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Hi Everyone, Happy Mother's Day weekend this weekend. While working on making some changes for my Webinar Production Agency. I pieced together a new mission statement. Let me know what you think. Our premier agency manages all aspects of our customer's webinars and podcasts to take the tasks off their plate so they a focus on sharing their message. We provide an event team to assist with event management, moderate chat rooms, marketing, video production/editing, and bookkeeping. We put you in the spotlight so that your message can shine.

I'm sorry, for some reason I didn't see this before now. Yes, I used Canva. I'm quite enjoying Canva, although I still think Photoshop is better. There are some things you just can't do in Canva.

Hello Danielle, Thank you, it works perfectly the way the video shows.

Client onboarding is basically a phrase someone made up so they could sell you products surrounding that process. Onboarding a client is fairly simple and usually goes in this order: 1. Get them to pay your retainer upfront (usually online through Paypal). 2. Get them to sign your contract (I do this after I get their payment as once they pay it's easier to get them to sign as they want you to start working for them right away). 3. Talk to them on the phone to get pertinent contact information (contact info, passwords, etc.) to help you service them. 4. You can also send them a document stating your business protocols (hours you work, how you'll communicate with each other, how payments are made, holidays, sick-time, etc.) Each VA has different protocols. As you can see, there isn't much process to prepare to onboard a client. The hardest part is getting them to pay and sign that contract.

Thanks Tawyna and Danielle! She will only be running a few group coaching programs. Not a lot of products at all. She does have a wordpress site. I will definitely check these options out. Glad to be back in the community

Hello and thank you for having me! My name is Hannah I'm in my late-twenty's and I'm just starting out my VA business, I've been doing a TON of research and I stumbled across this awesome site! I've been working in an admin role for 3 years in the financial industry and I really enjoy my work. My husband and I want to have more kids in the near future and I'm really needing and wanting the flexibility of working from home and setting my own hours to make that happen. I've decided on bookkeeping, general admin, marketing & technical support services that I will be offering to future clients. I'm also a notary public in Washington state & have been doing mobile loan signing services for the mortgage industry, my question is should I include that within my website & listed in the services I offer even though I wouldn't be able to provide that as a "virtual" service? My thinking behind wanting to include that is because of the extensive background checks, being bonded, licensed and E&O insured would instill confidence in potential clients that I've got my stuff together and can be trusted with their financials. Also it would be great to showcase that service for potential local clients, but I'm wondering if it'll be too much going on and makes naming my business difficult. Any feedback is welcomed & appreciated Thank you, Hannah

Hey there! Welcome to VAnetworking.com --> The Social Network for Virtual Assistants. I am so excited that you have decided to join the friendliest social network on earth for Virtual Assistants. Let me give you a quick intro of who I am. I am Juli and I have not been in the Virtual Industry that long, (3 years) but by being your moderator, I can relate to some of your challenges that you might possibly face that I might have gone through. I was unemployed looking for way to pay off my student loan debt and how to make money at the same time. I saw an AD on my local TV explaining how to make money online, that educated me a bit on how to make money online but through one of those freelancing sites. I was still not satisfied with only working from that platform so I went on Google and found ways how I could make money online, and this is how I found the forum and joined. Fast forward a year later I have a business in place and I have launched my website. So I have gone through the path that you now are on. Enough about me and more about you! One way to get to know you better on the forum is through your first introduction to us. I will outline some tips on how to get you started on the forum. First you can do a quick introduction about yourself and this can be done by clicking here http://www.vanetwork...al-Busi-f4.html If you are like me and don’t like to talk much about yourself here is a breakdown to use as a guide to ease those introductions jitters: Your Name: Your Website URL (if applicable): Years in Business: Description of your Business, including any specialties: On a more personal note: What City/Town/State/Country are you from?: Are you married? How long?: Any kids and how old? Hobbies & Interests: How did you hear about us? We love to know how you heard about us so please let us know! i.e. Google search (what keywords did you search?), article in magazine (name of mag?), word of mouth (who?), etc. Please feel free to browse around and get to know others. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to private message me or any of the other moderators here or contact us at our help desk Until then, can't wait to see your growth here and your accomplishments. Best wishes.

