July – 2007 – The Gritty Virtual Assistant Blog

Monthly Archives: July 2007

July 31, 2007 – 9:02 am

No Such Thing

Have you heard of the term "team VA?"

Well, guess what? There’s no such thing.

What there are, are virtual temp/virtual staffing services. These models work with clients just like a temp agency would–by supplying and rotating help according to client specifications. If someone gets sick, they have someone else to fill in. It’s a commoditized version of support without any true relationship and none of the value that goes with a true, committed right-hand relationship with a self-managed, self-directed Virtual Assistant business owner.

That’s absolutely NOT the same thing as Virtual Assistance. What I see is that those folks don’t understand themselves what Virtual Assistance is all about and how it is vastly different from secretarial services.

Secretarial services are project based models. They conduct business on a transactional basis, sort of like your local Kinko’s. You have a project, you submit it to them, they get it done, and that’s the extent of the relationship. It’s one-off or occasional. Sure, you might be a repeat customer. They might know your name and the name of your company. They might send referrals your way. But they have no further meaningful role in their customers’ businesses. That’s a transaction-based model.

Virtual Assistance, on the other hand, is a relationship-based model. Virtual Assistance is the profession of administrative experts. Virtual Assistance is about working in ongoing, relational collaboration across the board with clients–not on one specific service. It’s inherently a solo-based model because it is fundamentally about the unique and intimate working dynamic that happens only between two people–the Virtual Assistant professional and the client.

Being someone who realizes the importance of accuracy and using proper terminology, I think it’s important for us to recognize and understand these differences.

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Secretarial Services, Team VAs, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants, virtual staffing | Comments (42)

July 30, 2007 – 10:00 am

Observations on the Differences Between Professionals & Wannabes

In my position as founder of the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, I’m in daily contact with all kinds of folks in the Virtual Assistant industry as well as those who would like to enter the Virtual Assistant ranks. From this vantage point, I’m afforded a very clear perspective of the vast differences between those who are qualifed and those who really aren’t.

There is a chasm of difference between truly qualified Virtual Assistants, and those who think all they need is a computer, fax and telephone line in order to enter the field.

Qualified Virtual Assistants earned their knowledge and skills working in administrative capacities in the workplace, most often for many years, before starting their Virtual Assistant businesses.

You don’t get the same questions from qualified professionals that you do with those who have little or no administrative experience. Those folks ask the most rudimentary of questions, indicating they are still learning things that are the most basic requisites for providing professional services.

When business owners hire professionals, they aren’t looking to train people. Professionals are expected to already have a professional-level command of the services they are hired to perform.

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Comments (0)

July 24, 2007 – 12:32 pm

Let Your Ideal Clients See Themselves in Your Copy

One of the mistakes I see Virtual Assistants make in their web and marketing copy is being very self-focused. They will go on all day long about why they went into this field and all the joys it brings them, what they are looking for, blah, blah, blah, blah.

But that information does nothing to draw clients into your information. To put it very bluntly, they don’t give a rat’s behind why you went into this profession or what you want. What they are interested in is how you can help them, and what you offer as it relates to their interests, not yours.

Now that’s not to say that what you want doesn’t have any place in your copy. It absolutely does! Because that’s what going to weed out those you don’t want to work with and attract those who will be a fit for you. But you want to phrase things from the reader’s viewpoint. Save the "me, myself and I" copy for your About Me page.

This is one of the reason’s why choosing a target market and coming up with an ideal client profile is so helpful. It won’t prevent you from attracting and providing service to others. In fact, trying to make your copy a fit for anyone and everyone makes it very plain and unattractive. What speaking to a target market does instead is actually make you MORE attractive and your message clearer.

By deciding who you are talking to, you help your ideal clients identify themselves in your copy. It helps you speak to their needs (while inherently serving yours in unspoken ways) from their perspective. It focuses your conversation and helps it stand apart from the same generic (and often boring) rhetoric everyone else is putting out there.

