At What Point Should You Grow Your Team?
August 30, 2008
Question: What do you do when you’re asked to do something but you don’t know how to do one part of it? If I don’t know how to do something and what I’ve done in the past is I’ve turned down the job and I’d rather not do that if I can do 80 percent of it. What’s the best way of filling in the gaps when you need them fast? How do you find other great virtual assistants?
Answer: That’s a great question! What I’ve done in my business in the past , if there were things that I didn’t know how to do and I was asked to do them right away, I would say “yes” to everything and then I would figure it out once I said yes. That wasn’t always the most stress-free way to do things!
What I would do now is:
(A) Try to figure out how to do it yourself.
One of the things I find myself doing from time to time is using the Web to do some research to try and find forums or message boards where people were currently doing what it is that I needed to figure out how to do. I would then see if, based on the knowledge given there, if it was something I could do myself.
If it was something that really went beyond my technical knowledge, I would share that with my client and say, “You know, I can do x, y and z. But I can’t necessarily do w.” The client would then make the decision of giving me the extra time to figure out the part I didn’t know or to hire someone else onto the team who could do that particular task.
(B) Outsource it to someone who already knows.
In my business now, I’m quite fortunate that I have a team as well as a pretty wide database of people, so if there’s something that I can’t necessarily do, I am able now more quickly to find those people. If you get to a point where you’re being asked to do more things that you don’t know how to do, determine if you do want to outsource it. If you do, this might be the perfect place to begin growing your team.
You’ll want to find people who fill the gap for you. If you’re lacking in the blogging department or the website department, consider finding someone who can take over this area for you. If you want to do more graphic work for example, find someone who can do that. Most things that you may need in your VA business can be outsourced to other team members. It just requires great planning and finding the right people.
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, multi-VA, multi-VA practice, multi-VA team, virtual assistants, growing your team, outsourcing, delegating, Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistance coach, VA coach
Are Your Virtual Assistant Rates Crazy?
August 26, 2008
In my previous post, I was discussing pricing strategies and pricing your services to attract the customers you want to have in your business. As a follow-up to that, I also want to talk about the flip side of that and discuss pricing your services too high.
As a virtual assistant coach, I spend a lot of time talking to new virtual assistants as well as virtual assistants who have been in the industry for a long time. One thing that naturally comes up a lot is the subject of pricing. For new virtual assistants, it’s a struggle to determine where is a good place to start and for industry veterans, it’s an issue around pricing their services too high.
My rule of thumb is this. Do your research and ask some questions. Take a look at other virtual assistant websites and see what they are charging for their services. If a VA that has a similar skill set to you is charging $25/hour (let’s say that’s primarily administratively based) and you’re charging $75/hour, you may want to rethink your rate. Here’s why…
If you price your services super high, you will instantly need to deliver to that level. All of your potential clients (or at least most) will be doing their research and due diligence before coming to you for your services. If you’re priced high, they will have very high expectations. If you don’t deliver to those expectations, you may experience high turnover rate where your clients are concerned.
So, go with a happy medium. Determine what feels good for you and what the industry standard / average seems to be for your skill set and then price your own services accordingly. Again, do your research and see what other people are charging. If they are super busy in their practice, it probably means they’ve found a sweet spot in terms of pricing.
What are your thoughts around pricing? Any advice for VAs out there when first starting out?
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, VA Coach, The VA Coach, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistance coach, Erin Blaskie, BSETC, virtual assistant rate, virtual assistant rates, pricing strategies
Are You Pro-Active With Your Client Work?
July 17, 2008
One common thread I see amongst really successful virtual assistants is there ability to be pro-active. They encourage their clients to delegate and outsource and they create ideas around their client’s businesses in order to ramp up their own billable hours and get their clients relying more heavily on them.
So, the question is - how pro-active are you?
Being pro-active means:
- Going through your open client projects and making sure you are up-to-date and then going ten steps ahead to see what else you can do for your client
- Doing things that make logical sense to a project but might be things that your client didn’t think of at first
- Thinking outside of the box and offering up new project and task ideas to your clients
- Doing things that your client hasn’t held your hand through
Do you currently do things in your virtual assistance business that is pro-active? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
Technorati Tags: The VA Coach, The Virtual Assistant Coach, VA Coach, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, Erin Blaskie, pro-active, client, client work
Stop the Flow of E-mail People!
July 16, 2008
This is a short post but an important reminder. With the influx of e-mail in everyone’s inboxes, it’s super difficult to manage it all. So, here are some short reminders regarding e-mail.
- Not everything requires a response. If you’re just writing back to say ‘Thanks!’, don’t bother. :) I mean that in the nicest way possible! It’s not required and just causes the person on the other end to go into e-mail overwhelm.
- When setting appointments, be concise and clear. If someone is trying to schedule something with you, tell them an exact time, exact date and say, “If this works, just write back ‘confirmed’ and I’ll call you. Otherwise, please let me know two or three times that you have open and I’ll match that up with my schedule.” Or, use a self-scheduling system like mine at http://www.bsetc.ca/schedule/
- If you’ve e-mailed someone once and they haven’t replied, don’t e-mail them a thousand times. Instead, look up their assistant’s e-mail address, an alternate address on their website, a phone number and use another means of communication.
