Do you have one of those fancy designer laptops?
Do you like to put stickers or skins on your laptop cover?
Do you have a favorite laptop tote?
I’m looking for your pix of your laptop and accessories to share in my weekly ezine, The Portable Business™. Shoot me over a pic (word at grittyva dot com) and I’ll feature you with a link to your website in an upcoming issue!
The 2009 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey is finally done!
As usual, those administrative support providers who met the qualifying criteria and completed the survey get a free copy and will have already received a message in their IN box over the weekend.
For everyone else, you can purchase a copy at the online store (in fact, you can get all four years’ worth of surveys—2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009—for the price of one if you order before May 31!). And, of course, those administrative consultants who missed taking part in the survey will have an opportunity to participate the 2010 survey and thereby get a free copy of next year’s report. Happy reading!
Every week, readers have been sharing photos of their offices in the VACOC’s weekly ezine, The Portable Business™. I get emails all the time from folks telling me how much they enjoy this feature. I’d like to keep it going, but while everyone seems to like it, not as many actually contribute photos. So I’d like to know if you enjoy this feature and would like to see it continue or if I should just bag it. Thanks in advance!
(If you aren’t already, you can subscribe to The Portable Business™ here… )
Dear Gritty VA:
I only have 2 years experience as an Executive Assistant and 6 years as a Receptionist/Data Entry Clerk. Could I still be a Virtual Assistant? Any suggestions are helpful. –BT
Well, it’s not really for me to say. It’s what the marketplace has to say.
What I mean is, yes, the Virtual Assistant/Administrative Support Consultant profession definitely has ideas, opinions and expectations about what the qualifications should be of those who want to enter its ranks. The Virtual Assistant community generally wants to protect the reputation and credibility of the profession in the interests of clients and VAs alike. But ultimately, this is an unregulated industry so no one can tell you that you can’t open a Virtual Assistant business if that’s what you want to do.
That said, clients have very demanding expectations. So the better question might be, do you have enough experience that you will be professionally qualified enough to meet those demands? Business savvy also plays a critical role here because if you don’t know how to run and manage business well, that also will directly impact your service to clients and their satisfaction. If you don’t have a sufficient level of these things, are you prepared to deal with the extra difficulty and rejection you might face? Do you have the stamina, perseverance and tenacity to keep working on whatever you need to work on to get to a level that is marketable? The less skill and experience you have, the much more difficult a path you face. It will be much harder for you to command the kind of fees that will earn you a real living and it may take you much longer to get established. You can be the most likable person on the planet and have no problem developing rapport with prospective clients, but when it comes right down to it, the proof is in the pudding. Clients get frustrated (and do not work long) with VAs who don’t have a business level of skill and ability.
What I might personally recommend is that it might be a good idea to stay in the workforce a few more years. Grab every opportunity to grow in your administrative and support skills and at the same time become a student of business (and I don’t mean enrolling in an MBA program–simply start reading business books). Use this time now to start thinking about a target market and studying what kind of administrative needs and challenges that market has and how you can support those needs and solve those challenges. Lay the foundation of your business now so that when the time is right and you’ve got enough business knowledge and marketable expertise under your belt, you will be more prepared for success.
Then again, maybe you feel you’ve already got what it takes. If so, go for it. 
Ran into this issue and thought I would share what I learned in case it’s helpful to anyone else…
In offering my first training classes, I’ve been getting an education by fire of all the ins and outs of doing webinar recording. I used GoToTraining for my first class. It’s a nice interface, the customer support is awesome and they really do seem to listen and heed user feedback, but there are still enough drawbacks that my hunt continues for a more ideal platform for my purposes in the future. One thing that turned into quite the fiasco was dealing with the recording.
All the Citrix products come with the ability to do the onscreen capture and audio recording of your online meetings for you and they provide a built-in bridgeline as well. On the surface, this sounded mighty easy and convenient, so I naturally opted to do that. And it would have been, if I had no need to do anything to the recording. The problem was that in wanting to clean up the audio/video afterwards and also convert it to a more universal format, I discovered it wasn’t really compatible with Camtasia. This really turned into a nightmare and caused a lot a disruption in the high quality service delivery I naturally wanted those who attended to get from me.
