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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.

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, (1 year) 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 am about to launch 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.

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

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

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

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!

I use the WD ones, I own about 5-6 or them. I actually have the 4TB one in my wishlist to order at some point as I want another one. This is the one I buy. I've had no issues with them (am on a Mac). I also own these cases to keep them in for traveling and even just at home so that they don't get damaged. I haven't tried the seagate ones, I'm sure they are fine though too.

Great tips Chuck! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you Tawnya for all the great ideas! I have had some ideas for repurposing this, but you have definitely given me a few more ideas to pursue. I truly appreciate the addition as an affiliate, and I will be diving into the Affiliate Marketing Track very soon. I have so many aspects of my startup I am working on right now, and the ideas for what could be done with this business are really coming at a blistering pace. I believe I should partner with other VAs to help get things moving quicker.(My wife says I need to sleep sometime...LOL) I have a truck load of questions for the upcoming VAInsiders Group Coaching webinars! You're welcome Julian! I am glad I could help with a little inspiration to be a better you! And hopefully these tips can help you be more efficient, exceedingly effective, and execute with excellence!

Hi Everyone, Name: Bettina Website URL: No website yet; currently in the process. Years in Business: None; getting ready to start my VA Business Description of my business: My VA business will focus on services for chiropractors, since I have a background in the healthcare industry. My services will include: data entry, proofreading/editing, PowerPoint presentations, blog-related services, social media ad set-up/management, calendar management, and Facebook group management. What city/town/state/country am I from? I am originally from the Chicago area, but now reside in the Los Angeles area. Am I married? Not yet, but I am in the near future! Any kids? Not yet, but working on it! Hobbies and Interests: I love to read, go bike riding with my significant other, and I'm also a history buff! How did I hear about VA Networking? Through the Google search.

Hello everyone! I'm Chuck (Some call me Charles, that's okay too). I am just getting started in the virtual world of assisting as one of those rare males in this profession. I don't have a business URL yet, but I am working diligently to to get that up and going. I have spent the last 20 years helping businesses become better through leading up as an employee, informal business coaching, and advising on system/process implementation to improve different aspects of business. My business is general virtual assistance helping small, medium, and large businesses Maximize the BIG THREE Es of Business, Efficiency, Effectiveness , and Execution! My education is management information systems and psychology. This education coupled with my experience in the military and the business world helps me to assist others accomplish what needs to be done in a technological world where change is the number one crippling factor. I specialize in business systems, social media implementation, web design, and tech support. My wife and I currently live in Vero Beach, Florida. I am originally from Lenoir, North Carolina. We have been married for 26 years and have two kids away at university. Our daughter is studying veterinary medicine at the University of Louisville, and our son is in the masters program for classical vocals and composition at the Boston Conservatory. YES, we are extremely proud of them! Being the nerd that I am, I am actually turning my hobbies into a virtual assistant business. My hobbies are actually web design, social media profile initiation, and business coaching for friends, family, and associates. So, I figured since I do this stuff in my free time, why not go professional and get paid to do it! Like they say, "If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life." This does lead me to a question though. Has anyone else experienced burn out, or other pitfalls, from the psychological shift in doing something as a hobby but now having the responsibility of getting paid for it? I would love to hear your thought or experiences around this. Please leave a response, because I really don't want to get headed the wrong direction! Thank you all for being here. We can all work together to make one another better! Chuck Kanupp

Hi Madina, welcome to VAnetworking!

Welcome to the group Chuck and just know you aren't the only male in this industry. My last survey showed 7% are male although you are still definitely a minority. Here's a post on male VAs which you may find interesting. The best job in the world is one that you love so I see with your skillsets that being a VA should be perfect for you. My husband loves motorcycles and is a motorcycle mechanic and on his weekends he is out in the garage working on his bikes LOL! Fact is, if you love what you do, you'll do it and if you can make money doing it, BONUS!!! I think everyone at some point no matter what they do gets burnout throughout life. The reason for that is usually not that you don't like what you are doing but more that you've lost your purpose/reason. I used to work to put food on the table for my 3 kids but once they grew up I had to find another reason to pump my veins with a passionate cause. Every now and then I find I achieve my goal and have to find another one. Like for years I was single so needed to work to keep my independence so that was my reason. Nowadays I have my home, a husband, etc. so need to find another reason once again else I'll experience burnout again. I'm only saying this because my coach and I talked about it yesterday and here I am again needing to find my reasons. My whole point is that it's normal in different stages of life to feel a bit burnt out, you just need to refocus on your NEW WHY.

