Business Management – Page 3 – Virtual Assistant Success Strategies

Wil Hart on November 5, 2012

FREE VA Success Strategy Calls

I have something very special and exciting for YOU! One of my favorite past times is to sit in a nice coffee shop, enjoy a nice brew and have good conversation with good friends. So, we have decided to do more of that in a virtual sort-of-way.

Over the past 7 years, Sydni and I have been working with entrepreneurs to help them build lucrative businesses. In the process we have started 4 different companies. One of them being EAtoVA.

You might be asking, “Wil, I thought you said that you had something for me?” And you are correct.

We are taking ALL of the knowledge that we’ve used to build our businesses and share it with you EVERY week. That’s exciting for a few specific reasons:

We will get to know you by talking on the phone regularly.
For 10 minutes I will share with you business-building strategies.
For 20 minutes you will be able to ask questions and we can brainstorm business solutions for you.
NO selling, NO pitches, NO tricks. We are having a friendly conversation and getting to learn more about one another.
These calls will be FREE, forever! Isn’t that cool? I really look forward to getting on the phone with you.

CLICK HERE to accept the invitation

Every Tuesday, we’ll discuss a specific topic. Check out the line up for November:

Nov 06: How to develop a success mindset.
Nov 13: Skill sets prospective clients are looking for.
Nov 20: What technologies are successful VAs using?
Nov 27: Fixing holes in your business foundation.

These are just 4 of the MANY topics that you and I will be discussing. Don’t worry, if you cannot join us live, I will post the recordings here on the blog! We are going to have an awesome time each week!

CLICK HERE to accept the invitation

Wil Hart on September 10, 2012

3 Surefire Ways To Get Your Clients To Pay On Time!

Protecting your business interests is a must. Always remember that you are not running a not-for-profit organization. That means getting paid late by your clients is a “No, no”! How can you avoid payment problems with your clients? Look at the three tips listed below.

1. Sign A Contract

A contract is an agreement that safeguards you and your clients. This is the first line of defense to protect yourself from client who may be trying to avoid paying you. Your terms as a service provider must be made clear in writing. Clients should know exactly what services they are paying for and how much they will owe you. Additionally, your contract should include when payment is due and what constitutes a late payment. Likely, you have heard the term, “the pen is mightier than the sword”. When you have terms and agreements in writing, life if much easier than fighting to get someone to pay you for services that you have already rendered.

2. Get 100% Pay Up Front

When you work with a new client, do not feel bad about receiving your fee in full before you start to work on his project. When payment is made up front, there will be no money matters to squabble about during the working relationship. In fact, you as a service provider will be able to work with a clear mind and laser focus because you now have to deliver on the promise that you have been paid for. Your work is positively affected when you do not have to worry about when or if your client is going to pay on time.

3. Monthly Retainer

A great way to manage your cash flow is to work with clients on a retainer basis. For instance, you may have a 3-month retainer as your policy. That means, when your prospective clients agree to work with you, they know that they are locked in for a minimum of three months. When the agreement is signed, you both understand that the relationship is established for three months. This will surely minimize late payments, especially if you get paid before you start working. How would your cash flow change if you have three to five 3-month retainer clients?

As a Virtual Assistant, you are providing valuable services to your clients. It is part of your duty to ensure that your clients pay you on time so as not to disrupt the working relationship that you have created. Implement these three business-building habits into your practice and notice the dramatic improvement in your income and client relationships.

Wil Hart on August 10, 2012

5 Fantastic Tips to Boost Your Tech Skills and Increase Your Profits At The Same Time

Learn & Earn I must admit that I am always on the dull side of technology. Being on the cutting edge has never truly been exciting for me. If there was ever a person who waited till the last minute to make a change with his technology, it was ME. Life changed drastically for me when I got my first iPhone. I am still astounded by the power of this magnificent device.

Just to give you an idea of how powerful it is, I attended an event one time and was able to sell more than $1,000 in products because of my iPhone and the tools that I used along with it. Guess who LOVES technology now. Yep it’s ME! I want to share with you 5 Fantastic Tips on how I went from a techno “dud” to acing everything that I want to know about anything tech-related. Here we go!

Invest Time: It takes time to learn anything new. When it comes to mastering tricks and tips on your new iDevice, time is needed. It will be time well spent when you figure out how to use tools that save you time, simplify the complex or save money. Of course there are many other aspects of your life that you desire to enhance or change. Put in the time and reap the benefits.

3 Keys for Building a Successful Virtual Assistance Business While Still Employed

When I first started teaching administrative professionals how to create a successful virtual assistance practice of their own, most were ready to fire their boss, ditch their corporate job and dive right in to self-employment.