INTRODUCTION: Your Name: Jodie Michelle Hecker Your Website URL (if applicable): - www.beautybizcopywriter.com and www.beautybusinesscoachtraining.com Years in Business: 10+ However, not online, just offline. Trying to earn money online now. Description of your Business, including any specialties: email marketing, pinterest, copywriting, blog posts, skin care and makeup, social media posting On a more personal note: What City/Town/State/Country are you from?: Gaithersburg MD Hobbies & Interests: swimming, being outdoors, travel, writing, reading, constant learning, finance, hanging out with my grandmother and niece and nephews. How did you hear about us? i.e. Google search (what keywords did you search?), article in magazine (name of mag?), word of mouth (who?), etc. email from Nicole on the net. MY SHORT STORY- I started my beauty career in International television, after taking an online camera media makeup class. I simultaneously worked as a regional artist with some of the top international companies: such as Chanel, Estee Lauder, and Lancome; just to name a few. I went on to get my Esthetican license. At the same time while doing working as a Beauty professional I became very interested in Online marketing and devoured everything that I could get my hands on. You might say that I'm obsessed with learning how the online marketing world works. Till this day I am always learning something new that I can use to earn money online, in addition to making people beautiful offline. My other love is real estate and writing, and look forward to combing the two interest's. In addition to my work, I also volunteer for the American Cancer Society's "Look Good, Feel Better" program. I teach women and teens going thru chemotherapy makeup and skin care tips. This is my most favorite job that I have. I have a family that I love, and love spending time with them. Especially my 103 year old Grandmother. I just love her. I love swimming and gymnastics, and can be found glued to the TV during the Olympics. I look forward to starting and quickly growing my business so that I can make money and have more freedom. Cant wait to meet you Jodie Michelle

Welcome Elizabeth! You are at the right place! Any advice that I will surely give is to do your pros and cons of what you like doing and what you do not like doing in terms of offering a service. From there it will be a bit easier to know what you need to invest in in terms of certification if any. All the best.

I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Maralee and I am very very new to the VA idea. Still going through the free resources available on the site and am getting a TON of information. My poor brain is a little overwhelmed but I am really really wanting to stay home and be able to make my own schedule while having fun and being able to help people. Getting started does anyone have any tips and tricks for free or cheap programs to start out with? As we don't have a ton of money to throw at this, and my hubby is not for sure convinced I will stick with it. Which is kind of fair as I keep getting ideas and run with it for a little bit and then stop So any advice would be so appreciated! Thank you so much!

Thanks Tawnya. I'll look into them both

Here are my answers to your questions: Your Name: Julie Smith Your Website URL (if applicable): https://juliesjoyfulsolutions.wordpress.com/ Years in Business: I started in 2014, haven't had any steady clients as of yet. I was on Upworks and decided it is time to change directions. Description of your Business, including any specialties: I create efficient systems for Realtors and Entrepreneurs to keep them on track with their deadlines while providing quality customer service so they can focus on what's important-- selling and growing! - Empower Realtors and Entrepreneurs by helping you achieve your goals - Assisting you with tasks to help you be more productive - Create solutions to overcome the obstacles you encounter to relieve the stress - Process information through well-honed research to meet timely deadlines I received training as a Transaction Coridonator from a Realtor. When you hire me for all your transactions I will: - Verify that all required signatures and initials are on the contract and addenda. - Verify that all required addenda are included with the contract. - Fill out commission disbursement forms. - Open the file with the escrow or title company…And much more! On a more personal note: What City/Town/State/Country are you from?: Angola, IN USA Are you married? How long?: Not married now, was for about a year. Any kids and how old? I have a son that is 18, 2 daughters a 15 and 9-year-old Hobbies & Interests: I love camping, fishing, and reading How did you hear about us? I found this group a few years ago, and I set business aside for a bit then, I re-discovery it through Kathy Goughenour-Expert VA training program.

Hey we have a great trend going here! Danielle is an Innovator that collaborates with the Maker (me), who collaborates with the Visionary (Tawnya). This is the start of a really creative team!

I apologize for not seeing your poll yesterday. I like the layout and graphics of the first one the best. If I could give some pointers. When choosing your color (colour) palate, it can be useful to view your design across several devices. This is usually only discussed in the aspect of web page layout and responsiveness, but with the multitude of not only screen sized, but also screen resolutions, the material the screen is made of, the preferred setting of the device user, I find it useful to view my designs across many different devices. With that said, I would recommend adjusting the huge of your pink background if you are going to use the white text color. Your design looks fine on a LCD computer screen and an iPad with bluelight filter on. But, there is significant white bleed from the text into the background when viewed on an LED computer screen or a smartphone that is not configured to filter blue light. I have just started a Canva account if you wanted to share your logo file with me my profile is @ChuckKanupp. I would be pleased collaborate with you. Cheers!