But you can’t do that unless you decide who you are talking to. That’s what target marketing is all about.

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Business Savvy, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Target Market, Virtua Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (0)

July 21, 2007 – 8:58 pm

Ah, Sweet Memories of the Corporate World

It seems I never have time to keep up on my blog reading anymore. I mostly follow business blogs, but I also have my recreational blogs that I simply can’t live without.

So I was catching up on one of my faves–GoFugYourself. And this post reminded me of an episode from my days working for corporate.

One year, during a three year period our company went through a merger with a sister company, the manager I worked for went on vacation. That left the manager from the sister company, who had recently moved down to our building with her department, in charge.

She and I did NOT get along. Mainly because she and just about every other woman in her department apparently thought it was good idea to dump whole bottles of perfume over themselves before coming to work each day.

Seriously. It was a total culture clash. Our company was very environmentally conscious and sensitive to the health issues of its employees. We had several employees with environment-related allergies and illnesses, and I myself was desperately allergic to perfume–it would give me incapacitating migraines.

So prior to the merger, we had many people-friendly health policies such as encouraging folks not to wear perfumes and colognes to work.

Well, that manager and her department didn’t feel the need to comply and it was a constant problem. At one point, I told her not to come around my office if she was wearing perfume (which was every day), and after having to raise hell about it, we arrived at an uneasy truce. She stayed out of my way and I stayed out of hers.

So, when my boss went on vacation, this woman decided it would be a wonderful opportunity to abuse her authority.

She began by insisting that I wear nylons to work. Now, mind you, our department did not work with the public and our dress code had been business casual for years. Although the company manual hadn’t been updated, nylons were never enforced. And while I was definitely a fashion maven at the workplace, I HATED nylons and I and many others never wore them. I was usually tan anyway, so you couldn’t even tell.

Anyway, after days of being harangued by her, she insisted on exerting her "bossness" over me. So I complied. I sure did. I came to work the next day wearing the sheerest pair of nylons I could find.

That morning, she came over to see if her will had been obeyed. She literally came charging into my office and BENT DOWN to examine my legs to see if I had nylons on, and accused me of insubordination when she wasn’t satisfied!!!

I couldn’t believe it! The gall!

So I bent down and plucked at the nylons and showed her that I had them on. I was in compliance and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

And at that point, I soooo didn’t care what happened. I stood up and "towered" over her (I’m only 5’4", but she was only about 5") and told her "Look it, I’m not some piece of cattle from your herd you can just come over and poke and prod and examine. I don’t give a crap what happens. I’ve had it with you. I don’t report to you, and if you got a problem with me, you can take it up with MY boss when she returns. Until then, you leave me the hell alone or I will come in to work tomorrow with loudest, gaudiest Mickey Mouse themed tights I can find."

Her jaw literally dropped. I was actually pretty stunned I had let loose on her as well. But I really had absolutely had it. And when that happens, hell be damned. She didn’t bother me the rest of her tenure.

The funny thing is, later that year, she stopped wearing perfume, started showing me and everyone else a little human respect, and eventually asked me to do her resume (for which I charged her $200).

Ah, the sweet, pleasant memories of the corporate world. NOT! LOL

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Personal Musings | Comments (3)

July 19, 2007 – 9:48 am

RANT: Virtual Assistants are Not Temps or Telecommuters!

I’m usually the first to tell Virtual Assistants not to get too frustrated or upset at business owners who approach them as if they were a temp or telecommuter or employee they don’t pay taxes on. Because frankly, this industry has done a lousy job of educating it’s own marketplace, and therefore these folks just don’t know any better.

We’ve now got bunches of business owners who think Virtual Assistants are little more than lackeys who will jump at a moment’s notice at their every beck and call for $5-8 an hour. Forget about any respect or appreciation for the work. They think any ol’ high school student can do it.