Times have changed! Most folks are happy to still have a job. While still very interested in virtual assistance, many are looking to setup their business part-time and grow into a full-time practice.

If that scenario would work well for you, here are 3 keys that will help you to accomplish this goal.

HUSTLE

In order to make a lasting impression at your place of employment, it is important that you stand out from the rest of your colleagues. How does a person excel? It is by constantly delivering high quality work.

When it comes to running your own business, those same principles apply. Being a virtual assistant is not for the faint of heart.

It takes a person who is willing to hustle and work hard in order to succeed. Not only do you have to stand out in the marketplace, but you must become astute at managing your business and acquiring clients. Doing those things WHILE maintaining your current employment will require a lot of hustle.

You’ll also need to show tenacity, patience and a proactive approach to your work to create the additional income you’re looking for.

BE A PROBLEM SOLVER

Simply put, businesses exist to solve problems. Restaurants feed hungry people. Clothing stores dress people. Virtual assistants relieve administrative overwhelm for their clients.

Which means you have to decide what problems you will solve. It is not advisable to start a business simply because you want to. Your skills must be marketable. Those skills need to be easily packaged as solutions for busy professionals.

Think about your skill set. What problems do you know how to solve? Do you excel at proof reading and typing, making travel arrangements, or creating spreadsheets? Are you great at managing accounting tasks, creating reports and developing presentations?

Take stock of your skills and list everything that you have to offer as a business owner. Answer this question for yourself: ‘Why should someone pay for my help?‘ The answer to this question is the beginning of a successful VA career. That will allow you to move on the 3rd Key…

GET YOUR FIRST CLIENT

After defining the problems that you solve and determining why someone would pay for your help; now you can look for the people who need you. Start close to home. If you look around at your personal network, you will likely see people who can help you to acquire your first few clients.

Notify everyone you know about your new business, what problems you solve and who you solve them for. If you know 50 people, keep in mind that all of those individuals know at least 50 people as well. You potentially have access to 2,500 people within your personal network.

This is exactly how I engaged one of my very first clients and a strategy I still utilize, with great success today.

These are a few basic steps to help you make progress with starting your business while still dealing with your current employment situation.

If you’d like to know the rest of the steps and receive mentoring directly from me on how to create a successful virtual assistance business, I warmly invite you to join me as a member of the Successful VA Mentoring program. CLICK HERE for details!

Wil Hart on May 22, 2012

5 Keys To Becoming A Successful Virtual Assistant

In 2009, there were 27.5 million businesses in the United States, according to Office of Advocacy estimates (per a report published in January 2011). What does that mean for you?

A) That number has only increased since 2009.
B) EVERY single one of those businesses needs some type of administrative support to function and be profitable.
C) There is more opportunity for you to be successful than ever before.

Since you have expressed an interest in becoming a Successful Virtual Assistant, I want to share with you all the tips, short cuts and resources that were not available to me when I first got started. I had to figure out on my own most of the things that I learned. I hope that you will utilize the tools that I give you so as to make your journey a LOT less stressful than mine turned out.

Fortunately, I kept track of every step I took, every mistake I made and everything that worked along the way. I didn’t have a real reason for doing so at the time, but I’m SO glad I did because now I can share them with you. When I look back I see that there are 5 critical keys you need to start and build a successful Virtual Assistance company:

1. Mindset: You may not realize it now, but to be successful as an entrepreneur, you have to THINK like an entrepreneur. As employees, we are conditioned to do what others tell us. Someone else typically decides our schedule, how much we get paid, who we work with and what projects we work on. When you become self-employed, YOU call all the shots. This is probably one of the things that is most attractive to you about the opportunity to be a Virtual Assistant. However, you must understand that you will have to go through some growing pains to make-over your mindset. You cannot operate your business they way you function as an employee. It simply won’t work. If you avoid working through this transition it could be the ONE thing that can make or break your business.

2. Infrastructure: What makes up the infrastructure of your company? Here are a few things to consider: 1) Insurances – health, life, disability, dental etc. 2) Technology – computers, phones, an online presence etc. 3) Operations – you must have operational systems in place such as accounting, tax filing, setting up new customers, processes for working with customers, etc. 4) Structure – will you set up an LLC or a Sole Proprietorship? 5) Finances – it takes money to make money. Considering these important matters and making well-informed decisions about which situations will work best for you, will enable you to start and manage a successful company.

