The Gritty Virtual Assistant

Can the Visually Impaired be Virtual Assistants?

Dear Gritty VA:

I am with a state vocational commission that enhances employability, maximizes independence, and assists in the development of the capacities and strengths of people who are blind and visually impaired. Would it be possible for a person who is blind or visually impaired to do the job as a virtual assistant. Many of our consumers have the skills and desire that is needed for these types of jobs. With assistive technology, such as a screen reader for the computer, accessibility is not a problem.  --CD

Great question, and thanks for asking.

In talking about Virtual Assistance, there are some basic understandings that first need to be met. Virtual Assistance is not a “job.” Rather, Virtual Assistance is the profession of self-employed administrative professionals.

If you are asking in the context of whether someone with some physical challenges could be a self-employed administrative professional (a Virtual Assistant), and have their own business providing administrative support to clients, my answer would be absolutely! as long as they are masterfully skilled, have the extensive, necessary real-world administrative experience, and are equipped with whatever assistive technology they will need to communicate with clients and perform services.

If you are asking the question within the context of a “job,” then we aren’t talking about Virtual Assistance, but rather remote working/telecommuting. In that situation, the person is an employee of a company and is supervised, directed and paid a wage dictated by the employer. Since that is not Virtual Assistance, I cannot be of assistance there. My suggestion would be to search under the keywords “telecommuting.”

Caveat: Most telecommuting jobs advertised on the Internet are scams. Typically, they will require a fee upfront and the person never receives the materials. Or they might receive materials, and it turns out to be bunch of worthless information. Or, they take the "training" or jump through whatever other hoops they just paid their hard-earned money to jump through, and then are never given a job and/or never hear from the company again. If someone is interested in a telecommuting job and not going into business for themselves, my advice would be to contact virtual staffing agencies or larger brick-and-mortar companies and explore opportunities with them.

Merry Christmas!

My best wishes to you this holiday! May you find health, happiness and success in the New Year!

Grateful Mondays: My Special Service Providers

I was watching a segment on one of my local television shows recently about how to tip your service providers this holiday season. It got me to thinking about those special folks in my day-to-day life who probably don't get recognized very often in any special way.

I'm generally pretty good about letting folks who are special to me know how much they are appreciated and how awesome I think they are. But there are three that I'm going to go that extra mile for this year because they go the extra mile for me every time we connect.

Teresa

There is a local greasy spoon we frequent at least once a week, and I emphasize "at least" because it's probably no less than twice a week, LOL. It's a local institution (been around about 60 or 70 years I think), family-run until just a couple years ago. The new owners are keeping the tradition alive--hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, you know, and you can always count on real home-cooked comfort food and the staff and cooks who have served there their entire hospitality careers.

Well, my favorite waitress there is Teresa. She's the original Flo. Loud, brassy, never without a witty, hysterical retort. And I just love her!

She never forgets a name, and never met a person she didn't like. She always seems to know just what will make our tummies feel good, and I don't think she's had a bad day in her life. And if she did, she'd never take it out on her customers. That's just the way she is.

She's the only waitress who always brings me my diet Coke with a cherry in it. I never think to ask for a cherry, and I never ask anyone else to do it either because it is such a delight when I can be served by Teresa and have her bring my drink knowing that it will arrive topped with a little treat.

It's our little tradition: I always clap and say "Oh, goody! A cherry!" and Teresa always says, "Of course! That's love, baby."

That's our Teresa.

Our Full-Service Gas Station

There is a gas station I always go to. It's not the one closest to us. And it's not the cheapest. But if they were to give out Emmys for Best Service Station Ever, this business would win hands down every time.

This particular service station is part of a dying breed; one of only a handful of family-run, full-service stations left in our area.

You see, I have this little secret. Me and cars... well, let's just say it's a love/hate relationship. I absolutely love to drive. Road trips are my most favorite thing to do in the world. But I can't deal with anything else having to do with cars. Don't ask me to even look under the hood of a car. I would sooner learn to speak Russian than try to understand the mysterious innards of my vehicle.

People have tried to get me to be a little more self-sufficient and knowledgeable when it comes to my cars. My dad. My boyfriend. Friends. It's like trying to get oil to mix with water. I don't care to know. I don't want to know. For me, paying someone $100 cash before even attempting to fill the air in my tires myself is something I would seriously consider.

But my service station guys... they don't judge. They don't question. They don't try to change me. I can pull in, not buy a thing, and they will happily (yes, happily! Every time!) check the air in my tires, top off my fluids, and clean the windows.

