Information.

Yes, I know there is a lot of great free information out there.  I love the forums as much as you do and literally lived on them in my start up phase.  But let me explain a few things  about information.

• First, when relying on free information you are only going to get what you’re aware that you might need.  Did you know that the most important things you can learn often are the ones you weren’t even aware that you needed to know?  That means chances are you aren’t even looking for the things that could help you the most.
• Second, what you can get for free is limited.  Sure there are some awesome people giving away fabulous info, but I guarantee you it’s partial info.  Those of us who give out free info, and yes, I’m including myself here, keep the best stuff for the people that pay.

Before you let that make you angry, think about something for a minute.  The information I’m talking about is worth more than any software, service or piece of hardware you could buy.  Why?  Because it can solve whatever problem you might be having at the moment, whether that is starting up a business, finding clients or learning a new skill.  That alone would make it worth paying for, but this is one of those things that keeps on giving.  You can take what you learn and use it over and over again.  You get repeat value from information.  Not only that, in many cases you can turn around and create a service or product out of what you learn.

Look, I’m not saying you need to run out and go into debt to purchase a $1999 marketing program. What I am saying is that no matter what your budget looks like, you should make education  a priority.  The saying goes that Learners are Earners.  Those that are smart enough to invest in their businesses are always going to be the ones that earn more.  My first information purchase was a $20 book.   Not what one would consider breaking the bank, but it ended up being priceless in helping me build my business.  I would never have found the information in that book online for free no matter how many hours I might have spent.

It saddens me to see so many virtual assistants asking the same questions over and over again on the forums, Facebook and LinkedIn groups, wondering why they aren’t growing when they’ve tried all of the tips and tricks that others have shared with them for free.  How many hours have they spent searching for answers and how much were those hours worth?

Virtual assistants seem so resistant to paying for anything, always looking for the ‘free’ version, wondering why they are struggling in their business.  I know, I’ve been one of them.  Luckily I learned early in my business that investing in information is just  plain smart.  Now I’m sharing it with you.  Some things are just worth paying for.  Information is at the top of that list.

(Don’t forget, continuing education is tax deductible too!)

Before you write this article off as crazy, give me a minute of your time and I guarantee you’ll be agreeing with me.  You see, a resume is considered a document that someone looking for employment submits, often with a list of references and a job application.  As business owners, we aren’t looking to be employed; we are looking to contract with clients to provide services.  The person requesting said resume may be fully aware of that situation, so where’s the harm?

It’s all about the silent message you are sending.

No matter what the situation, sending off a resume with references can seriously blur the line between contractor and employee in the way that you are treated.  It’s vital that you give every perception of being a business owner from day one of your contact with clients and potential clients.  Even clients who are well aware of the contractor/client status of your relationship can step over that line if you’re not diligent in keeping it clear.  After all, you’re probably providing services for them that used to be handled by employees and it’s very easy for both you and your clients to fall into the more familiar employer/employee patterns.

And that’s dangerous.  Should the IRS investigate the relationship and find you are responding to that client more like an employee, they are going to be responsible for employment taxes for you.  Imagine the reaction of a client who sought out a virtual service provider to save themselves the expenses related to an employee when faced with that bill.  It’s your job to keep that line from being crossed and a large part of that lies in the way clients and PC’s perceive you.  That means from your very first contact you need to be giving off the “I’m a business” vibe.  That includes abandoning the resume.

Replace the resume with a Business Profile

Of course I’m not suggesting you simply refuse to send a resume and offend potential clients. That would be foolish.  Instead, simply send them a business profile instead. A business profile focuses on information about just that, your business.  When it was founded, what services are provided, projects completed and yes, even touching very lightly on what type of background you yourself have.  The secret is staying away from listing your work history, simply giving an overview as a section of your business profile.  The focus should be on the business as a whole and not your personal work history.

In most cases, it’s going to provide the client with the information they were looking for.  In the small percentage that may become upset because they wanted your work history, see it as saving yourself the headaches of constantly fighting their need to treat you like an employee.

