VA Tips & Tricks Blogging Challenge 2014 - H is for Housework

I run a full time VA business with many clients, I do not have time for housework, so I have a maid ‘Lettie’ that comes in twice a week, she cleans up, hoovers, irons etc.

I do my own washing, when I get up first thing in the morning, I take the washing basket to the scullery and put in a load, I have a quick program that take 29 minutes, the minute the washing is finished I hang it out to dry, I do this daily and as there is 4 of us we have a lot of washing, especially the teenage kids. I also will turn on the dishwasher every morning. When I finished working in the corporate world I bought a dish washer as I knew it was something I would need if I was to work from home full time, it’s the best buy I ever made. I do, do dishes if there are only a few sometimes, if I have time.

The kids do specific tasks daily, taking turns, they empty the dishwasher, get the washing in off the line, feed the dogs, lay the table for supper, peel potatoes (if we have), these tasks are shared and they do it no problem. This helps me a lot. My hubby cooks the meat and I prepare the veggies and what we are having with, sometimes I just have to prepare and put in little dishes and my hubby will cook whatever I want cooked. If I am going to use my slow cooker then I quickly prepare and turn it on later in the day to cook. Slow Cooker another great buy for a busy work at home mum.

We both work, so we share what we do. We are suppose too make our own beds and if the kids don’t make theirs then it is tough, they sleep in them the way they are, they are big enough to make their own beds and if they don’t want to, that is not my problem. They make their own lunch when they come home from school if they want lunch, they are capable.

We have a routine where everything gets done and by sticking to the routine everything works out great. If I have to work late or work weekends, my hubby will cook the whole supper and see to the kids. If my hubby is home he will prepare lunch for us all. By us working together in the house, I am able to meet deadlines and work extra time if needed after hours.

I always found it very hard to do housework and also to work full time as a VA, it just didn’t work and the housework didn’t get done as work must always come first. So we now have a balanced household and everything works and we all know what we have to do to make it work. Sharing is caring and that is what it is about in our house. Everyone will muck in and help when needed.

How do things work in your household with you working full time as a VA?

The bottom line, how do I work successfully with a Virtual Assistant and save money?

By Dee Matheson

Now at long last the decision has been made and you’ve found a Virtual Assistant to help you with all those tasks that you’ve had sleepless nights over but does this whole thing actually work? How are you going to save money?

Well think of it like this, what would you do if you hired an on-site employee? How would you start with them and what would you be paying them? Chances are you have a task list a mile long and you need someone to help you immediately and if you are looking for an experienced on-site person, you will very likely have to wait for them because they have a resignation period, you will have to pay an employment agency a percentage of that person’s annual salary and then there are all the overheads, such as medical aid, pension fund and office equipment, to name but a few. Just on this alone, a Virtual Assistant can save you a small fortune because she has already got all the office equipment in place and you don’t have to pay her for any additional overheads and she is very likely available immediately. These are the basics and one thing to remember when working with a Virtual Assistant, she also runs a business and that both of you should treat each other as equals striving for the same goal, to be successful.
All this is quite understandable but now how do you work with a Virtual Assistant? Here are some ideas that might help:

·       What is your budget for a Virtual Assistant? Determine how much time you can afford your Virtual Assistant for, keep in mind that a Virtual Assistant can get a lot more accomplished in an hour’s time than an on-site employee, however, do be realistic and don’t expect the impossible. 

·        Now that you have an idea on how much time you need your Virtual Assistant for, make a list of tasks you need completed in order of importance and allocate a realistic time to these tasks.

 

·        It is vital that you build a good relationship with your Virtual Assistant, she knows that you’re not made out of money, so be clear on what needs to be done and by when so that no time nor money is wasted.  Discuss all the main priorities with her so that she can understand what’s important to you and let her advise you on estimated time as she will very likely know best how long some tasks may take.  For example, if you need your Virtual Assistant to transcribe an interview or discussion, take into account how many people are talking, is there background noise which makes it hard to hear and are there any accents involved. All of this does take time and should be discussed and taken into account.

