New Team Member Wanted
October 29, 2008 by Kylie Short · 1 Comment
Tilda Virtual Services is looking for a Virtual Assistant with video editing and/or audio editing skills. You must be a team player, be responsive and love technology. Someone with experience is preferred for obvious reasons.
If you would like more information, please fill in the form and tell me why you are the best person to join my team.
cforms contact form by delicious:days
Learning something new
October 25, 2008 by Kylie Short · Leave a Comment
I love when clients (or in this case one of my best friends) ask me about a new piece of software or technology. Often I know nothing about it but give me a few hours and I’m all over it like a rash. The latest thing I’ve been working on is how to set up and configure phpBB, open source community building software.
I still don’t feel that I know enough but I was able to set up forums and customise the colours for a good friend of mine, Fiona Dixon. Fiona owns Moment by Moment and has decided to set up a support forum for parents and relatives of premature babies. I’m happy with what we got up to tonight but I’ll probably go back in and play some more later.
Fancy a day off?
October 16, 2008 by Kylie Short · Leave a Comment
I know what it’s like – your intray is overflowing, email inbox is full of issues to be dealt with and then there’s all your paying work, how are you going to take a day off?
Well at communic8 design, one of the key promises we make to our clients is more time. In fact if you follow our advice, I guarantee you too can take a day off each week, here’s three simple strategies that will set you free:
1. Short cuts.
I’m sure that for many, if not most of the projects you have on the go, someone has walked the same path before you. Many of these people sell the knowledge they have acquired in the form of information products, or consulting services. In instances where you might be facing weeks if not months of research and writing, an expert can provide you with a step-by-step guide or do it for you in half the time.
Yes it costs money, but if you put an accurate value on your own time I’m sure you’ll find that 9 times out of 10 it actually costs a lot less to use an expert than it would if you did it yourself.
2. Get help.
There is simply no way I could run communic8 design without the support of my virtual assistant, Kylie Short. Virtual Assistants or V.A.s are a great way for small business owners to explore hiring without all the hassles.
I’m launching the first of my new ShortCuts information products soon in which Kylie will reveal the secrets to working with a VA – what tasks are ideal to outsource, how to keep track of your projects and what to expect from your VA. I’m going to give away 3 trial copies in order to get feedback and testimonials so email me straight away if you’d like to be one of the lucky 3.
3. Let go.
Perfectionism is your enemy. While we all want to do our best, I believe that we often have unrealistic expectations of ourselves. It’s not always possible to land a major new project, deal with your email instantly, always be available to take calls and get a gourmet meal on the table each night. Something’s gotta give!
Clumping tasks is a much more efficient way of dealing with them, make a time for each of your regular activities such as email, phone calls, quoting and meetings. Why not draw up a simple timetable for your week and keep it visible so it serves as a constant reminder and guide for your day? At least until your new routine becomes a habit. For example, I don’t take phone calls or look at my email in the morning as this is my most productive working time.
Have faith in your helpers, be that in-house staff members or a VA. Train and empower them to make decisions without having to run everything by you first. Sure they’ll make mistakes, but that’s how we all learn. The short leash you tie your team up with is also a noose around your own neck.
Now that you’ve got the strategies, as Nike says, just do it. Block out one day a week in your diary, take a deep breath and take the day off. Your business will be better for it.
Angela den Hollander
© 2008 communic8 design
Angela den Hollander, head honcho of communic8 design publishes ‘more, more, more’ a fortnightly e-zine full of advice and ideas for business owners. If you’re ready for more profits, more clients and would like more time in each day visit www.communic8design.com.au
Five Misconceptions about the Virtual Assistance Industry
October 15, 2008 by Kylie Short · 3 Comments
Anyone with a computer, Internet connection and a typing speed can become a Virtual Assistant.
All the Virtual Assistants I know are experienced Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, Office Managers, Bookkeepers and Web developers with at least 5 years experience. It takes considerably more than just a computer, Internet connection and the ability to type to become a Virtual Assistant. And yet there are still some people who see the Virtual Assistance industry as something they can do until something better comes along. This in turn reflects on the industry as a whole.