Help me stop the flow of e-mail. There is far too much of it floating around cyber-space!
Technorati Tags: The VA Coach, The Virtual Assistant Coach, Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA Coach, VA, e-mail, e-mail management, email
Working With Clients Who Have Had Negative Experiences Prior to You
June 19, 2008
Have you ever been doing a potential client call and the client says something along the lines of, “This will be my fifth VA! My previous VA experiences weren’t so good and I’m just hoping that you’ll be better…”? If so, you aren’t alone. It happens… Clients who have had negative experiences with a virtual assistant show up at your door already peeved with their past experience and if they do, I suggest you run for the hills.
Here’s why…
Imagine that you just purchased a new pair of shoes (I’m using shoes here because I l-o-v-e shoes) and you get them home, put them on, go out dancing and the heels break - your support system trashed. Not just one but two heels break leaving you walking super awkwardly down the street to go home… Early.
Attempt two. You purchase the same pair of shoes in an attempt to give the brand the opportunity to redeem themselves. You go out, this time to your best friend’s wedding - something super important - and a half hour into the reception, the toe of the shoe falls off. (Editor’s note: not sure how that would happen but needed a variation from the heels… haha) You realize that the shoe style just can’t be passed off as a peep-toe shoe so you leave your friend’s wedding out of embarassment and sheer frustration.
So, now you’ve decided to give it ONE LAST SHOT… You’re angry, frustrated and at your wit’s end. You’ve given this brand TWO CHANCES and they failed miserably both times. Even though this new pair of shoes is completely new, it doesn’t matter. You’ve lost faith, you’ve lost hope and you certainly aren’t about to give the brand a fair shot. No way. They’ve wronged you and now they’ve got something to prove.
Stop there… Does that sound familiar?
If you’ve experienced this from the VA end, you know that regardless of what happens and what YOU do to change that person’s perspective, it won’t matter. You’ll enter a client relationship where you’re walking on egg shells and they are sitting back just waiting (and I’m sure a part of their brain is hoping) that you’ll screw up so that they can say, “Ah ha! I was right!”
If you are the client who has done this, I encourage you to re-evaluate your thoughts a bit. The thing is, every single service provider (and this goes for any industry) is different. Not all are the same and if one VA doesn’t fit, another will. It really boils down to you, your ability to overcome experiences and your ability to leave your baggage behind.
So, to my fellow virtual assistants, if you’ve heard people talk about looking for “red flags” in a potential client call, that is one. A BIG one.
Technorati Tags: Virtual assistant, virtual assistance, potential clients, red flags, Erin Blaskie, The VA Coach, www.thevacoach.com, VA
Take Initiative and Do Something Unexpected for Your Client
April 11, 2008
Here’s a short but important tip.
Take a look at your client list and the things you need to do for each client and then do something unexpected for them. Do it without requesting anything in return, without looking for a downpour of praise, etc. Do it because you want to and because it makes you feel good.
Example? If your client asks you to create an ebook cover, have it 3D’ed at no cost to your client and send it to them as a surprise. Or, if your client asks you to proof an ebook, maybe do some light formatting at no cost.
The world is abundant and by creating abundance, you will receive that too in return.
Technorati Tags: The VA Coach, The Virtual Assistant Coach, Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, virtual assistance, va coach
Create a Process for Anything You Do More Than Twice
April 10, 2008
In your business (and in your work for clients) are there things that you do more than twice? I am sure there is. I am also sure that if you were to look at your day-to-day tasks, you’ll find more than just one or two things like that… You’ll find a whole slew of them.
In my business, I have a rule. If I have to do anything more than twice, I create a process for it. It doesn’t need to be a huge, drawn out thing but rather just a simple process. For example, if I am writing e-mails to people and using the same text repeadtedly, I will just create a little stock response, paste into my Basecamp for safe keeping and use it in future to send out the same message but to different people.
You can do this with everything. It’s also important to keep processes for client work because if you ever get ill or need to take vacation and someone else steps in for you, it’s important to make sure that they can do that easily. It’s also nice for your client to know what it is you do should something ever happen to you.
So, don’t be foolish in your business operations (I mean that in the nicest way possible) but instead, if you do something more than twice (or once for that matter) create a process and move on. With all of that time you’ll save, you can go and watch your favorite show guilt-free!
Technorati Tags: The VA Coach, The Virtual Assistant Coach, Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, virtual assistance, va coach, process, systems, operations
Growing Your Virtual Assistance Team
March 14, 2008
If you are a savvy virtual assistant looking to grow your team to be able to fulfill more of your client’s needs (and to service more clients!) you may have wondered what steps you should take.
When growing a team, the first thing to think about is what you will delegate. Determining this is probably going to be your first challenge. You’ll need to sit down and figure out what is going to be the easiest stuff to send to an assistant so that you don’t spend a lot of time managing it or having to review all work that was completed.