In reality, it’s the little silent signals that we send out that can keep clients and potential clients from viewing us as business owners.  Wording we use on our websites, the way we deliver our services and yes, the way we respond to a request for a resume can all be opportunities to reinforce our business owner status.

What about you?   What other silent signals could we be sending that can cause the confusion between employee and contractor? Share your thoughts below.

 A Business Profile is just one item that should be included in your Intro Packet.  Find out what else should be there and how using one can help your business in Compass Learning Module #7b: Putting Your Best Foot Forward with and Intro Packet.

…I think the course is amazing & I have learned more in just the past few weeks than I have doing months of research. – Terri Randall; Trinity Virtual Assistant Services

No matter how easy WordPress may make building a website, if you’re going to offer website design you should be aware that it requires much more than knowing how to install the framework, theme and plugins.  I’m contacted every week by virtual professionals who have gotten in over their heads because they thought website design only involved being able to create a few pages on the web.

If you’re considering offering WordPress services (or maybe just building your own site on WordPress) you should be aware of the following :

The Mechanics

A good WordPress website designer is going to have skills that allow them to go beyond themes and templates.  They will understand the theme they use as well as its capabilities and know how to use them to get the look and functions you need.   A really good designer should also know how to use CSS, HTML and PHP coding to do things like position elements uniquely and add functionality.  And a great WordPress designer is also going to understand the possibility of conflicts when it comes to plugins and know how to troubleshoot, find the cause of conflicts and repair a ‘broken’ website.

Eye for Design

Another skill they should possess is aptitude with graphic design.  This not only includes an eye for color, but an understanding of how those colors as well as fonts, images and other elements  effect readability and visual appeal. Just because fuchsia is a your favorite color doesn’t mean it works for your website.  A good designer won’t be shy about explaining that to you.

Marketing Savvy

They will also understand the marketing aspects of your website , including SEO, and will be able to utilize the great SEO friendly tools inherent in WordPress and put them to work for you.  While you shouldn’t expect your designer to be an SEO guru, they should be knowledgeable and able to add descriptions, keywords and meta to get your site found on Google and the rest with no ‘black hat’ tactics.

Copywriting Skills

Have you ever landed on one of those web pages where there was so much to read that you just clicked away?  Or maybe the wording was too technical or clumsy leaving you less than impressed?  A good web designer may not need to be a copywriting genius, but they should have stellar language skills and an understanding of what makes good web copy.  They should also know how to format it so that your message is eye catching and makes you want to find out more by exploring the other areas of your website.

Graphics Capable

What about images?  Your designer may not need to be a graphic designer by trade, but they do need to know how to create and modify images for the web.  They will know that rather than resizing large images on your pages, smaller versions should be created or the bloated images will affect your page load time.  They will also use purchased stock images, not just images they find through Google image search, keeping you free of copyright infringement problems.

Tutoring & Advice

A great website designer will also be able to consult with you about the elements that may or may not work for your website. And since the beauty of WordPress is giving you the ability to make changes to website copy easily or post to an included blog they should also be able to give you clear instruction on how to do so.  This is an aspect that even html and flash designers never had to consider, but a WordPress designer should either be able to direct you somewhere that does a great job of teaching these things  or provide the tutoring themselves.

One of the key rules of being a successful virtual professional is to provide only the services that you are experienced in and expert at.  Offering WordPress website creation can be a great service for your clients, but only if you truly possess the skills and knowledge to do so.

“The Creating Your Virtual Professional Website” Modules  will be covering everything from soup to nuts when it comes to using WordPress for your website, including the points covered in this post.”

Yesterday was Administrative Professionals Day, so it was a bit ironic that a fellow virtual professional brought an article to my attention that was all about abandoning the term ‘virtual assistant’. In the same manner that the secretary became the administrative assistant, many virtual assistants are gravitating to other terms to define what they do.  I’m often asked if I think it’s right or wrong to abandon the term for what looks like greener pastures.

