Hi, I’m Bethany, Co-Founder of the v.a. chicks. I have been an empowered entrepreneur working from home as a virtual assistant extraordinaire since 2008.
How did I get from a snowy small town in Canada to living my dream on the Space Coast of Florida?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I have a superpower. No, I can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, or fly, or move things with my mind. It would be “super” cool if I could. But I have another power that I’ve learned can be just as cool. The supercool superpower I possess is…Resourcefulness.
And, it’s this spirit of resourcefulness that’s empowered me to build my dream business, live in one of the best places on the planet, and truly strive every day to live a life that brings me and those around me joy.
While I may have become a virtual assistant in 2008, the journey leading up to the moment I went virtual was key. It was on that journey that I picked up many of the skills like resourcefulness that fuel my business today. And it was on that journey that I learned to use, test, and grow my superpower.
Please join me as I share with you my origin story and the lessons that my superpower of resourcefulness have taught me.
Lesson #1: Nothing comes without hard work.
As the youngest of 6 kids, I learned this at a young age. If I wanted something, I had to speak up, and I had to be willing to put in the hard work to get it. Sure, there were certain advantages to being the baby, but I realized very quickly that no one was going to just hand me anything in life.
In our house we were expected to work hard. And we got to experience the joy you get when your hard work pays off and you get to see the results.
Lesson #2: Dream big.
A pivotal moment in my journey was when I packed up at 18 year old, left my small town in Canada, hopped on a train in Shelby MT, and moved all by myself to Chicago. I can still remember what it felt like to get on at a train station the size of a small house… and get off at Union Station, Chicago… the sounds of the city coming to life was like a metaphor of my dreams.
Ever since I was little, I dreamed of something more. It will come as no secret that I’m a huge fan of Disney. In 1991 my parents took us on the most amazing vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida…. and I said to myself “this is the best place on earth! I just have to live here someday.”
But I remembered my parents taught me that you can’t just talk about doing things, you have to put the hard work in to make it happen. So, I got to work. And I found an internship in Chicago straight out of high school. And I set out to change my world.
Lesson #3: Be a problem solver.
That first year here, I volunteered in exchange for free room and board. And I had little side jobs that earned me a total of $50/week. And I worked hard. And I got noticed. And I got offered new roles and opportunities.
Over the years I worked in a variety of industries in a variety of roles. And one thing was always true. I was the person on the team who was the go-to. You know the person can seem to solve any problem. The copier machine is jammed again? No problem.
You need a last-minute reservation at an impossible to book 5-star hotel? I’m on it.
If there was ever a special projects team formed, I was selected for it. Because I set out to solve problems.
Lesson #4: You have to believe in you – and then just go for it!
I mentioned earlier that 2008 was the year I became a virtual assistant… it’s also the year I became a mom. And actually, it was motherhood that compelled me to find a career from home. So, I bravely quit my day job, and got a client to hire me to manage their online business. I was a virtual assistant before I even knew what one was.
I went on to work for one of the largest virtual assistant agencies out there. Within the first 6 months I was awarded employee of the year and promoted to Assistant Manager.
Since then, I’ve branched out as an independent VA and I’m now paying it forward with my bestie turned business partner. We started the v.a. chicks to empower other women to discover what superpower they already possess that can supercharge their dreams, their VA business and their income.
In the fall of 2019, I dreamed big once more. Empowered once again by my virtual business and my superpower of resourcefulness, I was able to move my family cross-country where I now live just one hour from the most magical place on earth.
Are you ready to dream big and work hard?
Take this 60-second quiz now to discover your virtual superpower and all the tips and tricks you need to succeed as an in-demand virtual assistant: www.virtualsuperpower.com
Having the right tools for virtual assistants implemented in your biz, and knowing how to use them is important for any in-demand virtual assistant. And yet, we often spend so much time learning, implementing, and managing tools for our clients’ businesses, that we forget to invest the same amount of effort finding the best tools for our own biz.
So where do you start? How do you know what tools you should use in your biz?
Like anything else, we recommend you start with the essentials.
What are the essential tools for virtual assistants?
In-Demand virtual assistants understand that taking the time to set up a good system in the beginning can save so much time, frustration, and money in the long run. And, any good system, includes having the right tools.
Here are some of the essential tools for virtual assistants that help you get clients and stay in-demand:
Use a Project Management System
Staying organized is essential for every in-demand virtual assistant. Your clients expect you to keep track of all of the details and never miss a deadline. And, they should. And using a good project management system is essential to meet that expectation.
Many virtual assistants use project management systems in their clients businesses, but they don’t take the time to set up a system to manage non-client specific tasks such as marketing, sales, or billing.
A project management system will help you remember to do those important little tasks like following up with your potential client when you promised. So you can overdeliver on your promises to keep your clients happy and your business growing.
Some of the things we like to track in our project management system are our blog content schedule, social content creation, and tasks for any upcoming launches or events. Our favorite project management tool is AirTable.
Pro-Tip: Most project management systems offer a free version or trial so you can check them out and see if they work for you. So try out a few different tools before choosing the right one for your biz. The knowledge and experience you gain while testing out these tools will also be useful when you’re helping your clients find or create a project management system for their business.
Time Tracking Tools
Whether you’re working on an hourly, retainer, or commission basis with your clients, it’s essential that you track the time you spend on each client. This will ensure you’re getting paid for the time you’re investing in their business.
Don’t forget to include and bill for things like client calls, reading and responding to client emails, and client updates. And, for your project or retainer clients, be sure to include an hours report in your regular updates. This will help keep your clients in the loop so there are no surprises at billing or when hours run out.
We recommend using a time tracking tool such as Paymo. There are tons of great options out there.
