Finally we reach Number One of my Top Ten countdown. This one is Keep on Learning!

I’m a firm believer in continuing professional development for Virtual Assistants. Whether you study a formal qualification, or take a few short courses, or listen to a webinar, attend a virtual or live VA conference (like AVAC) or undertake online learning from other VA’s or coaches – keep on learning about the VA industry and related industries. For example, I am studying Communications at university level as I find it invaluable for learning complementary skills for my Virtual Assistant practice. Things change so quickly in our industry given it is technology based, and I believe that we should never stop this process of learning and acquiring knowledge. This will benefit not only your clients but also you and your business.

There are a number of fantastic Virtual Assistant training providers which I can refer you to. Please drop me a line at info@netsecretary.com.au or leave me a comment.

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We are almost at the end of the Top 10 countdown of the most useful things I have learned being a VA. Number two on my list is Clients are Gold.

This one should be fairly self explanatory. After all, clients are a VA’s bread and butter. They pay our bills and keep our businesses running and therefore our livelihoods. But it is amazing how many VA’s I have come across who still don’t get this. Subcontracting to another VA is a prime example.

These are my tips for happy clients = happy VA practice!

• Always make time for your clients and give them personalised attention.
• Try to always add value to what you are providing to clients.
• The client is always right and even when they are wrong, they can still be made to feel they are ‘right’.
• Respect your clients time.
• Find reliable subcontractors who look after your clients to the same standards that you expect, or be prepared to check their work so the quality is consistent
• Remember your clients at Christmas, anniversaries and thank them in a meaningful way if they refer other clients to you.

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Setting goals for the New Year is something I always do at Net Secretary whenever January 1 rolls around. Thanks to Chris Brogan I have learned about a new technique for goal setting and developed three words for 2010 to guide me on how I should approach their implementation. The three words I have chosen are: Balance, Authenticity and Value.

1. Balance - Our goals should achieve balance in every aspect – balanced with the clients needs, balanced with our mission, a balance between quality, price and service – as well as the all important work/life balance and a reminder to strive for it at every opportunity.

2. Authenticity - Our goals should be authentic in line with Net Secretary’s vision and be true to its mission, as well as authentic in their delivery and their value (see next goal word).

3. Value - Do our goals add value for clients? Do we need to explore additional technologies, new media/social media and other emerging technologies? In what other ways can we achieve and demonstrate more value to our clients?

I’m planning to use this technique every year, thinking of new words to keep motivation high and inject fresh energy and creativity into our day to day tasks.

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As you may recall, the Net Secretary team successfully completed a huge but very interesting transcription job earlier this year for an Australian production company. Here is the latest update from them on the progress of the film:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

After so many months of production and the challenging post production process, we are pleased to be near the completion of the film.

The exciting news released today is that the film has been been invited to Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City in January 2010. It will be a great showcase for the film and reflects on the great work that so many have put into it.

The film will be presented in glorious 3D. Hopefully in a few weeks we will have a confirmed the dates of the screening. For up to date news, photos and information about the film, please check out the film website at www.canetoadstheconquest.com.

We hope you are all well and productive, and gearing up for a great Christmas. We’ll keep you up to date when we have more news about the festival or future screenings.

If you’re keen, you can even buy a live cane toad from the website as a pet! (Australia only – Not available to SA, Vic and WA)

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Life’s been pretty busy and so has the Net Secretary practice so therefore there’s been a  lull in finishing this Top 10. Today is Number Three.

My number three most valuable tip is to join one or two online VA networks. I belong to three currently and I think I’ve found the ‘right’ ones for me. VA networks are well worth the investment for a number of reasons.

VA networks help combat the isolation of being a solo entrepreneur working from home as your fellow VA colleagues are in the same boat. It does often feel like a chat around the water cooler as we share experiences with each other in a virtual way.

I also find networks invaluable if I need to outsource any of my work during peak periods.

VA networks are also a great resource for computer issues, software problems, reviews of technology and a myriad of other things.

Many networks also have learning opportunities for new and experienced VAs. These are fantastic as they are specific to our industry and you can learn from more experienced VAs so that you do things in perhaps a more efficient and knowledgeable way. I believe that we never stop learning and I really enjoy the month webinars provided by AVBN (one network I belong to) as I learn so much about new technology and other useful topics relevant to my practice.

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The Number Four item on my list is subcontracting is not a dirty word.

Subcontracting is a great training opportunity for new and aspiring VAs. When I first began my Virtual Assistant practice almost five years ago, I had 18 years of administration and PA experience but it does not prepare you for running your own business as a VA. I started off by subcontracting to other VAs, mainly transcription, and this experience was invaluable. It allowed me to ‘try on’ being a business owner, learn about business practices and procedures from more experienced VAs as well as fine tune my knowledge of what is expected with transcription. It allowed me to earn some money while working out what I wanted to do with my website and my marketing. Subbing is invaluable and I still do it to this day if work is a bit slow or I feel like a change. There is always something new to be learned and gained from being a subcontractor.

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Number Five is to have a professional and usable website to promote your VA business. It makes sense that potential clients find a Virtual Assistant on the Internet because our industry is virtual, and as such we need to make sure we have a  website that not only promotes our own Virtual Assistance practice but the VA industry as a whole. VA’s are still a relatively new concept in some sectors of the market and the onus is on us to establish the difference between an offshore VA and a professional partnering VA, and demonstrate value for money. Most importantly, learn all you can about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and use it to full advantage on your website and blog. SEO is a continual process of tweaking keywords and keeping your web and blog content current and fresh. There are many fantastic books on SEO out there but my favourite is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Growing Your Business with Google by Dave Taylor. Don’t let the title put you off – it is a great, easy to understand book and Dave Taylor really knows his stuff. I also subscribe to his newsletter which is full of geek-friendly tips and discussion on the latest technologies.

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At number six of the Top 10 Most Valuable Things I’ve Learned Being a VA is knowing what forms of marketing and advertising work.

I think over the years I have tried every form of advertising for Net Secretary  – newspapers, Yellow Pages, directories etc – and I know now what works best for me. Word of mouth and search engine optimisation of my website are THE best ways to attract new customers. Being a Virtual Assistant, it naturally follows that the majority of my enquiries are virtual.

This also gets back to choosing who I want to work with, not just being all things to all people. I still do the one-off jobs but I prefer to work with longer term clients so that I can learn about their business and their needs.
These days I also have the confidence to say ‘no’ to pushy Yellow Pages sales staff as I know what works best for me and my business and where my clients have found me.

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My number seven most valuable thing I’ve learned is know what you are worth.

My rates are something I have researched and gone over with a fine tooth comb to make sure they cover all my expenses (super, insurance, running costs of the business etc), is on par with my experience and skill set and still enables me to make a living. I am in business to earn a living, not to be a charity. Nobody questions an electrician, the plumber or even your hairdresser – they are just accepted as their rate.

If any prospective client questions my rates (which thankfully is very rare) than I know that they are not the type of client I want to work with. As a professional VA, I know what I am worth and when I realised this, it made all the difference in attracting the type of clients I love to work with.

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Number 8 of the Top Ten Things I’ve Learned Being a VA is especially appropriate for this time of year, being the last day of the financial year in Australia. It probably applies to every small business and that is, to invest in a good bookkeeping programme and to keep one’s own books up to date. I use Quickbooks and find it intuitive, powerful and easy to use.  I once let my books slip behind by a couple of months and it was a nightmare and time consuming to catch up. Never again. I always make sure I set aside time once a week (usually on Friday) to do my books and make sure everything is up to date. This little bit of regular maintenance is huge peace of mind and my business and I are thankful every day!

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