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?

Pricing can always be a difficult question. In my practice, I charge at an hourly rate. I find the hourly rate model to be flexible enough to suit a diverse set of clients. Perhaps if I had an ongoing relationship with a client and could get a better sense for their specific needs week after week, only then do I think it would be beneficial to set a flat fee arrangement.

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

Hello Everybody, I volunteer for a very low budget 501(c)3. Hightail used to allow us to mail out audio tapes to 350 people at no charge. They have recently changed their rules. They still allow us to send out as many audio tapes as we please, but to a maximum of 10 people at no charge. Is there anyone out there that have a recommendation of a low cost service. or on that doesn't charge at all? The problem is that these are webinars that go about an hour an a half. They are huge files. Mary PS is there another area I could have posted this? Suggestions welcome!!! Mary

I am going to share with you some broadcasting software tools that I have come across that might help you or someone else in the group. Broadcasting Software Review Hi Mary, I like using a couple of tools. A. One is https://www.loom.com It allows you to create 100 videos for free and provides you tools to edit them. You can choose between the following: · Audio only · Video only · Or you can screen share and see a video of you on the corner. The paid version allows you to do unlimited videos and it has a low cost to it. B. Another tool you can use is: https://stageten.tv/ · You can easily create live shows with remote guests. Video feeds from phones, cams, screen share, and game streams. · Connect with your audience and live stream to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch. · Stand out from the crowd with multi-cam shots, custom graphics, video clips, and unique stream formats. Not sure about the pricing. I think they do have a free version or a trial C. Here is another tool www.zoom.com I love using zoom too because it allows you to have a free version. The free version Meetings Online Meetings, Training & Technical Support Video Webinar Marketing Events & Town Hall Meetings Conference Rooms Build Collaboration-Enabled Conference Rooms Zoom Phone The next generation enterprise phone system Business IM Cross-Platform Messaging & File Sharing · You can connect with your calendar · You can schedule meetings onto zoom · You can also stream to YouTube and Facebook live · You can also do a whiteboard and draw or type a text and screen share it. D. Another great tool that has advanced features https://belive.tv Here are some great features for it. · You can do solo videos · Interviews or · Talk shows · Boost brand & Engagement using custom logos, frames, and colors · Stay organized · Screen share your presentation and bring photos from your Facebook album to your broadcast · You can also share it on Facebook live or Twitch · It has a free 30-day trial · The prices are reasonable · I think Tawnya has started using this one recently Hope this information will help you in selecting what tool works best for you. It depends on who your audience is. What social media platform they hang out in. And what tool will serve you best? Something to keep in mind. As your needs grow then you will want a tool that can grow with you.

I have been following up with two emails instead of three. I am unsure how to remove my emails from potential clients spam folders. I do not think I have an email campaign as I am responding to RFPs. I hope this is making sense

Amber that was so so so helpful thank you so much. Amber do you have a link so i can see how your looks and Tawnya thank you so much im going to check hers out now :)

I highly recommend Lastpass and it's free

Hi and welcome to our network! You have great experience behind your belt and you should do well in this career as a freelancer/VA. Congrats on almost getting your website finished as that is a huge accomplishment in the beginning stages. Pat yourself on the back! I hear you about the roller coaster of emotions you are going through right now. We never stop worrying about our babes right? Hunting scorpions, now that's a first I've ever heard anyone doing here, ugh...I am not a bug fun so wouldn't have fun doing that HAHA! Enjoy the boards!

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

I think keep the descriptions simple, don't give them too many options or things to think about. Provide a pay pal buy button under each service description and a call to action like 'download my FREE working with a VA ebook' or "You may also like my book editing services <<click here>>" the link would then lead to the next service description. Do this for all your service options on your home page. Which would have an icon or image for each with short description that opens to a new page with the service details, buy button, freebie ebook and call to action or upsell for another service. >image/ icon >title e.g. transcription services >short dot point description of service >PayPal buy button >link to download ebook >link to another service offering hope that helps amber

It's like exercising. If you can find a way to exercise that you love doing ie) playing hockey then you'll do it all the time. Glad you found a website program that works for you as that means you'll use it to it's fullest.

