Hello, my name is Sandra and I am proud to be a Professional Virtual Assistant! I have worked in the Virtual Assisting Industry as an independent VA and through a Virtual Staffing Agency (VSA). I have done Sales and Customer Service for a VSA and I have been a client with a VA Team of my own. I've seen it from every angle! I have developed a passion not only for this industry but also for mentoring and training women who want to have successful VA Businesses. Read More...
The case against office hours, answering the phone, checking email and instant messaging.
I’m willing to bet that most entrepreneurs go into business so they can do what they want when they want. It’s not the only one but I’m sure it’s in the top 10. I’m also willing to bet that you are one of those entrepreneurs. But a crucial difference between you and those client entrepreneurs may be the “employee mindset.” Your client is used to having one and you are used to being one.
Stop.
Have you considered that you can better serve your client (and yourself) if you ignore them? Ok, not blanket ignore, it’s more of a strategic ignore. And you don’t tell your client you are going to ignore them rather you explain your time-blocking strategy.
Why time- block?
More efficient and effective.
Interruptions waste time as you get back on track.
You can be prepared and have resources and information at hand rather than trying to find things on the fly.
Let’s face it - if you don’t respond immediately the Earth will not stop spinning on it’s axis.
But your clients may not be used to working virtually. They are used to yelling down the hall and having an assistant jump to their every command. So you must educate them.
It’s really a matter of perspective so let them know this is about them. They don’t want you interrupted when you are working on their stuff - that’s when mistakes happen and time or money (or both) is lost.
How I do it
I don’t talk about office hours at all and especially not in my contract. But then again - I don’t work with clients in real time. I block time to return calls and emails so that when I am working I am not distracted.
If a client needs a phone call I let them know during my initial consultation that I block time and why (it’s to their benefit that I am not distracted or interrupted while I am working on their stuff). I let them know that I return all calls and emails within one business day, however I do recommend that if they need a phone call, the best thing to do is to schedule a telephone appointment with me via email. I also meet with them within 24 business hours.
Tip: follow up each phone conversation with an email summarizing any instructions, future appointments or action items. This way you reduce the risk of misunderstandings and have a virtual paper trail. If you are using a project management system post it there.
A word about working in real time
When I say I don’t work with clients in real time what I mean is that I don’t work virtually side-by-side with them. I have talked to clients (and VAs too) who expect me to be available via phone and instant messenger so that we are working together, even though it’s remote. I think this attitude is primarily because they can’t wrap their brains around the concept of working virtually. They are worried that VAs will “pad” the billable hours or they just have a hard time letting go of the controls. They are still in the “employee mindset.”
All that needs to happen here is that project management systems need to be in place. It might be something as simple as a document shared in Google Docs with instructions and deadlines. Or you can use something like Basecamp or Zoho (great free tools, BTW).
And if you have a prospective client who demands that you be available at their beck and call - run. Just sayin’.
Or - The Reinvention of Zig Ziglar’s Automobile University
I am a life-long learner. Are you? You should be. Everyone should be. And in this age of rapidly evolving playing fields you can’t afford not to be.
I’m a big fan of Zig Ziglar. Zig is “the man” as far as I’m concerned. The quintessential motivator. One of the most important things I learned from his training is the idea of Automobile University. Zig taught me how to turn my work commute into a valuable learning opportunity. I devoured all kinds of books, first on tape and later on CD (I really dated myself there, didn’t I?). I got them from the library so it really was a free education - but priceless.
As I moved from working in an office to working at home that time was eliminated. But my thirst for knowledge was not. So I tweaked the system a bit and started using my “get ready” time in the morning. I started listening when I’m doing housework and taking walks - anytime that requires me to be doing something physical but that doesn’t need all of my brain power. Call me funny but I don’t consider cleaning toilets and dusting furniture high end brain activities.
With the growth of the Internet has come the growth of informational resources. Now books are often out of date by the time they are published. And, as I mentioned earlier, playing fields are evolving so rapidly that you can’t afford to wait for a book to be published to get information.
In my article The 10 Business Blogs I always Read, I shared my favorite business blogs. But somehow I have never figured out how to brush my teeth and read at the same time. Enter the world of Podcasting . Brain food for the times when my body has to be doing something else. Automobile University reinvented and reformatted to fit my world.
So here are the 5 Business Podcasts I listen to:
1. StartupNation StartupNation is one of my favorite sites. I have learned more from this site than I could have from a top business school. They provide “real-world business advice to people who want to start a business and who want to grow their small businesses.” Check out their media channels here.
