Many of my friends and readers know that I LOVE VAClassroom and all that Craig Cannings and the gang have to offer. They have quality training programs for our Virtual Assistant industry, a few of which I have taken myself. So I registered and I am really excited to attend the Summer Skill Camp 2010, which starts July 6th. I’m always looking to sharpen my skills and learn something new.

So what are we going to learn in this 10 week summer camp?

• Develop the right system to creating a profitable, in-demand Facebook Page Service.
• Receive an easy-to-follow blueprint for building an effective online newsletter or ezine.
• Discover proven techniques for designing a winning WordPress Blog.
• Uncover and implement the right kind of WordPress plugins to ignite traffic and results for you and your clients.
• Learn how to leverage a freebie offer or information product to attract and win new clients.
• Discover a simple formula for crafting and delivering top-notch social media presentations to your clients and community.
• Master a proven system for seamlessly organizing your many social networking activities.
• Learn how to effectively measure your client’s Internet Marketing results and success.
• Receive an easy formula for writing articles and press releases that produce results.
• Develop a winning squeeze page or landing page that converts for you or your clients.

So doesn’t that all sound great? Plus Craig is offering several bonuses as well with this fantastic program. And there’s an Early Bird discount if you sign up before June 3oth. Use the promo code SUMMER by 6/30 and get $100 off of your registration fee.

So join me there and lets go to camp together. Sign up at this link – http://tinyurl.com/282wkrp

See you there!

Just a few things I learned:

• From our awesome keynote speaker, Marsha Petrie Sue,  When you run into issues and problems, you have 3 choices in life: Take it, Leave it, or Change it. So what’s your plan?
• Speaker, Karen Gridley really made me reflect on if my thoughts, feelings and actions are really aligned. How am I getting in my own way?
• Learned that I need to refine my processes, especially my lead follow up.
• I need to screen new team members carefully, or “Hire slow and fire fast” according to Donna Toothaker.
• That other VA Mommies of small children like me do not do it ALL. They get help now and then too.
• Never realized how I don’t talk very much while working at my home office. I spent the end of every day at the Summit hoarse from gabbing so much with my VA colleagues. (Sorry if I talked your ear off!)
• My friend, Dana Fortier is a total Rockstar.
• Some VAs have really awesome clients that send them really awesome cake for Administrative Professionals day.

As you can see, I had a fabulous time at the Live Summit and I came back with a motivational fire under me to set some great new things in motion. I also came back with so many new friends in the VA world. I feel so lucky to have met them and look forward to “seeing” and getting to know them in and around the social networks and forums I frequent.

One thing that made my year is that the 2011 Live Summit will be held in Portland, Oregon. I’m not sure if anyone was more excited than me, since I am originally from that area. My family will be thrilled that I have another excuse to come out and visit.

So have I convinced you yet?  Are you ready to invest in yourself and your business to take it to the next level? Then the 2011 Live Summit is one that you can not miss! And don’t use finances as an excuse, start saving! Starting now, put aside $25 per week in a “summit fund”. By the 1st of July you’ll have enough to cover your summit registration. By the 1st of November you’ll have enough saved to also buy your plane ticket. And by mid-January 2011 you should have enough to cover your hotel room too! So start saving, mark your calendars, and I will see you at next year’s Live Summit in Portland.

Tomorrow, I’m leaving on a jet plane and I couldn’t be more excited.

The past few days I have been preparing to to travel this week to Phoenix, for the IVAA’s 9th Annual Live VA Summit. I am super excited to get out of my office, drop off my little boy at grandma’s, jump on a plane, and descend upon Phoenix with 100 other Virtual Assistants to network and learn. It is giving me a chance to get out of the isolation of my own home office and to meet in person with other Virtual Assistants, many of which I have come to know and respect from my online social networks and VA forums. It’s an opportunity to be “Megan” instead of “Mommy” for a few days.

This brings me to the tremendous importance in-person networking for the Virtual Assistant. I’m talking about getting  out from behind your computer screen, and networking in person with other Virtual Assistants or small business owners. Working from your home office can feel somewhat isolating at times. You don’t have the regular in-person interaction with co-workers or customers and clients. I have my moments where I feel like I don’t have much social interaction with anyone beyond my11 month old son and my husband.