The International Virtual Assistant Association (IVAA) defines a Virtual Assistant as, “an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis.” and I agree wholeheartedly with this definition.
To become a Virtual Assistant you need a solid background in providing administrative, creative or technical support. I believe that you can learn online how to provide these services on a virtual basis but you need to have the background, knowledge and experience before you begin.
All Virtual Assistants are created equal
Just as there is a difference between in-house assistants and what they do for you, there too is a difference between Virtual Assistants. Some only provide bookkeeping support, some provide graphical and web design support. Other’s provide technical support. When selecting your Virtual Assistant you need to carefully look at the tasks you wish to delegate. Then select a Virtual Assistant with the skills you require to enable the project to be completed. You’ll be sorely disappointed if you ask a Bookkeeper to design graphics for you when they should be maintaining your books instead.
Virtual Assistants are just like employees right?
Virtual Assistants are independent business consultants who specialise in providing administrative, creative and/or technical support. We are registered as a business in our home countries and what this means is that you don’t have to pay for benefits and insurance like you would with an employee. It also means that you can’t micro-manage a Virtual Assistant as they usually have more than one client at a time. If you need to micro-manage then you need a telecommuter or an in-house employee, not a Virtual Assistant.
My Virtual Assistant is available 24/7
When starting with a Virtual Assistant it is extremely important to set general expectations and then stick to them. If your expectations are not the same as those of your Virtual Assistant then it’s highly likely that they’ll never be met.
You need to give your Virtual Assistant enough time to complete your tasks and understand that you’re probably not the only client they have. You also need to take into account his/her time-zone, their requirements for lead time and allow for this in your own schedule. Just because your Virtual Assistant seems to be there 24/7 doesn’t actually mean they are there. Unless of course they have a team of Virtual Assistants in all time-zones and literally are available 24/7.
Virtual Assistants only provide Administrative support
As we move away from the industrial age and into the information age, we as workers are no longer just selling our time for money. We are also selling our knowledge. Part of the Information age is the process of using the Internet as the sole or secondary means of marketing your product or service to a target market, of finding information and learning about the world.
Virtual Assistance is a relatively new industry that has been born in the Information Age. Virtual Assistance simply describes how service providers, provide their services. Thanks to technology Virtual Assistants are no longer restricted to working with a client onsite but can also work with clients outside their own time-zone. Technology allows Virtual Assistants to work from their own office be it in the home or an office space, on their own or as part of a team. It means as a service provider, Virtual Assistants are no longer limited by geographics.
To work virtually, Virtual Assistants research and absorb information almost like osmosis and then share the information and knowledge they have gained about working online freely amongst themselves. Skills are learnt, new knowledge is gained and in retaining the services of a Virtual Assistant it’s highly likely that they have more than simple administrative support to offer you. Why not ask and find out?
I nearly died today
October 11, 2008 by Kylie Short · 3 Comments
A break from my usual type of blog post but I had to share this or I wouldn’t be able to sleep. (It’s now 1.32am) Today while traveling to stay with my in-laws my family and I were involved in a near miss car accident. I think I’m still in shock actually. I keep shaking every so often which makes typing this post a bit difficult.
Code monkey was overtaking a car when it pulled out on us. We were parallel to the car and so it pushed us off onto the shoulder of the road. A very wet road with a very gravelly shoulder.
(New burst of shakes…)
I felt the moment Lincoln lost control of the car and I remember bracing myself in my seat. I was frozen and had to trust in Lincoln’s driving skills to save us. I had to trust that we would get out of it ok. Our kids were in the car with us watching a dvd not knowing what had happened and afterwards all I could think of was my babies. OMG my babies.
Obviously he regained control of the car before we pitched sideways into a ditch on the opposite side of the road but it’s left me very shaken and upset. Lincoln had to pull over because I couldn’t stop crying and couldn’t stop asking him if he was ok. I guess I wasn’t convinced that we weren’t in the bottom of the ditch. It felt and still feels surreal.
Needless to say I’m taking the weekend off. I’m going to smother myself in my three beautiful children, be thankful of the fact that I am still here with the most important people in the world to me and I’m going to travel to Gilgandra to watch my beautiful husband play in a basketball tournament. Just because I can.