It’s Almost Here! The Six-Week ‘Skyrocket Your Virtual Assistance Business to Six-Figure Success’ Group Coaching Program
January 30, 2008
Are you joining us?
This program is designed to teach those individuals with virtual assistance businesses how to take them and turn them into six-figure successes. I reached six-figures in less than three years and I’ve already set my new business goal! (If you want to learn that new goal, you’ll have to join the program!)
I plan on creating something really magical with this program. I will be giving specific assignments that even AFTER the six weeks of the program, the participants need to do. Then, they’ll have checkpoints with me. This will continue for one year to make sure each VA is following through on what I’ve told them to do.
Not only that but this program really will teach these participants EVERYTHING I do to earn over six-figures (and well into the multiple six-figures). What I do isn’t that difficult. It just requires a specific plan and that is what I’ll be teaching.
The course is limited to a select number of participants so you need to ACT FAST! I will be cutting off registration when we meet that number because I want everyone to be given special treatment to really help rocket their businesses forward.
It starts February 5, 2008. Get your seat here.
Technorati Tags: virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, The VA Coach, six-figure virtual assistant, six-figure virtual assistance, big virtual assistance business, Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistance coach
Is Someone Squashing Your Virtual Assistance Dreams?
January 29, 2008
As you may very well know, I am a virtual assistance coach. In one of my coaching sessions last week, I had one of my coaching clients tell me that although she is trying to start her business, she’s been told by some other successful virtual assistants that starting a business AND working full-time is just not possible and that she shouldn’t even try to do it.
Allow me to get up on my soapbox for a moment…
If someone in your life is telling you that you can’t do something or that something is out of your reach or too difficult, get rid of them! That sort of behavior can not be tolerated if you want to do big things in the world and make a difference. You need to look past perceptions and know that you are an amazing person who has so much talent and potential.
I remember about a year ago… I was having a conversation with two virtual assistants - offering them my expertise and instruction for free - and one of the VAs said (and I quote), “The only reason you are successful is because you don’t have kids.” Had I listened to that advice and walked away feeling unworthy of my success (which came through hours upon hours of hard work, determination, focus, motivation and drive) I may not be where I am today.
Instead, I turned it into empowerment (and I removed that person from my business life).
For those who know me well, they know that when someone says, “You can’t do that”, they are instantly challenging me. I don’t take well to people saying “can’t”, “won’t”, “impossible”. You shouldn’t either. When someone offers negativity like that in response to a challenge you are having or a fear you have, they are simply feeding upon those fears due to their own insecurities.
So, my fellow virtual assistants, stay proud and ignore all negative energy. Instead, walk forward with pride, determination, focus and a willingness to succeed. I promise you that having that confidence (even an iota) will be the difference between being a VA who shines and one who shies away, going unnoticed.
I digress and am stepping down from that soapbox of mine…
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistance coach, Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant dreams, virtual assistance dreams, can I become a VA?, confidence
Five Steps to Clearing Out That Inbox
January 28, 2008
If you’re a busy virtual assistant, you know what I mean when I say that I would L-O-V-E to see the bottom of my virtual inbox (ie: e-mail inbox) each and everyday. But… the sad truth is that I don’t.
It got me thinking… how on Earth could someone empty their inbox each and everyday and go to bed at night feeling less stressed and enjoy their next morning with fresh e-mails and fresh work. Well, you might be scoffing at me and saying, ‘Erin, that’s impossible!’ but… I challenge you to at least try.
To get you started, here are five tips to getting your e-mail inbox down to nil:
- Use David Allen’s rule (he’s the Getting Things Done author - a must read for productivity!) that says, ‘If you can do it in two minutes or less, do it now and forget about it.‘ Good idea huh? So, any e-mail that takes you two minutes or less to answer, answer it and move on.
- Create folders in your e-mail inbox to help you manage your thought process. In my inbox, I have the following folders: Done & Filed (for things not requiring further action), Subcontracted Work (for things I forwarded or gave to one of my assistants), To Discuss in a Meeting (for things I will discuss with a client on the phone) and finally Waiting on a Response For (for things I can’t action further before hearing from someone else.)
- Create an e-mail address (Gmail is perfect) for things like newsletter subscriptions, shopping cart notices, etc. That way, you don’t have to worry about sifting through the unimportant stuff and can focus on that when you are good and ready.
- Plan your time accordingly each day with as little distractions as possible. That way, you can actually get some of the work in your inbox DONE! Sounds simple but it’s one of the biggest hang-ups that VAs have - staying focused.
- BATCH YOUR WORK. Why is this in capitals? It is one of THE most important things you’ll ever do. I could re-explain, but my previous post says all.
If you implement these tips and they help, let me know! If you have other suggestions, let me know that too.
