Business Management – Virtual Assistant Success Strategies

Wil Hart on December 11, 2013

Use The Caterpillar Method Of Business Growth

There are so many examples in the insect world that can help you with building your Virtual Assistance business. Stretch your imagination for a bit and try to think as if you were a caterpillar.

Have you ever wondered if a caterpillar looks forward to becoming a beautiful monarch butterfly? As a human, we can sit back and thoroughly appreciate this fascinating process.

Even people who find caterpillars icky or creepy, likely find immeasurable beauty in the monarch. Do you find it lovely?

Why should you consider thinking like a caterpillar?

The monarch butterfly has 4 stages of its life. What stage of your Virtual Assistance business are you in? What is your BIG PICTURE goal? I hope that you look forward to creating a business as gorgeous as the monarch (but with a longer life-span).

Phase I – Foundation Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on November 25, 2013

#005 VA Success Cafe: Dominate In December – Part II

Wil Hart on November 19, 2013

#004 VA Success Cafe: Dominate In December – Part I

Wil Hart on November 8, 2013

5 Steps To Starting A Virtual Assistance Business

You are likely reading this article because you have a vast array of skills as an administrative professional. In a previous time, you may have been an executive assistant for a large company. Or, you developed your skills supporting a wide range of professionals who needed help with their administrative tasks.

Now, you are looking for another option. The possibility of using your admin support skills to start your own business has become very appealing to you. There are probably 100 reasons why you are interested in started your own Virtual Assistance business.

To name a few, you may desire to:

1. Dictate your own schedule and income
2. Work for the best boss in the world – YOU!
3. Spend more time with family and friends
4. Take better care of an aging relative
5. Retire with grace

The list can go on for miles. The important thing to keep in mind is the motivating force for you. Why are you driven to learn more about building your own business? Your reason is important to me as well. It is so important that I want to share with you 5 keys to keep in mind when starting your VA business from scratch!

The fun part about the steps that I am going to share with you is that you can do them in any order. You have to take the lead and decide which is the next best step for your current circumstances. Heck! You can even do two steps at the same time!

Step 1: Set Up Your Infrastructure Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on November 1, 2013

Break Through Your Salary Glass Ceiling

As an employee, have you ever had an absolutely fantastic year! You crushed every single deadline. Your superiors praised your valuable contributions on a weekly basis. BUT…

When the end of the year arrived, you receive a hearty pat on the back along with the adage, “atta-girl” routine. Certainly, you thought that a pay raise was deserved. Guess what, your manager and her manager felt the same way. However, the company just does not have the budget to express their great appreciation by means of monetary compensation.

Once again, you have hit your head on the salary glass ceiling!

Do you want to change this situation? Is it important for you to take control of your employment security? Do you want to break through the glass ceiling that has been bruising your head for years? Of course you do! Perhaps you have yet to learn that you can take the administrative skills and knowledge that you have and create your own source of income.

Decide To Change

If you really want to change your employment situation it is important that you decide to do so. When you decide on a matter, it means that you exclude all other options. For example, when you decide to change your current employment situation, your current state is no longer on the table as an option. Your new focus is to create a new situation whether you will be employed or self-employed. So, make your decision to break through your compensation glass ceiling.

Learn How To Change Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on October 25, 2013

4 Reasons You Are Hiding From Your Goals

You have 70 days left before the start of 2014!

Are you thinking the same thing that many other Virtual Assistants are thinking; ‘Where did the time go?’ The year 2013 is almost gone, a wrap, over, FINITO! How do you feel about your goals for this year? Are you beaming with excitement because you have accomplished a large portion of them? Or, are you avoiding the area where you have posted those goals. You know the feeling of being afraid to review your goals because you think that they will fully understand how you have ignored them for so long.

That is understandable. We all have been there before! So, instead of being scared of those goals, we will discuss 4 reasons why you are hiding from them. Let’s put it out there. Recognize and acknowledge the reasons so that you can overcome them in the future

Reason #1 Procrastination

For some presumably good reason, you decided to delay getting started on a particular objective. Maybe in your mind it was a bit too overwhelming to tackle. Or, you thought that the goal was so easy to reach, that you could start on it at any time and finish it at your leisure. However, there are fewer than 70 days left in the year and you haven’t even started working toward the goal.

Reason #2 They Got Lost and Forgotten Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on October 16, 2013

#001 VA Success Cafe: Successfully Close New Business

Wil Hart on October 7, 2013

3 Things You Fail To Do In Your Business

Have you ever baked a cake? Imagine for a moment that you were baking a red velvet cake. However, you failed to include you flour, sugar and red food coloring. Would the finished product be a success? I don’t think so!

What about your Virtual Assistance business? If you are missing key ingredients, how do you expect to accomplish your goals? Make sure that you do not fail to generously use the following three key ingredients for baking up business success.

Those ingredients are Planning, Focus and Completion.

Planning

If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there. Almost everything conceivable has a vision, action steps and progress. When you decide to bake a cake, you have likely seen the finished product in one form or another. It may have been a picture or you could have tasted the delectable item.

The same is the case with your business. You know what your version of success looks like. One of the easiest ways to measure that is in terms of income generated. Why? Most businesses are designed to produce revenue. The health of the business can be determine by its’ profits. You should already know your revenue goal for the year, for the month and for each week.