3. Marketing: Marketing your services and getting clients boils down to one thing, ‘Offering solutions to people who are already looking for them.’ You don’t have to “hawk your wares”, you don’t have to convince people to hire you and you don’t have to take any opportunity that comes along. Marketing at it’s best is simple, focused and consistent. Those who do not market their company tend to find themselves out of business very soon. The best thing that you can do for your business is to know how to generate leads and enroll new clients. You do not want to wait to figure this out. You can develop a marketing plan even before you have made your first dollar, taking advantage of the resources, relationships and opportunities already within your reach.

4. Transition: Having a PLAN around your transition from Executive Assistant to Virtual Assistant will help you to make the leap from employee to entrepreneur smoothly. Please do not quit your job and then ‘hope for the best’. That is NOT a plan that leads to success. You want to make sure that you have not only your infrastructure in tact, but also a step by step plan that has dates attached to keep you focused. This plan gives you time and space to make the transition. In your mind you may think you can “wave a wand” and make the changes you need to make overnight. But that is an unrealistic view. Mapping out a realistic plan will help you to make steady progress, avoid unnecessary stress and minimize wasted time and wasted money.

5. Building Your Business: When you work for someone else, that company does all of the heavy lifting for you as an employee. The company is responsible for building the business so that you will have a place to work each day. Now, YOU are responsible for whether you win or lose. Success or failure is 100% in YOUR hands! You, therefore, have to perform all of the needed tasks to REMAIN in business. This includes constantly upgrading your skill set, setting up systems, marketing consistently and more.

If you would like help with each of these 5 Keys, I invite you to join me for a FREE training call on Thursday, May 31st, entitled “How to Use the Skills You Already Have to Add An Additional $500 – $5,000 to Your Monthly Income…Working From Home”. Click HERE to get the dial-in details!

Wil Hart on February 2, 2012

These 3 Activities Will Grow Your Business

growth It would be an understatement to say that you want more clients, more stability, fewer expenses and more money in your business. Let’s not start there because that is what business is all about. If you focus on three simple activities, you will see your business improve in all of the aforementioned areas.

PLAN ~ You likely have your sources for information gathering. In fact, the list of resources that are available to you grows daily. In some way, you have mentors who teach you tactics and skills that will help you to accomplish your business objectives. How you obtain that information is not as important as how quickly you will put it into action. BEFORE taking action, however, step back and get the “blimp perspective“. Blimps, such as the Goodyear Blimp, provide a perspective of a city or a venue like the Super Bowl, that you otherwise would not see. It’s the full scope. If you apply the blimp view to your business it will give you a broad perspective that includes:

Where you have come from.
Where you are now.
Where you want to go in the future.

Planning allows you to achieve such a view of your business. Therefore, it is imperative that you take all of the knowledge that you have gained about running a successful virtual assistance company and map out the future course of your business. The blimp perspective gives you the freedom to see many potential roadblocks, opportunities and sterling possibilities. Then you will have to …

DO ~ This is the step that moves you from the drawing board to the playing field. The plans that you drew up for your business are now “LIVE”. Now it is time to ‘do or die’, ‘sink or swim’, where the ‘rubber meets the road’, or whatever cliche you can think of that helps you to get things done! 🙂 There is no substitute for taking action on the plan that you have created. Many entrepreneurs habitually purchase programs but fail to implement what they have learned. It is as if the mere purchase would increase their business. I often wonder if they reason this way, “since I have invested in my business, I should be successful.” That is so far from the truth. Investing in a program, a seminar, a software or a service is tantamount to picking up a tool. Something has to be done after picking up that tool. Oh yeah, they call that WORK. Action is the key that unlocks the door to business success. But, do not be satisfied with planning and acting on your plan. Next, you will want to …

REVIEW ~ That’s right! Consider the results of your hard work. Did you reach your goals? How far off were you from your targets. What did you omit from the planning or action steps? What would you adjust, cut out or include? Reviewing and measuring your results will enable you to start this 3 step process with what I like to call Success Data. This data is the stepping stone for your next round of planning, action and reviewing.

These 3 activities, when applied to your marketing, client work and back office duties will set you up for business growth and success. You cannot go wrong with this process. You will never have all of the knowledge you need at one time. Most of the important things you learn comes from the action that you take. So, do not be paralyzed by perfectionism. As long as you take confident imperfect actions, you will step closer to the goals and dreams that you have established for your virtual company.

Until next time be sure to Plan, Do and Review.

Let me know how this works for you by commenting below.

Wil Hart on December 9, 2011

Yes, You CAN Be a Part-Time Virtual Assistant!

multi-tasking If you are currently employed with a company working as an Administrative Professional and are wondering how you are going to transition into your own home-based Virtual Assistant practice, the thought may have crossed your mind to start your business part-time. This likely led to a number of other questions, such as “how do I get started,” “how will I balance my job, family and business?” and “can I really do this and be successful?”