·        As a Virtual Assistant myself, I find it’s vital to keep my client’s updated all the time. Make arrangements with your Virtual Assistant to give you feedback on tasks as frequently as you would like to be briefed. Not only will you know how the tasks are progressing but you will see if there are any issues that need to be dealt with immediately or any room for improvement.

·        Once you have worked with your Virtual Assistant for a short period you will get a feel for how best to work together. So as time goes on, keep adding to your list of tasks and in no time at all your business will be running smoother and more efficiently than ever before.

·        As your Virtual Assistant is a business owner too, ask for her opinion on a topic or area you are looking for feedback on. Chances are that she will have some valuable information for you and if she does not, she might know someone who does. Virtual Assistants work with lots of other business owners in various industries giving them a wealth of information through their connections and at their fingertips, but remember the confidentiality clause. She might not always be able to give you direct links but can advise you on the way forward, tap into this resource, it’s waiting to help you.

 

·        As a business owner, the hardest thing for you will be to delegate tasks to someone you don’t know, that’s why it’s important to have a trial period with your Virtual Assistant to see if  you can work together and become a team.  I always work with my clients for a 2 month trial period at a fixed rate and negotiate a longer period on a retainer basis once the relationship has been established. It’s the same as employing someone on-site, they also have a trial period before they become permanent staff.

If you need help and are not sure what direction to go in, call me, Dee Matheson on +27 82 925 7757 or email me on dmatheson@worldonline.co.za , no obligation. I’m looking forward to helping you go to the next level with your business.

 

 

Tips

Here are some tips on how to be a Virtual Assistant/Business Owner:

 

Act professionally at all times

 

Have the determination to succeed.

Provide a Quality service to your clients at all times.

 

Speak to your clients on the same level; you are a business owner, not a PA speaking to a Boss. Be on the same level as your client’s; do not address them as Mr Jones etc address them as Peter etc. Use first names. This immediately brings you on the same level. If you address that client as Mr Jones, this is immediately putting the client on a level higher than you; they will assume that role and treat you as a PA/Secretary which you are not.

 

If you feel you can give the client good advice and ideas on the tasks they assign you, do so, there is no harm in doing this. Show the client you know what you are doing; you know what you are talking about. Be confident and assertive in your approach to your clients.

 

When you feel a deadline is not reachable, negotiate, you will be doing the work, you know how long it will take, give yourself plenty of time to do the work and be negotiable on a deadline that you can reach. It is up to you as a business owner to tell you client ‘this deadline is unreal’ explain what is involved within the job, a lot of clients have no idea how long a particular job will take. They will give you very unreasonable deadlines. Only you know what you are capable of and you know your limits. This is often a problem in Transcription, the clients do not know how long it actually takes to transcribe and often the deadlines are tight but its up to you, as you are doing the job to negotiate this with the client, not the client to set this deadline for you, simply explain what is involved.

 

Do not take on jobs you have no idea how to do, a client will quickly find out you can not do this job and they will not have confidence and trust in you again. Only take on the work that you have experience in doing, especially so when you are just starting out. If you take on a job that is new to you, let the client know it’s new to you, but that you are very willing to learn and try.

 

State your business hours, state if you want to be contacted after hours or weekends, have this visible on your website, in your brochure, part of your terms and conditions. If you do not do so, clients will and do take advantage and contact you out of hours; clients will expect the impossible from you. Be in charge; be in control of your business.

 

Have your prices/rates already set before you open your business. When a client contacts you, you need to be able to get back to them quickly with a quotation. Know how much you are going to charge for each service you are going to offer. You set the price, you can be negotiable if need be, but You, not the client sets the overall price of the job, after all you are a business owner.

 

It is not easy running a VA business but if you schedule your day and especially if you have small children things will be easier for you. This is an example of what I do, I start work around 7am when the kids/hubby leaves for school/work, I then work till around 1.30pm, have lunch, then its time for the kids to come home, I assist with homework, lunch for them and then return to work around 2:30/3pm and work till around 6pm. I will come back to work after the kids go to bed if I have urgent work. I work the hours I have to work, to get my work done. If you have a husband, get his support in helping with the children while you work.