Now that you have those numbers written on paper, you will need to determine what activities will enable you to reach these goals. The amount you charge your clients should be clear. The number of clients you need to have each month should be stated. Your marketing strategies for acquiring clients must be recognized. And you need to measure your activity and your results. You should have a detailed plan with a copy of it on your desk for daily review.

Focus

When your cake pan is in the oven, the mixture of ingredients in that pan is ready for intense heat. This is the only way to bring about the finished product; focused, intense heat. Are you putting focused heat into your work? It is one thing to have a plan, but undistracted follow through on that plan is of paramount importance.

Of course you wear many hats as an entrepreneur. Still, a successful business is the result of many projects and tasks being carried out with committed focus. Take a look around your office. How many projects, tasks and follow up appointments are waiting on your attention? After acknowledging these matters, you can progress towards the third ingredient.

Completion

What indicators make it apparent that a baking cake is almost done? Your nose gives you a hint. A better and more accurate gauge is your clock. Likewise, put a time stamp on all of the projects and tasks that you need to complete. Be realistic in your assessment. If you need to get a new website up and running, there is no need to block off three months for this project. Also, when it comes to marketing your business, you should have specific activities noted on your calendar for each month and each week. Note as well, the day and time that you will engage in your marketing activity. Do these to completion!

It is certainly difficult to focus on and complete projects and tasks in this day and age. We live in an era of many distractions and shiny objects. At the same time, if you want your Virtual Assistance business to be a success for you and your family, it is imperative that you know what your vision of success looks like. Plan out the work that it takes to bring that vision about. Focus with intense heat on all of the projects and tasks that will enable you to fulfill your vision. Do not stop working until you have completed every project and task. When you generously apply these three ingredients, your success is certain!

Wil Hart on September 6, 2013

Why Planning Your Work Leads To An Outstanding Life!

It’s time to go to class. Business Development: 101!

One of the best things that you can do for your business today is to plan the next seven days of your working life. If you would like extra credit, you can plan the next 7 days of your personal life as well. Why is such planning a boon to your business? There are three reasons.

Reason #1 – Increased Energy and Excitement

There is something that fill make you slowly creep out of the bed in the morning. It is called a lack of direction. When you wake up in the morning and have no sense of direction, your desire to get out of bed will be impotent. How can you increase your energy and excitement for the tasks that you need to accomplish?

Plan your work! Give yourself a reason to wake up with enthusiasm every single day. Even if your goal seems difficult, focus on the benefits of achieving your objective. Take each activity one step at a time. Enjoy the process of getting things DONE! You know the joy that comes from ~~striking through an item on your to-do list~~ ☺.

By planning your activity in advance, you will wake up each day with the motivation that you need to build a successful virtual assistance business. (These same principles apply if you are currently employed.) Can you feel your energy bubbling forth as you read this? Here is a way that you can give yourself an edge each day. Make your first task super exciting! Ensure that the first activity of the day is worthy of your jumping out of bed.

Reason #2 – Increased Productivity

When you plan your work for the next seven days, the most important tasks and projects will clearly come to the forefront of your mind. These activities will help you to accomplish your most important business goals. (Note: If you are not working towards your most compelling goals, what are you doing every day? That is another article.)

Planning your work for the coming days is also a brainstorming strategy. It will enable you to get your best thoughts written down, prioritize your work and the way you choose to use your time. This will increase your productivity. How so? Planning your work automatically puts you in a mindset of focus. You look at each hour of your day as an opportunity to build something great. It is only with this mindset will you avoid the pitfall of allowing time wasters to control your day. Think of things that currently waste your time. By planning your day in advance, you create a road map to successful and productive working.

Reason #3 – Increased Fulfillment

Is there anything that makes you feel better than a job well done? Likely, you associate 8-12 hours of each day for work (including travel time, lunch etc.). This is how you support your family. Be sure to make that time count. It should be meaningful and precious to you. Avoid wasting time because you cannot recoup ill-spent time. You can however make your time valuable by planning your work in advance. When you accomplish your important “to-dos”, the sense of joy and satisfaction you get from being productive is definitely increased.

Start today by planning the next seven days of your business and personal life. Remember to schedule something thrilling as your first activity each day. Such planning will help you to go to bed excited. You will wake up energized and enthusiastic. This will lead to greater productivity and ultimately increased fulfillment. Can you think of a good reason for not wanting increased energy, productive and fulfillment? I didn’t think so. Now get to planning your work!

Wil Hart on April 23, 2013

Is Virtual Assistance A Real Business?

Many people are fed up and are looking for another way to support themselves financially. Does this sound familiar to you? It is possible that you have reached your limit of dealing with office politics, feeling unappreciated by your superiors, or just tired of the monotonous grind that you have experienced ever day for a number of years.

One of the points previously mentioned may have driven you to this blog. You may have heard a little bit about the Virtual Assistance industry. Perhaps the grapevine of communication has heightened your curiosity about how you can use your administrative skills to build a business of your own. Is it possible to replace or even exceed the income that you currently have? What really is a Virtual Assistant and is it a real business?

Continue Reading>>

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