Maintaining a Professional Image While Working at Home

One of the benefits of a home office is never having to wear a scratchy wool suit or pantyhose (unless you want to). The danger is that it’s easy to let that professional image slide if you spend the workday sitting on your couch wearing yoga pants and channel surfing in between conference calls. Follow these tips to maintain a professional image while working at home:

Stick to a schedule. True, working from home allows you to set your own schedule and gives you the flexibility to travel, take care of children, or otherwise tend to your personal life. But if clients never know when they’ll be able to reach you or if you sometimes sleep ‘til noon because you stayed up late watching movies, that can jeopardize your professional reputation. Your work hours will depend on the nature of your business and when you work best, but once you get into a schedule, try to follow it. And let your regular clients or customers know what those hours are. Being self-disciplined with your time means customers or clients can count on you and makes it easier to get work done.

Mind your social media use. Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be excellent tools for promoting your business and keeping in touch with old friends or colleagues. But if you get too personal or casual online, it can have an adverse effect on your business. Remember, anything you post online is public. Even if your settings are supposedly private, it’s easy for one of your contacts to take a screenshot or retweet something they find funny and/or offensive. Be friendly, but put on a professional face and always ask yourself how potential customers or clients might react to something you’ve posted.

Manage your incoming phone calls. If you use your cell phone for business and personal calls, remember to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers in a professional manner. Resist the urge to answer if you’re in a noisy bar or next to a screaming child. In fact, if you have young children, you should set up a separate phone line for your business and make sure you’re the only person who answers it.

Set up a separate workspace. Even if it’s a converted closet or a corner of your living room, having a space devoted to work helps you get into a business mindset that you’ll project to clients or customers. Having a designated workspace also helps you navigate issues of work/life balance. When you’re at your desk, it’s time to work. When you’re sitting on the couch watching TV, it’s time to relax.

Get out of the house when you have to. Sometimes it’s hard to feel like a professional when you’re surrounded by laundry that needs to be folded or toys that need to be put away. In those cases, it makes sense to work somewhere else, at least part of the time. It’s also smart to have a place outside of your home for meetings. Co working spaces often let you rent conference space by the hour or the day. You could also partner with another small business to share meeting or office space.

The bottom line? Maintain a professional mindset and create some separation (physically and mentally) between your business and your personal life.

© 2010 Ali International

Self-made millionaire entrepreneur and Inc. 500-ranked CEO Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow profitable businesses that make a positive impact. Get her FREE weekly articles and advice at http://www.alibrown.com/

Your Spouse Does What?

If you are like many small business owners, you try not to miss an opportunity to network with others. Did you know that some of your best referrals could come from your spouse, directly or indirectly sharing your business information with others? But if you are like Jennifer Harmon, you may need to train your spouse on what to say.

Darrell Harmon, of People Smarts, often uses examples from home in his business training sessions to explain how crucial conversations and crucial confrontations can be handled. Darrell used to say, “My wife does Pampered Chef.” Well yes, that is Jennifer’s business, and she has been a successful consultant for the past 13 years.

But here are the phrases Jennifer asked her husband to use to create an interest in her business:

“My wife goes into homes and teaches cooking skills.”
“My wife teaches women meal planning and cooking tips.”
“My wife shares with other women how to bring the family back around the table.”

The results – increased sales!

Have you been overlooking the opportunity to have your spouse or other family members network for you?

Bev McCrostie, M.Ed.
Virtual Assistant Certificate
Red Deer College
Bev.mccrostie@rdc.ab.ca
www.virtualassist.ca

Networking

Yikes! I am becoming my mother.

Last Friday I attended the Startup Princess Annual Conference for Women Entrepreneurs in Salt Lake City, Utah. During Heather Bailey’s Keynote address ( heatherbaileydesign.com), she asked if anyone had a tissue. I quickly reached into my bag and pulled out a package of Kleenex.

While Heather might have appreciated the opportunity to wipe away her tears (she had an inspiring message for women entrepreneurs that touched everyone’s heart), I had one of those “oh, boy” moments. Exactly when did I start loading into my bag:  a mending kit, hand cream, Tylenol, whiteboard markers, toothpaste, AA batteries,  3 rulers, 2 jumpsticks, a handful of mints – to name just a few. Do I need all those things? Well, you just never know when they might come in handy.

