Today Impacts Tomorrow’s Successes

“Everyone wants to have a good day, but not many people know what a good day looks like – much less how to create one. And even fewer people understand how the way you live today impacts your tomorrow.” John C Maxwell

That is why Today Matters!

John Maxwell wrote in his book, Today Matters that you can create success in your life by focusing on what you do TODAY. Unfotunately, most of the time we miss that success, because we . . .

• Over-exaggerate yesterday – we dwell in the past and constantly think about the things we did or could have done better;
• Overestimate tomorrow – we expect things to be better in future;

….and then we underestimate the importance of today.

What we need to do is to Read more »

African Virtual Assistants – VAImpact Awards

It is that time of the year again when we as African Virtual Assistants can shine and make or fellow VAs shine by applying for, or nominating someone deserving for the 2011 African VAImpact Awards.

The VAImpact Award is about acknowledging you as a small business owner.

The awards are created to reward Virtual Assistants in Africa to keep up their good work and to encourage them to continuously grow the VA industry in Africa.

So, What are you waiting for, visit VAimpact Rewards to nominate someone / sign up.

Deadline is  31 May, 2011.

Also see last year’s winners

Deadline is fast approaching so take action today.

4 Sure Ways to Get More Clients

Virtual Assistant, do you know

-the average small business owner spends up to 40% of their time on routine administrative tasks

What an excellent opportunity to build your virtual assistant business and clientele.   Go and Google ‘small business directory’ and search for small business owners that fit your niche.  I was amazed to find a directory with 196 small businesses listed in the Vaal Triangle on one of the 5+ business directories for our area. 

-potential clients don’t know where to find you

I read a blog post the other day where a guy raved about his virtual assistant.  He surely did a good job  because one of the comments was:  “Sounds like a great idea. How do you go about finding a good one?”  His answer was:  “Look on virtual assistant directories.”  So … is your business listed on virtual assistant directories?  Make sure potential clients find you … list your business here

-there are more than 1.7 million South Africans on Facebook  … and that was a year ago

Do you have a Facebook business/fan page?  With a significant 40% plus of Facebook users over age 35 (CheckFaceBook) the idea that Facebook is just for college kids was put to rest long ago.  Get involved in social media and start to build relationships.  Get yourself on Facebook and start mingling with others because if you don’t have a “facebook footprint” you are losing out.   Oh, and while we are on the subject, become a fan of Be-VA-Wise and receive valuable updates about the virtual assistant industry.

-more and more CEOs will use social media in future

Two recent posts by Mashable highlighted how ‘up to date’ CEOs use social media for business exposure and that “business leaders of tomorrow will be versed in social media”.  Another excellent opportunity often overlooked because we tend to think virtual assistants only do normal admin tasks. If you’re interested in social media and have the necessary experience and knowledge, this might be an excellent niche to consider.  The business leaders of tomorrow might not have enough time at hand to spend on social media and a virtual assistant might be their answer to social media involvement.

The virtual assistant industry is surely gaining momentum in South Africa … ensure you are on the forefront to pick the best of the crop when small business owners are looking for virtual assistants.

The Results are In

Our survey resulted in a number of excellent and interesting questions. Thanks to everyone that participated.

We’ve grouped al the questions and fit them into the following categories and listed a few typical questions that were asked.

Main Categories

I. How to start Virtual Assistant business (12 questions)

1. How do I go about starting my own virtual assistant business?
2. Do I work for you, or do I have to start my own entity?

II.Marketing, Networking and Getting Clients (35 Questions)

• What are the best marketing tips for getting a VA business off the ground?
• How do I network with clients without sounding needy?
• My main question is where do I get clients. All I want to do is typing?

III. Services (7 Questions)

• How much PA work is out there that we as VAs can do?
• What are the most sought after skills requested by clients?

IV. Determining Rates and Payment Processing (11 Questions)

• I just don’t know what rates to charge or how to determine it
• What can I use for international or overseas payments – to be able to withdraw money in SA?

V. VA Training (3 Questions)

• What training is  available in South Africa

VI. VA Business and Business Practices (12 Questions)

• Do I need to change my tax status with SARS?
• How do you work with a client virtually?
• Is South Africa ready for Virtual Assistants

VII. Technology (3 Questions)

• How do you keep up to date with the newest technology?