Ah, well, live and learn. We ended up having to separate the audio from the recording, editing it separately in Audacity, and then re-recording the whole 2-hour presentation and synching up the edited audio back up with it.
Yeah, not fun. And maybe there’s another, better, way to do it, but I’m still new to using Camtasia and everything the support people told me to try was not working. Everyone pretty much threw up their hands and could only surmise that the recording I was provided with must have been corrupted in some way (which, I learned later is a known problem).
At any rate, this all led to me determining that while I might use a platform like GoToTraining or WebEx to conduct future webinars, I want to do the recording myself using Camtasia and our own bridgeline. What was stumping me, though, was how would Camtasia record the conference call?
The answer, apparently, is purchasing a devise called a “recording adapter” or “conference recording adapter.” I was told I could purchase one of these from Radio Shack for $19.99. On their website, it’s called a “mini recorder control.” However, in consulting with folks more knowledgeable than I about all the ins and outs of this subject, I was told that it’s not very high quality and also doesn’t work with cordless/wireless phones (which is what I have).
These folks suggested the better option is to go with one of the recording adapters offered by DynaMetric.com. They have two products for this, depending on what kind of phone you have.
a). If you have a corded phone, you want the TMP636 Webinar Recorder which sells for $85.95.
b). If you have a cordless/wireless phone, you want the TLP124HS Cordless Phone Adapter which sells for $84.95. The problem this one solves is the issue of your phone handset not having enough ports (particularly if you use a headset so you can speak hands-free). With this model, one end of the adapter cable plugs into your computer mic port, the other end plugs into your phone handset, and then your hands-free headset plug into a port built into the adapter device itself. Perfect!
These cost more than $20, but they are much better products for higher quality results and more sturdy, long-lasting life.
When you go to record your webinar using Camtasia, after hooking up the adapter, you would then select that option from your “Audio” mic list.
Here’s a little video for ya… feel free to use it on your site if you have trouble explaining to clients what you do as a Virtual Assistant and Administrative Support Consultant.
I got a lot of messages yesterday from folks who enjoyed seeing my office and found inspiration and ideas for adding more beauty and function into their own spaces. A few even sent pix!
I love seeing other peoples’ offices as well so I thought it would be fun to start a post on just that. Shoot me over a pic of your office space to [word at grittyva dot com] and I’ll post it with your name/business and a link back to your website. I’ll add folks and their pix as I get them.
I absolutely adore Vee’s shedworking office! What a lovely space, Vee.
By the way, did you know there is an entire community of shedworkers/shedworking? They seem to be really big over in the UK particularly, but I know for a fact we have some “shedworkers” here in the States, too. If you have a shedworking office, would love to see your building!
2. Mirna Bajraj of MB Asistencia Virtual
Ooo, Mirna, I really LOVE that painting!
3. Arlene de Waal of Jill of Virtual Assistants:
What a bright, airy space you have, Arlene. LOVE those colors and textures!
4. Debbie Aubrey of FastFingers:
I really like that wall color, Debbie! You’ll have to tell me what it’s called.
5. Jodi Rothhaar of A Virtual Advantage LLC:
Jody’s office window looks out onto the view of the cove where she lives. Don’tcha just love living on the water, Jody?!
Very sleek and polished, Julia!
7. Libby McInyre of McIntyre Office Assistance:
Hey, Libby, I like your little friends up top there. I bet they keep you good company during the day, LOL!
8. Nikki Campos of True Virtual Assistant:
We have similar wall colors, Nikki. And those curtains are gorgeous! Oh, what a cute little screensaver you have, too. Is that your daughter?
Here’s an article I wrote and published today in “The Portable Business™.” If you’d like to subscribe, go here:
Aesthetics are very important to me. The space in which I work has a a very powerful effect on my sense of well-being and I love to be surrounded by things that are beautiful, fun and practical all at the same time. Form + function, don’t you know!
1. So here is my desk area:
I adore my L-shaped glass desk. It’s the CEO series from Dania and it’s huge with workspace for miles. It isn’t the most practical thing because you have to dust it much more often, but I absolutely love the beauty of it. Plus, in a smaller office space such as mine, it helps open the room up and reduces the feeling of crowding a large desk in a small room normally gives.