I feel this is one of those situations where there is no one definitive answer.   On one hand, many of us have put in a lot of time and hard work to educate the public concerning virtual assistants and on the other, things like Siri and overseas outsourcing have caused a portion of that same public to view a virtual assistant as cheap labor or an automated piece of software.

I would imagine years ago when the push was being made to start calling secretaries administrative assistants many people felt the same sense of confusion about what they should do.  Did you know that originally a secretary was a highly respected position?  It literally meant that they were the person entrusted with the secrets of the king, but over the years it sadly became a title that many business people looked at as being a menial, less than important position.   Not only that but as the opinion of a secretary dipped, the tasks they were charged with doing increased.  Someone decided that not only did administrative assistant sound important; it covered any and all administrative duties a secretary may be called upon to perform.  Many of us may just assume that all of those secretaries just rolled over and accepted the new title, but if you do a quick internet search you’ll find there are still plenty of people out there proudly claiming the title of secretary.

And there’s not a thing wrong with that.   As the new term administrative assistant begins to lose respect in business circles, it gives one pause for thought that perhaps the perception has less to do with the name used and more to do with those ‘wearing’ it.

Perhaps the virtual assistant industry should examine the secretary/admin assistant scenario and rethink abandoning a term that is just starting to be widely recognized and instead commit to clarifying the skills and services that the term encompasses.

I do believe that in some situations, adopting a title that more closely fits your services can be a wise business move, but be careful that it truly fits what you do.  For example, many are adopting the term consultant rather than assistant, but unless your services are just giving professional advice and not providing administrative duties, you’re sending the wrong message to potential clients.    For those providing administrative support a term like virtual administrative specialist is much less confusing while still elevating your title a bit.

Be aware that simply changing your title to something that sounds more highfalutin, as my gram might have said, is not going to automatically make clients willing to pay you more or see you as the highly skilled professional you are.  It takes more than a title to convey the type of value that clients are willing to pay top dollar for, and it starts with you understanding and claiming your own value.  That’s something that I have discovered a large portion of virtual professionals either don’t know how to do or are afraid to do.  A fancy title will never fix undervaluing what you offer and the perceptions it gives to clients and potential clients.

My advice is that we don’t be in a rush to abandon the term virtual assistant.  Yes, there are some misconceptions concerning the term, but there is also a growing recognition that can be leveraged to educate the public about how diverse the industry is. If you decide to choose another title, be sure you’re doing so to more closely describe your particular services and not just as an attempt to convince clients to pay you more.

And that is why I’ve included a learning module on Creating Your Ethics Policy to the Doing Business Course.  Granted, it wasn’t the most exciting subject to write about (hopefully I made it a little less painful for you to learn ), but it truly is an important part of running a business.  It would have been wrong of me to leave it out for that reason alone.  But honestly, knowing where you stand ethically, as a business, can make a real difference  and can even help in your quest to find and keep clients.

During those past courses I attended, my favorite part, the part that grabbed my attention and made me realize I really did need to pay attention, were the ‘real world’ examples and quizzes.   The instructor would read us a hypothetical situation and then ask us what we would do in the given situation.  By doing this simple exercise at the beginning of the class it reminded us that sometimes following business ethics is confusing, unpopular and downright difficult.

I’ve created an ‘Ethics Quiz’ specifically for virtual professionals, with situations that any of us may find ourselves in.  A passing score is 80%, or 8 out of 10 correct.  Take the quiz and see what you would do.  And if you haven’t created an Ethics Policy for your business Module 11 walks you through determining your core values and provides a worksheet and template so you can create one!

Take the Quiz Here!

I’ve bought my share of handbags over the years, but this past Christmas my mother gifted me with the opportunity to purchase my first Coach bag.  I’ll admit, until recently I had wondered what all the fuss was about, after all, a purse is just a purse, right?  I had rarely paid more than $12.00, purchasing most of my handbags at Wal-Mart. But about 8 years ago I purchased my first designer bag at Marshalls, a Nine West brown leather hobo,  not exactly high end but with an original price tag of $99 it was much more designer than my normal George (Wal-mart) purses.