Technorati Tags: E-mail management, managing e-mail overwhelm, e-mail overwhelm, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, The VA Coach, Erin Blaskie, David Allen, Getting Things Done, batch your work, batching work
Productivity Tips for the Scatter-Brained Virtual Assistant
January 25, 2008
It’s 11:45 AM and you’re surfing around your RSS feed reader. Before that, you laid on the floor with your dog, you checked your personal Facebook account, you made some breakfast, you checked your e-mail but haven’t answered any yet, you wrote out some ideas for future blog posts and you made yourself a coffee.
You glance at the clock and feel frustration and anger at yourself for wasting so much damn time and energy on nothing productive (although, I’ll give you something - making a coffee for me is definitely productive!)
So, where did the time go and why does this happen to you day after day?
It’s because working from home means you have NO structure. There isn’t someone looking over your shoulder and you aren’t in business attire in a stuffy cubicle where you work to keep your mind off of how long you need to stay there. Your day is wide open for you to do whatever you want and you do what you want.
Becoming a super successful virtual assistant means cutting down on the non-productive things you do every day.
It’s true! I bill my clients, on average, eight-ten hours per day. My assistants are also billing between four and six hours per day. Every day, on top of client work, I am marketing my business, managing this coaching practice, taking client calls and balancing a personal life.
How do I do it? I stay focused. Focus for me is the number one reason that I have experienced such rapid, amazing success in such a short time. So, here are a few times for you scatter-brained VAs…
- Set a timer. I’m not kidding! What I do is sit down at my desk with my Red Hot Copy chicken timer and I say, “Ok, for the next 30 minutes, I am going to work only on client X stuff” and then I do. When the timer goes off, I reset it for the next client. I spend the day counting down intervals of time until I have at least eight hours of billable work in.
- Make a list. I use Basecamp to manage my to-dos but if you don’t want to pay for something, get a notebook! It’ll save your sanity if you know what you want / need to accomplish every single day.
- Think of the almighty dollar. This one sounds funny but it’s so true. If you think every single day, “How much can I earn today?” and you get motivated by increasing your income, you will! Remember, one of the Laws of Attraction state that what you put attention toward sees results so get your mind on raising those billable hours and creating more income for yourself!
What else do you do to stay on-task?
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, Erin Blaskie, The VA Coach, productivity, setting a timer, increasing income, staying focused, focus, productive, Laws of Attraction
Are You Undercharging Due to Fear?
January 24, 2008
When you make the decision to become a business owner, a lot of us carry our personalities, beliefs, fears and other feelings into our business. This makes us susceptible to running a business that is fear-based instead of one that is based on confidence.
What I mean by this is that you will often make decisions in your business that are not necessarily what YOU want but what you think people want to hear. (I can hear you nodding your head right now.)
For example, you are on a potential client call and they ask you about your rates. Before that, they tell you that they are just starting out so they are strapped for cash and they really want a VA because they feel hopeless.
So… What do you say?
If you are anything like I was in the beginning of my business, I would offer them a rate based on my fear of (a) scaring them away and (b) making them feel more hopeless.
My advice for you is to STOP. You aren’t doing anyone a favor by running your business in this way. I know that’s some tough love but I mean it! Instead, set a rate that you deserve based on your experience and expertise and regardless of who comes into your business, honor that rate always.
The thing is, the first time you compromise yourself like that, the easier it will be to continue to do it. So, don’t. Instead, value yourself and the business you’ve worked hard to create and charge what you’re worth!
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, The VA Coach, Erin Blaskie, fear-based business, fear, running a business, running a business on fear, saying no
What Are Your Long-Term Goals?
January 23, 2008
One of the things I go over in the VA Coach 8-Week Group Coaching Program is long-term and short-term goals. Do you have any long-term goals?In my experience, a lot of virtual assistants haven’t thought about it. They are just happy with the short-term - getting clients, keeping clients happy and earning an income. While that is all well and good, what do you want long-term? In order to start succeeding as a virtual assistant, you need to determine what these goals are and write them down.A few examples could be:
- I want to grow my business to include two other sub-contractors.
- I want to double my income in the next year.
- I want to be able to take two weeks of vacation per year.
- I want to have at least one info-product created by the end of the year.
Thinking even further than that, where do you see yourself in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years even? You might think to yourself right now, “I’ll be happy if I am still doing what I am doing now - self-employed with clients.” That’s okay but it’s not a risky thought. Instead, you’re settling on that thought so that you don’t need to think about what you could be doing to really boost your business.
Instead of settling, think about what you really, truly want. Even if you’ve never spoken it aloud until now. If your dream is to work two-three hours a day and spend the rest of the time with your family, write it down! If your goal is to travel the world while checking in your business that sub-contractors are running for you, write it down! If your goal is to be a millionaire, write it down!
The more disciplined you are at writing down your goals, the easier they will come to you.
