Virtual Assistants

Answering the Question, What Do You Do?

Jan 13, 2010

What exactly is it you do?

I get that question a lot. From the first day I opened my virtual assistance business it became evident that I was going to have to learn how to perfect that so-called elevator speech, because no one that I came into contact with knew what a virtual assistant was. When called upon to introduce myself at networking events I always start by asking if anyone has heard of a virtual assistant. I see more hands now that I used to. Still, those same people who raise their hands end up finding me at some point and admitting that although they’ve heard of it, they really don’t know what one does. Or how they could use one.

In my short introduction I find it hard to really give an explanation of just what it is I do. I’ve always used the line “I provide administrative support to busy business professionals via the Internet”, but I still see a lot of blank stares. Even looking at my website copy (and that of other virtual assistants) I realize that I’m failing to truly answer the burning question.
What do you do?

Most of us have felt the need to define the term virtual assistant. It’s why so many of us have generalized what we do. And in generalizing, we’ve failed to truly inform anyone.

I think this was brought home to me today when I added a column to my Tweetdeck which brought me all Twitter Tweets with the term ‘virtual assistant’ in them.

First I realized a lot of VA’s spend their Twitter time giving examples of what ‘a virtual assistant’ can do. And next, I realized a lot of those things were not items that I provided. Which means, if someone came to me after seeing one of those other virtual assistants tweets, they might end up very confused.

No wonder people don’t know what I do. Unlike most job descriptions, this one encompasses many specialties and many industries. The background and training of each individual virtual assistant determines just what they offer for services. In reality, each and every virtual assistant offers something a little bit different than the next.

Perhaps we need to stop tweeting about what ‘a virtual assistant’ can do, and start tweeting about what we as the individual virtual assistant can do. And maybe we also need to make it a little clearer on our websites too.

In light of this revelation, I think there are two ways to deal with the looming question of “What do you do?”.

If the person is asking about virtual assistants in general I think it would be fair to compare it to being an engineer. Civil engineers, mechanical engineers and chemical engineers all do different things, yet they are all still engineers. Social media VA’s, bookkeeping VA’s and generalist VA’s are all still virtual assistants.

And when they ask specifically what I do? I’m working on coming up with a new elevator speech that is more specific to my services. Not only that, but I’ve decided I need to revamp my explanation of services on my website. I’m going to get specific. When someone comes to my website or reads my materials, they are going to have a much better idea of just what I can accomplish for them.

I think it’s time we stop trying to define the term ‘virtual assistant’ and instead show the world exactly what we can do.

If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.

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Virtual Assistants

2010, the Year of Changes?

Jan 06, 2010

By Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage

I want to start off by saying ‘Thank You’ to our loyal Home Office Warriors. Both Grant and I are aware that the posting has been slow here in recent months.

But I have great news for all of you.

Part of the reason for that is because we have some big plans for HOW in 2010. And that means great things for all of you too. Be watching for a new look and tons of new helps and information for those of us who run our businesses from home.
And according to recent statistics, there are more of us than ever!

I want to start out by sharing a couple of items that can help you build success for your business in 2010.
If you’re a virtual assistant or virtual paralegal, I’ve got a couple of recommendations to help you get your business off to a great start for the New Year. (in fact the second item has useful information for any business providing services to others)
The first is the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series by Vicki Voisin. It’s a one of a kind four CD set that allows you to listen in on six in-depth interviews with what Vicki describes as six ’stars’ of the virtual paralegal world to answer important questions about working virtually in the legal industry.
It’s literally like being able to sit down and chat with virtual service professionals who are providing services to legal professionals daily.
Through these interviews, you’ll learn:

Why you should consider a virtual business…
How your skills will transfer to working virtually…
How to set up your business…
What equipment you’ll need…
The recommended software programs…
How to deal with security and ethics issues…
and much more.

You can learn more about the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series at Vicki’s website, Paralegal Mentor.