We have a little joke, and I try to tip them. I'm never one to take advantage, and I think they deserve to be paid for their time and trouble. But they always refuse! Without fail, I'm treated like a friend, never a customer.

Needless to say, I am steadfastly loyal and devoted to them. Yes, they will definitely be getting a little extra sumpin' sumpin' in the stocking from Santa this year.

My Nail Salon

I have another disclosure to make: I am a high-maintenance chick. But a bit of a reformed one. Having a tree-hugging, mountain-climbing guy for a boyfriend will do that to a girl. He'd have us living in a lean-to in the Alaskan wilderness if I didn't draw the line somewhere. I haven't loss all reason, you know!

But it's all good. I can go camping now and actually enjoy it, AND go for <gasp> several days at a time without the need for electrical appliances. I know, I know... I'm amazed myself.

However, there is one luxury in life that I simply cannot forego: fake nails.

I have this little nail salon that I have been going to forever; like 8 or 10 years now. Oh, every once awhile, I get a wild hair and "go natural." But I can be gone for a year, and I'll walk in the door, and my nail tech, Lan, will look up as if we never lost a day and sit me down right away in my favorite chair and ask, "So, Danielle, white powder tip today?"

Lan has fascinated me from day one. She has what must be a photographic memory. I mean, she literally KNOWS every single one of her clients' names; never forgets. And she always remembers exactly what services they usually get and what colors they like.

It's probably safe to say they have at least 100-200 regular customers--can you imagine remembering the minute preferences and details of that many people?! And this is all in her brain; not a computer in the house.

And I know this might sound silly, especially to my someone like my boyfriend who thinks fake nails are ridiculous, but she is a true craftsman. She has her technique down to a fine science, and I leave after each visit with little works of art on the tips of every one of my digits. Truthfully, there isn't a soul in town who does nails in any way like Lan does nails.

Oh, I've tested out different places, believe me. Usually in some kind of dire after-hours nail emergency (yeah, yeah, laugh it up, but there ARE, too, nail emergencies), or because I was out of town. But I'm never happy. They are always too thick, or too sloppy, not flat enough, not secure enough.

Seriously, I have not found anyone out there who can compare to the skill and quality of Lan's nails. They last forever and look and feel so natural. If Lan does your nails, they will never pop off (you girls know what I'm talking 'bout).

And best of all, Lan and I always giggle together. I don't know what I'm gonna do if she ever decides to do something else!

Give Yourself the Gift of Business Knowledge & Success

Are you an experienced administrative professional exploring the idea of working for yourself?

Are you a new Virtual Assistant just starting your new Virtual Assistant business?

Are you an established Virtual Assistant looking to improve your business and run more profitably?

Did you know you can lay a strong foundation in your business just by purchasing the business forms and guides from the VACOC Virtual Assistant Business Forms store?

You won't find one ounce of fluff in our Virtual Assistant business forms and guides. Every single one is designed with intention and comprehensive detail so that you not only have the best starting point, but also learn more about the business concepts involved in running a successful and efficient solo/small business Virtual Assistant practice.

You can also purchase educational recordings from our Guest Expert Teleseminar Library, and listen to some of the most inspirational and educational experts in the business world over and over. You'll learn something new each time.

And don't forget that your purchases are a tax-deductable business expense. Get your purchases in now--write them off for 2007 and make 2008 your best Virtual Assistant business year ever!

Hiring Employees

Dear Gritty VA:

I am very new to the Virtual Assistant business world. I have a question about hiring employees. I am a sole proprieter and would like to hire virtual recruiters, administrative assistants and sales/promotional/marketing staff.  What is the best salary structure to offer potential employees? So many people are burned by work-at-home scams, I want to be able to offer a reasonable salary to potential virtual staff without insulting them with minimum wage or hiring them as independent contractors. What do other Virtual Assistant business owners do? CT

Well, I'm not sure why you're writing the Gritty VA since this column has to do with Virtual Assistants, not employees so I don't have much to offer you.

What I can tell you is you really need to talk with an accountant. Employers are governed by both federal and state laws. There are a host of obligations you are required to meet and provide when you work with employees so it's imperative you go to the governing agencies for your information, not other Virtual Assistants. Talking with an accountant will get you started in the right direction.

It's a Tough Job, Isn't It?

Sad to say, but there are lots of folks out there who think any flunky can do our work. That all you need is a computer, and you're good to go.