I really look forward to the times where I get to leave my home and go to one of the regular DVVAA luncheons to be in the company of other Virtual Assistants. We talk and at times, commiserate about the ups and the downs of our VA businesses, our awesome clients, and what is generally going on in our lives. I love getting together with this great group of people and it makes me feel less alone in my online business world. Not to mention, I have fun Getting out and networking is necessary for my own sanity.

I highly recommend that all Virtual Assistants get out and network, attend luncheons, chamber events, business conferences, whatever, and just get away from your computer. If you are a brand new Virtual Assistant, try looking to see if there is another VA that lives close to you and take them to lunch. Or perhaps there is a local VA networking group like mine (DVVAA) that has networking lunches or events. And last but not least, save room in your budget for attending one of the live VA conferences like IVVA’s Live Summit or VA Networking’s conference slated to happen in 2011.

And if you’re heading to Phoenix this week for #IVAA10, be sure to say hi and exchange cards.

**Contest Alert** I have a Rockstar Poken to give away to a lucky VA while I’m at the Summit in Phoenix. The first person to come up to me in person and say “I want to be a rockstar” gets the lovely rockstar Poken. What is a Poken, you ask? Check out my review of them at my other blog here.

Is it necessary to have a website in order to be a successful VA? My answer is, YES IT IS!

I get asked that question quite often by new and emerging VAs. My answer is, how can you NOT have a website? With all the free and low cost site blog building tools out there, there is hardly any excuse not to have website.

In my opinion, one of the most important marketing tools a Virtual Assistant must have is a website. You are Virtual, aren’t you? As a Virtual Assistant, you spend a lot of time in the virtual world working on your computer and on the internet. And according to Google, an awful lot of people search online for Virtual Assistants (Approximately 201,000 Global Monthly Searches according to Google’s Keyword tool). If you are serious about your VA business, you need to have a presence on the web and should be towards the top of your star-up to do list.

I know to a new VA, the thought of making a website can be overwhelming, especially if you are not savvy in web design.  But I am here to tell you, there are places where you can build simple no-frills sites for very little cost, if not free. Even if it’s just a one-pager, it is a good way to just get your online presence started.

So if you are determined to design and build your site yourself on a small budget, here are some options.

Free website sources -

• Start with a blog by using something like Blogger or WordPress.com. These free blogging platforms offer a relatively easy to use interface, many design and customization options, and you can get some content up quickly. You can set up a simple site that promotes just the information you need, plus you can get in the practice of blogging regularly.
• Google sites – Everyone love Google. And along with their other tremendous products and applications, they also have a site builder. If you are familiar with Google at all, then their site builder can be easy for you to design and manage and have up quickly.
• 

  Image via CrunchBase

  Using a free site builder like Moonfruit. Moonfruit is a site builder that really does allow you to create and host a simple site for FREE, and with no ads. It’s no joke. There are a few limitations, but you can get up a simple no-frills site quickly and it can cost you nothing. And as your needs get more advanced, you can move up to their other super affordable packages that include more features, space and email addresses.

Low cost website solutions -

• The popular site where many people buy their domains, Godaddy.com, also provides affordable site builder and hosting. For as little as $3.99 per month (depending on how long your contract), you can pick one of their ready-to-go designs, customize it, and have a new site up and running in one evening.
• Affordable site with Webstarts. Webstarts does offer a limited free site plan, but their next package up starts at only $3.94 per month for Pro and $.83 per month for Pro+. Their packages are feature rich and they have many professional site designs that look great and you can have up and running in no time.

The options I outlined above are if you decide to build your site yourself, and you want to do something quick and not too advanced. Of course, there are many more free and cheap site building options out there other than the ones I mentioned above. Just search Google and you will find numerous options.

If  you don’t have the time or the desire to build it yourself and you have room in your budget, you can always enlist the help of another VA or a pro web designer to build it for you. If that is the case, try submitting an RFP to one of the great VA forums or organizations (IVAA, VA Networking, VA Forums) to find the right fit for you.

Now if you still have no website, I am telling you that you have no excuse. Move it to the top of your priority list and get going!

Recently, Entrepreneur.com posted a fantastic article titled, “Should You Outsource Your Online Presence?“.  The article highlighted the value of outsourcing your social media marketing to Virtual Professionals.

Check out this quote from the beginning of the article..

“Between blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and updating a LinkedIn profile, it’s a wonder how a business owner has any time to answer e-mails and phone calls, much less run a company. But the time invested in social networking is well spent in this age where maintaining a social media presence can be a necessary piece of a successful marketing strategy.

