Grow Your Business With Service Excellence

A business that attracts lots of clients is a business that focuses on service excellence.

Any VA can give a service and find some clients, but a Virtual Assistant who focuses on service excellence, will have a business that prosper and will attract clients into long-term relationships.

Now the question is: what is service excellence and how can you ensure your business delivers it?

Well, service excellence is about having:

• Solid beliefs in what you do and how it can benefit your clients;
• Exceptional behaviours and applying those to your client relationships.
• A great attitude;

Service excellence is all about finding ways to make your clients feel good about your services, your business and themselves because they simply feel good when dealing with you.

Here are some great ways to create service excellence in your business: Read more »

Do Your Clients Know, Like and Trust You?

Getting long-term clients in a Virtual Assistant business is very much dependent on the following 3 key elements:

1. Clients first knowing about you
2. Then liking you enough to work with you and also
3. Trusting that you will be able to do the work.

This is what I call the “know, like and trust” factor.

Building a Virtual Assistant business and getting clients to fill your business has a lot to do with building solid business relationships. When you “sell” a service it usually brings a more personal dimension into your business (since you work more closely with a client) than when you purely sell a product. Thus relationships with people become a key aspect of your success. Read more »

Focus On Your Strengths To Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business

Do you know what your strengths are?

Do you know what you’re REALLY good at, what makes you unique and how you can USE that to add more value to your own business as well as those of your clients?

Many of us are pretty good talking about our weaknesses, but what about our strengths?

How much do you really know about your strengths and how to make the most of them?

Well, I believe all of us have something special. Each one of us was given unique abilities, unique talents and unique strengths that nobody else has, and everything we do, we do in our own special way.

Another thing I believe is Read more »

Skills Are The Most Valuable Asset In Your Virtual Assistant Business

Working in a virtual services environment, is extremely satisfying because you can create your own destiny and work your dream career.

Creating this dream career however, all starts with identifying what skills you already have or want to obtain. Then translating that skills into specific services you can offer to solve the problems and frustrations of your clients.

Your skills inventory (those things you can do and are good at) is therefore the most valuable asset you have in your business!

Because the better you Read more »

The best kept secret to more clients and having a growing business

Whether you are just starting out, or being in business for quite some time, one of the biggest problems we all run into at some point is …

….“running out of time”.

If you are a solo-preneur, working alone on your business, there are so many different things that needs to be taken care off on a daily basis and sometimes the most important things like building your business and getting clients just slip through the cracks.

Working with many VAs in the past few years, it is sad to hear when they tell me that they work so hard on client related work and keeping their clients happy, that they don’t have time to work on their own businesses. The reality however is that even when you are overloaded with client work, you cannot afford to lose sight of your own business. Read more »

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.

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.

Getting Clients is Easy

“Getting clients is easy if you are willing to build relationships with your prospects” – Marietjie Steyn

Yet, most virtual assistant business owners find ‘getting clients’ one of their biggest headaches and for many years I had the same situation until I’ve discovered that “you have to put relationships before your agenda and value those relationships above the transaction” to change the situation.

That’s right.  People will only do business with you when they trust you and that’s not all.  When they trust you they will refer their friends to you.

Want more clients?  -  Build Relationships … 

Most people think contacting a prospect once, is enough to make them line up in front of your office door begging for your “service”

but

the fact of the matter is that you have to make contact with a prospect at least 18 – 24 times per year to build a sound relationship.

Wow, 24 times a year? 

Yes and if you commit yourself to contact your prospects on a structured, well set out plan and keep track of it for at least 12 to 24 months you will have more clients than you can handle on your own.

A couple of thoughts

1. Build a database of 100 prospects (the average person knows 285 people according a Gallup poll)
2. Send your prospects an item of value each month
3. Call your prospects every second month
4. Send them a handwritten note six times a year
5.  Remember to ask for work or referrals

And remember …

Not all of them will become clients but they might refer friends and colleagues to you.