Yes, I’m one of the professionals interviewed, and I’ve still learned a lot of valuable information from the series, which is why I’m sure you will too.

You don’t have to be a virtual paralegal to benefit from my new e-book the VA Survival Guide. It was born because as I was penning the VA Survival Series for my blog, I had so much information to share that it wouldn’t fit in blog format. So I pulled it all together, along with a workbook that includes reusable templates and launched it to the public on January 4th.

This isn’t another ‘how to’ book for VA’s.

In fact, you won’t find instructions on how to become a virtual assistant in its pages. Instead you’ll find information on things like setting business policies, making changes to your business and other helps for ‘working’ your business.

If you’re ready to take your business beyond start-up or feel like you need something to help you take it to the next level, I believe you’ll find it in the pages of this e-book.

And…For a limited time, you can get it at a great price along with the truly amazing free bonus of Grant Griffiths’ popular “31 Days to Kick Your Blog in the Butt” and his “30 Days of Twitter Tips & Hints”. The free bonus alone is worth the cost of the book.
Find out how you can take advantage of this limited time price/bonus by clicking on the image below.

Again, stay tuned for exciting new changes here at Home Office Warrior. You won’t want to miss what we have in store for 2010!

If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.

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Virtual Assistants

A ‘Gift’ for Virtual Professionals

Dec 11, 2009

By Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage

gift-2 It’s the holiday season, so it only seems right that I ‘give a little gift’ to the Virtual Assistant community.

In the spirit of the Twelve Days of Christmas, I’ll be sharing survival tips for virtual assistants from Monday, December 14 through Christmas Day on the blog at Clerical Advantage. These tips were born because of the numerous times I’ve been contacted by new and struggling virtual assistants needing some advice. You can find out more here and you can even sign up for the newsletter to have them delivered right to your inbox.

But that’s not the only thing I want to share with you. Vicki Voisin, The Paralegal Mentor has compiled a Tip Guide for Virtual Paralegals entitled “Sixty-Six Solid Tips From Your Virtual Paralegal Success Team” and you can get your own copy here. I’m honored to have been included, giving my tips for online marketing.

Happy Holidays!

If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.

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Virtual Assistants

What To Do When You Hit a Business Roadblock

Nov 12, 2009

By Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage

As entrepreneurs, whether virtual assistants or any other business venture, we start out with a bright, positive outlook. We’re excited about what we have to offer and optimistic about how successful we’re going to be offering it to others. The excitement bubbles over and we attack whatever we need to do with gusto.

But then something happens along the way. For VA’s it’s often the difficulty in finding that first client, or sufficient clients to keep the business rolling along. It seems like the real world comes crashing down on our enthusiasm and douses us with the ice cold bucket of reality. At this point, it’s easy to get discouraged and depressed.

It’s at that point when so many small business owners say “It’s too hard.”

I’m not going to make light of it here or refer to the little engine that could. If you’re at this point in your business, you’ve already repeated every inspirational quote to yourself a hundred times.What I am going to tell you is that every business owner hits this point. Yes, even the ones that have thriving and successful businesses.

So what’s the secret?

Are they the lucky ones that just happened to stumble across that client just when they needed one? Although it may seem that way, the answer is no.

The difference is in the way they deal with business roadblocks.

Have you ever noticed that some of the most successful people ‘hit it big’ when they are at their lowest point?

J.K. Rowling immediately comes to mind, but there are tons of stories about people who were in desperate situations and found success in the midst of it. It’s not just a coincidence or fate. The fact is, when you’re in that situation and things aren’t working, you have no choice but to find a way to make it work. Instead of making excuses you make changes. If you’re not attracting clients, you come up with some way of doing so, even if that way is farfetched or never been tried. You take chances because failure isn’t an option.

Granted it’s a unenviable situation, but it forces them to continue forward, because the alternative is unthinkable. In fact, I doubt they even entertain the thought of not succeeding, they just focus all of that energy on what they can do in order to succeed.