They have no understanding or concept that they are dealing with administrative professionals, independant administrative consultants with years of expertise and training behind them, who have their own operating hours, their own standards, their own policies and procedures for working with clients.

But there are days when I, too, am completely drained and fed up at having to educate yet. another. business owner. that if they want an employee, that’s exactly what they need to go hire. What is so freaking hard to understand about that?

When you want an alternative to employees, then you had better expect that there are going to be differences about how things work, how it will be priced professionally, and that it’s not necessarily going to be any cheaper.

The value that an independent Virtual Assistant pro brings to the table is that they can often do things better, faster, more efficiently and improved and thorough–without the training, management, equipment, taxes, administration and any other costs normally required with employees–and can support a small business owner administratively in as little as 15 or 20 hours a month. Much to the business owner’s success and overall cost savings.

But as self-directed and self-managed business owners, we provide that skill and expertise according to the policies, procedures and standards we have set in our own business. Just like any other independent consultant you seek services from. We aren’t telecommuters or temp agencies of flunkies, and we don’t work around the clock (every business has open and close hours).

So I’m letting off a little steam here today so that the next business owner who ignorantly and insultingly demands, "Oh, and I’ll need someone who is available sometimes at midnight on a moment’s notice," doesn’t get the brunt of my indignation.

I guess I could always tell them, "Yeah, I can guarantee my availability 24 hours a day. My hourly fee for that is $200 an hour, with a minimum of 160 hours a month. And since I wouldn’t be able to take on any other clients due to the fact that you might need me at a moment’s notice, you will also need to deduct, pay and report for my SS, Medicare and unemployment taxes. Now, I am just a human being. I will occasionally get sick, and I’ll need a week off here and there to refresh, so we should probably throw in some of those benefits as well. And while we’re at it, I have my future to think about. If I’m necessarily working exclusively for you, my income potential is going to be limited so I’ll also need some kind of retirement plan…"

Oh, but wait… All that would make me an employee. And that’s what you didn’t want, right? ; )

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Rant & Raves, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (0)

July 18, 2007 – 1:00 pm

Partnerships

Dear Gritty VA:

I’m thinking about going into partnership with another Virtual Assistant. What do you think? -AV

I have yet to see a partnership in any business that really works. It’s like a marriage, and too often people fail to ask certain questions before entering into it and find themselves with clashing goals and values, and sometimes incompatible workstyles and temperaments.

Sad to say, but most partnership that I have seen ended disastrously. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but I think a truly happy, successful partnership is a rare thing which requires a great deal of due diligence upfront, and proper care and feeding afterward.

I think striking an alliance with another Virtual Assistant has far more opportunity for success, and allows for each Virtual Assistant to maintain ownership and control of their own separate business.

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Business Savvy, Dear Gritty VA, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (3)

July 11, 2007 – 10:00 am

What Billing Increment Do You Use?

Dear Gritty VA:

What is your hourly billing increment? ~ KD

If you’re asking me personally, I bill in 15 minute increments. I know there a lots of Virtual Assistants out there billing in one minute increments. I think they’re nuts because they’re actually sabotaging their business by doing so for a number of reasons.

First, we aren’t employees punching time clocks anymore. As a business, any time you lift a finger, it has to be worth your business while to do so. Billing in 15 minute increments or 10ths of an hour are perfectly acceptable, ethical, customary business practices, and just about every service has some kind of per-hour minimum standard.

Plus, if you are persnickety about minutes, you are training clients to be persnickety about them also. It puts undue attention on the hours instead of focusing clients on the true value of Virtual Assistance which is the skill, knowledge and convenience of the service.

If you don’t expand your thinking and try to gain a deeper understanding of the true value you are providing in your practice, you will forever be locked into trading hours for money instead of trading value for money. And that is going to limit your ability to serve your needs and those of your clients, as well your ability to make more money.