But that’s not my only resemblance to my mother. My sisters tease me that just like mom, I can strike up a conversation with virtual strangers. My response is, “Have you never heard of networking?!” What better way to connect with other women entrepreneurs than striking up conversations with the conference attendees. I came away with new contacts and ideas for reaching other markets.

Networking doesn’t have to be just at face-to-face events where you hand out and collect business cards, trying out your various elevator speeches to see which are the most effective. Networking is also being seen online with a blog, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. It’s writing articles, commenting on other’s blogs, and sponsoring local and online events. For a small dollar amount, you can get the word out about your unique business offering. 

So yes, I do talk to strangers and I do have a spare (clean) Kleenex in my bag – just in case.

- Bev McCrostie, Coordinator for the VA Certificate Program is on sabbatical in Utah.  She will be sharing her insights along the way.

VA: Volunteer Assistant?

I am the proverbial volunteer – I can and so I do.  Often it is for my community or for an organization I am associated with; it is as a volunteer that I expend much time and energy.  Initially this was all good.  I had time.  I had nominal aspirations to “be my own boss”.  I learned a lot as a volunteer, or was able to put newly acquired skills to work, deepening the skill base and learning even more.  My portfolio of projects grew.  My reputation (at least within the organizations I helped) grew.  But this is where I think it ends.
The other side of this is volunteering as part of the business plan.  I can hear the gasps of shock through the ether.  Again, it gave me a forum to expand my skills, work like a professional, but ultimately with no financial reward.  I have been grappling with this and justifying it as a method of “advertising”.  It has developed into a string of negatives for me:  volunteering demands time, energy, imagination, and resources.

And despite the optimistic premise, it has yet to land a real client.  All it ultimately does is set up more situations where my talent/time/creative energy are all greatly appreciated, but no one wants to pay me for the work I do.

So this is where that ends too. I am slowly but surely disconnecting myself from my various community volunteer obligations (you know something is amiss when “volunteer” and “obligation” are strongly connected).  And I have promised myself never to take on another “volunteer” client project no matter how exciting it is, or great the exposure to other potential clients, unless reciprocity is guaranteed in some fashion.  I remember reading somewhere during my VA classes at Red Deer College, that you gain credibility by charging for what you do, and by charging appropriately.  Pro bono work is encouraged in the context of “value added” service to existing clients or in lieu of advertising or some other tangible service (read barter). 

The reason for taking on a volunteer project must be rationalized and justified, as not only will your professional life suffer so will your personal life depending on when you work on the volunteer projects.  The pros of volunteering (at the community level or for potential clients) include reinforcing many skills that are taught in the VA program (what comes to mind in particular are desktop publishing, document formatting, spreadsheet skills, and web design, in addition to office management) and building up your portfolio of projects.  The con of volunteering is the tremendous loss of time and creative energy for no monetary compensation.  .  While initially there was great pride in a job well done – improving or creating something that works – now there is just fatigue and little joy. 

I don’t plan to quit volunteering all together – for that would be to deny who I am.  But I will be much more diligent in analyzing my overall goals and needs in my determination of what I can and what I should not do.

Suzanne Welsh

The Power of Video Marketing…

…for your Virtual Assistance Business

Recently, I ran a webinar event for my VAClassroom Members titled: “Marketing your VA Business in a Web 2.0 World“. We spent some time discussing the power of Video Marketing and the sheer potential it has for rapidly increasing website traffic and improving search listings.

I mentioned to the group that I had recently noticed that very few Virtual Assistants actually have included video on their websites nor have submitted videos to YouTube. Now, I am sure some of you have, but I still think you would make up the minority at this point.

I posed the question during the webinar, “Why are most Virtual Assistants not including Video in their marketing efforts?” Does it have to do with simply not having the right equipment to produce the videos or is there a “fear factor” involved here? Is there a hesitation to jump in front of the camera for fear of looking silly or not presenting yourself very well? Would you fall into this category?