The good news is that you can create a profitable, successful business that you work in part-time. You and I both know of many individuals who have been able to maintain two or even three sources of employment simultaneously. It would be no different if you were to choose to start your Virtual Assistance practice while you maintain your current job.

There are a few things that you will need to consider if you are going to start a part-time Virtual Assistance business such as:

What is my current situation? As with any endeavor in life, especially when there is a demand on your time and financial resources, it is imperative to consider your circumstances as they are and not how you want them to be.

Ask yourself:

How much financial support can you dedicate?

How will your part-time Virtual Assistance business affect the time that you spend with your family?
Will your quality of life improve or be impaired by taking on this challenge?

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. The point is to honestly assess where you’re at and what needs to happen in order to make your endeavor successful.

Who will I serve in a part-time capacity? I’m asked all the time, “Will clients be interested in working with me if I’m only available part-time?” And the answer is Yes! Why is that? It is because when and how you work isn’t really their concern. Remember, they are looking for solution to a problem, not a Virtual Assistant. So when you focus the client relationship on solving their problems, are clear about your availability and meet the agreed upon deadlines, WHEN you actually do the work is a non-issue.We currently have three VAs who work on our team. They each have different circumstances and different schedules. When they do their work for us is not something I worry or care about. Once a task is assigned, I just want it delivered on time and as we agreed. What this means for you is that you’ll want to focus on providing services that aren’t necessarily time sensitive (that have to be done during normal working hours). You do this by matching your skill set with what the client is looking for and then honoring your commitments.

How will I manage my time and clients? Time is our number one resource. We all enjoy the same portion of it each day. You, as a part-time VA will have to determine how you will use your allotment of 24 hours. First, be mindful that you do not need to tell your clients that you only work part time. Every day, you treat your employer as your biggest client, right?When you enroll a client on a part-time basis, they only need to know that the agreement that the two of you made will be honored. Therefore, even in a part-time situation, make only commitments that you can keep. This means not over-committing yourself or making promises you can’t keep. Be honest about what you can do and you’ll quickly build trust with your clients, that will likely lead to more work and referrals to others in their network.

Is pursuing a part-time VA business the right goal for you? It can be if you honestly assess your current circumstances. Decide whether or not you have the time to commit to building your business. You also need to determine if you have the financial means to support your business. It is also important for you to be realistic in your commitments to clients. Many are getting this accomplished. By reviewing the points mentioned in this article, creating a plan and taking action, you can start a successful part-time Virtual Assistance business too!

Wil Hart on December 2, 2011

Are You Moving Full Speed Ahead?

speed to profits There’s a lot we can learn from consumer spending habits this time of year. Did you notice how many emails you received about “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” offers? Retailers are stocking their shelves, running special deals; truly they are doing all that they can to attract more customers to buy their goods. Yes, retailers are moving full speed ahead in order to increase their business.

Many other types of businesses, however, do not maintain the ‘retail mentality.’ Especially serviced based businesses like Virtual Assistance. They may tend to think, “oh well, this is a slow time of year. We will pick back up in January.”

Please tell me that you are doing all that you can to develop the ‘retail mentality’. You should be “stocking your shelves” and “doing all that you can to attract more customers.”

How can you, though, move full speed ahead and ramp up business so that you hit the ground running come January 1st?

Here are 4 action steps for boosting your business NOW instead of later.

Create Your Money Map for 2012: If you want a clear path on how to create more success, more profits and more freedom in your business, I invite you to join me for a two-part LIVE webinar course on how to create a marketing masterpiece. Click here to get access to your best year ever. Even if you choose not to join our profit-boosting program, please make sure that you make plans for how you will conduct your marketing program.

Set SPECIFIC Goals: How well did you do with accomplishing your goals for 2011? I certainly hope that you reached them all. If you have, that is a sign of good planning. And you should set new goals for yourself, stretching a bit beyond what’s possible. If you didn’t quite achieve all that you set out to, use where you are now as a starting point for what you can achieve in 2012.
Strategize: Setting goals is one thing. Charting the course to accomplishing them is quite another. Can you imagine saying that you wanted to lose 45 pounds, but then choosing not to exercise or change your eating habits? That wouldn’t make sense. The same principle applies to your business. If you don’t set goals and outline how to accomplish them, you won’t find the success you’re looking for.
Implement: THIS is the MOST important step. Take an honest look at your business. Are things going the way that you would like? If not, are you doing everything within your power to make good things happen? If not, you can choose to change that. Starting…NOW! Commit to taking the necessary action. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You just have to be consistent.

