VA Secrets Revealed! The Blog

Secret #14: Make it Personal

Secret #14 in the book was a tough one for me. I have always been a private person. I'm an introvert by nature, and it can be very hard for me to share personal details about myself. It takes me a long time to warm up and trust people, and even with people I am closest too, I sometimes still struggle with it. I guess you could say it's one of my [few :-)] character flaws.

This never caused any big problems in my life…until I started my business.  As a new business owner, I was adamant about keeping my business and personal lives separate, across the board, no exceptions.  I had it in my mind that if clients got a whiff of something personal, they would exploit it and use it against me in some way. 

Actually, that did happen to me, and I'll fill you in on another post (I know, I know, more suspense). But even with that bad experience, I have learned that there is tremendous value in being personal in a virtual business setting. You have to be true to yourself, you have to be sincere and show an interest in your clients' lives, and you have to show your human side if you want to be in relationships with your clients that will grow and develop.

Over the past few weeks as I've started to explore social media, I have "met" a number of people on sites like Twitter and Facebook. It really opened my eyes even more to the power of being genuine, honest and always being yourself.  It was a huge hurdle for me to start to post personal updates, but I quickly realized that really there is no point to social media if you're not going to be "social." And that means letting it get personal. Not only is it freeing, but it really opens up a multitude of opportunities that may not otherwise be there.

The lesson is that most people just like to know that the person they are working with or talking to virtually is a real person with a real life making real mistakes. By allowing myself to open up and share some details of my life outside of work, I have found my client relationships to be much richer and more fulfilling, and my network of friends and colleagues growing on a daily basis. It really is amazing what can happen when you let people get a peek at the real you.

Being skinny is so in!

I've gotten a lot of questions about a term I use in the book: “Skinny Marketing.” People want to know where it came from and what exactly it means. So, I'm going to answer those questions today.

As I was writing VA Secrets Revealed!, I was thinking about the whole process of marketing and how there are so many ways you can go about it. One hot topic I have discussed with other virtual assistants is the cost and how you never know if your marketing dollars will really do what you intend them to do until you’ve already spent them.

As small businesses, our marketing budgets are never really as extensive as we may like, so it comes down to balancing the investment you make with the marketing activities you are doing. Basically, doing cheap, or free, marketing activities and trying to get the biggest bang for your buck -- i.e. Skinny Marketing.

Here is how I define the term in the book:

Skinny Marketing is a process based on completing a set of activities that when taken as a whole gives your business the strongest positive impact achievable for the least amount of investment. The idea is that a well-planned and successfully executed targeted marketing campaign can be relatively quick and inexpensive.

The key to successfully executing a Skinny Marketing campaign is knowing who you are targeting and what activities have the most potential before you begin. That means you have to be prepared. Before you spend even $1 on marketing, you need to do a few things:

1. Identify your target audience
2. Get to know your target audience (not just who they are but why they do what they do)
3. Analyze your competitors
4. Develop a list of possible activities
5. Set your budget
6. Create a marketing plan (should include specific activities and a timeline for completing them)

Most of these activities are pretty self explanatory and most likely you have already done some of them as a part of your initial business planning. However, to make this work, you may need to go back to your original plan, drill down even further and get even more specific. This part of the process can be time consuming, but it will pay off!

So what are some things you can do as a part of your Skinny Marketing campaign? Stay tuned for my next marketing post which will list some specific activities.

It's OK to be Picky and Choosy

A tough lesson to learn for all new business owners, including virtual assistants, is that not every client is a good client for your business. When you're just starting out, it can be very hard to turn work away. But truthfully, if you want to build a business that has longevity and staying power (and be happy while doing it), you have to be picky and try to build a client base filled primarily with clients that fit your "ideal client" criteria.

So how to you determine your ideal client? A tool that I discuss in the book and have all of my coaching clients complete is the Identifying Your Ideal Client worksheet.  It basically involves answering a series of questions that help you develop a list of qualities and characteristics you would like your ideal client to have –- kind of a wish list.

Here are some of the questions you may want to consider:

• What are some things a client could do that would make you consider them a valuable client?
• What type of people do you work best with?
• Are you interested in only doing a specific type of work for clients?
• How many hours per month do you want to work for each client? Is there a minimum or maximum number of hours?
• What availability are you willing to provide (i.e., standard business hours only)?
• What are your communication preferences (e.g. phone, e-mail, instant messaging)?
• How much notice do you want for incoming projects?
• How much time do you want to turn work around?
• Is there a certain geographic area in which you prefer your clients to be located?
• How do you want your clients to treat you—on a business level only or do you want them to know you on a personal level? 

The purpose of this exercise is not to limit yourself, but to have a good feel for the type of clients you want to collaborate with on a long-term basis. You will have non-ideal clients...all businesses do. But if you can identify your ideal client and recognize when one comes along, you can take the necessary steps to cultivate that relationship into one that is sustainable and mutually beneficial for both sides.

Oh and if a potential client is not an ideal client for you, they are probably an ideal client for someone else. If you decide not to take on a client, you should refer them to another virtual assistant. Not only does this help you network with other VAs (which can have a multitude of benefits by itself), it also helps the client, and it becomes a win for the VA industry.

It's scary, but sometimes you just need to jump...

Before I started my business I had a very lucrative job as a Web designer at a big and well-known telecommunications company that shall remain nameless. I was running avertua on a part-time basis, and I was reaching the point where I had to either go all the way, or stop taking on work. After an endless amount of internal dialogue (yes, meaning talking -- or really arguing –- with myself) and the support of my husband, I decided to go for it. I gave my two week's notice, and I was out the door. I can't even tell you how scared I was!

