Tag Archives: Danielle Keister

Dear Gritty VA: Should I Sign a Client’s Confidentiality Agreement?

Dear Gritty VA:
I finally have a new client (who has signed the Virtual Assistance Retainer Agreement I ordered from you and customized for my business–thank you!). However, the client emailed me wanting me to sign a confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement which the owner forgot to give me at our meeting. Would that be necessary to do? –ST
Having [...]

Why Should I Pay That When I Can Get a Temp or Offshore VA for $5 Bucks an Hour?

Ever hear a client utter these words? It’s probably the most grating sentence in the Virtual Assistant world today.
But what if you knew exactly how to respond… what if you offered your services in a way that didn’t focus whatsoever on hourly rates? Wouldn’t that be a total game changer? It’s not [...]

How to Stop Selling Hours and Start Selling Support

I’m really excited about my upcoming Pricing & Packaging Biz Intensive next week. We’ve got a great group of people signed up so far. There are a few more spots available; be sure and sign up by July 19. What you learn in this clinic will blow your mind and revolutionize your business. Plus, as [...]

Dear Gritty VA: Why Can’t I Find Income Tax Info All in One Place?

Dear Gritty VA:
I submit final draft of my business plan to my mentor soon (I can’t thank you enough for the Virtual Assistant Business Plan template you have included in your packages). My question is for the financial aspect of the business plan… calculating the income taxes. There are so many websites out there [...]

Dear Gritty VA: “I” or “We” in My Business Plan?

Dear Gritty VA:
On the business plan template, I am having a hard time coming up with the replacement word for “we” and “our” since it is only “I” who will be doing all the work for now. My mentor stated it is not acceptable to put “I” in [...]

Dear Gritty VA: Can I Collect Unemployment While Starting My Virtual Assistant Business?

I am new to the Virtual Assistant world. I have been laid off so many times in the past 11 years that I have just lost faith in employers. I was given this idea back in 2003 to start a Virtual Assistant business, but was too scared. I was laid off again in September 2009 [...]

Dear Gritty VA: Should I Post Pricing on My Website?

Dear Gritty VA:
What are your thoughts on posting prices for services on your website? –LB
I see this question all the time and I’ve written several post on the topic. I’ll refer you to two of them below:

Price is NOT the Bottom Line
Screening the Tire Kickers

Also, Andy Beale, a well-known marketing consultant, also wrote on [...]

Dear Gritty VA: Do I Have Enough Experience to Be a Virtual Assistant?

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 [...]

Dear Gritty VA: Should I Point Out Errors on Other Virtual Assistant Sites?

Dear Gritty VA:
I can’t tell you the number of times that I have looked at another Virtual Assistant’s website, taken a deep breath, sighed, and just continued reading.  But 5, 10, even 15 minutes later I will still be struggling with whether or not I should have emailed the VA and told them about [...]

Another Way to Supercharge Your Virtual Assistant Help

I was talking with one of the attendees of my Pricing & Packaging business intensive last month who mentioned that she wasn’t sure what to do with a couple clients she wasn’t feeling very energized by. I asked her what the problem was, and she related that she much preferred big picture work, and while [...]