 

Keeps logs of what you are doing, always know what work/tasks you have in at any one time, this is helpful when you need to priorities. Know how to prioritise your work. Know how long it will take you to complete tasks. I know I can type 20 to 30 pages of typing a day, but if that typing has in graphs, flow diagrams, then it will be less and I make sure my clients know this. Your clients must know what you are capable of so that they can judge when giving you work.

If you want to be a Virtual Assistant, most Vas are Business Owners around the world, take on this role. A lot of VA’s in South Africa are saying they are freelance contractors or independent contractors why I don’t know, if you are a VA and running a business, doing the work, doing your bookkeeping, marketing and networking etc, then surely that is running a business, not being an independent contractor, there is a difference as there is a difference between PA and VA, if you are working from a virtual location, running a business you are not a PA. A PA is someone who is employed and as far as I am aware a VA is not employed.  Know these differences before you open your business so that you do portray yourself as a business owner and your clients will pick up on this and treat you accordingly.

 

If you can use free software to do your job, there is no harm in doing this; Open Office is compatible with Microsoft Office.

 

Make sure you have good virus protection on your pc.

 

As a VA you need to keep regular backups of your work and keep each clients work separate in different folders so that the work is easy to find when required.

 Feel free to comment on any of these tips above, I am quite happy to discuss any issues further, if you need me to.

Written by Alison Fourie, AMF Typing Services cc, © Copyright 2001 Ck2001/083866/23.  All rights reserved.

How easy is it being a VA

Being a Virtual Assistant (VA) is not all about the client sending you typing, you do the work and send it back, there is much more involved.

As a VA we do many things, there is month end administration with invoices every month so no matter how busy you are, you stop and do your invoices, it is important to be paid for the work we do. You set aside a day and get your invoices out. Bookkeeping and updating your schedules. This is just one part of our administration another part is, we need to push clients and contractors for payments and invoices, we have to battle with clients who do not want to pay, who query what we do.

One of our aims is to keep our clients happy all the time, we need to keep that client as they provide us with ongoing work so we nurture that client; our clients are our bread and butter. We need to liaise with our clients often.

Managing many clients work is not an easy task. Keep their work in separate folders also in my documents have client folders and in email. With regular clients it is best to invoice monthly. All my clients are regular so I prepare all their invoices at the end of the month and get them all out at the same time so that I can monitor payments coming in. This is where my work log comes in handy as I document all work incoming, and I check back against this when doing my invoicing for each client.

Administration as we call it is a major part of being a VA. We need to market continually, our company needs to be out in the public eye and be seen. Our websites/blogs need to be updated. We continually look for new avenue’s to market our work to. Networking is just as important, there is always the need to tell everyone and anyone what we do, who we are, get the word out there. Any person you talk to could be a potential clients or referral, that’s why it is important to talk about your business no matter where you are, when you can and who you are with. We continually need to look for avenue’s to advertise our companies.

Often we need to do debt collecting with clients who do not pay, this is not a nice part of the job but we must do it, we need to be paid for what we do.

Managing of contractors, when a VA is overloaded we then get the opportunity to help out newbie Vas by contracting to them or helping out established VAs with a bit of extra work. Contracting work out is not as easy as you think. We are on our contractors backs to get them to keep in touch, they need to meet our deadlines, what if the contractor decides she is not doing the work or cant for some reason then we need to find a replacement in the middle of the work that is time taking. Paying of contractors on completion of work.

Another favourite is quoting for work, often ad-hoc jobs come in and we need to arrange a quote, quoting is not quick we need to ask questions to be able to place a price on the work, very time consuming especially with larger jobs.

Filing must be done as with any job, the office administration as seen above is often the hardest part of our job to do, but that comes with running any company/business. There are still many other facets about being a virtual assistant, the best way to learn about doing this type of job is to talk to established VAs as they know what they are doing and they can give you valuable information.

