Danielle Keister wrote an awesome article recently that I believe is a MUST read for new Virtual Assistants or anyone who is considering the industry. Anyway, many of you know that I hold issues with the fact that the VA industry is seen as a WAHM magnet, quick cash and downright effortless. When I read Danielle’s article I was in awe and captivated. The entire time I read it I thought, “finally a down to the nitty-gritty article about the VA industry.” Truth be told, Dale and I are kicking ourselves for not coming up with it sooner ;). Way to go!

I hope you enjoy!

Until next time,
Becki
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HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE BUSINESS
By Danielle Keister, The Relief…:::::Virtual Assistance, Print Media & Web Design

So you want to be a Virtual Assistant, huh?

Having built a successful Virtual Assistance practice myself, I can tell you it can be very rewarding being your own boss, doing work you love for fantastic clients. But make no mistake - this is a real profession requiring a high level of qualifications and expertise. And life as a business owner can be very demanding.

Virtual Assistance is not for everyone, and not everyone can be a Virtual Assistant. For serious-minded newcomers who are considering entry into the Virtual Assistance profession, I want to share some of my insights.

DOES IT TAKE A LONG TIME TO GET A VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE BUSINESS OFF THE GROUND?

As with any business, success doesn’t happen overnight or without much effort. You get what you put in, and it takes hard work, dedication and perseverance.

For some people, business sense is effortless, and they have the acumen it takes to market, network and promote successfully while operating intelligently and providing superior services. For others, this is a struggle, and they often perpetuate ineffectual methods and practices that won’t ever lead them where they’d like to go.

Outside of that, it will take time to become established. The better you are at networking, marketing and creating your own opportunities, the quicker that will happen.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU NEED TO BECOME A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

Virtual Assistant practices are true businesses providing valuable professional services. Virtual Assistance is not a get-rich-quick, work-at-home, telecommuting side-job, MLM or other network-marketing scheme.

A small segment of the people attracted to the Virtual Assistance profession are those with little to no qualifications or only entry-level skill sets who are looking for a way to make a quick buck with no effort. That won’t happen in this business, and veteran Virtual Assistants vehemently discourage that mentality as it both disrespects and misrepresents our profession.

Most Virtual Assistants led accomplished professional lives in the workforce before taking their expertise into the entrepreneurial world. Virtual Assistants come from a variety of business backgrounds, but the common denominator is that they are typically overachievers with extensive administrative experience and superior skill sets and training.

Entry-level skills and experience simply will not afford the ability to serve clients well. Business owners need Virtual Assistants with top-of-the-line expertise. Entering into the profession without these qualifications would be a mistake, and a grave disservice to both consumers and the profession, as well as yourself.

IS THE INCOME GOOD?

The income can be very good. And offering certain or highly specialized services can be even more lucrative. But I won’t mislead you. It again comes back to how hard one works and learns to create a successful business, and how intelligently the business is set-up.

One of the most important decisions, if not THE most important, is determining your rates. Rather than pulling a rate out of thin air, smart Virtual Assistants utilize established business formularies to determine a profitable rate for their business. These formularies take into consideration, among other things, the amount of salary you expect to earn, administrative costs (non-billable time), anticipated expenses, operating costs and capital outlay. You also need to factor into the calculations the value of your time and expertise.

Realize that in order to remain in business, doing the work you love and living the life of your choosing, you must be profitable, so set your rates with intention and due diligence.

HOW CAN YOU AVOID GETTING THE WRONG KIND OF CLIENTS?

Some Virtual Assistants will take any client on. A larger number of us, however, prefer to screen or handpick our clients. One of the ways we do that is by first developing a profile of the kind of client we want to work with. That profile can include, among other things, personality traits, work habits, and the kind of work they do. Once you discern the kind of person you prefer to work with, it’s much easier when interviewing new clients to weed out those who won’t be a good fit.

Every Virtual Assistant has different tastes, skills and strengths. Along those lines, we determine who our target markets are, and narrow down our services to offer only those that we most enjoy and are most qualified to deliver. Covering all these bases will go a long way toward finding your most suitable clients, and maintaining joy and satisfaction, as well as quality, in your work.

Although all Virtual Assistants get their fair share of one-time or occasional projects, our business models are more commonly geared toward establishing long-term partnerships with clients. Therefore, it’s important that the client fit your needs as much as you fit theirs. Your earning potential will also be greater with retained clients.

Working with the “right” client on a long-term basis is also much more gratifying, and creates a positive reciprocal energy for both of you. You get to know them and the work very well, which makes anticipating their needs more intuitive, and the satisfaction of having a more personal relationship with a client and being a part of their success can be very rewarding for both of you.

