Monday, May 14, 2012

You have been asked by a potential client to type up a manual, they ask you for a quote, what do you do?


It’s easy to quote on something, to just toss out a price, but is that price right. What is involved with the actual task, not all copy typing is simply copy typing like the clients say.

You will often find there can be graphics, internet research that is required, tables, graphs, scanning that is required. You might have to go and find graphics through Google images, and that is time taking, finding the right graphic can be costly using your adsl or 3G.

Often copy typing is not simple copy typing and we need to think of this when quoting for just so much per page for copy typing. There is no reason why a client can’t send you an example if they want the work done properly, if the clients simply refuse and ask for a quote with very little information, is that the client you want you want to work with, as often that work will end up taking a lot of time.

With each quote you need to get as much detail as possible. Find out what the content of the typing actually is. A flow diagram within a document could take you a few hours to do just that one page so is typing at a per page rate really the right way to go on a document that has graphics, flows, tables within. Graphs are time taking, you may have to go into excel and do the graph in there and then import it to your document. Its things like this that takes time. Also don’t forget that after the typing is finished you also must proofread and check that your document is laid out nicely, so make sure you build this time into your quote price

What about when the document is finished and you send it back to the client and the client sends it back with major changes, how do you handle this, do you do it for free or do you put a price to changes. Here I would charge an hourly rate, to cover client edits, some documents can come back and forward a few times and that is taking up your time to do the changes so you can’t really just charge a per page rate for comebacks/editing.

Another thing I never, never send a document back to the client as a PDF file unless that client specifies they want a pdf file. Few clients will ask for this, most clients want a word, PowerPoint or excel file back as sometimes they want to do the changes themselves once the main body of the document is done. Don’t think that sending the document back as a pdf file means that the client will send it back to you for every change they need, they can simple convert it back to a workable file through software available. So this is no guarantee that the work will come back to you.

Always check with the client and ask first will there be updates, changes to the document and how would they like to handle this, have this question on your form of requirements for the client so that it is addressed by the client.

Ask for as much detail as possible that is your right before putting in a quote to any client. Quoting blindly will often backfire on you.

Your comments on the above article are welcome.





Saturday, May 12, 2012

Mom’s Day


The Perfect Gift for a Deserving Mom (and Dad) Entrepreneur http://oivac.com/register/

Give me flowers and trinkets and take me to dinner. All good stuff!

I already own a Kindle(TM) and IPad(TM) and am still loading new programs onto my “Christmas” computer. So, what would really surprise me as a Mother’s Day Gift?

Hint! Hint!

A 3-day, education and networking event I can plug into and attend from the comfort of home.

Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC) : http://oivac.com/register/

There are only two weeks until the 3-day (Thursday, May 17 through Saturday, May 19) education, training, networking, workshops, and opportunity to meet and greet VAs from around the globe convention.

Tell your gift giver(s) of the stellar lineup of expert presenters, and opportunities to enhance your skills and business acumen, all from the comfort of home and your new “Christmas” computer. He (they) will appreciate and understand wanting convention registration as a much deserved gift. And as an added bonus, there’s a l-o-n-g list of new technologies and best business practices sessions scheduled to help grow and sustain your business.

So drop the hint and tell them this is the “perfect gift”.

Here’s why. You will receive:

• Access to 30+ VA experts over the three Convention days

• 40 different topics to help you grow your business; including presentations on VA services, marketing, business development, technology, tools, sponsor sessions, networking, training, mentoring, etc.

• No travel expenses, no hotel fees, no costly meals, no babysitting or leaving your business behind expenses

• At a minimum, it’s possible to leave the Convention with 35 PowerPoint presentations as a take away from each event to view later, at your leisure and to keep for reference

• Direct interaction with international VA industry leaders, coaches, trainers and other expert business owners

• An audio (mp.3) of presentations supplied to paid attendees after the end of the Convention

• Entrance to Ask the Seasoned VAs panels (formerly called the “Hot Seat” Panel), hear first-hand how Expert VAs manage and grow their business, and get answers to specific questions from YOU regarding YOUR business

• A give-away offered to the attendees by each of the presenters in their individual sessions

• Building Profitable Product Launch Systems for Your Clients! session

• Access to prizes through the International Virtual Assistants Day (IVAD) Celebration

• The Great VA Giveaway Goodie Bag; a stash of resources for participants

• An opportunity to meet and to network with VAs in your niche and target market

• The ability to mingle with coaches and trainers in one place, at one time

• The potential to get leads for new clients, subcontracting work, and ideas for new services you might provide

• A formidable business tax write-off

And much, much, more

All for the Mother’s Day Special Rate of $159.00 (a $399.00 value) for the entire convention.

Value, Value, Value – did we say “Value”?

Register Now: http://oivac.com/register/

Consider This

If you enrolled in a ONE HOUR session given by a VA trainer or business coach, individually, you would spend anywhere from $79.00 to $199 and up. The OIVAC provides 40+ hours of value, AND you keep the recordings, Powerpoint presentations, giveaways AND just as important, interact with VAs and expert small business leaders who walk the walk and talk the talk, daily!

This year’s convention has something for everyone – newbies, aspiring, and veteran business owners and Virtual Assistants; even those just kicking the tires.

Mark Your Calendar now to take advantage of a foolproof opportunity to bring your business into the 21st Century by learning from some of the most respected and successful Virtual Assistants in business today.

You’d be foolish not to register for the Convention by May 15th, before this special disappears and the same access costs $399.

In case you’ve missed Conventions in years past or if you haven’t had a chance to drop by the OIVAC site recently, the schedule has been posted.

Register Now: http://oivac.com/register/

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