This year’s Blogworld will be held in Los Angeles November 3 – 5th, and Chris Ducker will be speaking about “How to Use Virtual Assistants To Help Build, Grow and Monetize Your blog.
Does this realization have any of you social media VAs thinking about how you’re going to capitalize on this opportunity?
Here’s Chris’ promotional video for his presentation:
In Part I of this series, I talked about mindset, selecting a niche and defining your ideal client. Today, I’d like to go over business foundation: systems – the backbone of any successful business.
If you don’t have comprehensive processes and systems in place, you’ll likely be inefficient, wasting a lot of time reinventing the wheel every time you perform an activity that you do on a regular basis in your business.
Systems and processes allow you to quickly move through tasks because you’ll always know what you need to do next. You won’t have to stop and think each time, “Now, how did I do that last time?”
Take for instance, a new client intake process. There should be certain items that are done each time you bring on a new client. Here is a list of tasks that were done with every new client that I brought on in my VA company, My Creative Assistant:
With this process, I created a simple checklist, so I could check each item off as they were completed. Then, I didn’t have to think “what’s next?”, I simply referred to my process and everything was fast, efficient and smooth.
Anything that you do on a regular basis should be systemized, saving you time and effort. This is one of the first steps in building a strong foundation for your business.
A helpful resource is Systems of a Successful VA by my good friend and colleague, Kristi Pavlik, a.k.a. The Systems Chick.
What processes and systems can you think of that should be a part of every business’ arsenal?
Are you looking to build your VA business? Check out my Virtual Assistant Business Success Blueprint through the VA Training Academy. Comprehensive training to build a successful VA company.
This question was asked in the LinkedIn Virtual Assistants Mastermind Group by Ann Murphy of the soon to be started ATM Business Services, and I thought I would add my input here on my blog, as I get approached with this inquiry quite regularly:
The two things that Cindy Greenway has already mentioned in the group, entrepreneurial vs. employee mindset, and selecting a narrow niche, are excellent points.
Having a strong entrepreneurial mindset – leaving your employee mindset behind, will serve you well, as well as your clients.
What exactly does this mean?
As a VA, you’re now a business owner. You need to think like one.
For instance, when you consult with a potential new client, you do not go into the conversation like a job candidate. YOU interview the client, as much as they are interviewing you to ensure they will be a good fit for you and your business.
DO NOT forward a resume under any circumstances to a potential client.
This is one of my biggest personal pet peeves…
Whether your responding to an RFP (request for proposal) or are contacted by a potential client to send a proposal directly, remember that you’re a business owner now.
Sending a resume sends the wrong message to the potential client, of boss/subordinate.
Instead, forward a proposal, outlining your understanding of the scope of support needed, and provide examples and case studies of clients you’ve helped in the past with similar support requirements. As you’re just starting out, create scenarios of how you would help the client with the projects and specialties needed. Include your bio, and let them know what the next steps are – how do you want them to take action? What do you want them to do next? That could simply be to suggest a few dates and times that you can get together by phone to discuss your proposal.
The entrepreneurial mindset. This is what’s sorely lacking in the VA industry, and where you can really shine and create a successful VA business. I see it everyday. VAs who don’t step up to the plate to manage their clients. Instead, they wait to be managed and that’s not what being a VA is all about. You won’t become an asset to your client’s businesses, but instead…you’ll be a hinderance and a time gobbler, because the client will find themselves in a position of continually having to think about what they need you to do next, and taking the time to task you on every detail.
That’s what our goal should be as a stellar virtual assistant – to help our client’s build their businesses, to help them get more clients, make more money, create more products, etc. Now, you’re not necessarily going to tell them what to do to get there – that’s really not our positions, but you’re going to ask questions of how they want to get there, and then create the implementation plan and make sure it gets accomplished (by either you or your client).
I don’t think I can hammer it home enough. Many VAs in the industry are still in the employee mode and that’s really doing themselves a great disservice. It just doesn’t make for a successful business. Being proactive and a step ahead of our clients is going to really give us that edge. Clients will rave about you and you’ll begin to see a lot of referrals coming your way. I know this from experience.
Selecting a Niche for Your VA business.
When I first started my business, I joke now that I would work with “anyone with a heartbeat and a wallet“. Honestly, that got me nowhere fast.
Once I determined a target market to work with (real estate) and honed that further to my niche (top producing residential real estate professionals), my business really took off.
My marketing message to “anyone with a heartbeat and a wallet” was watered down and ineffective. It’s hard to be heard when your marketing to “everyone”.