I have produced many YouTube Videos in my home office, backyard, park, coffee shop, hotel room and I have to say that I always feel a little weird initially when doing the videos, but thanks to the editing power of tools such as Sony Vegas Movie Studio, I am able to clear my stutters and stammers and actually produce a quality video. Creating videos is kind of like public speaking -  the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. In the first couple videos, you might feel like a “deer caught in headlights”, but it gets easier!

The bottom line here is that Video marketing is way too powerful and effective to not include in your overall marketing game plan.

Here are 5 compelling reasons for adding Video Marketing to your current promotional strategies:

1.    Videos offer an innovative medium to present the selling benefits of your business in a way that brings out your personality, top-notch skills and abilities.

2.    Videos become a mini digital marketing message for your VA business as you syndicate it through targeted channels in YouTube as well as other Social Network sites such as your Facebook Business Profile. Videos are quickly becoming the web’s fastest means of transmitting information and content! I have created a number of YouTube videos for our training center, VAClassroom and I have been super pleased with the targeted traffic we have received.

3.    Videos bring “YOU” to the forefront. They get you out from behind your website and allow prospective clients to learn more about you and assess whether you are the type of person they would like work with. It is a resume “in action”!

4.    Videos allow you to engage prospective clients in a personalized and creative way that compliments your existing website content. As mentioned, I have seen very few Virtual Assistance sites that offer a personalized video introduction. This could be a powerful addition to your website.

5.    Videos are an easy “calling card” to pass to prospective businesses you would like to work with. You can simply drop them an email with your contact information and YouTube Link to your viral video. As a client, I would much rather watch a two-minute video than read through a long email or content-heavy website. Videos can give the “straight goods” on who you are and how you help take a client’s business to the next level.

In conclusion, here are four quick pointers for creating effective business videos:

1.    Be YOURSELF! It is essential not to over-professionalize yourself so that you come across as a robot devoid of all personality. Be honest with who you are and what you bring to the table. I have watched many YouTube videos and the ones that always catch my eye are those that are more casual and “real” as opposed to stuffy and corporate-like. We are virtual workers for goodness sake – save the dry videos for the “corporate zombies”!

2.    Keep your marketing videos relatively short and concise (under two or three minutes). Most Internet Business owners have large workloads and tons of competing priorities. They likely don’t have a lot of time to watch lengthy videos, so quick and snappy is the key!

3.    Be creative and try to “stand out from the pack”. If I was to review videos from Virtual Assistants I was considering hiring, I would be looking for something memorable. If a VA is simply reciting the skills and services already listed on the website, then I might quickly lose interest and move on.

4.    Do Video-Based Cold Calls. I would be pro-active and brainstorm a list of business owners you might want to approach. Send an introductory email with a link to your website and YouTube Video. This approach beats mail-outs and template emails because you are sending a customized video that is quickly and easily viewable. Plus, you are “speaking their language” as many of these business owners are using videos for their own business as well!

As you probably can tell, I am very passionate about Video marketing primarily due to the profound impact it has had on my traffic and search listings. There is no better time to incorporate Video into your overall marketing strategy then right now. Lights, Camera, Action!

Craig Cannings is an experienced Internet Entrepreneur and Marketer who co-founded VAClassroom, a niche training center for Virtual Assistants that offers practical and in-demand skills training programs. Their flagship course, the Internet Marketing VA Training Program equips Virtual Assistants with niche Internet marketing skills that businesses are seeking today. Also, VAClassroom has just released a new Social Media Marketing Specialist Program in 2009.

Working as a Subcontractor

What you need to know

Many virtual assistants share that one of the biggest challenges facing their business is getting that “real-life experience” working in a client/VA relationship. Especially for new VA’s, just having the option to work in a client/VA scenario to gain experience would be a great opportunity.

As with any decision, a careful analysis should be conducted. So…keep this information in mind if you are thinking about working as a subcontractor to a multi-VA business.

1. Find the right mix

What are you good at? What skills do you want to market? Searching for a multi-VA business that you can connect with is like finding that perfect pair of jeans; they fit, you feel good in them and the price is right! So do your research:

• Search the web and online forums to find those businesses that interest you.
• Find out what niche they serve, or if they specialize in certain skill sets for their clients.
• Find out how long have they been in business?
• Inquire for more information by sending them an email or filling out their online application.