2. Duct Tape Marketing with John Jantsch. Duct Tape Marketing first came to my attention when I was a student of Teaching Sells. John Jantsch is a very savvy marketer and helps me keep on top of smart marketing not only for my bricks and mortar clients but virtual businesses (like my own) as well. Check out his podcast here.
3. Managing the Gray I found this podcast by accident while searching around iTunes. CC Chapman’s podcast focuses on the changing world of social media and marketing and is very informative and interesting. Check it out here.
4. Freelance Switch These guys are on my blog list too. They have some great information on running a freelance business that applies to Virtual Assistants too. Check out the podcast at here.
5. The Motley Fool Great site and interesting information - “The Motley Fool provides premium investing advice and market-beating stock research whether you have $250 to invest or tens of thousands of dollars. They have two podcasts:
Motley Fool Money - A round table discussion with their senior analysts (but it’s not dry and boring, these guys are actually fun!) about the major business and investing stories of the week, plus a “Stocks On Our Radar” segment. Motley Fool Conversations - Interviews with major players in investing, business and culture. I just listened to a fascinating interview with Michael Lewis, the author of the book, The Blind Side which was the basis of the Sandra Bullock movie.
I subscribe to all of these via iTunes which makes finding what I want, when I want it so much easier. You can either subscribe through the podcasting site or search on iTunes. They are all free.
The internet has leveled the playing field in many ways - the barriers to entry are nearly non-existent, allowing anyone with a computer and a thought to find an audience. There are a lot of good things about this but of course, there are some precautions that you need to take to protect those thoughts.
It only took a couple of minutes to set up a free account that gives me 500MB of space. I’m not sure if/when I’ll need more but we’ll see. MYOWS is in the Beta Testing phase is offering accounts with 500 MB of space for free. They will likely charge at some point but say these accounts will remain free.
There is a very good video, about 2 minutes long, that gave an excellent introduction and overview. I haven’t used MYOWS much yet but that’s more because I now need to create a new habit/system to do it. That’s not reflection on MYOWS at all. It’s easy to submit text and images, I just need to remember to do it. They are apparently developing a Word Press Plug in and I’ll be very excited to see that! Could make life so much simpler and I’m all for that!
In addition to their services, there is some very good information on their blog and a forum, too - excellent information even if you don’t sign up for an account.
I’m looking forward to using MYOWS more and encourage you to check it out if you are publishing your own work. You might also want to pass this along to your clients as a possible resource for them. Good advice and possibly a service they would like you to perform for them.
Should Your Clients Outsource Their Social Media Networking?
There is a lot of discussion regarding outsourcing social media work on both Virtual Assistant forums and blogs as well as Internet Marketing and Entrepreneurial sites. I’ve been mulling this topic over for awhile and here is my take on it.
Of course there are always exceptions. For example, I have a large client that I write content for that is then posted on a number of social media sites such as LinkedIn and The Four Hour Work Week. The conversations to post to are researched by another VA and she posts the responses I write. But this isn’t the only thing I do for this client. I also do sales and client support. I’ve been working with this client for almost two years and we have forged a very strong partnership. I know the industry and I know the company culture, mission, and values. We are a team. In this case, the term “outsourcing” is simply a logistical and legal definition.
But I digress.
Let’s get back to what your clients can and indeed should outsource. Chris has a list of tasks to outsource ranging from content to reputation management. Which sounds great at first glance but we know that our clients often don’t know this stuff. They come to us for our expertise to develop a strategy so that all of the items on Chris’s list are effective and efficient. This is something we can do that can greatly benefit our clients.
A solid Social Marketing Strategy should include these steps:
1. Social Media Assessment - what is the client’s purpose in social media marketing.
2. Brainstorm - What are the avenues available for social media marketing
3. Goal Setting - Make sure they are specific and measurable
4. Action Plan
-List of social media activities
-Recommended services and next steps
5. Evaluation - Return on Investment and Return on Influence
And the bottom line is that you (or your clients) shouldn’t outsource your relationships. Period.
P.S. If you are interested in learning more about providing this service for your clients, I highly recommend VAClassroom’s Social Media Marketing Program. I consider myself proficient in this area yet I still learned a lot form Craig Canning’s course. VAClassroom also does an excellent job of providing ongoing support and education in their monthly webinars and in their forum.
Is it necessary to work 8 hours a week to get ahead?
Do you get more (productive) work done in less time when you only work 40 hours (or less)?
Are you working to make a living or working to make a life?