So you see it is not all about sitting and typing, it is about running a full time business/company, and these are only a handful of the tasks we do.

Newbie VAs

As you start as a virtual assistant you need to think what are you going to offer clients. What are you skilled at doing, what do you like to do. The services you offer are very important. To get the type of work you would like, do target marketing it is often the way to go. If you are skilled in transcription then think what types of clients would produce transcription and dictation and market to those clients. The list is endless here.
I love to do typing and can type forever, so I look and market to the types of clients that I would get typing from.
Not every client will send you great work, some work can be boring and dull but that work still must be done if you take the work on. The client is dependent on you to complete their work. I dont mind what type of typing I get in, as long as it can be typed I will do the work, I love typing and its my niche service so I dont care if the work is boring after all it is a job and I will be paid for doing it so that to me is worthwhile and the client will be pleased with a job well done.
Everyone wants to do typing or transcription working from home well to do this you need to get out there and find this type of work, it will not fall into your lap.
As a virtual assistant you will need to have confidence in yourself to do the work and to deal and work with clients, you will need to be pro-active, assertive, get yourself out there, you cannot just sit back, you will never find clients that way, and they want find you.

Definition of a Virtual Assistant

Hi as a virtual assistant, who do you think you are? I know what I am, I am a business owner and as a business owner I have the say in every aspect of my business. I know I am not a freelancer, temp, work at home mum, etc. I run a business like any other person, doing all the same tasks, only my services are different to that of say a plumber, architect, etc.
Virtual Assistant describes what I am doing, I work for many clients, providing different services, working completely virtual.

 

My Definition of a Virtual Assistant, from: AMF Typing Services

• A Virtual Assistant is a person who works for many clients, providing office administration tasks, communicates with clients via telephone, email, Skype; we may never meet our clients face to face. A person who works independently from his/her own virtual office.
• An office administration person, with at least 10 years of office experience as a PA/Secretary or Office Manager.
• A person who can work alone.
• A person with exceptional time management and prioritisation skills.
• Someone who can run an office and liaise with clients on an ongoing basis.
• Someone with a bit of management experience can learn quickly and who is at ease with software.
• We have to be pro-active and assertive.
• Virtual Assistants are Business Owners, who run their own companies, do their own marketing, networking, bookkeeping etc.

Nine to Five (9 to 5)

I have been thinking a lot lately on how can anyone in this type of business work 9 to 5.
If you feel you can, please let me know.
If you have a full time VA business with many clients, I think and feel you have to be there when your clients need you, if you are not available that client can move on elsewhere to another VA, who will give them the service they require. I believe in providing my clients with a quality service and that includes working the hours they need me.
Its hard, its tough and I have children 13 and 9 and a hubby.
As a VA you must meet your clients deadlines, you cant just say I will do it tomorrow, things do not work like that, you have to be available when you reasonably can be. My clients appreciate this and let me know they are appreciative of my working the hours to suit them. But with doing this I have now retained my clients for years.
I do get help and assistance from other VAs with my work, as I do, most of the time have overflow. My children and hubby are very understanding of my work and give me their full support and assistance as I need it. I think without this I probably would not manage. I work better under pressure so I thrive when I am hectic, its the way I like to run my business, somehow I manage it all, how, often I dont know, but things get done.
A lot of people think when you are working for yourself, you have it made, you can work when you like, relax when you like, be there when the kids come home, spend time with the kids, and go shopping when you like. YES WELL. That does not happen when you run your own business, you find, you work many more hours to grow that business and often you are the only person within that business who knows everything about it so you have to be available and with a VA/Transcription business you do the work as well as everything else, so there is no time. Being a VA is not the being at home and spending time with the kids this is not that type of job. Its about work and building a business. In today society where money is in short supply and salaries are low and a recession is hanging around, you have to work.
I am very interested in how other VAs work their hours, how they manage running a full time business with many clients. Drop me a comment and let me know or email me, I would love to hear from you.