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Business Savvy, Dear Gritty VA, Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistants | Comments (0)

July 9, 2007 – 5:34 pm

Can You Give Me Some Advice?

At least five times a week, I get a phone call or email from a new Virtual Assistant looking for some personal guidance in building her Virtual Assistant practice. As much as I want to see newcomers to the profession succeed, I’m only one person. Between my own clients and business, the organization I run, and my own personal life, the demands for my attention anymore are great, and I just don’t have the personal time to share with strangers that I used to.

Instead, what I have done is to build the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. It’s through this organization that I give back to the Virtual Assistant community. Much of the information we provide on our webpages is intended to help guide newcomers gain a deeper understanding of the industry, its history and its true value proposition. We offer free monthly teleseminars which are open to all (you don’t have to be a member to attend). Our forum is where I give of my personal coaching and mentoring time to members. And, Virtual Assistant business forms, templates, processes and guides built on my own successful personal practice and proprietary information can be purchased through our Virtual Assistant Business Forms store.

For those of you who have called or written to me, please don’t take it personal if you don’t hear from me. But do avail yourself of the information on the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce website. Keep checking back as we’ve got lots more in store that will be shared over the coming months. And if you have more specific business questions, submit them to the Gritty VA column here at word@grittyva.com

To your success!

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By Danielle Keister | Posted in Virtual Assistant/Virtual Assistance | Tagged Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistant Business Forms, Virtual Assistants | Comments (0)

July 4, 2007 – 10:14 am

Starting Up a Virtual Assistant Business

Dear Gritty VA:

Here’s the deal… I have a growing and successful business that is two-fold. The career services side has been up and running for about 1 1/2 years, and now I would like to concentrate more on the business services side. I also work part time as a "jack of all trades" administrative assistant. The job is great and I even get free (yes, free!) office space. My boss really supports entrepreneurship and growing a business.

So how do I start building a client base? My main expertise is in Excel, QuickBooks, Publisher, Access, Word, and research. I do a lot of other things but these areas are the ones I excel in. I guess landing the first big clients would be great, but how do you know what type businesses would benefit from a Virtual Assistant? And do they come to you or you to them? BA

That’s a big question, one that you aren’t going to get the answer to in one fell swoop. Starting any business is a big endeavor, and it’s going to be an ongoing journey and process.

I can see that perhaps one of the first things you want to get clear about is what a Virtual Assistant is, and what kind of business you want to start. Virtual Assistance is a profession of administrative experts. They aren’t telecommuters or virtual temps. They are folks running actual businesses providing administrative support services to clients–not employers.

Getting clear about that is important because your perspective and understanding about those things is going to make all the difference in the world as to what kind of clients you attract to your business. If you’re still thinking like an employee, and go about setting up, operating and marketing your business like an employee, you will get clients who think they are "bosses," will treat you like an employee, and who want to pay peanuts. Change your thinking and your message, and you will instead attact folks who approach you as clients instead of employers, and who value and respect the work and you as a professional and business owner.

As far as getting clients, again, this is going to be a journey. There is no quick or simple trick–it’s going to require an ongoing, deliberate, intentioned, conscious effort. You will need to research your market, learn to speak their language, find out what their pains are and what resonates with them. You will be constantly honing your message. You may change target markets several times in the life of your business. Your research and learning should never stop.

One of the biggest efforts you will make in the Virtual Assistance industry is networking and referral marketing. Investing your energy there will yield you the biggest returns. People work with those they know, like and trust. Participating in the arenas where you target markets hang out will get your name out there, people will become familiar with you, familiarity breeds trust and credibility, and when you make friends, you are the person they the refer clients to.

That should give you a very basic start. But do keep doing your homework and research–there’s so much more to learn, and the more you learn, the deeper your understanding about the profession and being in business.

Shameless Plug: My organization’s Virtual Assistant Business Forms store includes all the practical forms, templates, guides and processes anyone needs to start a Virtual Assistant business.

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