I was raised to believe that a good work ethic was very important. I still think that a good work ethic is important. But my definition has changed dramatically over the past 18 years (since my kids were born). I no longer buy into the Baby Boomer’s definition of put in your 40 years working for the man. Build your pension, take your 2 weeks of vacation every year and be grateful.
I think Gen Y (or Gen Why) asks some valid questions, among them:
Why should I sacrifice my family for my job?
Why should I work at an unfulfilling job?
I don’t think we need to make any sacrifices. I think we can have it all. And I don’t think that’s selfish and lazy.
Ah, a new year! A time for reflection upon the last and looking forward to the new. This year I’m keeping my resolutions and goals simple.
Several years ago I stumbled across this poem. I used to read it every morning but somehow got out of the habit. This year I’m getting back in that habit. If I can follow these principles even some of the time, then everything else will fall into place.
I hope it helps you too - Have a wonderful 2010!
I Promise Myself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best.
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.
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It’s been 10 days since my furnace thermostat shot sparks and smoke at me and the furnace breathed it’s last breath. Once I determined that I didn’t need to call the Fire Department, I called my landlord. Or rather the Real Estate Agent.
I think a little background would be helpful here -
I’ve lived here for 2 1/2 years. In October my landlord lost the property in foreclosure. From October 5th until last Friday my landlord has been First Federal Bank of California, my rent gets paid to Ruzicka and Wallace, LLP the Asset Management Company and local a real estate agent is my property manager. Thanks to Tenants Together I found out that I can exercise my lease and stay until June 30, 2010. So life carried on pretty much normally.
Until the furnace died. That was on Monday - 10 days ago. Since then I have been on a roller coaster trying to get someone to take responsibility and get it fixed. I reached my boiling point last Friday. At 5:00 p.m I called the agent. He gave me some run around about how his contact at the bank has been tied up in meetings all day so he still doesn’t have official approval. I was so frustrated that I took it out on him. “How would you feel,” I asked, if this was your family?” “Do you want me to answer that,” he asked? “Yes,” I said. Then he went on about how they don’t have heat and have to use just a fireplace and it’s freezing. I don’t know if this is true or not but that’s not the point.
I don’t even know what I said after that. I was with a friend of mine and I remember sputtering something about the injustice of it all and how it’s just the principle of the thing. I was at my wits end at this point. I wanted to scream! To Sue! To Tweet! I have played by the rules. I paid my rent. What my landlord did with it? Well, she didn’t pay the mortgage, that is certain. Now I’m at the mercy of some bank employee who doesn’t give a hoot about me, my son or the fact that my nose and toes (and other assorted body parts) have been freezing for a week. I’m a victim here!
And that’s when I just stopped.
Victim?
Me?
Oh hell no!
And that’s when it hit me.
The bank is not responsible for my heat. The asset management company is not responsible for my heat. The Real Estate Agent is not responsible for my heat.
I am.
I forgot that for a moment.
My furnace does not work and I am fulfilling my commitment according to my lease to notify “them” when there is a problem with the property. Yes, California State Law does say that “they” are responsible for keeping the property “inhabitable” and that includes heat. So I suppose there are those who would say I am justified in my outrage, my incredulity and my whining. But the fact of the matter is, I am the one responsible for me.
And more importantly, I will not surrender that power to “them.”
So I borrowed a space heater for my Son’s room. I have one for myself. I stocked up on wood for the fireplace.
And then this past Monday the RE Agent called and said he had a verbal approval and was just waiting to get it in writing. But something in the conversation, I’m not sure what, had my radar going. So I turned to my old buddy Google and searched on the bank name. Wow! On Friday they were shut down by the FDIC. Another bank took them over. Ah, now I understand why I didn’t get approval on Friday. And why, in spite of a “verbal approval” on Monday, that here it is Wednesday and I still have no working furnace.
But it’s ok - my son’s room is warm, my space heater is keeping me warm and there is a lovely fire in the fireplace taking the chill off the house. And we’re fine. Because we choose to be. Not because someone else gave us approval.
This challenge isn’t anything near (and I’m a bit embarrassed to compare them) to what Jon has experenced. But it’s my challenge right now. And I am responsible.
A new Virtual Assistant over on Virtual Assistant Forums posed these questions to experienced VAs and I thought I would share my answers with you. Even though I’ve been a VA for a few years and worked at home for a lot of years, I found this exercise very thought provoking. Whether you are an experienced Virtual Assistant or a newbie VA, I suggest you give these questions some thought.
1. What is the day-to-day life of a VA like?
This is really up to you - remember this is your business and while you need to give your clients what they need, you are not their employee.