2. Hiring – What questions to ask

Let’s say you’ve found a multi-VA business that you’d like to work with. What do you need to know before joining the team?

• Do they have a contract?
• What do they pay their subcontractors?
• How do they pay – will you be paid via PayPal, bank transfer or cheque?
• When can you expect payment?
• What happens if the client you are working with does not connect with you or you with them?
• What type of help can you expect from the multi-VA team environment?  How many hours can you expect?
• If you wish to dissolve your VA contract – how many days notice do you need?

3. The pros and cons

There are always advantages and disadvantages to any choice you make in life and working as a subcontractor is no different.

Pros:

• Ability to work in a team environment
• Free training
• The chance to work with real clients
• No marketing needed – resulting in more time to spend on client work
• No billing to client and negotiating terms and prices with client – your multi-VA business owner is responsible for this

Cons:

• Possibly making less money that having your own clients (most subcontractors should be making between $20-30/hour)
• Takes time away from building your own business
• Possibly experiencing a delay in getting paid (you may get paid only after the multi-VA owner is paid)
• Possibly having less direct client contact (the multi-VA owner may be responsible for client relationship management)

On a personal note:

To say that I like being part of a VA team is an understatement. Having a group of VA’s that work alongside of you, support your efforts and build you up has been a rewarding experience.

Secondly, the skills I have gained from working with experienced VA’s is insurmountable. I know these skills would have come in time, but I was able to cut that learning curve short by months, maybe years by really plugging in.

Thirdly, my own business is now starting to bloom with the added confidence, skills and enthusiasm that I credit to working as a subcontractor.

In short, do consider the idea of being a VA subcontractor; the obvious and hidden benefits are there for the taking.

About the Author

Theresa Scholes, B.Com. Certified Virtual Assistant and Owner of “Click Virtual Assistance”, helps busy entrepreneurs manage the demands of a growing online business. Theresa works closely with coaches, consultants and internet marketers to manage the e-commerce, marketing and administrative aspects of their business allowing them time to focus on what they do best. theresa@clickva.com

Owning Your Value as a VA

For many VA’s, especially those starting out, it can be difficult to own and honor the value we bring. While we may know and understand it, owning it is a whole different story. So how can you really own the value you bring to a client?

What Value Do I Bring?
For starters there is the savings of not hiring a full or part-time employee. This includes no overhead, such as, office space, computer equipment, software, office supplies along with soft skills or computer training. In addition there is no payroll, benefit plans or other contributions required on behalf of the client. Keep in mind that whatever wage an employer is paying it costs about double to actually maintain that employee.

For the serious VA who is interested in not only providing admin services but strategic and collaborative business support, however that may look for the client, the value scale jumps tremendously.

The Partnership
The biggest value any VA can bring to their client relationships is the collaborative partnership in the success of the client’s business. This is about paying careful attention and listening to the client for challenges, dreams and ideas for growing their business. It’s about seeing and communicating possibilities from a solution standpoint. Having the courage to present ideas, solutions, or a different perspective that the client may be unable to see or hadn’t thought of.

The VA takes on the responsibility of knowing what is going on in the client’s industry and staying on top of the latest trends and technology. Only then can you offer and implement the right solution for your client.

This is what sets us apart from strictly office support services and makes our VA/client relationships so valuable. We are there to support our clients in the growth and success of their business however that may look. You only find this in the Virtual Assistant profession.

Owning and Honoring Value

So the key question is…what can I do to own and honor the value I bring?

First of all be very clear on what rate you are charging. Define your ideal rate and then what the lowest discounted rate that you could live with is. Never, ever, ever go below this rate! Don’t be talked into it. Stand firm and remember the value you bring. If the potential client doesn’t get it, try to educate them, if they still try to negotiate you lower, run the other way.

I know, I know how can you possibly do this when you have bills to pay and a family to feed? The answer is to trust in yourself, believe in your abilities, honor the value you bring and you will automatically attract those clients to you. When one door closes another door opens. When working with less than ideal clients you do not have the space to open the door for your ideal client to come in.

