Working with clients as a virtual assistant can be rewarding and provide you with more flexibility in your schedule.  Set your client and yourself up for success by making feedback a priority!

Here are five ways to keep the lines of communications open with a new or existing client:

1.        Make sure you check-in with your client often

2.        Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are ever confused with your assignment.

3.        Find out if your client prefers phone calls, texting or email to communicate.

4.        Be 100% clear and honest in turnaround time expectations.

5.        Provide feedback to your client on how they can be a better client for you

What steps do you take to ensure a successful VA/client relationship? 

Need more tips on how to keep...

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...

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...

It is hard to believe that December is here and we will be welcoming in the New Year very soon.  Many of your clients still have things they need to do before changing the calendar to 2014 that can be outsourced to a virtual assistant.

Here are 5 things you can do to help with the end of the year push.

1. Communicate!  This is a busy month, and time is flying by.  Be sure and reach out to your client by email, phone, or Skype to remind them that you can help wrap up administrative tasks.
2. Website Review. Offer to make sure all information on their website is updated with new business testimonials and photos, so that the website is refreshed and ready for visitors in the new year.
3. Organize Emails.  Many of your clients would really appreciate starting 2014 with an inbox that isn’t cluttered.  Offer to create or purge both their active or reference-only emails.  With a little guidance from your client, this can be a great project to help them with.
4. ...

This is a great time of the year to offer virtual assistant services that are geared specifically towards the holidays.

A busy executive may not know that a virtual assistant can:

• book their holiday travel
• brainstorm gift ideas and find the best prices
• create digital photobooks
• order and mail holiday cards
• help with marketing holiday promotions
• handle emails and/or phone calls while they are away

Remember, the status quo is not always the best way to retain or attract customers.  Being a virtual assistant allows you a lot of flexibility and creativity in the kind of services you can provide to your clients. Take advantage of this busy time of the year and realize that most business owners can use an extra hand with a task that is holiday related.

Your goal should be to help your client have a stress-free holiday so that they will not think twice about referring more work to you throughout the coming year.