VIII. Educating Clients about Virtual Assistance (8 Questions)

• How do you convince clients of the benefits of hiring a VA

IX. Website (4 Questions)

• Who can I use as a host for my website

X. Niche and Target Markets(3 Questions)

• How do I establish myself as an expert in my niche

XI. Time management (4 Question)

• Where do I find the time to do all I need to do for my clients

XII. Equipment (4 Questions)

• What are the basic/minimum requirements in terms of hardware / software and communication equipment?

XIII. Mentoring (3 Questions)

• Do I need a mentor and how do I find the right mentor

Stay tuned as we will be answering these (and more) burning questions soon.

If you can think about something that is not on the list, feel free to pop it into the comment box below.

Is Your Question on the List?

Do you have daily frustrations in your virtual assistant business that’s becoming the thorn in your flesh?

Or have you had moments where frustration sets in and you caught yourself yelling at the computer?  Pssst … the sad thing about yelling at the computer is that it has no ears and it couldn’t care less.

We are busy with a Q & A series to assist Virtual Assistants in times when they are “running on empty” and frustration clicks in.  While we are working through the results of our survey there is still time for you to tell us what your questions and frustrations are …

so, pop over and complete the survey here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFLVCND  to just get if off your chest.

And to show that you’re not alone, I am going to let the monkey out of the bag and mention a few questions already asked.

• I am new to this and am really interested but where do I start?
• What exactly will you do if you are a VA?
• What type of VA training is available?
• How do clients know about me?
• Where and how does one do advertising?
• What ways/channels can I use for overseas payments?
• Is SA business environment ready for VAs?
• How do I keep up with technology?
• Do I need to change my tax status at SARS when I become a VA?
• So many people don’t understand what virtual assistance is, how do I educate my clients?

If your question is not on the list, pop over to our 2 question survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFLVCND

 and tell us what your biggest frustrations and questions are in running your virtual assistant business.

Oh, and by the way … if you’re not a virtual assistant but is also experiencing frustration in running a business, click the link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFLVCND and get rid of it by completing our survey.  The best cure for any frustration is to get it off your chest as soon as possible.

Looking forward to your response.

Winners of Regional VAimpact Awards

The  AFRIVAN  VAimpact awards are annual outstanding ovation awards in different categories awarded to Virtual Assistants and business partners who have achieved and demonstrated high standards of business excellence, creativity, professional business practice and are constantly promoting the Virtual Assistant Industry in Africa.

We are proud to announce that the founders of Be Virtual Assistant Wise, Francis van Wyk and Marietjie Steyn were nominated for 3 of the 4 categories namely:

Above and Beyond Award: This VAimpact award is for an individual who has worked creatively beyond the expectation of Virtual Assistants in a short period of time in the VA industry.

Achievement Award: This VAimpact award is given to individuals for outstanding contribution over significant period of time in the VA industry.

Regional Award: This VAimpact award is a standing ovation award for an individual or association with strong business understanding and development with incomparable business management.

We were quite humbled to learn that we won the Business Regional VAimpact Award. It is an important achievement, not only for our organisation, but also for every person associated with BeVAWise.

We sincerely want to thank everyone who are part of our community for your involvement and participation and helping us to reach this important milestone.

This award makes each of you a winner as well, since WE cannot exist without YOU!

Winning the regional award as the best VA organisation in South Africa surely motivates and inspires us to grow the industry further to the benefit of all our members.

We also would like to congratulate the winners of the other awards:

Annemarie Robbertse for winning the Above and Beyond Award and

Alison Fourie for winning the Achievement Award.

You can read all about the winners and their profiles here.

***********

Thanks to African Virtual Assistants Network™ (AFRIVAN) founded by Topsie Egbetokun, for taking the initiative and establishing a business and professional support network specifically for all Virtual Assistants and online professionals in Africa.

The biggest event ever…

… on South African Soil. 

Yes, I am talking about the FIFA 2010 soccer world cup that kicks off in less than 70 hours in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It almost feels unreal to realize that it IS going to happen.  The announcement on 15 May 2004, that South Africa is to host the next World Cup in 2010, made me so proud but also filled me with fear that we are not going to be up to it. 