But us Virtual Assistants know better, don't we? LOL

I was just reflecting that as Virtual Assistants, we aren't just administrative experts. In working with clients, in many ways we also become a coach, consultant, advisor, cheerleader, and sometimes even a mentor, to them, all rolled into one.

I love that aspect about my work, but it can be a challenge sometimes.

For example, we know that our work isn't just about the client telling us what they need, and then us doing it. For much of the work, it simply can't get done without there being a collaborative process. That is, it takes the active participation of both the client and the Virtual Assistant to get things done.

For the Virtual Assistant's part, they obviously need to have masterful administrative skills. They also need to have excellent follow-through and communication skills. They need to have smart policies and systems that allow them to manage their time and work effectively so that ALL their clients get the full benefit of the value they are paying for. And they need to be able to ask clarifying questions and elicit the information they need from clients in order to accomplish their objectives.

For the client's part, they need to be able to clearly communicate their needs and expectations. They need to respond to our questions in a timely manner so that we can complete their work and accomplish goals we have set with them. They also need to be able to follow-through on the parts of the work that require their input. And they need to be committed to the process, because getting them to the next level in their business IS a process. There is no magic wand to wave and presto! it's all better overnight. That just ain't gonna happen, LOL.

The tricky part comes when parts of this equasion are missing. If you can't finish a goal or project because the client is not following through on providing you with necessary information, making a decision, or completing a required step or task, it's hard to know how to handle it. What makes it even more tough is because when they hold up their own work, they consequently hold up your business and your processes.

On the one hand, I do what I can to help keep my clients focused. I know that they came to me because they needed help, because they were overwhelmed with everything on their plate and need a helping hand in getting back on track.

And their work isn't just their work anymore--it's ours, too. We become invested in it because it is through our efforts that it gets accomplished. We have ownership and pride in that.

On the other hand, however, I'm not a babysitter. That's not my role in the relationship and I'm not responsible for their business.

So sometimes it's a real juggling act trying to maintain a balance between the two. You want to help them delegate and stay focused. But at the same time, you can't care more about their business than they do. Because then you become an enabler and that's just not good for anyone all the way around.

So maybe at times it's a good idea to check in with clients who are consistently having a tough time focusing and ask them, "For us to get things done, I need you to be committed to working together. Can you do that? Is this the right time for us to be working together?"

If they can't or it's not, let them go. That doesn't make them (or you) bad people, but you just can't help them. When that is the case, you aren't serving them, and they are taking things away from your other clients by forcing you to be inordinately preoccupied with their inert progress.

Get a Free Gift Certificate Template

I designed this gift certificate for a client many moons ago... He wanted something that could be plopped in a Word document and printed quickly from his own computer on brightly colored paper. So I created the layout in Photoshop, and plopped it 6-up (i.e., six to a page) in Word. Voila!

I've taken this design and turned it into a more generic version so that anyone can use it. It's optimized for print, and laid 6-up on a Word page so you won't need a professional printer--simply open the document and print!

From now until Christmas, I'm giving away this template FREE to everyone who purchases from our Virtual Assistant Business Forms store, or from our teleseminar recordings library.

You can use them for yourself or share with your clients. Better hurry though--Christmas will be here in no time flat. :)

Building Your Business Dream Team in 5 Easy Steps

Oh, my! Small business legal expert Nina Kaufman has done it again--written another brilliant article that I just have to share with everyone.

This article is so important. She has eloquently summed up EXACTLY what my Virtual Assistant association, the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, is all about.

When I began the work of creating a new movement in our industry and upsetting the status quo so that Virtual Assistant professionals could grow and begin to reach new heights of success and business sophistication, I saw that so many folks weren't getting the crucial, truthful advise they so desperately needed to grow their businesses successfully.

Instead, the mindset in many of the forums I belonged to was all about giving false praise and not saying what really would have been helpful. And, sadly, there is also a lot of the blind leading the blind.

And that's no help at all.

So read this article. These steps are exactly what the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce provides to its members--a team of veterans and savvy advisors who are there to look out for your best interests, who will challenge you to stretch beyond your comfort zones, and going to give you the kind of candid, truthful and success-building advice that will help your business grow. We've got your Dream Team all in one place!

***

BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS DREAM TEAM IN 5 SIMPLE STEPS

by Nina L. Kaufman, Esq.