Trouble is, as the number of platforms grows, so does the time it takes to feed and groom each account. Not to mention the front-end investment of setting everything up.

For those caught up in a social media blitz–and those contemplating taking the plunge–why not consider outsourcing? A virtual assistant can tackle those time-consuming tasks.”

Entrepreneur.com, July 7, 2009

With articles like these being posted, and the growing social medial landscape, Social Marketing VAs and Specialists are starting to be in high demand. It is fast becoming a popular and profitable niche among the VA community. Almost daily, VAClassroom.com is receiving new requests for Social Media VAs. In the last few days, they have received requests for as many as 10 Social Media VAs – amazing!

So now is a great time to consider taking the Social Marketing Specialist Program (if you haven’t already) at the VAClassroom.com. I am a soon-to-be grad myself, and could not speak more highly of the program.

VAClassroom is still running a $100 summer discount special for the training program for just a short time longer. Check out the link below and the coupon code to access this popular program today:

http://www.vaclassroom.com/socialmarketing/cmd.asp?af=986934

Coupon code: SUMMER09

VAClassroom presently offers a comprehensive ten-module, video-based program called the “Internet Marketing VA Training Certification”. With over 50 videos, a 70-page resource guide, practical quizzes and assignments, a class discussion forum, live coaching and job search resources, the skills developed through the IMVA training and certification program will help you win more ideal clients, increase your income opportunities and expand your services into a profitable and in-demand niche! In addition, this course will provide you with the Internet Marketing know-how to more effectively promote your own Virtual Assistance practice.

Take the right step in your Virtual Assistant career – Enrol today at VAClassroom.com!

Here at the Virtual Perception, it is my goal to provide great resources to new and aspiring Virtual Assistants, and answer common questions about getting started and how to be successful. Today I would like to welcome Ruth Martin of Maplewood Virtual Assistance, who was kind enough to answer our Q&A With An Experienced VA series.

How did you start your VA business?

My first two clients found me nearly nine years ago. I had just ended working as a director of a non-profit organization with a 9 month old baby (who I had taken to work with me daily) and wasn’t sure what was next. In a matter of a week I had two former business acquaintances asking if I could help them with some administrative work. I knew I didn’t want to place my child in daycare so I asked if we could try my working from home and utilizing email and other online services to get their projects completed. Each was open to that and I suddenly had two clients! After doing this for seven years with the same two, I happened upon VAnetworking and realized that virtual assistance was an industry that others did, too. This emerging way of working was actually more mainstream than I realized. I, then, formalized my business – giving it a proper name and launched Maplewood Virtual Assistance in 2007.

How did you figure out what to charge for your services?

In the early days I worked with project pricing. When I formalized the business I rounded out my services with pricing plans for hourly, retainer and projects. The majority of my work today is retainer but I do enjoy the variety of meeting per project clients’ needs.

How did you find your first clients?

Once launching my business formally, my first client was a local businesswoman. I carefully selected 20 names from the Chamber of Commerce directory that I was interested in their respective businesses and thought I could add value to their services. I mailed a postcard and received a call two days later. We met two days after that and I walked out of the meeting with a signed retainer contract. Interesting enough that client was the only one I ever met in person.

How long did it take you to build your clientele?

Three months after really doing some marketing in the ways of launching a website, passing out businesses cards, telling others what I was doing, getting active on forums, and assembling some information packets for targeted mailings. From there everything snowballed and I have looked back.

How many hours per week do you usually work?

Typically, I work 35-40 hours weekly inclusive of about 5-8 hours of weekly admin time for the care and growth of my business. I maintain loose office hours of 9am-4pm weekdays. I rarely work weekends because I feel it’s very important to take care of one’s self and get out of the office. Working from home can take discipline to know when to walk away and take a break, enjoy the family, and know that all at the office will be fine until I return again.

Do you find being a VA provides you flexibility when you need it, especially family or hobbies?

Absolutely! Being a Mom who can to work her schedule around family needs has been one of the best parts to being an entrepreneur. I’ve been privileged to chaperone all of my son’s class field trips and attend each holiday party. When I served on jury duty I could easily flip my day and handle client work in the evenings without any delays. Several of my clients never realized I served jury duty as they saw no interruptions to their typical work flow.

Do you have a specific niche or specialized target market you typically provide services for? If so, what is your niche and how did you choose it?

