example. The Pibworth brand colours are two shades of brown, and a steel blue. Why did I choose these colours?

Blue is predominantly a corporate colour. It inspires trust and is universally well liked. The shade of blue I chose had a hint of grey, which I felt softened it – making it appealing to males and females alike. Blue is dependable and secure – and evokes a feeling of trust. An emotion that is essential in my business. I do what I say I am going to do.

Brown is an earthy colour, showing stability and adding an element of humanness to the steel blue. Brown is warm and welcoming – and is currently “the new black”. Brown is a heritage colour, which tends to appeal to older, more established clients.

The bottom line – I wanted to attract, established speakers and trainers who presented topics of substance that I could easily market. I wanted to work with A-type personalities who knew what they wanted and were able to articulate their needs. I wanted people with a ‘corporate edge” – and that is who I am attracting. I’m not saying it is 100% because of my branding choices, of course my marketing, speaking and various other activities factor in there – but the branding I have incorporated plays a part and reflects the consistency of my message. That is what I wish for all of you!

                          

I understand all to well. It’s hard enough to remember to log in to the software I use for my own company let alone doing so as a client. I have one fab VA who works for me and uses Basecamp religiously. Yet I still can’t seem to stop myself from sending quickie emails when I need something on the fly. Then again, maybe we’re expecting too much from these programs. I mean, who over the age of 25 doesn’t live and breathe email?

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate why we need or think we need to use online collaboration software in the first place. Then we can make a more informed decision as to whether it’s worth both the expense and the effort to create long term buy in. To do this, we must look at both sides of the equation: VA and Client.

From the virtual assistant’s perspective:

• Potentially how many hours a month of admin time will I save? Does this justify the monthly or yearly expense incurred?
• How much work will it be to get everyone on my team using the software consistently? Is it worth the effort?
• Do I want this to be an internal collaboration tool, much like a company intranet, or do I want to use the software as a way to more effectively engage my clients? Or both?
• Do my clients even care if we have these kinds of tools? Does it impress them or make them view me/my company as less freelance and more entrepreneur?
• Does the software offer functionality such as milestone tracking or contact management that could replace my existing tools offline?
• If the system goes offline for a period of time will business continuity be impacted?

And from the client’s perspective:

• Am I paying competitive rates despite the software’s cost of use?
• If I’m paying a premium for my virtual assistant services, what are the value adds? Increased productivity? More effective communication? Peace of mind? Faster data retrieval?
• What are the potential drawbacks of adjusting to “working in the cloud?”
• Can you make a convincing case for me to change from email thinking to “log in” thinking (i.e. working in the cloud versus working in the hard drive)?
• What if I just don’t want to work collaboratively online, period? What’s your policy on this? For example, can you work internally on my project in the cloud but work with me via email and phone?

These are just some of the questions swimming in my head of late as I try to make my own collaborative processes more efficient. Right now, I am using Backpackit as a company intranet, no clients allowed. And for the moment, it is working, though not as well I hope it will function for my team in the future. I’m tempted to bring my clients onside, but then I have to think about the whole privacy and “play nice while the client is watching” thing. When I was using Basecamp I found this a bit onerous. Not because we’re a bunch of potty mouthed VAs and consultants, but because having to constantly remember who is privy to the conversation thread and who is cumbersome and even squelches free thinking at times.

Therein lies the rub. As a client, do you want to be part of a collaborative environment all or most of the time? Not always having say as to who is privy to the conversation thread you’ve just been pulled into? Do you feel more or less in control when a discussion is primarily taking place via email? Or do you find a VA who uses online collaboration software to actually be more professional, more organized, more on top of things?

Not only do we want to hear what other VAs have to say about the pros and cons of using online collaboration software, but what do you the client think of this trend? Do you want to see more of it? And if so, to what extent do you want to be involved?

                          

The last time you met someone interested in your business while you were standing in line at the coffee shop, did you get their card and actually get in touch with them again?

How many website leads do you get but never reply to? What about those contacts you forward information to after they request it. Do you let them go off and be forgotten, or do you get in touch with them again?

Follow up is such a crucial part of business, yet so many people hate it and therefor don’t do it.