ARE THERE COURSES THAT ARE WORTH MY TIME TO TAKE?

There are several highly recommended courses and resources!

First off, Tanya Sutherland, who founded the Virtual Assistant Networking Forum (http://vanetworking.com/), offers the Virtual Assistant Business System (http://www.vanetworking.com/virtual-assistant-business/). This is a comprehensive business system for setting up a successful Virtual Assistant practice in 30 days. To my knowledge, there is absolutely no one else offering such an all-inclusive resource with business forms, workbook, how-to books, business plan template, start-up website, and just about a zillion other tools. And the cost, currently at $495 USD, is much more affordable then some of the Virtual Assistant business training courses offered.

Dale & Becki Noles offer the unique and highly-recommended Virtual Assistant Training (http://www.vatraining.com/). There is no cost in terms of money. Instead, what they do is share their expertise and coach students (who can be new or even seasoned Virtual Assistants), while students complete actual Virtual Assistant work projects. The course is only offered three times per year, and they only accept eight students per 8-week session. Seats are highly prized so it’s best to contact them as soon as possible if you’re interested.

There are also Virtual Assistant certification courses such as Stacy Brice’s Assist U (http://www.assistu.com/) and Janet Jordan’s Virtual Assistance U (http://www.virtualassistanceu.com/introduction.htm). The curriculums of both of these well-respected “virtual colleges” are rigorous and demanding, and cover Virtual Assistant basics as well as ethics and running a successful business.

I WANT TO LEAVE A CRAZY JOB, AND CERTAINLY DON’T WANT TO “JUMP FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.” CAN THE WORK GET OUT OF HAND?

Again, this depends on how smart you model and operate your business. It can only get out of hand if you allow it. I really encourage systemizing your business and processes and how you deliver your services. That, combined with specializing in particular services, and choosing to work with people who fit your client profile will go a long way towards living and working exactly the way you intend.

These are simplified answers to some of the questions you may have, but I hope they help you start thinking in the right directions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Danielle Keister is owner of The Relief, a successful Virtual Assistance practice located in Tacoma, Washington, that has been delivering expert, personalized office support services to businesses large and small since 1997. She has over 20 years administrative management experience in both the private and public business sectors. Her areas of expertise also include bookkeeping, desktop publishing and Web design. For more information, visit http://www.TheRelief.com.

We haven’t yet hit the 24 hour mark and already we have 12 members in VA Rebels. Honestly, we had no idea how much a listserv like this was needed. Ok, I had my sap party for the day!

VA Rebels are virtual assistants who love the industry but are tired of the constant up-hill battle of defending the professionalism of the industry. VA Rebels believe that there need to be distinctions in the following:

Virtual Assistants
Home-Based Secretaries
Telecommuters

Too often the term virtual assistant or VA is lumped as all three of the above, when in actuality they are three distinct entities. Granted a VA might perform secretarial type duties, they are more than a home-based secretary. VAs partner with clients on a monthly basis and basically become their right hand. Virtual Assistants handle administrative tasks, as well as office management, website design, graphic design, desktop publishing and a plethora of other things. The rate for VA can range anywhere from $30/hr on up to $100/hr+, because a VAs skills are EXTREMELY specialized.

A home-based secretary may type a document here or there or perform transcription, but that is usually where the relationship ends. There is typically no monthly contact and no “partnership” type duties involved. Typically the rate for a home-based secretary is $10/hr - $15/hr.

Telecommuters work from their home office for an employer, whereby virtual assistants and home-based secretaries are 1099 contractors.

Again the difference may seem minimal to some, but for a select group we are tired of being lumped together.

(note: this is only one area of issue…stop by VA Rebels for more.)

It’s time for our voices to be heard!

B

I love the VA industry. I love the freedom it provides. I love being an entrepreneur.

I guess I have been in a mood. Lately I’ve noticed that the majority of virtual assistant listservs won’t let you speak your mind, for fear of flaming another member. Do you realize how many times I have wanted to speak out, but feared the repercussions of my actions? Would I be kicked off? This prompted another virtual assistant and I to start our own listserv called The Virtual Assistant Rebels.

We are staunch supporters of the virtual assistance industry, and our mission is to uphold the integrity and professionalism of the industry, by creating a comfortable (and not so comfortable) place where virtual assistants from all walks of life and all nations, can express their opinions freely, in an open environment, without the harsh penalties of many listservs.

I look forward to seeing you in VA Rebels.

Becki Noles