I tend to work with those who need to boost their marketing efforts and also clients who need project management or backend administrative assistance. Serving as their online business manager is very fulfilling and I enjoy the close working relationships. My prior experiences in corporate jobs were very much in these same fields and it has been a natural transition to take these services to virtual clients.

What is your favorite thing about being a VA?

I really enjoy the variety of clients, the flexibility I can now have in my daily schedule, and knowing that I am making an impact in another’s business success. My services are having measureable impacts that cause another’s business to grow and thrive. That is very satisfying.

Do you have any advice for new VAs or those thinking about joining the VA world?

I would encourage emerging virtual assistants to get active with at least one online forum so that you can connect with others in your field who have walked ahead of you, are walking beside you, and who will look to you to see what path you’ve left behind for them. Never fear that you don’t have the experience to work virtually. Lean on those years of experience while working at a brick-and-mortar job. Those experiences haven’t left and are there to draw on. The only difference is the method of communication and delivering the finish projects. This CAN be learned. Seek out a mentor whether formally (or as an informal friendship) and get to know this person. Many times the mentor friendships can/will happen very naturally. And one more important suggestion, never return client work too quickly. Always meet your deadlines but if you finish it two hours after receiving it please don’t return it until next day. As you grow and bring on more clients your existing clients will be accustomed to your turnaround times and not complain that you’re suddenly too busy to give things back in “short” amounts of time.

I get a lot of inquiries from new and aspiring Virtual Assistants asking about how they can get VA work, or if I know of any companies that will hire them and just give them VA work. My question for them is what are they doing to market themselves and their business? This is a new game for many of those that are new to the industry. Many have never run a business before and marketing doesn’t come easy to them.

Now, I know that many Virtual Assistants just starting out have little to no budget for marketing their services to start with. I sure didn’t.  So I brainstormed some of the things I did when I first started, and other free/low-cost tactics that have worked well for other successful VAs. So here is the list I compiled to get you going.

1. Join your local Chamber of Commerce – Joining your local chamber very affordable depending on where you are located. And you can get in on in-person networking events, get listed in their directories, plus many other benefits.
2. Network with your target market - By either online social networking, or in person events, network directly with the people you want to work with. Want to serve Realtors, blog actively on Active Rain, or join the local real estate board as an affiliate. Go where your target market is!

3. Network with those in your industry – Actively participate in some of the great Virtual Assistant boards and networking groups, and get yourself known in the industry. My favorites are VA Forums and VA Networking.

4. Business cards – Business cards are one of the cheapest marketing tools available. Print lots of them and leave them everywhere you go. Leave them at your gym, stores, doctor’s offices, dry cleaners, restaurants, etc.

5. Write Press Releases -Submit press releases locally or online to let everyone know you are in business, plus any news and announcements. Look for any opportunity to release some great buzz about your business.

6. Write Articles - Got a topic related to your that you are an absolute expert on? Write  about it! Write and submit articles to many of the available article submission sites. Write about what you know to help show you’re an expert in your field.

7. Word of Mouth – Make sure every friend and family member knows about your business and what you do. They are bound to have connections that need your help, and referral business is the best kind.

8. Offer a Discount or Special Deal – Create and print a coupon that offers a discount of 1 or 2 free hours to new clients. Leave along with your business cards at the business you wish to work with (careful not offer TOO much for free)

9. Volunteer in Your Community - Volunteer your administrative/marketing or other talents with local organizations you are passionate about. You have the opportunity to demonstrate your skills, and meet potential clients working side by side with you.
10. Online Social Networking - Many of the big social networking platforms are totally free. Get active and get known online.

11. Start a Blog - Just like submitting articles, starting a blog is a great way to get notice about you out into the world. Start a simple blog using one of the platforms are either free or cost little. (Blogger or WordPress are great choices) Write about what you know, demonstrate your expertise and write for your target market.

12. Online Classified Ads – Submit ads online to Craig’s List or other classified sites to promote your business (you can dress up your ads with html with a free account at www.vFlyer.com)

13. Ask Current Clients For Referrals or Testimonials – Get testimonials from your past and present clients when you’ve done a job well done. Testimony of your abilities from the people that you have worked with carries a lot of weight with new prospects.

14. Tap Your Former Employers – Been laid off, or decided to leave the corporate world for greener pastures? Don’t discount your former employer for business opportunities. Your former employer might be a great resource for new clients and prospects. Someone there may need you, or they know someone who does.

Hopefully you find the above helpful in getting your new VA business going in the right direction. There really are  many little or no cost ways to drive new business your way.