This is another simple task to delegate to a VA. You can either send them names and contact info via phone, fax or email or courier your business cards to them. Your VA can take the next step for you and follow up with these precious leads! Each business card you collect should be respected and treasured – not stuck underneath a coffee mug on your desk to be forgotten.

Delegate your follow up. It’s very easy…trust me!

                          

Check out our NEW Blog at VAnetworking.com

VAnetworking, the world’s largest Virtual Assistant organization is celebrating its five year anniversary by launching a new blog this week for those wanting to learn more about working with a Virtual Assistant or “˜VA’. The VAnetworking Blog is full of the ins and outs of working with a VA including what you should look for, what isn’t that important and even how VAs operate and what different tasks are easiest to delegate.   This is the RESOURCE for entrepreneurs looking to partner with a Virtual Assistant to help them succeed in their business ventures.

According to VAnetworking’s first blog post, “A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a highly-trained independent entrepreneur who provides a myriad of business support services virtually via phone, fax and internet based technology to support and meet the growing needs of businesses worldwide.

Partnering with a VA reduces stress, protects cash flow, eliminates administrative hassles, and enables business people to find the success they originally set out to achieve.
A VA is your right hand person helping you to succeed in your business. The irony is you may never meet your VA as odds are they live nowhere near you!”

Founder and CEO of Virtual Business Solutions Tawnya Sutherland, who sponsors this free online social network for VAs, states, “There seems to be a lack of information out there when it comes to working with Virtual Assistants. It’s my hope that this new blog will not only expose more people to the wonderful world of Virtual Assistance, but it will help answer the common questions almost everyone has before partnering with a VA.”

The blog will be updated at least twice weekly and is being managed by longtime VAnetwoking forum member and founder of Mann Made Time, Jaime Lee Mann.

“It’s not difficult at all to come up with posts which will help people when the time comes to choose a VA to work with. At all of my client consultations, I am asked the same questions over and over. There are many people who want to know how they pay me, or how work is actually done “˜virtually’ and most have absolutely no idea of the variety of tasks they can unload to a Virtual Assistant. This blog will be a very useful resource to anyone considering working with a VA,” states Mann whose niche specialty happens to be copywriting.

If you are considering becoming a virtual assistant, there’s never been a better time to join VAnetworking.com – the global meeting place for more than 10,000+ aspiring and successful VAs. As a member you’ll not only be eligible to participate in the most popular social network online for VAs, but you will have access to over 100,000 posts, expert advice on work-related topics, weekly VA chats, monthly contests, the VAnetworking Newsletter, discounts on products and services, and placement on a growing listing of VAs in 14 countries in the VA Service Directory.

When you visit the blog at www.VAnetworking.com/blog you are encouraged to download the free ebook Learn the Fundamentals to Hire a Virtual Assistant which will help you even further in your search for your ideal VA.

We’d love to hear your comments at our blog so subscribe to us via email to keep it touch with all the latest and greatest posts to help you partner successfully with a Virtual Assistant.

To Your Virtual Success!

Tawnya Sutherland
FOUNDER of VAnetworking.com

                          

“Can you send me a resume?”

Even though people ask this question to VAs all the time, as a general group, we don’t like it.

I think it’s because it means we’re being thought of as employees. Remember, administrative assistants don’t get paid very well and often have to take a lot of orders and abuse from bosses. When we leave that world to start our own businesses we want to leave that world far far away! Being asked for a resume is something that happens when you apply for a job, not when someone approaches you looking to hire a contractor.

I know it’s only a word and you’re just learning how this process works, but you can ruffle a lot of virtual feathers by asking for a resume or trying to get someone to fill out an application.

When you hire a plumber do you ask to see a resume? No. You might ask for a couple of references but never a resume. You just want to know that they’ll do the job well – that’s what matters.

A lot of this is simply educating the public, which is what the goal of this blog is. We want to get rid of the mindset that a Virtual Assistant is going to be your own remote employee. That’s not the case.

Instead of asking for a resume, check out the ‘ABOUT’ information on a VA’s website, ask to see samples of work and some testimonials. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask for a couple of references, but if you ask to see a resume, you can be certain that your innocent question was not well received!

As with everything else these days, simply do a Google search for the name of the VA you have in mind. That will tell you a lot.

I would love to see a comment or two here from someone wishing to work with a Virtual Assistant so we can hear the other perspective!