That is strange, I've never seen LinkedIn do that. You could try submitting a help ticket to ask them why it's being marked as malicious. https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin?lang=en

I had a discussion with a long time pro designer. After the remarks from Tawnya, and the web designer, I've decided I need to up my game with my website. I'm trying to decide the format for my website and have come up with a few ideas that may keep the spirit of the site while changing the design to something more clean and modern while still remaining feminine, warm, and welcoming. It's been a bit difficult since I don't like the intensely empty minimalist spaces on most current websites but unfortunately that style is very common so I'm going to go with it at least a bit. A question I'm pondering is whether I should take my site offline to work on it or just create it on xampp on my computer, then transfer it to my website in one go after. So what do you think of my new logo?

Hello, I was wondering, what would you say I must have already and put together before I launch my business. And what are some things, I can wait until right after launch. Thank you!

Hello everyone! I'm brand new to the VA community/business...still working on stepping away from my full-time job as I prepare for retirement and full-time travelling/housesitting. I'm not sure what I want to offer as VA services; I'm a freelance proofreader/editor, and I've got 20 years of experience in online/telephone customer support, along with being a pharmacist and (long ago) a chemical engineer. My plan is to retire from my current position and move to Mexico or Ecuador, where the weather is better than it is here (Eastern Canada...pretty chilly in the winter...NOW!) and it's less expensive to live. From there, I'll do international house/pet sitting till I don't enjoy it anymore. So I need a location-independent source of income and I thought being a VA would be ideal. Hoping to chat with a few of you - get ideas about how to proceed, etc. I just saw this template, so I guess I'll fill it out: Your Name: Jacquie Your Website URL (if applicable): jacquiedoucette.com Years in Business: <1 Description of your Business, including any specialties: I guess my specialties will be customer service, bookkeeping, editing/proofreading. I'm pretty much an A-type person, so give me a job and I'll get it done. What City/Town/State/Country are you from?: near Ottawa, ON, Canada Are you married? How long?: married for 23.5 yrs Any kids and how old? two daughters - 22 and 20 yrs old Hobbies & Interests: I LIVE for volleyball!! Also enjoy walking my dog, reading (novels, not non-fiction) and I love to travel, though I haven't really done a lot, compared to some people.

Thank you so much. that helped a lot. and if I remember correctly, you said most clients do not like retainer pricing right?

I truly haven't decided. I like keeping some of it, but the format of the site needs to change. I really don't like 1and1. The only way I can have a staging site is if I use managed wordpress. I disabled that function because I could install cache mangers or security using managed. I'll have to do this the long way.

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!

Hello everyone My name is Afshan Ahmad and I'm a full time mummy. I have previously worked in a solicitor's office and for a bank for 4 years. After being full time stay at home mum for 4 years I now want to get back into working and focusing on my career alongside my family. Therefore, im interested in setting up my VA business from home and using my previous skills and experiences to get started. I would love if you could share your experience of being a VA please especially mummies. How do you manage with children especially during school holidays or your child is off for some other reason and you have work, meetings etc scheduled.. Thank you very much. Afshan

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.

Great start on your website, pat yourself on the back!!! Our website is always a work in progress as you will soon find out. As for some constructive feedback... 1. I love your logo at the top left. See if you can remove the words on the right of it in black as it is redundant. You only need your business name once. Maybe you could put a nice photo there instead to represent your business. 2. There seems to be wasted white space to the right of all your pages (almost like a column not be used). Maybe see if you can extend your copy to use all the space as that will bring more of your copy above the fold. 3. I'd add some visuals (images/pics) to your website too as this helps warm up a webpage and make it more welcoming for visitors. Or videos too if you are more creative. 4. For credibility/trust since you are a VAinsider you could add our logo to your page (use your affiliate link if you do). I also see you are a member of IVAA so add their logo too. 5. On your services page I would do a call to action (either paypal buttons to buy your services or a link to email you about them). Great job and look forward to seeing it grow with your business.

Congratulations on the launch Brittany! Will you be able to attend this week's VAinsider call? We can do a review of your site on the call if you'd like. Virtual Assistance is a great career for military spouses. What branch are you in? On your home page, I recommend switching around the 2 top headings. It's always best to have "how you can help" a client at the very top. You want them to see how you can help them right away, stress those pain points. Will you be setting up social networks as well? I didn't see any listed yet, was going to follow you. Hopefully you can attend our next call. Let me know if you can't and I'll put a note to get Tawnya to review it even if you aren't there.

If Zoom works for you use Zoom! Here's an article I found using zoom to put onto Facebook Live I used BeLive for my Facebook Lives.

I am thinking about switching to Wave and am currently using Quickbooks. Any thoughts on which one is better?