A virtual assistant is a very valuable resource to a busy entrepreneur.  Getting your working relationship off to a good start is important in securing a long term assignment with your new client.

Working with anyone – real or virtual – is a dynamic situation where adjustments need to be made as the working relationship evolves.

With hundreds of mobile applications and cloud-based technologies, working effectively with your client should include using various electronic technologies.  Having a virtual workspace for communicating with your client is essential for success.

Below are 3 basic technologies that should be implemented as you start to work with you new client:

1. Email – be sure to find out if your client will be setting up a specific email address for you that has their business extension, or if you will use your own email address to communicate with them.  Determine a response time that is acceptable to you and your client.
2. Live Chat–...

The month of November is always a time when we remind ourselves what we are thankful for. In business it may be a strong loyal client base, a contract win, or even the fact that we enjoy doing what we do. For personal gratitude, it may be our family, our friends, or even the barista who makes our morning coffee exactly to our liking every time we stop in.

The thing about gratitude that is important to remember, is that it really should be something to think about and demonstrate all year long, and not just when the calendar reaches the month of November.

It is easy for all of us to get wrapped up in our daily lives. With the stress of deadlines, bills that need to be paid, phone calls or emails that need to be returned, and demands on our time, it is easy to forget about being grateful.
Here are 3 ways to add gratitude into your day:

1. Keep a daily gratitude journal – at the end of the day, write down at least one thing you are grateful for.  Look back on the this journal...

Are you familiar with the definition of entrepreneurship? Did you know a virtual assistant (VA) is considered an “entrepreneur?”  Definition:  Entrepreneurship is the process of starting a business, typically a startup company offering an innovative product, process or service. 
 
A lot of VAs have either had a shift in their career plan or left a previous job.  VA’s can continue to share their expertise, experience and knowledge with others by starting their own business doing virtual work.
 
There are some amazing benefits that come with working as a virtual assistant. First, start-up costs are generally pretty low when working out of a home office, and you have the freedom to set your own schedule.  Second, you get to determine the type of work you want to do, and last but not least, you determine what you are going to charge your clients for your services.
 
With all of these positive aspects of being an...

We are sharing content by Jennie Lyon of Jennie Lyon, Virtual Assistant Services for Your Business
Jennie is a virtual assistant that has had much success in her career choice.  She recently sent out this list of 10 Must Have Small Business Software in her newsletter.  We agree with all her suggestions so decided to post her recommendations. Here are her top 10, can’t-live-without software applications for small business (in no particular order).

10 Must-Have Small Business Software

1. Harvest 
Harvest is an intuitive, easy-to-use, cloud-based time tracking system. Features include an on-screen stop watch/timer that can be started and stopped multiple times within a job and/or project, which allows accurate tracking even when interruptions occur. Harvest also generates time reports and has a time approval system, and can be accessed from the Internet, smart phones, and other applications.

2. Asana 
Asana is a web and mobile application designed to enable...

Being a stay at home Mom or Dad is not the only reason to consider becoming a professional virtual assistant. Caring for an elderly parent, grandparent or friend is a growing responsibility in many households. There is a large number of middle-aged professionals (referred to as the Sandwich Generation) who are simultaneously caring for children and parents — that have left their normal 9am-5pm job to become an at-home caregiver.
According to a Pew Research study, most caregivers are women, about 45% are men. AARP research says most caregivers have jobs, but 70% are obliged to “make workplace adjustments”—coming in late or leaving early, for instance. (Forbes 7/14). This can hamper your job performance and add stress to an already overloaded day. Many who are working and caring for an elderly parent or grandparent eventually end up having to take a leave of absence or will decide to quit their job as health situations change.
Working as a virtual assistant is a...

Do you find yourself constantly checking email, text messages or social media? Is your smartphone or tablet the first thing you reach for in the morning, or the last thing you put down at night? If this sounds like you, then you are tethered to technology and probably missing out on what is actually going on around you.

Below are some tips on how to disconnect—so you can connect with your family, friends and with your kids from Working Mother Magazine.

• Customize your notifications. Give important contacts (your husband, boss, nanny, etc.) their own ringtones and text tones. Only respond to key contacts when you’re trying to have uninterrupted time with your kids, family or friends. Everyone else can wait.
• Create tech-free zones. Make a pact that you’ll stay off your phone during key “connect times”. Those should include meal times, when you’re in the car with your husband, wife or kids, and an hour or so before your child’s bedtime. Kids...

Starting out as a virtual assistant can be very exciting but also a little confusing.  Where do you to begin? How do you promote yourself? How do you know what to charge? How do you find clients? The list is endless!

Below are a few tips that will help make your first, or next virtual job more of a treat than a trick.

In order to become a successful VA, you need to know how to market yourself.

We suggest that if you are serious about this profession, you invest in  a professional website and become active on social media.  There are many templated web builder programs that are affordable and provide wonderful design elements.  Most social media sites are free, but do require a time investment.

Your website should include the following information:

• What virtual services you can offer a client
• Your billing process
• Your rates or fees
• Be sure to have an updated headshot and bio on your website
• Client testimonials (if you have any)

When you find a prospective...

Do you blog for your virtual assistant business?  Every time that you write a blog post, you are adding another “asset” to your inventory of marketing content on your website that will help your SEO.
If you have any doubts to the importance of blogging, here are 5 key points posted on ChicagoBusiness by Ann Dwyer last year about the benefits you can gain by blogging.

1. A blog can boost your reputation as an expert: Customers want to do business with people who are experts in their industry. So by projecting a knowledgeable image and sharing insights about the products and services you offer, your blog can have an impact far beyond your website. A blog is a terrific way to provide tips, answer questions and teach visitors about your industry.
2. A blog gives you more pages to talk about products and services: Having a blog can allow you the room to provide more information about the products and services you offer.
3. A blog helps customers find you with SEO: Each blog post...

Many of us who work virtually, have a keen awareness about the benefits of balancing family life and work life. It is not necessarily easy, but it is manageable if you are organized and have a strong commitment to the profession. However, for those with school-aged kids, the summer months can push the limits of balance and patience. Our work schedules suddenly have to compete with kids who want/need our attention during daytime working hours.

Here are some useful tips to get you through what we like to call the summer -“time shift”.

Plan daily projects for your kids:
Depending on the age of your kids, try to have a daily project that requires little to no supervision which will occupy them for at least an hour. While the kids are doing their project, you can get some work done on your laptop or within ear shot of them.
Some project ideas include:

• Quiet reading time
• Writing letters to grandparents
• Coloring or drawing pictures
• Playing educational games on the iPad
• Watching...