I’m sure you’ve heard me say a billion times how important it is not to sleepwalk through life and not do anything with it. We only get one so it’s important to own it. But just in case you want to know what happens to those who do take action and practical steps towards creating the life they want, this post is for you.
Today I’m going to share a MASSIVE blunder that I made with my main client earlier this year just so you can see that it isn’t so much the mistake that matters, it’s how you respond and deal with that mistake that matters to the client. And hold on to your hats and hide behind your fingers, because this was a pretty big and rather embarrassing error!
Back when I did personal training, I mentioned to a friend that a couple of trainees had confidence issues. I’d given them every practical step they needed to become a VA, but I didn’t have any more knowledge to impart and wasn’t sure how to move them forward. He reminded me that I wasn’t a therapist and then asked if they’d ever completed a SWOT analysis.
I often meet up with another VA called Rachel Brown. I’ve known her for years now and we often get together for a chat. We discuss how our businesses are doing, our plans for the future and see how each other is getting on. But when Rachel said she makes an absolute killing from minutes taking, I was intrigued and wanted to know more… loads more!
Although the types of tasks you’ll be given will obviously vary depending on what your services are and what your clients do for a living, I thought it might be a good idea to provide three different examples so you can get a basic idea of what to expect. These are not unusual tasks and cover the main areas of research, data entry, collation and attention to detail.
Aside from analysing LinkedIn profiles and groups for my clients and using LinkedIn to identify, research and qualify potential clients for my own VA business, I also used to write loads of LinkedIn profiles as part of my CV writing business – so when it comes to LinkedIn, I’ve seen it all! There are good profiles and truly dreadful profiles – here’s what a good one looks like:
People often ask me how long it takes to become a Virtual Assistant and my answer is usually “it depends”. But now I have a definitive answer: if you set aside time every day to get on and focus on the things you need to do in the right order then it should take you no more than three months. And this is exactly how you do it:
Winter can be hard for freelancers. Your heating bills are huge, you freeze your butt off for 3 months and you’re constantly scared you’re going to slip on ice and put yourself out of business. I used to worry about staying warm and in one piece but I don’t any more because I now have fail-proof ways to get through winter without eye-watering bills or a trip to A&E.
Many people have told me that they thought they needed to get an office or have a ‘proper’ desk set up before they could be a freelancer so I want to show you that this is complete and utter nonsense! Virtual Assistants can work from anywhere they like and you shouldn’t let the lack of an office prevent you from setting up your own business.
On 11th January I held a live Google Hangouts on Air interview and Q&A session with my favourite client Luan Wise. We held the interview so potential VAs could find out how we work together, what tasks she asks me to do, how I manage her expectations, and what clients look for in a Virtual Assistant.
