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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