BUT  for Danny Jordaan there was no fear in the announcement.  His journey began 10 years prior to the announcement when he started working on SA’s first bid for the 2006 World Cup.  Although we’ve lost that bid in 2000 to Germany by one vote, he did not give up and started again only to taste the reward of his beliefs and hard work in 2004.

Today, 2216 days after the announcement Jordaan’s dream is finally coming to fruition as we are looking forward to the kick off on Friday the 11^th. 

Are you also proud?  Did everything that goes with the preparations etcetera also surpass your wildest expectations?

Yes?

But you know what.  It did not happen overnight.  It took years of pre-planning to get the bid and it took more than 6 years of planning, dedication and hard work after the bid for this majestic dream to come true.

 Starting your own virtual assistant business works the same.  You might not reap results overnight, but if you have a dream you’re halfway there.   The secret is to belief in your dream, to do everything in you power (pre-planning) to make your dream come true (founding your business) and then act on the planning to reap the rewards of the Biggest Event Ever you’ve dreamed about.

When Danny Jordaan was asked in 2004 how excited he was about the World Cup he said:  “Excitement is something that lasts for 90 minutes in football.  This is an engagement that lasts five years.”    Use these words to build your business and surpass your wildest expectations.

Be Virtual Assistant Wise is a proud supporter of …Enjoy the World Cup!

Experience a Powerful Client Connection

Working virtually means that you might never see eye to eye with you clients and it is up to you to make sure you understand your clients’ message and know exactly what their needs and expectations are. 

Virtual communication is in my eyes a bit different from eye to eye communication because you cannot see or interpret the body language of your clients. That’s why virtual assistants should not only communicate with their clients, they should connect with them.

I don’t know  if  you still remember those black, roundish sweets called nickerballs.  They consisted of several layers and were so hard you could not just bite them; you had to suck through the hard black liquorice shell and the different coloured layers to eventually reach the core of the nickerball.

Communication is like a nickerball.  You have to figuratively suck through the hard shell and the different coloured layers to eventually reach the core essentials of what is needed to connect with your clients.

But …

You cannot connect with your clients if you do not listen to them.  Active listening is the most important ingredient of effective communication and an essential part of the virtual assistance puzzle.  Make it your motto to:

1.      Listen with concentration

 Listening is the key ingredient of effective communication and it is imperative to improve this skill.  When your clients talk to you, listen and concentrate to make sure you hear what they are saying.  Good listeners are not passive and they do not drift away with thoughts of their own, they concentrate on what is being said.

2.      Listen without interruption

 The purpose of listening is to understand the message.  Although you might think you know and understand what your clients want to say, avoid the urge to interrupt or finish their sentences.  Be polite, listen carefully and always “put your brain into gear before you put your mouth into motion”.

3.     Listen with the mindset to discuss

 Effective listening is not a one way street.  Make notes of what is being said, ask questions and discuss the facts with your clients to make sure you leave no room for misunderstandings.   The secret weapon to effective communication is to ask the right questions.

Remember, communication is like a nickerball … you cannot just bite through it to reach the centre; you have to suck through the layers in order to reach the core. 

Don’t just communicate with your clients, connect with them.   Listen actively and carefully, don’t interrupt when they are talking, make notes and ask the right questions in order to reach the core of their message, their needs and their expectations.

Choose The Right Companion

What is your reaction when your alarm goes off in the morning?  Is it …  “Oh no!!  Not now!!  I don’t want to get up.  It’s going to be another horrible day.”

or

What comes to your mind when you have to meet with a new client?  Is it … “What are the odds of me getting this job?”

or

What is your reaction when you have to do marketing?  Is it … “Why am I wasting my time it never pays off?”

Well, there is a reason why it’s going to be a horrible day, or why you are not getting the job and why marketing never pays off   and that reason is your companion!!  Read more »

If it is Important – Make an Appointment

Making appointments are part of everyday life.

If something is important, we normally schedule some time in our daily calendar to fit it in. These appointments can be anything from a business meeting with an important client or that dreaded appointment at the dentist to some “coffee time” with a trusted friend.

By making an appointment you know it embeds the following basic benefits…

Read more »