Thank you for the welcome and the feedback! I truly appreciate the support. The amount of information and guidance I have already gotten from being here is absolutely astounding. Marie, thank you for introducing yourself and the support. Charlottesville is a beautiful area. I do hope you and Tawnya had a well deserve Mother's Day. (I Googled Mother's Day in Canada to make sure I was correct to include Tawnya) My decision "redesigning your career at this stage" in my life so far is a blessing in disguise. My wife and I recently (3 months ago) purchased our new home. Last month I lost my job of 7 years due to "seasonal downsizing". My wife and I took a hard look at our options. She is a career nurse that makes a relatively good income, but not necessarily enough to carry our current expenses alone. So, what to do? I have looked into getting another job, and there are a lot of postings in our area business administrators, executive assistants, administrative assistants, and small business owners are looking for personal assistants. One evening, while I was preparing a cover letter, my wife asked me if I knew how my previous employer was planning to distribute my workload? That one question coupled with what I was seeing for job postings was a EUREKA! moment. At that point, my cover letters became introduction letters for my services as a virtual assistant. Even though my previous employer was not posting an ad to refill my position, I knew he was going to need help, so I sent an email. My previous boss is now my first client! Tawnya, thank you for your response. It helped me in defining my why. I want financial freedom for my family! I will NOT be put in this position again! My plans and dreams for the future are HUGE, but that is fuel for my fire. I don't expect the journey to be easy, but it will be fun!!!

Hi Chuck, Welcome to our virtual assistant community. You are not the only male in this group. One of our admins in this group is Mark Hunter from Australia. And we have a supportive network here. I am from Charlottesville, Virginia. I am married. We have a 13-year old son. I started in 2017 with just an idea of being a virtual assistant. And with the help of Tawnya, Mark and so many wonderful people in the VA insiders group I am moving right along. Bravo for redesigning your career at this stage in your life. Our network is supportive and willing to help cheer you on. To your success. Cheers, Marie Mason PS. Happy Mother's day to your family. Also, my son's name is Charles.

I've always had issues exporting my videos in Camtasia on my Mac. I finally asked Camtasia how to fix the quality issues and here is the article they referred me to. It has fixed my issues so wanted to post it in here in case anyone has this issue. https://support.techsmith.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007279948-Camtasia-Mac-Exported-Video-Had-Faded-or-Incorrect-Color

Hello, I hate to admit this but I have been a VA insider since June and have yet to start my business. Part of the reason is that I stand in my own way and overthink things but the other part is feeling really lost on where to start. I cannot purchase the VAC program at this time which I know would help me. Where should I begin in VA insiders and VA networking to actually execute steps on starting my business?

I just recently joined the VA workforce. I'm interviewing for positions now. I am optimistic that I will land my first client soon and begin creating my portfolio of work! ______________________________________________________________________________________ Visit my site at - https://rhosecellahdasalla.wixsite.com/website

Hi Toni! Great to see someone else from Idaho! How exciting for you and your family to be living off the grid. Here's to continued success for you in the VA industry

I am definitely backing away from this for now. I need to earn some real wages first. This is something I could come back to but honestly I really hate MLM type stuff. According to them I can earn a lot, as long as those I recruit don't surpass my level. I've never been very good at getting ahead w/stuff like that anyway. I'm going to reach out to some people I know. I also made some flyers to put up wherever I can. So hopefully I'll find some real clients/work soon. I'll be posting & writing new posts for my blog as well.

What do you think?

Thank you, Amber. It does help.

Site Builder is where my website is. And I really love it. So, while I can't use the images from there some place else, it suits me for now. The customization is amazing for free. I've got exactly what I need. I've done a lot of comparison. And some of the cheapest sites have poor customer service, some of the more high-end ones are too expensive, and I just can't stand WordPress. I know lots of people find it useful & simple. But I can't customize it the way that I want, not with the free version. So I've found what makes me comfortable. I need to be able to manage, maintain, and also not be frustrated w/the design. I can't be productive if I'm sitting for an hour trying to figure out how to get things to look the way I want them to. I don't like tons of time spent "troubleshooting". It's a serious drain on my energy.

Layla, go into the accountability area in your VAinsider membership and start listing everything you think you need to do. Also list some of the critical money marks you have to achieve (and by when) and we will help you with a gameplan to get past these roadblocks you are having.