Billing System Tools
In order to get paid, you have to have a way to bill (and accept payment from) your clients. You can start out with a more manual system like creating the invoice in Microsoft Word, sending the invoice by email, following up on outstanding invoices by email/phone, and accepting payment by Paypal.
Or, you can use a payment processor to accept credit card payments, and set up an automated billing and reminder system. Which system you choose, will depend on your business needs and the funds you have available to invest in premium tools.
You’ll also need to track your income and expenses for tax purposes, budgeting, revenue forecasting, and goal setting.
Some of the tools you’ll need to set up a solid billing system are a payment processor (like Stripe), a financial management tool, an invoicing/billing tool, and a client relationship management (CRM) tool for automated communications.
If you’re just getting started as a virtual assistant, or if you’re a bit more experienced and are just looking for some new tools, we’ve got you covered.
The 21 Best Tools for Virtual Assistants
Once you have the essential tools for virtual assistants implemented in your biz, it’s time to really take your your biz (and sales) to the next level. Some of the other tools that in-demand virtual assistants use are social media scheduling, document collaboration, image design, calendaring, and spelling/grammar checkers. With so many tools for virtual assistants available, it can be a bit overwhelming knowing which tools to choose.
With over a decade of experience as virtual assistants, we’ve tried hundreds of tools and found some we really LOVED, and others that really fell flat. Now we’re sharing the secret scoop on the very best tools for virtual assistants that you should get for your biz right now!!!
The question that we get asked by virtual assistants the most is, “How do I attract more clients?” In order for clients to hand over their hard earned money to you, you need to build their confidence that you’re the right chick for the job. So many virtual assistants work so hard to earn a clients business and never understand why they choose to work with someone else.
We’ve got you covered. Let’s explore some of the extra little things you can do to attract more clients.
1) First Impressions Matter
Your clients are looking for a virtual assistant that will solve problems, not create more. And most have learned that the proof is in the details. So, make sure that you’re following directions and using spell check before you send any emails.
I saw a post a few weeks back in an Entrepreneurial Facebook group. The woman shared how she had interviewed her dream V.A. She made the choice to work with her and emailed to begin making arrangements. The initial replies from the virtual assistant were so riddled with spelling mistakes (she even misspelled the client’s name) that she opted NOT to hire the otherwise ideal virtual assistant.
2) Show Reliability
Your communication and follow-up BEFORE you land the client is key. If the client says “I’ll be making a decision by Monday”, be sure to follow up with them on Tuesday if you do not hear from them. If they request you send additional references, writing samples, or portfolio, be sure to send that within 24 hours.
3) Build Connection
When you reach out to the client, do your research first and try to find something in common. Don’t be a creepy super stalker, but a quick look at her blog or Facebook could reveal lots of possible connection points. Have they recently taken a vacation to one of your favorite spots? Did they post about watching Game of Thrones? These are all things you could drop into the conversation (either by email or on a call). This will help them remember you for more than just your resume.
Another way to build the connection is to ALWAYS send a thank you after your call with the client – and make sure to further build your relationship by adding something personal if possible.
For example, if client says “Sorry I’m running a bit behind because I have a sick kiddo at home,” in your thank you email you can say “I hope Johnny feels better soon!!”
Learn how to Attract More Clients
The experienced virtual assistants will tell you that anyone can learn a new tool, method, or software. But the best virtual assistants know how to attract and keep their ideal clients.
I’m a work-at-home mom. This means that I get the best of both worlds. When my boys were little, I was able to be at home with them. This meant no giving half my paycheck to child care. And, I didn’t have to compromise my income or my career either.
I was able to continue learning, growing, and challenging myself… all from the comfort of my couch and yoga pants.
But it wasn’t always easy. Imagine Sheryl Sandburg (COO, Facebook) showing up to work with her kids. It would be chaos if she showed up with no plan or warning.
When working from home, there’s a fair amount of juggling needed to keep the clients AND the kiddos happy. But it’s all worth it.
Here are some tricks I learned along the way to find balance between the work and home so you too can be a happy work-at-home Mom.
1) Be Up-front with Your Clients
As a work-at-home Mom, it’s really important you work only with clients that are going to respect your Mom hat too. Bottom line, you’re clients may hear kiddos in the background when you have calls.
When my boys were little, I tried to plan my client calls around their nap-times. If a client wanted to do a call at a time when the boys were likely to be around and lively I’d give the clients a heads up. I’d say something like “I am able to speak at that time, but it’s likely you’ll hear my little superhero fighting bad-guys in the background at that time.”
Of course, I’d always make sure to have be in a quiet space when possible.
2) Schedule Mom time
When working at home, it’s so easy just to eat lunch at the laptop and keep working when chasing a deadline. But, lunch time can be a great time to schedule in time with your kiddos to let them know their important too. Take the time to sit and eat with your kids. Make this a quality time that they can look forward to each day.
This will, often times, help them be more understanding when you say “hey buddy, I can’t wait to spend time with you at lunch. But I have to finish this one thing then it’s just you and me and our sandwiches.” Maybe have them go set the table while you finish up that last thing.
3) Have a Routine
Every single successful work-at-home Mom I know has one thing in common. They have a routine. They make sure to schedule in time for work, time for the kids, and even time for themselves. After a while the routine becomes habit.
But this helps make sure that all of those hats you’re wearing get the right priority and attention.
Support for the Work-at-home Mom
Do you struggle to find balance as a work-at-home Mom? It took me years to find my balance, and some days I still want to pull out my hair.
But when you get a routine and stay organized, balance is possible. And it is possible to WIN at both work and home as a work-at-home Mom.
Do you want to be a work-at-home Mom? Take this 60-second quiz to discover your virtual superpower (and the tips and tricks to get started) today at www.virtualsuperpower.com