That Nine West bag opened my eyes to why women sink hard earned money into a designer bag.  The handle stayed securely fastened to the bag regardless of how overflowing the contents were, the lining stayed together and even the leather surface survived all of the wear and tear I put it through.   So where I had to purchase a new purse every 6 months buying at Wal-Mart because my old one was falling apart, my reason for purchasing my pink Fossil or the Etienne Aigner  work tote was strictly because I wanted a new bag, not because I had to have one.   And then I began craving the illustrious Coach bag, because if these less expensive designer bags were so durable,  a company that built itself on a reputation for quality and craftsmanship must really be something. And it is.  I now have no doubt that the people who told me their 10 year old bags were still going strong weren’t lying.  I’m a confirmed Coach believer and a customer for life.

How does this tie in with setting your rates?

Recently someone made a statement about setting their rates as a virtual professional.  In a nutshell they said, “…charge enough to justify your time and effort and cover your taxes but don’t alienate your clientele.”  That’s a Wal-Mart mentality.  Wal-Mart’s claim to fame is keeping their prices low, but let’s face it, they aren’t exactly known for quality and durability are they?  But because you don’t spend too much at Wal-mart you aren’t quite so upset when it rips or tears, after all, you can afford to just go buy another item right?  Wal-Mart counts on being affordable to the masses, so they have to draw in millions of customers to make it work. So many in fact that you’re hard pressed to get a smile from Wal-Mart employees these days.

I strongly feel that we should base our rates on value, not what we feel a client can afford.  Our rate should be a combination of our value and our costs. The problem is many of us have no idea what our true value is.  We base it on our previous employment experience rather than doing real research  to find out for sure.

But what about the clients?  Aren’t we supposed to think about the clients?  Of course we are,  we are focused on providing the client with quality services that they can’t replace quickly & easily.  This is the Coach mentality.  Coach wants you to treasure their product so much that not only do you keep coming back to them, you tell others about them too.  It’s been working for them since 1941 (Wal-Mart didn’t come around until 1962) so I’d say it’s a proven marketing method.  Coach isn’t affordable for everyone.  But it is worth saving up to buy one of their handbags.  In other words, it’s worth the cost to get long-lasting quality.

So what kind of virtual professional do you want to be?  The Wal-Mart type that everyone can afford, but can also be easily replaced, taking on a stressful load of clients to make ends meet?  Or do you want to emulate the Coach brand and set your rates based on the quality of your product,  drawing clients who appreciate value, are willing to pay for it and are more than happy to let others know about it?

An Invaluable Resource!

If you are seriously thinking of starting your own Virtual Assistant business, I cannot stress enough the importance of researching and tapping into the many resources out there available for the many novice VA’s.  I have had the ultimate opportunity to “tap into” one of the master minds of this business! Tina Marie Hilton, owner of Clerical Advantage and VA Survival School has been instrumental in helping me get started and setting me on the right path to being a success in this business.  Her wealth of knowledge, skills, expertise and training have inspired me, taught me, disciplined me, and motivated me into taking my business to the next level.  Anyone out there who is truly interested in starting their own VA Business is STRONGLY URGED to seek her out FIRST!  Besides being a fantastic teacher and mentor, she is genuinely an awesome person.  She is NEVER too busy to take time to respond to any questions or roadblocks you might come across when starting up your business.  She has MANY webinars, classes, and training materials that are available, so take advantage and SIGN up TODAY!!  This is invaluable information for your business, and a smart business investment!  I am proud to say that I’ve made a new VA friend!!  Thanks for everything Tina.  You are a gem!- Tina Thelen; Tina’s Virtual Office

and

I scheduled a few one-on-one coaching sessions with Tina. She over-delivered, spending time researching before our calls, instinctively knowing what I needed. Tina, I don’t know how to say how wonderful you are without writing six paragraphs! - Gennia Holder- Time To Go Virtual