My situation is similar. I started back in 2016, then had a long hiatus, due to my illness. I'm in a rush now, my head is buzzing with business ideas, but if I don't make money soon, I don't know how I'm going to make it. My landlord just raised my rent, so the pressure makes my ADHD brain even more scattered. It can be very difficult to prioritize & focus

Hi Jullian, You will love our little family of virtual assistants. This is the best positive group to be part of. Thought I would answer your questions. Your Name: Marie Mason Your Website URL: www.cmvirtualassistantagency.org Years in Business: 1 Year Description of your Business, including any specialties: Our premier agency serves coaches and speakers by providing an event team to manage your webinar so you can focus on sharing your message. Services for your event include management, marketing, video production, and bookkeeping. On a more personal note: What City/Town/State/Country are you from?: Charlottesville, VA., USA Are you married? How long?: Married 16 years to my best friend. Any kids and how old? I have one son age 13 years old, and he is a boy. He is smart, funny and a gifted and talented young man. Can you tell he is my pride and joy? Hobbies & Interests: Baking, especially beg for more brownies. dancing gardening knitting Playing TCG games like Pokemon cards How did you hear about us? Kathy Goughenour in January/February 2018.

Thank you Marco. But I find a big differences between the U.S. and Spanish markets.

Hey Brittany - great start on your site and congrats on having it live! Since your site is very white, I'd definitely 2 colors that you want to go with your brand and have those pop. Since you have pink in your logo, definitely go with that and then one more to really make things stand out. I think it will liven it up a bit. Since it looks like you are a solo VA, I would change some of the wording to "me" or "I". You kind of have both singular and plural and it can be confusing to users. So it's better to stick with one or the other. If you are the only person people will be dealing with, then just go with that. And lastly, I'd add a picture of you - it makes it more personable and people can relate more to someone they can "look in the eye". Good luck!

Thank you so much ladies for the great feedback! In regards to coding, I wanted to learn how to design and build websites so I could do that for others. I've done some searching though after I saw what you said, Tawnya. This is something I definitely don't need to know prior to getting my website live. I'll put that on the back burner for now. Thank you!

Hi Hannah, welcome to VAnetworking! I definitely think you could niche yourself and work in the medical field.

Thank you. A UPS Store mailbox is a very good idea.

I am just starting my journey to start my Virtual Assistant Business. I am thinking of doing proofreading and editing. Right now I am in college perusing a Virtual Office Professional Certificate of Achievement. I have two years experience as an Administrative Assistant Intern. I need your advice on what step should I take next. It seems that people on Guru are wanting degrees and three to five years virtual assistant experience. What's your advice?

Hmm good question. What services are you going to offer? You really don't need much to start up besides a computer and internet. You probably want to get a contract written up at the very least. I'd also recommend outlining your operating procedures such as, how clients can reach you, when you'll be around etc. There is a sample contract here: http://vanetworking.con/free. You probably already have access to it. You can take that one and edit it to make your own. You'll also have to figure out how you want to be paid, what system you will use. Maybe PayPal? And also your rates and packages. What have you done so far?

Hi all! I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Adele. I was a VA for years and then went back into working in corporate America after going through a divorce. Life circumstances at the time just called for that kind of change. I was only a VA on a part-time basis and needed to go back to full-time income -- and quickly! Anyhow, fast-forward to the present. I am now happily remarried and in a much better position. I have decided to take the plunge and delve back into my passion. I assist businesses with their HR, recruiting, and SMM needs. I also assist in a variety of other projects when time allows, such as event and meeting planning and trade show coordination.

I chose Oceanfront VA Services because that's where I'm hoping to be working from in the next few years!

Yes, it's a lot of going back and forth and switching between projects. I found I was wasting a lot of time with admin stuff and emails. I rather focus on a few larger clients. Have you figured out how many hours you could allocate to clients? That might help you out. Don't forget to set aside time for bookkeeping, marketing etc for your own business.

I'm a retired Quality Assurance Manager who started editing part time (I'm a writer as well) and it just grew into editing, copy editing, proofreading and virtual assistance. I'm only wanting to do this part time, as I am writing novels. But jobs and projects and clients have a way of blossoming! So I network with other freelancers to spread out the work I don't want or can't do. I feel like I have friends all over the world now. Good luck in your business! Pat www.editalley.com www.pathauldren.net www.remotegirlfriday.com

I have a client who's Quickbooks online is so messed up I have no clue how to fix it. When I first took over there was years of income that he has put in undeposited funds. I moved all that out into the proper place and now it seems even more messed up. One of his client looks like he has over 300K in credit and another looks like they are behind when they are not....HELP??!! Need an expert!!

Hello Everyone! I am a Virtual Assistant based in South Africa. My journey into this awesome "Virtual World" happen with the birth of my son and the company I was working for at the time didn't want to get a temp so I set myself up at home to do everything I did in the office and that is when the light bulb moment happened Set up an office at home resigned and have never looked back, nothing better than being your own boss, determining your income and getting to be there for your kids everyday. Excited about being a part of this community and look forward to getting to know fellow VA's.