When I used a focused, clear message that spoke directly to my niche, I began to stand out. To become better known in the industry and was delighted to sign on several new clients quite quickly.
[Sidenote] Selecting and focusing on a niche does not in any way mean that you can’t work with someone outside that niche. If they come along and they fit into your ideal client definition, by all means, take them on as clients. Defining your niche doesn’t limit you, it just allows you to target your services and your marketing message more succinctly, allowing you to achieve greater success.
Define Your Ideal Client
Once you’ve selected your niche, it’s important that you have a clear idea of who you want to work with. This will allow you to focus your marketing message to make it even more appealing to your target. You’ll know when you find them. Speak directly to her (or him!) with your marketing message.
Here are some example traits/qualities when determining your ideal client:
In upcoming posts, I’ll cover the importance of a written business plan, a marketing plan and calendar, working with a coach/mentor and accountability partner, and more. Coming soon.
If you’re looking for a training program that covers these topics in-depth and more (templates, forms, etc.), take a look at my Virtual Assistant Business Success Blueprint program.
I’d love to hear your comments and additions!
Guest post by Nicole Dean
Here’s a question that I received today. I thought it was such a valuable question that I wanted to share my response.
Dear Nicole,
I hear you talking about PLR articles, but I’m a Virtual Assistant, not an Internet Marketer. I need clients, not content.
Why should I care?
Dear Virtual Assistant:
Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to respond to your great question.
PLR content can actually help you to get more clients. And, I’ll explain how.
As someone who hires and works with a lot of Virtual Assistants in my business, I’ll tell you that I hire oftentimes based upon the knowledge that person shows just as much as what they “say” they can do.
For instance, let’s compare two Virtual Assistants (hypothetically – these aren’t real people).
Susie and Tessa.
I go to Susie’s website and she’s got three pages – including contact, services, and pricing. I look around a little and discover that Susie specializes in videos and multimedia. I think “hmmm… interesting” and then leave.
Next, I find Tessa’s website. She’s got the same pages on her website as Susie – contact, services, and pricing. It looks to me as if she also specializes in videos and multimedia. That’s not what I’m looking for, so I’m about to leave when I notice that she has a blog. On her blog, she’s got articles about how I can use video in my business and how to also use video to get more traffic and make more money. I’m interested. She obviously knows her stuff. I contact her to find out how she can help me to get more traffic with my existing videos – and to brainstorm more videos that I can incorporate into my business on an ongoing basis.
Tessa got my business. Susie did not.
Why? Because Tessa did some things right.
How does this apply to PLR content? Easy.
Susie could have had my business if she had purchased some great quality PLR content and published it on her blog. Of course, as always, I would recommend that Susie use the content as a starting point only and then add her own ideas and examples into it to make it uniquely hers. But, the important thing is that she could have had an active blog offering great value to potential new customers that showcased her talent and made people desperate to hire her.
And, she could have done it for under $20.
Would you like to boost your blog content, impress potential new clients, and become the recognized expert in your niche? Check out this great PLR site to get started. Be sure to sign up for the notification list so you don’t miss a thing!
Nicole Dean is the owner of www.EasyPLR.com – where you’ll find high-quality PLR articles sold in very limited quantities. The PLR articles at EasyPLR are professionally written and professionally edited — top quality at an affordable price.
— Note to Publisher —
This is a free reprint article. You may publish it on your blog, in your ezine/newsletter, or in your infoproducts as long as it is unchanged and the author remains me, Nicole Dean.
When publishing this article online, you may replace the links to EasyPLR.com with your affiliate link for that program.
You’ll find everything you need here: EasyPLR Affiliate Program
Here’s a great email from Michelle Jamison about email professionalism and etiquette, I enjoyed and I thought I’d pass on to you.
by Michelle Jamison
Do you remember when the little ding and the automated voice saying “You’ve got mail!” made you run expectantly to your computer to see who near and dear to you was dropping you a note?
Wow, are those days ever gone! Back in the day, not that long ago, the e-mail was probably from a dear friend that I couldn’t wait to hear from. Today e-mail can be from a whole host of strangers bombarding me with everything from get rich quick schemes to advertising, in other words SPAM.
E-mail today is either a god-send or can be the bane of my existence. Pretty much whichever I consider it to be, it is an undisputedly highly important form of communication in today’s work world. What VA worth their salt could function without it?
Continued on Michelle’s blog, The VA Voice…