The first thing to do is to think about all of your current clients and whose work is the easiest for you to delegate. What I have found in the past is that it is good to begin with the recurring tasks. Those which you need to manage or do every day, week or month for your clients which you can easily put an assistant on. This will help you to focus on the larger aspects of projects and not the easier, recurring tasks that need to be done.
Another thing that is helpful in deciding what to delegate is to look at the things you are doing for clients or in your own business which are things you don’t like to do. By ridding yourself of the things you dislike doing in your business, you will then make room for the things you do like to do which will make you more valuable to your clients. If you are only doing that which you love, you will naturally be better at it which means your results will be better and your clients will be happier.
Once you’ve made a list of the things you know you would like to delegate, its then time to make up a list of the skills you will need someone to have to complete those tasks. Think about all aspects of the task and the software or specific programs you use to complete the tasks. Make that list and create a secondary list of personal qualities you would like that person to have.
Building a team isn’t just about outsourcing your work but also building a safety net for your business. If you are sick or you want to take vacation, you’ll need someone to cover for you. Especially as your business grows. You want to make sure this team member is reliable and trustworthy. The thing is, you don’t want your client to feel nervous about outsourcing work to you and allowing you to manage something and then not have you there at times when you want to vacation or have personal issues to deal with.
In order to prepare for your quest for a team, think about this aspect as well. Make a list of the things that you would need that person or persons to know should you become ill or take a vacation. When you are putting together your ideal assistant profile, make sure to include these skills and personal qualities as well. This way, you’ll be sure to find the absolute best person for your business.
Once you’ve done all of the things below, you should be well on your way to creating an ideal team member profile. This process shouldn’t be taken lightly and a lot of thought should be given to the type of person that you need inside of your business.
Lastly, before building a team, get clear on your arrangement with them. Do you want them to sign a non-compete? Do they need to have a confidentiality agreement on file? Think about the things you want to do with each team member you bring on and create a checklist.
Having an agreement in place is key. You want to protect your biggest asset which, for us in the service industry, is our clients. You also want to protect your own ideas and products to make sure that they too aren’t going to be compromised should you run into a not-so-great team member. I always get my team members to sign a confidentiality agreement and a non-compete agreement.
Please let me know if you have other questions surrounding the expansion of your team and moving to a more well-rounded virtual assistance business.
Technorati Tags: Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA Coach, The VA Coach, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistance coach, building a virtual assistance team, team building, delegating, outsourcing
Increasing Your Rates the Smart Way
February 26, 2008
In your virtual assistance business, do you find yourself quoting a rate and then wishing you hadn’t said that? Maybe thinking something was ‘easy’ at first but realizing you should have charged more and now being in a spot where you don’t know how to ask for what you deserve?
I’ve been there too.
Now, I’ve developed a system that helps me to continue to earn what I deserve and to deal with existing clients rates too. I wanted to share my system with all of you in case you are feeling slightly boxed in when it comes to your rate.
The first thing to remember is that you are a business owner and you decide your rates. You are not an employee asking for a raise and you certainly don’t have to set your rates according to what other people think you are worth.
The second thing to note is that you can increase your rates once you gain new experience. The best way to do this is to charge your new clients a higher rate and keep your old clients at their issued rate for at least six months to a year. When that time comes that you feel comfortable making a rate change, e-mail the client at least 30 days in advance and tell them about the rate increase and explain why you are increasing your rates.
The third thing is to feel confident about your new rate. It’s easy to feel insecure about charging a higher rate but if you don’t, other people will and you’ll be the virtual assistant doing the same work for lesser pay! So, be proud of the fact that you’ve reached a stage in your business where a rate change makes sense and honor that. Stay proud, confident and know why you are worth it.
Technorati Tags: Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA Coach, The VA Coach, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistance coach, rate increase, increasing your rates
Are You Over-Spending in Your VA Business?
February 22, 2008
When I started my business back in 2004, I began it with very little cash flow. For the longest time, that worked perfectly - in fact, I even wrote a report about it called ‘What Advertising Budget?‘ which I give away to my group coaching participants.
In this report, I discuss the various ways that you can get advertising and publicity for your business without spending a dime. It seems that some virtual assistants enter their brand new business with the mindset of, ‘I need to spend money to make money’ and while I agree that in some cases this is true, it is not necessarily true of virtual assistance businesses.
The thing is, you could purchase every gadget out there, every recommended tool, every recommended training, every single info-product but really, at the end of the day, is spending all of that cash going to get you ahead? You might be thinking, ‘Well, learning all of those new things helps me to attract more clients!’ Right… I agree with you. However, can you really effectively learn ALL of that at once? If the answer is NO, then pace yourself.
Spend a little bit at a time when it feels right and makes sense to do so. Don’t just run out and buy something because someone else says you need it. Get what YOU feel you need based on what your business asks for (ie: a new client needs you to have Dreamweaver…) and ignore the rest.
Technorati Tags: Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA Coach, The VA Coach, virtual assistant coach, virtual assistance coach