Hi there!! I'm Nancy and I am a brand new VA. My previous profession was in social services and health education and I have incorporated my experience into my new business, specializing with healthcare businesses, non profits and disabled business owners and individuals. My business is heavy on the personal assistance services and from the knowledge I have gathered, noone is providing this type of service to the disabled. Of course, I am also offering business support as well. My website is www.avirtualhelpinghand.com I did it on wix.com which is a platform I am very familiar with and I didnt realize most VA's do their sites on wordpress. Hope it's ok. On a personal note, I am divorced with no children, live in Queens, NY and love meeting new people, travel, cooking, and all life has to offer. This new VA venture has been a strong learning curve for me as I had to learn alot of programs and how to do alot of stuff most VAs do. I am still preparing my contracts and planning to learn a few more programs before I officially launch in about a month...I did send out a few cold email pitches but didnt hear anything back..I will DEFINITELY be taking advantage of the free email templates in the stocking stuffer At the moment, I am feeling very overwhelmed, feeling like I need to "do it all" and am in awe of the skills so many VAs bring to the table. Any support and feedback would be helpful. Look forward to getting to know you all better and best wishes and blessings on your own VA journeys

Thank you so much! I will be attending the VAinsiders call today.

My all time favorite picks are: 1) Project Management - Asana 2) File Sharing - Google Docs 3) Messenger - Skype

Thanks, This is helpful.

The meds thing is OK, after all. Thankfully. I was able to get all of my RXs. They have this thing on the drugstore site, when the Rx is being filled it will often show the price minus insurance, then when it's filled, it shows the co-pay. This always makes me nervous. B/C sometimes it shows your co-pay. So when I see a funny high number I get scared. But it's all good. I will check out the group coaching. I actually had forgotten about that, what with trying to find some income. part-time is all I can manage at the best of times. I also live in a very disruptive environment, noisy neighborhood makes it hard to concentrate for a lot of the time. Some afternoons I have to put earplugs in so that I can think & (try) to block out pounding bass. My current site is by Site Builder. I love it, it's just pricey. But I'm attached to the interface, the current template/design that I have really works for me. Thank you so much for sharing that article with me. I actually wrote an (upcoming) blog post about writing with ADHD. I really need to get my ADHD medication soon so that I can be more in-depth in my research & writing. Oh & I'm not the hyperfocused type, I'm very inattentive & scattered, moving from one thing to another, sort of drifting. Coffee helps, but overall it's very difficult w/o Ritalin. Docs are very wary & hesitant to help me at all. I work best in short bursts.

Hi Danielle, thank you, I have looked at them, even appied to a couple. I've arranged some reviews for pay, but that's not much more than beer money. I've placed some Craigslist ads, and am attending a networking event this week to see if I can make any connections. I tend to do best in-person. Before I got sick, I did really well with interviews, preparations, etc. But the online job seeking world is so much different. I've had to readjust my techniques and parameters many times. Since I don't have any money for anything, not even bills, The Dept. of Ed also took 15% of my check from me, I'm hoping to find something before the month is over.

Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I can send my business protocols to them in my welcome packet correct? Or should I not worry about a welcome packet? Do you send your new clients a welcome packet? Thank you

Hi Marie, One service I think would be pretty cool as a package would be this. To extend your webinar package by offering to transcribe or create shownotes out of the content that is created. I know some marketers like James Schramko have very in depth pdfs created from their webinars, with formatting and images + transcribed text.

Wow, this is positive news that prospects are coming your way already! Best advice if you don't do offer these services is to write a nice email to them stating so and give them an alternative solution to find a VA... 1. Outsource to another VA who does offer these services. You could hire them on to do the work and you project manage. I probably wouldn't recommend this in the beginning of your business as it is better to have under your belt the knowledge of working with a few clients first. 2. Tell the client that you don't offer these services but know another VA who does. You then refer them to that VA. Most times you can do a joint venture with that VA that they will pay you a percentage of the client's first retainer, a $ amount for the referral and/or could be as simple as a Starbucks gift card for sending them your way? LOL 3. Send them to our job board and just let someone else do it (using your affiliate link found in your dashboard so you make $5 for job lead at very least) http://vanetworking.com/rfp

LOL! I am a web designer and I will not even start thinking about touching anything from scratc, wordpress, whatever for less than $500! If you are going to offer this service you really need to look at design forums no offense but if you do know what you are doing that 200-300 is just shooting yourself in the foot