I also have the separately purchased ergonomic keyboard tray that slides out in front of the computer. With the amount of time I spend on the keyboard, this is critical to wrist health!
I have a rolling filing cabinet under my desk.
This is great for keeping tickler files and other things you need on a daily basis at your fingertips.
This is my latest pen holder:
As you can see, it’s not technically a pen holder at all. I don’t like typical office organization tools; they’re so boring and humdrum. I like to find interesting and unusual holders and things at antique stores and yard sales. This latest holder was actually a Dollar Store find. I like the Asian-style flavor and it certainly holds more than the typical pen holder.
My corner cabinet:
2. I love my zebra chair!
It’s stylish, fun and practical. I have never liked high-backed office chairs with arms. Even in my corporate days, people thought I was crazy to be turning my nose up at the expensive executive chairs I was given in favor of something much easier to move around in. I can’t stand those dang chair arms getting in my way.
3. This is one of my filing areas:
I have a very sturdy Hon two-drawer lateral file. I prefer lateral files because a) they take up less floor space by using space along the wall instead; b) they offer greater filing capacity; and c) contents are much easier to file and access than in front-loaded drawers.
I like to use colorful binders for documents and manuals I refer to frequently. They add visual interest and style to the room. On the top shelf, you can see that I like to use glass vases to hold my creative supplies.
The small vase holding my Sharpie collection is actually a glass candle holder I got from Target. I’ve also found interestingly patterned and textured holders from Toilet & Bath departments, LOL.
4. This is my basket of small electronics accessories:
I found this gorgeous double-walled basket at a yard sale last summer for $1. This where I keep all my extra cords and chargers. It’s practical while adding beauty to the room. I use ziplock bags to keep things organized.
All the cords and plugs and accessories for my cell phone go in one bag. All those for my digital recorder go in another. All those for my camera go in another, and so forth. Then I mark the baggies with a Sharpie so I know which bag goes to what.
5. “The Wave” by Hokusai is one of my favorite classics.
I have this awkward space underneath my office window. I couldn’t figure out what to do with it for the longest time because the baseboard heater always threw a wrench in the works. When I came across this panoramic poster online, I knew it would be perfect visual interest for that area. I took it to my local craft store where I had it Color-Plaked which adds this clear, durable texturized coating over the top of the particle-board mounted piece. The way they do the wall-mounting in the back (they call it Color-Float) is ingenious. I couldn’t begin to describe it, but it makes the piece stand out from the wall for a really interesting effect.
6. I use split tubing to organize computer and electrical cords.
This is a great way to disguise those ugly cables and cords. Since my desk is glass, I have nothing on which to screw in any kind of cable organizer so this is perfect. I got mine at Home Depot where you can get one pkg of 8′ split tubing for a mere $2.99. Cords are easily tucked into the tubing with your fingers. The tubing is also easily cut with scissors so you can measure out precise lengths.
7. I have a badass surround-sound computer speaker system which is great for listening to music, movies and business teleseminars.
8. This is my vision board:
I created my board so that it could be used as a permanent art piece as well as a vision board. It hangs on the wall in front of where I sit at the computer so that I look at it each and every day. What I did was take three cork panels and glue them to a piece of cut particle board. I then painted the entire thing in a pretty plum color and had the frame shop screw-in the hanging wire. Voila! I use clear pushpins on my cut-outs so whenever I want to update my board with new intentions, I just swap things out.
9. This is my printer:
I recently switched to an all-in-one printer/copier/scanner so I could free up more desk space. I love the sleek, all-black coloring as well. I really don’t know much about which brands are better than others when it comes to printers, but I’m very happy with this HP Photosmart Plus and I have to say, HP has some fan-freaking-tastic customer support.
10. This is my glass whiteboard:
I could not live without this thing, seriously. Whenever an idea flits through my head, I can swivel around in my chair and capture it instantly. I use it for my to-do lists, too. I save on so much paper and once I complete something, I simply wipe it away. I recently found a magentic glass whiteboard vendor in California and am so stoked! They are very expensive (the size I’m getting is a bit over $700), but to me well worth it. Shipping would cost an extra $600+ so we’re making a roadtrip out of it down to San Fransisco to pick it up ourselves.