It is my greatest hope that you succeed in developing a successful virtual assistant business. Don’t slow down right now! This is the time to go all out and boost your business. I would be happy to help you do that. Be sure to develop and maintain the ‘retail mentality’ through the end of the year so that you will have a strong start in 2012.

Wil Hart on November 25, 2011

The Magic Pill for Small Business Success

success pill Commercialism has ingrained into our culture the idea that whatever we want we can obtain quickly, abundantly and easily. Commercial geniuses try to convince you that you can “Lose weight FAST!” “Fall in love INSTANTLY!” And the ever elusive, “Get rich NOW!”

I truly believe that as you build your Virtual Assistance company, there is a magic pill that you too can swallow. The cool thing about this magic pill is that it is tried and tested. It’s called doing the work. That’s all folks!

Doing the work is the only thing that is going to allow you to build the successful business that you desire. Along with doing the work, you are going to have to combat laziness and discouragement.

Laziness is the quality of being unwilling to do the work and expecting the easy way out. How might this trait manifest itself in your efforts to build your business? Perhaps you come across a software, technology, or set of tasks of which you have no previous knowledge. What effort do you put forth to learn what you need to learn to complete the project and make progress? The answer to this question is an indicator as to whether or not you need to develop a more pro-active approach to doing your work.

It’s great to learn from those that have paved the way before you (which is why I encourage you to get fully involved in the Executive Assistant to Virtual Assistant! community.) You can also learn by investing in training, coaching or reading a book. However, it is your choice to learn the necessary skill. Doing so will require an investment of your time, energy and in many cases financial resources. But more importantly, once you learn what you need to learn, you have to put it into action and do the work! Simply increasing your knowledge is not going to help you be more successful.

Applying what you learn and doing the work, however, is the key to success. As you seek to implement what you learn you may make a mistake along the way. That’s OK. Everyone does. (I have personally made EVERY mistake an entrepreneur can make – and that hasn’t stopped me from being successful.) Even if you make a mistake or something takes longer than you expected, that is how you learn. You can then make adjustments and do better next time. It’s part of the process. So don’t allow a tendency of being unwilling to do the work stand in the way of the success you deserve.

Discouragement is a loss of confidence or enthusiasm. The magic pill of doing the work can help you to overcome this challenge and reach success at a quicker pace. In your business, there will be situations that cause your confidence and enthusiasm to wane. It may be the loss of a client, a financial setback or a goal that you did not accomplish. It is understandable that you might feel deflated by such disappointments. However, the magic pill of doing the work will allow you to triumph over such feelings.

Yes, doing the work you need to do will enable you to find new clients, to create new sources of income and to accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself. This in turn will increase your vitality and your outlook for your business.

There is no substitute for the magic pill of doing the work. It does not matter how many advertisements that you see for losing 20 pounds in a matter of days or for getting rich within a few months. The essence behind any successful endeavor is putting your hand to the plow and getting things done! Success, however you define it, is manual, not automatic. You are the creative force that drives your Virtual Assistance company. Even if you purchase a software, a training course or attend a seminar; you are going to have to put in the work to make your goals a reality.

Are you ready to swallow the magic pill?

Wil Hart on November 18, 2011

Enroll A New Client Within DAYS

If you entered a contest that challenged you to enroll one new client next week, how would you go about doing so? Imagine that the stakes are VERY HIGH. The prize, $100,000 if you could just get one new client to work with you in your business. Would $100,000 be enough to get you excited about prospecting for clients?

I hope that you are excited because this is a reality. If you work feverishly to get in front of your ideal clients, you can truly operate a $100,000 business! But, don’t allow the money to be a barrier for you. Think about why you started your business in the first place. What made you excited about being an entrepreneur? That is the very energy and zeal that you need to employ when you are marketing your solutions to the people who are already looking for you.

I want to share with you the strategies that we have used to build two successful businesses. First, I want to offer a disclaimer. If you do not perform the work that needs to be done, you will not get new clients and thus build your business. Fair enough? Good! Let’s get started:

I tapped into my warm market: That tactic is how I got my business off the ground. I simply told my friends, co-workers and associates that I was starting a Virtual Assistance company. It was fascinating to them that I was going to do the same work that I had been doing for more than a decade using the freedom of running my own company. I sent a letter to everyone that I knew and set coffee dates with others. I did whatever I could to get the word out about my new business. This was my first ever marketing campaign and my company was born. Continue Reading>>

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