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, The VA Coach, Erin Blaskie, goals, long-term goals, short-term goals
Any Virtual Assistants Out There on a Mac?
January 22, 2008
I bought a new iMac a few months back and I haven’t really used it exclusively for business. I’ve pretty much stuck to my PC laptop and used my iMac for things like creating videos and creating audios (primarily of me singing to instrumental backing tracks!)
It got me thinking, how many VAs out there are on a Mac? Are you?
There are a lot of differences of course between the two but I must say, I really, really do love my Mac. I love that I can pop on over to it and it feels like a brand new start. Not slowed down by my thousand PC applications and my hundreds of folders of client work. Instead, my Mac feels pristine and fun. My media computer.
I’m going to try something. I’m going to use my iMac exclusively for all things related to The VA Coach. I am not going to do anything for The VA Coach on my PC. I’ll see how easy that is and what challenges I encounter. Of course, I’ll blog about those challenges (if any) and I’ll keep you updated on how that goes.
Also - let me know if you’re on a Mac and if you find it hard to work with PC based clients.
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, Erin Blaskie, The VA Coach, iMac, Mac, Mac virtual assistant, VAs
Are You a Medical Transcription Desiring to Become a Virtual Assistant?
January 21, 2008
My good friend and team member, Diane Fusco, has recently created a medical transcriptionist Yahoo group for those people who are looking to transition from medical transcription to virtual assistance.
Diane is a leading medical transcriptionist and she is also my resident transcriptionist over at Business Services, ETC.Diane has created this Yahoo group to become a forum for people to discuss this career option and yours truly will be providing information to those people as well as answering questions that they may have.
I suppose you could say I’m the Resident Expert (I kind of feel like I am on Grey’s Anatomy saying that…)
Check it out at: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/mt2va/
Technorati Tags: Virtual Assistant, virtual assistance, The VA Coach, Erin Blaskie, Diane Fusco, Thriving and Transcribing, medical transcription, medical transcriptionist, expert
Contact Forms & Contact Info Virtual Assistant Websites
January 20, 2008
I was doing some research tonight to find Savvy Virtual Assistants on the web to consider for my new SVA Award (Savvy Virtual Assistant). While doing this research, I couldn’t help but notice that there were so many websites that made their contact information really hard to find.Here are a few tips I have to ensure that you aren’t losing business due to obscurely placed e-mail addresses:
- Create a page called ‘Contact’ on both your website and blog. Don’t call it anything but ‘Contact’ or ‘Contact Us’. People visit websites expecting the same thing from every site. Easy to find information and most people associate contact information with the word Contact.
- Don’t use contact forms exclusively. They can be used but make sure to at least have an e-mail address somewhere on your website that people can use. Contact forms annoy me to no end - especially if I have an attachment I want to send someone. I very well can’t do that through a contact form so either trash the contact form or add your e-mail address.
- Make sure to have a phone number visible somewhere on your site. Why? It gives people a sense of security and trust in your business. Without it, you don’t necessarily look like a legitimate business.
What else am I missing?
What do you feel are some ‘rules’ around contact information on a website? Also, check your own site. Is your contact information easily found in five seconds or less - especially to someone who has never seen your website before?
Technorati Tags: virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, VA website, virtual assistant website, virtual assistance website, Erin Blaskie, The VA Coach, website contact information, contact information, website standards
Thoughts on Being a Brand New Virtual Assistant
January 15, 2008
I was reading Angela Wills’ blog over at Star VA and I came across an article written by a guest author and it sparked me to write a comment with my thoughts on the article. I wanted to get your opinion on both the article and my comments. Do you agree or disagree?
Here’s the article:
“Starting out as a new VA is likely just as scary as the first time you decide to outsource some of your work.
Being a new VA myself, I believe there can be a lot of advantages of hiring a VA just starting out. You may tend to shy away from the newer VA’s and go for the VA’s with more clients, who’ve been in the business a lot longer.
Maybe you don’t want to hire the new VA because you feel we don’t know what we are doing.”
And here was my comment:
I think the reason that clients don’t generally want to hire brand new virtual assistants is because they just don’t have the time to train nor the time to wait while a VA learns ‘the ropes’ so to speak.
The thing is, they are coming to you, looking to hire a VA because they have run out of time. Time is a commodity that they want to get back and if they hire someone who requires a lot of hand-holding, it may be faster if they just do it themselves.
Instead, I always encourage new VAs to partner with other virtual assistants (particularly those that own businesses with a team of VAs) so that they can take the time to learn things and then contract out those services to clients.
That’s not to say a VA can’t work with a client but I think that you’ll be hard-pressed to find many clients who are looking to train a VA or who have the time.
The question is, what do you think?
Technorati Tags: virtual assistant, virtual assistance, new virtual assistant, VA, The VA Coach, Erin Blaskie