Resource: Craigslist is awesome for finding great deals on office furniture, equipment and supplies. I got my practically new, perfect condition Hon lateral file drawers that way for $50 from a company going out of business. They would have cost well over $300 brand new. The whole reuse/recycle/repurpose mentality really appeals to me, and if you ever want something that is mail-order only, pop in a search of Craigslist and you just might be able to pick it up locally without the wait.
PS: Email me a pic of your office space and I’ll share it here on my blog with your name/business and a link back to your website!
One of the biggest complaints I hear from clients is that all the Virtual Assistant sites they visit say the same thing. There are a number of reasons for this.
For one thing, it seems to me that many people attracted to this industry somehow get the idea that it’s a sort of club to belong to instead of a business or profession. They see that the majority of other sites are all saying the same thing, which leads them to think that’s what they are supposed to be saying as well to show that they belong to the “tribe.” So they simply parrot what they see on every other site or, worse, copy and paste it verbatim. Which, in turn, continues the cycle of miseducation for the next wave of new VAs.
Then there are those who do get that this is a business, not a club, but they just don’t know how to even begin coming up with their own message. They write about what they do in only the most general sense, and because they don’t want to miss out on any opportunity, they write to an audience of anyone and everyone. Which gives their message no real clarity or compelling resonance–to anyone.
The problem with this is none of this differentiates them in any distinguishable way from their competition. They don’t give clients any reason to choose them over anyone else because they all sound the same. They become just another invisible, unmemorable drop in a sea of generic blandness.
The trick is to 1) get a different perspective about what you are really in business to do, 2) stop talking about yourself, and 3) figure out who you are talking to and then start talking about them.
It is absolutely possible to craft a unique marketing message all your own! Every single Virtual Assistant, including new VAs, can do this. It’s not difficult once you are shown the keys. In fact, once you know the keys, it becomes incredibly simple and easy to come up with your own unique value proposition. You’ll wonder why on earth you struggled so much with your message before. With the keys, you’ll never need to parrot or mimick or copy or use anyone else’s sample marketing language again because you’ll know how to think for yourself.
This is exactly what I’ve done with my guide, “Understanding Your Value: How to Craft Your Unique Marketing Message and Make More Money with Alternative Billing Strategies.” You really get several guides in one. In it, I take you through the Fit – Focus – Value process with exercises for identifying your target market, profiling your ideal client and then identifying your true value proposition. But we don’t stop there. I also give you a primer on alternative billing methodologies and give you ideas for packaging up your support in innovative ways that will not only appeal more to clients, but also help you make more money by trading value–not hours–for money.
I would really love to see you take your practice to an entirely different level in 2010 so you can earn better and stop struggling to find clients. As my gift to you this holiday season, from now until Sunday, Dec. 13, you can get this guide for $47 (a $20 savings).
Our annual “Favorite Things” gift giving issue of The Portable Business™ is out. You can read it online here. Lots of great business gift-giving ideas and tips from our fabulous Virtual Assistant members. Be sure and subscribe so you don’t miss any future issues!
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Sep | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
Thanks for commenting. Yeah, the virtual assistant term is really completely idiotic to...
Posts to this blog are the intellectual property of Danielle Keister. However, you are authorized to make certain use of them pursuant to a Creative Commons License. Under the terms of that license, you can copy or republish any post, for any non-commercial purpose, so long as you attribute the post to this blog.
NOTE: The terms "Gritty VA," "Gritty Virtual Assistant," and "Saucy business savvy for clients and colleagues from a Virtual Assistant industry veteran" did not exist in the public domain when this blog was launched August 2005. The author claims exclusive right to use those terms as identifying marks for this weblog and other written, digitized or electronic use, pursuant to U.S. and International copyright and trademark laws.
This weblog is published by Danielle Keister, The Relief Virtual Assistance and Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. If you would like permission to reprint any of my published columns, please contact me at word@grittyva.com. At all times you may provide the link to these copyrighted columns when referencing them in any form.
»
All posts »
All comments 