Let’s talk numbers

If only 10% of your prospects (100) become loyal clients and only 10% of your prospects (100) refer one person to you over a period of two years and of these referrals only 5 become your clients you will have 15 loyal clients in 24 months.

Wow!!

Do you think this is worth a try?   Especially in our industry?

I did exactly that and secured more deals than ever before.  And that’s not all!!  I’m  still getting referrals from my database without even asking!

Do You Have The Nimbleness to Be Successful?

Starting your own virtual assistant business nowadays is actually easy.  Yeah it is!  With the help of the internet and all the free information available, all you have to do is Google “starting a virtual assistant business” and “wallah” you have 526 000 results in 0.26 seconds.

Or is it really that simple?

Well, maybe if you only want to start a business.  But if you want to run a successful VA business you have to dig a little bit deeper into the qualities and characteristics needed to help you put bread and butter on the table.

Now if you thought 526 000 results in 0.26 seconds was good, when you Google “characteristics of an entrepreneur” you’ll get 1 570 000 results in 0.12 seconds. Wow!

Ok, enough of the statistics.  In my eyes there are 5 essential qualities or characteristics that stand out above the rest and I am convinced that if you possess these qualities you have what it takes to make a success of your Virtual Assistant business and career.

1.    Self-motivation

As a Virtual Assistant and independent business owner, you are the boss and should be able to motivate yourself.  You determine your pace, motivate yourself and know that if you don’t work you don’t earn an income, and the “no money no honey” phrase is your motivation to be in the office on time, schedule your work in advance and make sure your mental strength is fed on a daily basis with a positive attitude.

2.    Confidence and the Ability to Organize

 Virtual Assistants normally work with several clients and need to keep their workspace and projects well organised and has to have confidence in what they are doing. Although this seems to go without saying, it does take a lot of effort and planning to stay on top of matters and procrastination, tardiness and delay can be fatal to your success.

3.    Initiative and Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness, initiative and pro-activeness are excellent qualities of top Virtual Assistants.  Various clients mean different tasks and sometimes you will have to put your ‘problem solver’s’ hat on and come up with the answer that is baffling your client.  You should be able to take initiative, dig around, do research and become their vast resource of information. 

4.    Intelligence and Good Communication Skills

 Intelligence does not mean you should be a Harvard Scholar but it means that you should be Virtual Assistant Wise.  You should be a quick thinker, know what you do and how to do it.  If you add to it the ability to communicate with clients in a positive, understanding, clear and to the point manner you will definitely set yourself apart from your competitors. 

5.    Professionalism

Professionalism is perhaps the most important quality of all and can best be described as a mixture of courtesy, integrity, class and excellence.  Professionalism is paramount and will distinct your business from just a ”work from home” job to a successful virtual assistant business.

Do you posses these qualities?  Excellent!! 

Our e-book “Jumpstart Your Virtual Assistant Business” is an excellent source and addresses the above and much, much more.  For more information about this fantastic business guideline, visit http://www.be-virtual-assistant-wise.com/jumpstart-virtual-assistant-business-ebook.html

SEO – Attract Clients to Your Virtual Assistant Business

It is tough to get noticed on the Web these days….

…. but luckily, SEO can help you fight this battle.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving the visibility of your website in the search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo etc. –  in other words, getting your site on the first few pages of the search engines (and preferably on the first page) so that people can actually find your site when they search for you or your specific services.

You can think of SEO as your ticket to make more money, because more visitors to your website, means more money in your pocket.

So, how does SEO generate leads for your business?

Well, most people these days are using the internet to search for information.

When you apply good SEO techniques on your website and people are searching for a Virtual Assistant, they are more likely to find your site within the sea of VA websites on the internet. Only when someone find and enter your website, you have a chance to convert that  visitor into a paying client with the content and info on your site

In contrast, if you don’t use good SEO, there is a big change that potential customers will never find and visit your site.

This translates into the simple fact that if you’re having a Virtual Assistant website without using good search engine optimization (SEO)….,

….you’re literally flushing your money down the drain.