Come from a place of abundance versus scarcity, from a place of choice rather than need. Keep in mind that the VA profession is still very much in it’s infancy therefore potential clients are almost limitless. Always remember that you are a business owner not an employee and as such have a choice in who you work with and financial compensation. Get out of the employee mindset.

Have confidence in yourself and your abilities. Debrief and analyze all that you do in order to grow and make changes. The right clients will pick up on this and be willing to pay for the right person.

Use the amazingly support community of VA’s! Many have gone before you and will guide, support and celebrate with you, especially when you have to make some of those tough decisions. Work with a coach or mentor. Having someone in your corner to remind you of who you are and what you bring can be priceless!

About the Author

Mary-Lou Ashton has been a pioneer in the Virtual Assistant profession in Canada since 1997. She has developed a training program and a coaching practice to support other VA’s in being successful. Her passion for the profession continues to grow and Mary-Lou strongly believes in giving back to the community. Visit Mary-Lou at www.vatp.ca

Trade Show Survival Strategies

Much has been written about preparing for trade shows where you will be an exhibitor, but since most small business owners will be visiting booths at least as often as they’ll be hosting them, here are a few tips to help you make the most of those occasions. Some are more obvious than others, but sometimes the simplest ideas can be the most useful.

1. Dress for Comfort
You will want to look your best, so dress as you would for any business meeting, but keep in mind that you will be on your feet for a long time, and wear sensible shoes if at all possible. If you are uncomfortable, you may find it hard to engage in conversation with exhibitors and other people attending the event. Similarly, avoid bulky coats that will cause you to get overheated. If the weather dictates that you must wear a coat, look for a cloakroom or other place to leave it so you can move about unencumbered.

2. Travel Light
Avoid bringing anything with you that you don’t need. By the time you’ve walked around for an hour or two, five pounds will feel like fifty, so if you typically carry a large purse, leave it at home and use a small one that holds only the essentials. A shoulder bag will keep your hands free for picking up brochures and other materials, and of course, for shaking hands with people that you meet.

3. Speak to the Exhibitors
Don’t help yourself to giveaways such as pens and other gifts without stopping to talk to the exhibitor. Yes, they brought those items in order to give them away, but they have paid money to be there in order to promote their products or services, so at least stop and say hello. Even if you’re not in the market for what they offer, you may know someone else who is, in the future, if not now. It’s all about growing your network!

On the other hand, if there are a lot of others waiting to speak to the exhibitor, don’t monopolize his or her time, especially if you’re only making casual conversation.

4. Be Prepared to Talk About Your Business
Many exhibitors will ask what you do, so make sure you’ve prepared your 30 second self-introduction, just as you would before going to a regular networking event. Maybe that business doesn’t fit into your target market, but it’s said that every one of us knows 200 people, so you never know where that brief conversation may lead.

5. Think of Others
As you meet new people, think of those you already know who might be good contacts for them. Don’t limit your thinking to potential customers – maybe you know someone who offers a complementary product or service who might be interested in joint venture, or even just a conversation to share ideas. Offer to introduce them – and then do so.

“You can have everything you want in life, just as long as you help enough other people get want they want in life” ~Zig Zigler

Keep the above pointers in mind before heading out to your next trade show, and you’re bound to come away with more great connections, and less strain on your feet!

About the Author

Janet Barclay, Master Virtual Assistant and founder of Organized Assistant, provides administrative assistance and website services to coaches, professional organizers and other small business clients.

Learn more about Janet and her business by visiting her website: www.organizedassistant.com and her blog: www.janetbarclay.com

Bathrobe Contest Winner

This year’s winners of the bathrobes donated by The Bay are:

Linda MacInnis from Red Deer, AB (woman’s bathrobe) and Tami Murphy from Airdrie, AB (man’s bathrobe)

Congratulations!!

Fall Connections 2008

During the Fall Connections this October at Red Deer College, Virtual Assistant students had the opportunity to hear Denise Jeffrey, About Time VACS, (2008 Grad) share her recent business experiences. You can listen as Denise outlines how she obtained her first clients and how to market your business.