I’m not suggesting that you put yourself in that type of situation in order to succeed. But I am telling you that you need to think more the way they do. Instead of thinking that you might fail, think of ways to change your situation. No idea is too crazy. Just because someone else hasn’t done it yet, doesn’t mean it won’t work. Stop those internal thoughts that say “If I don’t get a client or more clients I’m going to have to close my business and forget my dream” . Replace them with “I need to find a new way to get the attention of clients that need my services.”

If you’re defeated in your mind, how then can you expect your business to succeed?

Think about it this way. If you’re traveling to a destination and come upon a roadblock, what do you do? Do you just sit there and hope that the roadblock will somehow magically disappear or do you find another route to reach your destination? Stop waiting for the roadblocks to disappear and find your alternate route.

If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.

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Virtual Assistants

Social Media, What’s in it for You?

Oct 29, 2009

By Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage

I was reading a wonderful post by Danny Brown this morning which had several great points concerning social media but the one that inpired me to think, and thus write this post was what he said about measuring your return on investment (ROI) from social media.

It made me think about just what social media has done for my business. Then I remembered all of those struggling virtual assistants who seem to be so reluctant to use it.

I know how difficult it can sometimes be to embrace new technology and new ideas. Especially when you yourself can’t see the point or the wisdom in using that technology for your business. It wasn’t until I read those ROI questions that I realized maybe those of us benefiting from social media were using the wrong words and phrases when explaining why and how to use social media.

The following is my attempt to list some benefits of adopting social media for your business in a way that not only is easy to understand, but might allow the reader to see how it could fit into their business plan.

The first benefit is of course making connections. For every virtual assistant (or other small business) that is located in a bustling urban area, there is another that is located in a rural setting. Traditionally, normal networking avenues were harder for those in rural areas because small towns might not have a chamber of commerce or business networking groups. Not to mention that your target market possibly doesn’t even exist there. For those rural business owners, using social networking is priceless allowing them to connect not only with their target market, but with other business owners like themselves.
And for someone like me, who has lived in three states over the past 12 months, its been a way to not only continue to connect with people online, but to meet new people locally.
The second benefit is learning. What I’ve learned by following links and reading the blog posts of those that I follow would have cost me thousands of dollars. I would have had to purchase books, classes and seminars on a wide range of subjects. From the technical things like creating a video class to learning more effective ways to market myself, just about anything I might want or need to know can be found through someone on my social networks. People that you might otherwise not have access to like Laura Roeder, Chris Brogan and Michael Martine are on social networks giving their followers valuable advice all the time. And they usually offer special deals or early bird specials to their followers should we decide we need their paid services and products too.
The third benefit is the money savings. As I mentioned in the above benefit, you can save on education expenses via use of social media. You can also save on marketing. In fact, for the first time ever I’m going to tell my readers here at Home Office Warrior a little secret. In the two years that my business has been around I’ve spent exactly $75 directly* on marketing. And $50 of that was spent my first month in business for a failed direct mailing campaign. The other $25? Business cards. That doesn’t mean I don’t market my business. I do. I attend a women’s networking meeting as often as I can, and I have a beautiful print ad running in a local magazine that I bartered for. But the majority of my marketing efforts are done through blogging ,Twitter and other social media avenues. Do I anticipate spending more money on marketing in the future? Yes, definitely. But the good news for start ups and struggling virtual assistants is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money on marketing to begin with.

I’m sure others could give even more benefits, but these were the three that I felt compelled to share today. If you’re one of those people who still isn’t quite sure how social media can help you, I hope that this post allows you to visualize how you might possibly make it work for you.

One thing is for sure, social media isn’t going away.

It may evolve and change, but it’s not going to just disappear. It’s not a fad. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can find ways to make it work for your business.

**I say directly because of course my blogsite cost money to set up and maintain and my internet connection costs money. But both of these were items I would have to have for my business anyway.*

Is social media working for your business? Still not sure how to use it? Questions about this post. Take advantage of the comments section and let’s talk about it!

If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.

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