Candy Beauchamp, of OffAssist, has started up this great new blog, 2 Minutes with a VA. Candy takes to opportunity to answer many of the frequently asked questions that she receives, in little 2 minute videos. And since Candy has been a sucessful VA for many years now, she is definitely one that new and aspiring VA’s should listen to. Check it out!

Nice work Candy!

Q&A with Megan Barber, Owner and CEO of Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions

How did you start your VA business?

Before I started my business, I worked in administrative positions in real estate offices, and as an in-house assistant for Realtors. When the agents I was working for couldn’t afford to use me full-time, I figured that I could do these things for many agents all at the same time. That is when my eyes were opened to Virtual Assistant industry. I found it to be a pretty natural transition from what I was already doing and was excited to be starting my very own business with much mentoring help from my business savvy father. I celebrated my 4 year anniversary in business this month.

How did you figure out what to charge for your services?

I did a lot of research and looking around at VA websites to see what other Virtual Assistants were charging. At first, because I didn’t have much experience, and I was afraid that people would think I was too expensive, I placed my fees on the low end of the spectrum. Even though I was low, I still thought my local prospects would balk at my rates. But I was surprised to find out that people were more than willing to hire me at my rates (especially since I emphasized the “no employee expenses”). I have raised my rates 3 times since  as my services became more in demand, and was confident in the value of my services.

How did you find your first clients?

I was lucky to draw my first clients from the people I already knew. My first 2 clients worked in the real estate office I used to manage and knew of my knowledge and my abilities. I was very fortunate to have signed them within the 1st month of being in business.

How long did it take you to build your clientele?

I must say that the first year in business was a little rough. I got my first to clients, and things stagnated for awhile. But then 6 months after I started, I finally got a website, started joining different networking groups and seriously upping my marketing efforts. Word of mouth from my own clients helped me gain new clients, and my online marketing efforts that reached my clients directly, helped me grow even more. Now I have 8-9 regular clients at a given time, and a few extra projects that come on occasionally.

How many hours per week do you usually work?

For straight client billable work, I have about 20-25 hours per week, sometimes more. But I do still seem to work 40+ hours a week when you add in my non-billable work. That includes my bookkeeping, marketing, blogging, networking, etc.

Do you find being a VA provides you flexibility when you need it, especially with family, hobbies, etc?

It does and it doesn’t. Even though I am running a business from home, it is still a business and I need to treat it as such. It is sometimes hard to keep the balance between business and home life, but I manage.

I am my own boss and I do get to set my own hours and work when I want to. But that also means I need to stay disciplined and make and stick to a regular schedule. I make sure my clients are clearly aware of my business hours so I am not getting calls at all hours of the night. But I also sometimes need to remind myself to turn off the business for the night and focus on my husband and house.  And now that I have a baby on the way, it is becoming more important than ever.

Do you have a specific niche or specialized target market you typically provide services for? If so, what is your niche and how did you choose it?

My particular niche is Real Estate and I only market to and work with those within the real estate industry. It was natural for me to choose this niche because of my past experience  doing admin work for real estate for many years previous. So I started my business and focused my marketing efforts that that target market.

What of your services do you find are most in demand?

In the real estate world, my services that seem to most in demand at the time is Listing Coordination or Listing Marketing. Right now that is probably due to the state of the economy and the real estate market, as some agents have a listing inventory that they need to get sold. But some of my services most in demand have varied over the years.

What do you like most about being a VA?

I love being my own boss and running my business the way I want to. I don’t think I will ever go back to a j-o-b. I like the flexibility that I have working from home, since those working in the corporate world aren’t so lucky. I also love the networking opportunities and the great connections I’ve made with other fabulous Virtual Assistants. Some have become close friends and tremendous resources for helping my business grow and change.

Do you have an advice for new VAs or those thinking about joining the VA world?

If you are thinking of starting a VA business, take it seriously. It is not a “get rich quick” type of thing, and takes some hard work to get started. So be prepared, make a business plan, and check out all the small business resources you can.

Make sure you also get a website started for your business quickly. I have witnessed other new VA’s and they really struggle to market their virtual business without a website. So make that a high priority if you can. And if you are not familiar or comfortable with web design yourself, hire someone to do it for you. It will save you loads of time and money in the long run.

And don’t get too discouraged if new clients and new business don’t start coming your way immediately. Just keep plugging along, marketing, networking, and demonstrating what you know. The opportunities will roll in.