The blogger and former web designer, Jason Kottke, was quoted as saying, "I don't think you're a very good friend if you're always being supportive. You also have to add criticism."

Put another way, if we surround ourselves with "yes-men" (or women), we'll never grow as business owners. And our companies will reach a certain level and stagnate there, if they don't embrace the need for change.

Therefore, just as entrepreneurs need to delegate the tasks of running their business (if they want it to grow), they need to delegate what I call the "mirror, mirror" function. We need feedback from others. We can't take only our own advice, or consider only our own viewpoints if we want to reach our fullest potential. Nor can our business grow if we don't learn from other successful people. In short, we don't have all the answers.

And business owners are unlikely to embark on the difficult, scary and courageous process of change if they don't have a "team" -- a team of advisors and colleagues who help look out for your best interests. Who push you to stretch yourself past your comfort zones. That's why it's so important to surround yourself with colleagues who have an objective (yet supportive) attitude toward your company.

Whether help comes in the form of a Board of Directorys (or Advisors), a Mastermind group, a CEO Roundtable, regular brunches with gal pals (or buddies), or family/spouse/partner, having an outside perspective on you and your company is crucial for your success and growth -- both personally and as a business owner. We need the help of constructive criticism to point out our foibles, blind spots and obstacles. So how can we create a team of advisors who will help us and our business achieve our dreams without tearing us apart in the process?

Here are five steps to get you started:

1.  Decide on the help you actually need. What expertise do you need most? Are you looking for specific subject area advice? Or overall support? Not everyone is suited to advise you in all areas. Some colleagues are better suited to bandying creative ideas back and foth. Others may have a particular expertise that you need to tap into only occasionally. Decide what you really need, first.

2. Select the right people. Once you have taken the time to "know thyself," you're in a far better position to choose who can best help you in a given situation. Your "Dream Team" can take on many facets, as advisors come in many guises. In addition to those in your industry (because they have wrestled with the same issues), and those who are not (so that you can learn from other best practices), you also want to look for companies that are where you want to be in a few years' time. Make sure you choose the right person for the right position on your team. The brusque, well-connected business owner may be great for introductions, but lousy for long heart-to-heart discussions about entrepreneurship.

3. Make communication convenient. You may have a preference for in-person meetings, but that's often difficult to arrange if you have to coordinate multiple schedules. Focus first on what's most convenient for your advisors(s). You may find that they are more willing (and available!) to talk to you if they can do so by conference call, rather than in person. Or, consider meeting with people one-on-one rather than trying to force a dynamic group.

4. Prepare in advance. Be mindful of the time that your advisors are giving you. Just as you would not want your time wasted with irrelevant story-telling and background information, so you, too, should be sure to get to the point of your discussion, your issue, etc. The purpose of assembling a Dream Team is not to have them listen to your entire life story (that's what therapists and friends are for); it's to elicit their feedback to help you keep moving forward in a more positive direction. It helps if you have a clear sense of your business goals and challenges so that you can articulate them clearly.

5. Expect "Tough Love." The purpose of a Dream Team is not to have a bunch of people sit around stroking your ego, telling you how wonderful you are. It's to get sound and realistic advice about how you and your company can grow. Sometimes, that can be hard to hear. The pet project that you have lovingly nurtured for the past year may get roundly panned. Don't take it personally. Your advisors--especially those with expertise in your field--want you to avoid the problems, time-wasters and money pits that have befallen them. You want their honesty. Preferably, it's couched in the form of constructive criticism (but if not, get over it).

A healthy Team is an accountable Team. Be on time for your meetings or calls, and notice if your advisors are not. See if members of the Team (especially in mastermind groups) are open and willing to contribute. If not, don't be hurt--just go through the five steps to create the Dream Team for your success.

© Copyright 2007 Wise Counsel Press LLC. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Nina L. Kaufman, Esq., is a small business attorney and the founder of Wise Counsel Press LLC, which offers easy-to-understand legal strategies and information products that protect small businesses and save them money…wisely. To learn more, and to sign up for their FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit www.WiseCounselPress.com.

Do You Have a Business Plan?

Often, new Virtual Assistants will ask questions on the various Virtual Assistant listservs and forums that  indicate they haven't done any business planning at all. Like with most small business owners, many have never run a business before and are really learning things from the ground up.

Luckily for them, ours is a very welcoming industry and there are always lots of folks ready with helpful guidance and advice. One of the things us veterans are always repeating like a mantra is "Do a business plan!"