I think it was the last day at my "real job," in between freaking out about what I had done and thinking how awesome it would be to finally be my own boss, that it hit me. This was probably the biggest risk I had ever taken in my whole life. I was a risk-taker! And OH MY, now was the time to sink or swim, sh*t or get off the pot, just do it. But could I? 

I had taken risks before, but never any that had such huge consequences. What if I failed? What if I didn't make enough money? What if I hated it in 6 months? What if no one wanted to hire me? Was I good enough, smart enough, lucky enough to make this work?

Five years later, I have experienced the gamut of emotions and the roller-coaster that comes with membership in the business owner club. Like everything in life, there have been good times and bad. But even in the worst of times, I have never regretted taking the plunge. For me, avertua has become one of the biggest passions in my life. It has helped define me, and I can’t imagine not being a business owner and doing what I do every day. I love it!

So does this mean that anyone with the guts to take the plunge is destined to be successful? Of course not. A lot of businesses fail; there are never any guarantees. But by doing your homework, and objectively considering all of the pros and cons of business ownership, you can certainly maximize your odds. Here are some factors you should consider:

• Finances – Are you financially prepared for the two, three or five years it could take for you to make a profit?
• Start-up Costs – Do you have all of the software and equipment you need? And don't forget about factoring in a marketing budget.
• Insurance – What are you going to do about health insurance? What about business insurance, such as property, liability, and errors and omissions insurance?
• Personality – Are you a self-starter? Will you be able to keep yourself going when you hit a roadblock? Do you have a plan for preventing a possible feeling of isolation?
• Marketable Skills – Do you have something of value to offer clients? What skills do you have that can translate into business services?
• Discipline – Are you a procrastinator? Or easily distracted? Do you have the focus required to be a business owner?

You may also want to take this quiz provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to determine if you are ready for business ownership: www.sba.gov/assessmenttool.

Think about these things, talk to your family and friends, get the perspective of other business owners, and research the market. Be informed!  And once your research is done and you know that this is the path for you, don't let fear get in the way.

Virtual Assistance: The Nuts and Bolts

OK, just in case you're new to virtual assistance, here is my bare bones definition of what a virtual assistant is:

A virtual assistant (VA) is a business owner, typically partnering with multiple clients on an independent contractor basis. A VA is an entrepreneur. VAs provide business services to clients located anywhere in the world, from the VA's own office, by using various types of technology. Many VAs have a background in administrative assistance, but there is an increasing number of VAs with experience in areas as diverse as design, marketing, training and writing. Being a VA is not so much about what you do, but how you do it.

For more information on the industry, visit the International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org).

Mistake #5: Trying to Be Everything to Everyone

In the book, I talk about some of the biggest mistakes I have seen virtual assistants make (and some that I have made myself).  Mistake #5 is trying to be everything to everyone.  Here's an excerpt from the book:

One of the biggest mistakes many VAs make is trying to do it all. You know the saying, "Jack of all trades, master of none?" It can certainly apply to virtual assistants who try to do it all when their skills and experience don't support that. I have come across many VAs who see a market for specific services and jump in with both feet without first taking the time to learn the skills necessary for the services they are trying to offer.

Now, I am certainly not saying that VAs should pick one niche area and stick to it with tunnel vision. I'm actually saying the opposite. I think it's great to offer services in many areas to many people...IF you have the skills and experience to do that. If you don't, spend the time to learn about the area you are interested in, do your research, take some classes, get certified, get some hands-on experience under your belt.  THEN, offer it to clients. 

I know some VAs are very niche-specific, only providing one type of service, sometimes to just one type of client. If this works for them, great. In my business, I have incorporated all of my strengths and skills (which happen to be in several different areas), to offer a broader range of services. Does this mean I am trying to do it all? Sure! But do I offer services I have no idea how to do? No way.

But don't service-oriented businesses need a niche? Yes, but that niche doesn't have to be a service offering. It's so limiting and restraining to run a business that way, at least in my opinion. My niche, for example, is providing innovative solutions, exceptional service and unrivaled quality to long-term clients. And I guarantee my clients satisfaction when they work with me. That's my niche -- becoming a reliable and loyal partner to my clients. The services are variable, but that aspect stays constant with every new relationship.

It's all about maximizing your strengths and doing what you truly love. If you have the experience to back it up, why limit yourself? Go for it!

Oh and in case you're not sure how to determine your strengths, services and your niche, stay tuned...the book and the companion VA Resource Toolkit Online Edition provide some worksheets you can use to help you figure it all out.

What is a Virtual Assistant, anyway?

The fact that you're reading this blog tells me that you already have a really good idea of what a virtual assistant is. There are a lot of definitions floating around out there, outlining what a VA does and doesn't do (that discussion will definitely be a post of its own!), but to me, the most important part of the definition is that a VA is a business owner. 

It seems that a common struggle among VAs, especially when building their businesses, is getting clients to understand and respect that we are not their employees. It’s a learning experience on both sides -– for the client and the VA. It can be difficult to get the differences clear in your mind, and even harder to get it across to your client without creating an awkward situation. 

Here are my tips for making the separation between business owner and employee:

• Use an independent contractor agreement
• Be very specific about what you will and won't do as part of your working relationship
• Create boundaries
• Provide services for multiple clients
• Address possible problems or misunderstandings quickly

Just keep in mind that many times working with you will be your client's first relationship with a VA. So be patient, be clear and communicate.