Facebook | Erin Blaskie’s Notes

Today I purchased this book - Becoming an Online Business Manager - as recommended in Erin Blaskie’s Facebook blog. It was a timely purchase as I’ve already been thinking about the direction I want to take my business in next year. An Online Business Manager actually aligns with the thoughts I have for Net Secretary and its future direction so I am eagerly looking forward to receiving this book and absorbing the information within. Net Secretary has transitioned from a Virtual Assistant business to more of an online management business, where VAs are provided for clients to help manage their business and myself as the Online Business Manager overseeing the performance of the tasks. I am very excited about this new phase in my business and I look forward to sharing more of my discoveries.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

WebWorkerDaily » Archive Open Thread: Do You Use a Virtual Assistant? «

Firstly, apologies for not writing in this blog for most of June and all of July. I have experienced a large increase in workload which has been great for Net Secretary but has meant that I am time poorer than usual. That said, I need to organize my time a little better so that I don’t neglect my blog.

I happened upon the above website today and have left a comment. It is a common question I get asked by potential clients - what tasks can I outsource to a Virtual Assistant? My advice is to write down all the tasks you do daily, weekly, monthly etc and perhaps all the things that you would LIKE  to do. Then go through the list and circle those items that you hate to do/don’t make you money/involve working in the business, not on the business/tasks that you don’t know how to do or don’t do well. These are the items that you should be outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant.

Outsourcing these tasks to a Virtual Assistant will free up your time immensely to allow you to concentrate on building your business and doing those things that you are an expert in, not things that take your time away from your business.

Virtual Assistants specialize in different areas so it may be that you require more than one assistant for different tasks (i.e. a VA skilled in websites for updating your website and another VA for your document formatting). Or you can have one VA be a one-stop shop and allow them to source a web skilled VA and manage the workflow on your behalf.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I am finally moved into my new office, with the grand opening taking place on January 14, 2008. I have been there two weeks and I am loving it. It is a different experience to working from home. One has to be “on show” a little more in a shopfront where the public can walk in at any time. So make up and hair done every day with respectable attire but its a small price to pay for the sheer professionalism one feels in one’s own office. There have been a few teething problems to begin with, including the security alarm going off for no reason and the bathroom being unusable (having to regulate one’s toilet breaks is interesting to say the least!).

I have picked up 3 new clients in the past two weeks, two of whom are locals so people are getting to know me and where I’m located. I’m pleased I still have my virtual work to keep me going as well, so the best of both worlds as it were.

Come visit our new digs at 9 Randell Street, Mannum, South Australia.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Happy New Year! I love the start of a fresh new year, with the anticipation of what the year will bring and thinking about what needs refreshing or changing in my business and indeed my life. One thing I love to do at the start of each year is review my goals for the previous year, see which ones I have achieved and which ones I still need to work towards. I also like to set myself new goals. I believe goal setting is very important, in life generally but particularly in business. Not setting goals is a bit like trying to steer a boat without a rudder - you’ll just end up going around in circles and not moving very far at all. I am about to implement one of my business goals for this year and that is to move Net Secretary into business premises. My other goals will revolve around growing the business, expanding services, doing things better, implementing systems and learning new skills.

To be effective, goals must be specific, measurable and achievable. It is a must to write your goals down to make them ‘real’ and it is always handy to have your goals placed somewhere prominent so that you can see them often. It is very satisfying to be able to cross your goals off the list as you achieve them, something which helps me to aspire to even loftier heights! What goals are you setting yourself this year? Feel free to comment!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

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!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!