I don’t mean that title literally! I’ve been contemplating recently the direction that Net Secretary is heading and what my plan is for growth. This is a scenario that should be considered carefully, as it can have long lasting implications for one’s business and personal life. I guess that is where the ‘pain’ of the title comes in, because if it is not done properly or for the right reasons, growth can be a right royal pain in the neck. 

I know of many fellow VA’s who are quite content to stay where they are in their businesses, having enough work for just themselves to earn a reasonable income. There are others (like me!) who relish the challenge of offering more services, better services (both new and existing), trying new things and seeing how far one can grow in this industry. I have started the preliminary groundwork on a growth plan for Net Secretary for 2008 and beyond. I am fortunate to have the services of a wonderful, generous, insightful Business Coach, Ingrid Cliff, who will be helping to guide me on this journey. Stay tuned for more announcements over the coming weeks. You saw it first on Net Secretary - The Blog!

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We’ve had some interesting discussions in the VA network I belong to about client expectations of VA’s and the notion that some clients are not fully aware of how best to ultilise a VA. Some clients think they need someone local who can come to them and that they can actually ‘meet’ face to face. Although I am personally not adverse to going onsite and doing work for clients from time to time, the fact is most tasks can be done virtually. But how does this get around the lack of personal contact present in traditional business relationships? I have clients around the world and around Australia, some of who I will probably never meet. However, I have spoken on the telephone to a few and kept in regular touch by email with the majority, even trading photos with my New York client to bridge that gap. I also make sure there is a photo on my website and in my newsletters to try to overcome the impersonal nature of the electronic medium. I’m interested to hear what others have to say about educating clients, working virtually and how to overcome the trust/personal contact issues, both from a VA and customer perspective.

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