For me, personally - my comfort zone is a set schedule. Primarily because if I don’t have a set routine, I won’t get anything done. My son is off to school at 8:00 and that’s when I start my day. I don’t follow a time schedule (unless I have an appointment) but rather a task schedule:
1. Check email to see if any fires need to be put out. Deal with anything that can’t wait. Schedule stuff that can wait in the appropriate client’s time slot.
2. Then I have time blocks for each client depending upon their needs.
3. Break for lunch and time for me.
4. Check email for anything that came in the morning. Deal with what can’t wait and schedule the rest.
5. Time block for clients.
6. Business Admin time.
7. Final email check around 4:30.
8. Evening - Check blogs and forums I follow. This is some of my training time but I have fun doing it so it doesn’t feel like work.
If I don’t have enough client work to fill the time then I use it to either work on marketing or do some training/business reading.
2. What are the most important day-to-day skills necessary to be successful?
Self-discipline and organization, of course but empathy is the most important of all. Remember - your’s is a service business.
3. What are your daily work hours?
I really like the 8:00 - 5:00 routine. I know a lot of us are VA’s so we can have flexible work hours but I like the structure - it helps me to stay focused.
Also, I don’t do client work in the evenings or on weekends. End of discussion. LOL! Ok, in case of emergency, I do. For example I had a client a few weeks ago who needed to take an emergency leave because her son was in the hospital. Her clients needed to know what was happening the first thing Monday a.m. so I was sending out emails Sunday night. For me, it was a matter of providing Raving Fans service. My clients know they can count on me when they need me and as a result they tend to not take advantage.
4. What are the three most important skills or knowledge areas that I must have to run my business successfully?
As mentioned - you need a good solid plan. I don’t mean a business plan fit for Venture Capitalists but you need to know the what, where, how, why and when of your business. You, by the way, are the who. A good solid bookkeeping system is extremely important too. I didn’t at first - it was always one of those things I had to get around to. I hated myself when I had to get around to it on April 13th (if you aren’t in the US, our taxes are due on the 15th). I suddenly realized that I didn’t know what I didn’t know - and oh yea, what’s this about quarterly taxes? Thank goodness I have a friend who is a bookkeeper and specializes in home based business. She told me how to get an extension and then bailed my butt out of the fire. And it only cost me several trips to Starbucks and hearing a lot of “I told you so’s”!
5. What do you enjoy most about your business?
It’s mine, all mine!!!!
Seriously, though. I love that I do have control over what I do to earn my living so that I can design my life.
And I love sharing my desk with my two cats, Snowflake and Bootsie (one has a basket on my desk and the other has a pillow and they get very annoyed when the phone rings and wakes them up!). I love being available whenever my son needs me. I love looking out my window into my own backyard. I love taking my laptop and working at the park or Starbucks when I need to get out but work too. I love helping other business owners be successful. I love, well, everything about it!
6. What motivates you in your business?
The fear of having to get a J-O-B. LOL. No, seriously, as I said before, helping my clients is a strong motivator and being available for my son, too.
7. What would you do differently if you could?
It’s all been good, really. The only thing I can think of is that at one time I had a client that ended up being a full time gig. That was bad. I loved the work and the client but then suddenly they changed their strategy and I was out in the cold. I saw it coming but in my denial I didn’t react quickly enough. When I got my walking papers it was a shock and there were some tough financial times after that. So I learned to not put all of my eggs in one basket. But even so, I learned a lot working with that client so I can’t say I’d trade the experience for anything.
8. What are the most difficult challenges and tasks?
Learning to be fair, firm and friendly when it comes to setting boundaries (no, I won’t take your call at 2:00 am) and realizing that it’s ok to fire clients. I gotta tell ya, the first one I fired? Wow, was that fun! Ok, so I’m a bit sick and twisted but it was fun. I dealt with her in very cordial manner but then in my journal I let out how I really felt. Quite liberating actually to realize that you can do that and your whole business won’t disappear - you just create room for a good client to come in, which is exactly what happened!
It was an enlightening experience for me to actually articulate my thoughts on these questions and I’d love to read your answers too. Please share!
Hello, my name is Sandra and I am proud to be a Professional Virtual Assistant! I have worked in the Virtual Assisting Industry as an independent VA and through a Virtual Staffing Agency (VSA). I have done Sales and Customer Service for a VSA and I have been a client with a VA Team of my own. I've seen it from every angle! I have developed a passion not only for this industry but also for mentoring and training women who want to have successful VA Businesses.