A business plan isn't just for securing loans and finding investors. It's foremost value to you is in helping lay the groundwork for building a successful business.

This is one of the reasons I created the Virtual Assistant Business Plan template (FRM-32 in the VACOC Virtual Assistant Business Forms store.)

I first want to say that you should NEVER just buy a template and think it's going to do all the work for you. That defeats the entire purpose of doing a business plan! And that's certainly not what our Virtual Assistant Business Plan is for.

The point of doing a business plan is to go through the exercises of mapping out the details and strategies for your business success. The problem for many people, however, is that they don't know enough about business, or perhaps even how one should look, to know where or how to even begin.

I created the Virtual Assistant Business Plan to help with this. What my plan gives you is not only a template for how a good business plan should be put together and look, but also many concepts about business and marketing strategies that have proven very successful for solo-run businesses such as Virtual Assistance.

The idea isn't to do the work for you, but rather to give you really detailed, in-depth information to get your juices flowing, and get you excited about the process of mapping out your business' strategies for success.

For example, many people don't realize that there are huge differences between a retainer-based Virtual Assistant business model and a project-based one. But when you sit down to do a business plan, diagram the processes and crunch the numbers, you begin to realize that there are different operational and resource necessities involved with each. Each has different cashflow models, administrative demands and profit margins. And they necessarily have to operate and grow in different ways from one another in order to attain the owner's income objectives.

But you would never begin to learn and understand these things without going through the actual process of completing a business plan. And the VACOC Virtual Assistant Business Plan helps you do just that.

Fun Gifts for Legal Professionals

Although I got an early start on my holiday shopping this year, I know not everyone did. If you're still in the market for holiday gifts and greeting cards for your friends, colleagues and clients, The Billable Hour Company can help you make short work of your gift list.

I've raved about The Billable Hour Company before here and here and here. Well, since I last wrote about them earlier this year, they've continued to add items to their product line. Although primarily geared to lawyers and legal professionals, they also feature some great items any professional will get a kick out of.

Their Original Pocket Briefcase and Soft Sided Leather Pocket Briefcase make perfect stocking-stuffers for all kinds of professionals.

They also have a growing Games and Books Department, and, in their continuing quest to help professionals achieve work/life balance, they've added Helios Pens—which appear to float in the air as they balance over their gracefully curved bases—to their TBH Office department.

Over at the Billable Hour Card Store, they've added over 100 new humorous legal greeting cards, bringing their selection of humorous legal cards to over 200. You can't find these cards anywhere else on the Web: they're exclusive to the Billable Hour Card Store.

Stu's Views (their largest collection) is by Stu Rees, a cartoonist who—when he's not drawing—represents other cartoonists in their legal matters.

The Lawtoons line is from Suzan Charlton, a professional cartoonist who is rumored to practice insurance coverage law as a hobby for a major Washington D.C. law firm. Her cartoons cover a wide range of law-related topics, from law school grades to law firm romance.

The Cartoons by Dan line is by Dan Rosandich (who, while not a lawyer, has a pretty good grasp of many legal concepts).

All of their cards can be used as holiday cards, since the inside message is completely customizable. They also carry a wide selection of more "traditional" holiday cards featuring nonlegal themes (such as snowflakes, ornaments, Christmas trees and menorahs).

If you work for a lot of lawyers, check out their music department, which carries the world's most comprehensive line of humorous CDs by and for lawyers. In addition to the CDs by the Bar & Grill Singers, and Bob Noone & the Well Hung Jury, that I wrote about in January, they've added The Billable Hour Blues by Dan Klau, and Soulless, Bloodsucking Lawyers: A Brief Musical (the soundtrack to an original play by the same name written by Minnesota lawyer, speaker, comedian and playwright Toni Halleen), as well as the full line of CDs by legal music veteran Lawrence Savell, including his brand new album, The Lawtunes: Live at Blackacre.

Lawyers will also get a kick out of the company's Survival Kits for Judges, Partners, Associates, Law Students, Paralegals, and one especially for anyone preparing for—or awaiting the results of—the Bar Exam. Each kit contains one of their signature timepieces, plus a selection of items from their Music, Games and TBH Office departments. The items are artfully arranged in a first aid-themed gift box (the Partner Survival Kit even comes in a photorealistic golf cart gift bag) and topped by a huge 4" red bow.

The company helpfully provides information about holiday shipping deadlines
here.

Better get a move on--I'm grabbing one of those gorgeous Helios Pens right now!