The Ridiculously Good Virtual Assistant Show

Today we are going to talk about time management and profitability. As a VA, time is always money, and yet a lot of us don't manage our own time well.

I'll say it again. Time is money when you operate a service business like we VAs do.

So that means a few things:

First, it means that you need to be meticulous in measuring your time so that you know you are profitable.

Second, it means that you also have to work as efficiently as possible - and waste less time each day - in order to be profitable.

And last, it means that at some point you will max out your own time, and that's when you need to expand your day - and as a result, your VA business.

The most important thing you need to realize in business is that client only wants to know two things: what you can do for them and how much it will cost them.

Many VAs quote their clients time - and then that's all anyone thinks about.

But Jim Rohn is 100% correct when he talks about value.

The client wants to know what you can do for them - they are paying for the value that you can bring to them. They aren't asking you how much of your time they can have. They just need stuff done. When you start talking to them about time, you drag your value way down - and it becomes a race, instead of your expertise.

Let's instead tell them what we can do for them - and how much it will cost them. Trust me when I tell you this is all they want to know.

Let's break all this down.

Tracking Your Time

How do you feel when I even say those words?

I don't like tracking my time. I expect that you don't either. But you know you have to do it when you are charging your clients for work that is completed in a certain amount of time.

Hourly billing is not a bad thing, but there are some things that come up from it that don't make sense as a business owner.

The most obvious is missed time. You want to ensure that you are not forgetting to bill your clients. Would you believe that this is one of the most common issues VAs come to me with for help? They work all day long, never stop, and then at the end of the day they can only find 4 or 5 hours of time to actually bill their clients.

This is the same for hourly billing or ticking time off of a retainer. If you can't account for the time you have spent working on a client's stuff, then you can't bill them for it (or subtract it from their retainer).

Usually the main problem is that we are jumping from task to task without ever thinking about recording anything properly. We think we are being efficient but we are not. We are actually acting like a bad business owner because we are not taking the time to look after our business in between tasks.

So what can you do to do this better? Easy. Slow down. Be meticulous in recording what you do for each client. This is truly the main reason I still use pen and paper as a means of recording time. It's always available.

Each day I have a page in a spiral notebook that stays on my desk and I write down every task I have done and for which client. That's all. I don't have to record time start and time stop or anything - just that task.

Why does that suffice? Because I have created processes that tell me how much each task costs the client. Checking email, 15 minutes. Creating a newsletter, 90 minutes. Making 5 graphics for social media, 25 minutes. You get the idea. It is the billable time to the client for each of the tasks that have been completed for that particular day.

So when I have to figure out how much time I spent working on a client's work on any given day, I add up the task times. Done.

I get a lot of pushback from VAs on this process when I ask them to figure out those estimated times. But once they do, they realize how simple it makes everything in their business.

And when you have these processes in place, and the estimate times that go with them, you can easily quote package pricing to your clients - and tell them what you can do for them and how much it will cost them (yep, circled back on that!)

Working Efficiently

The second part of this slow down process is to batch a client's work - so that you know you spent 1 hour on this client, or 30 minutes on that client. When you stop billing your clients by the minute, you can make a plan to stick with their work for a specified period of time, and then you will be sure not to miss tracking it or billing it.

Looking for efficiency in the way you work is the other thing that is going to help you manage your time better.

Not only is this important for your own task list - which you manage, probably pretty well I'd guess.

But you have to think about the others you are working with as well.

How organized is your client? Do they have other team members that you have to work with?

If anyone else is providing you with pieces of the tasks you are doing, then you must ensure that you have some processes in place to account for how things get done.

For instance, as we talked about in last week's episode, if you run a client meeting, you should be the one creating the agenda and holding everyone to the agenda, as well as keeping it on time. If you do a client's newsletter every week, be sure that you have a process in place for the client or team members to send you their pieces, as well as deadlines to do so. If your client needs to approve social media posts before they go live, ensure that you provide them with enough time to get that done so you aren't going back to the same task 10 times. As a matter of fact, if a client has to approve the final version of anything you do, make sure that you have a policy for how many revisions are allowed - and you hold them to it. If they need more than the number you offer, tweak your process leading up the final version.

These are really simple ways that you can look for efficiencies. Depending on the services you offer, there are many others.

Working efficiently is about looking for the best way to get things done. You can use others on a team (maybe that have more skill in something than you do), or you can use automation (ie scheduling software), or you can implement checklists (my #1 tip!).

I am a big fan of checklists because they work. When you are following a checklist to get something done, even if you've done it 100,000 times before, you are allowing yourself to trust your process. You don't have to use any brainpower to remember where you were if you leave a project part way through. You simply go back to the checklist and begin and the next step. Checklists help you make sure that you never miss a step because it's right there in front of you and you have to check it off once done. And if you have anyone else who helps you with things, checklists are a great way for you to know that they are doing things the way you need them done.

Look for efficiencies everywhere. Implement the tools you need to improve your work, and you'll get more done.

Working efficiently also helps increase the value you bring to the client - they pay for deliverables, and the expertise that you and your team bring to their business. It's a great way to grow with your clients.

Expanding Your Day

There will come a time when you are maxed out. The most successful VAs find this to be the case right away when they have a full roster of clients.

So what do we do when we are running all day long, and we know we are tracking our time properly, and we know we are working at maximum efficiency?

That's when it's time to expand - something.

When your day is tapped out, you can't make any more money.

One solution is to raise your rates. This episode is not a rates episode, but you can do that. At some point, you must do that do grow your business.

The faster way to expand is to hire people to help you with your work. Of course your rates have to be in place where you are able to pay someone else and yet still remain profitable. So if they aren't there right now, that's where you need to begin.

If your rates can handle paying out someone else to do the work, then that's your next step.

But because you have already gone through the other steps above, you should be fully prepared to bring someone in to help.

This is what I teach my private clients and my group coaching clients.

Standard operating procedures are important to have in your business - but they are even more important to have when you are bringing in subcontractors.

When someone is doing your client work, you get to dictate how they do it. They follow your processes, and they do the work in the estimated time that you tell them to do it. The only way to know this time is to write up the process and to assign that time to it.

Your subs are spending your money - and your client's money - so this is very important for you to have a very good handle on.

And yet so many VAs brush this whole area off thinking that they are just getting things done so everything is fine.

Not to mention you are charging your clients a premium rate so that you can offer them a team of people to do their work.

And in many cases you aren't seeing every little thing the subs are doing anymore because you are overseeing instead of doing.

It's important, folks, and you can't skip it.

Write up the processes. Create the checklists. Assign the estimated task times. Insist that your subs follow the processes and use the checklists, and bill you accordingly.

If your estimated times are not jiving with how long it's taking your sub to do the work, then you can identify why that is and fix it.

But don't leave it up to them to eat up your profits simply because you haven't given them all the tools they need to do things as efficiently as possible.

Expanding your day is essential to growing your business - and when you do it well, you will reap the rewards, your subs will reap the rewards, and so will your clients - who ultimately, are the ones that you are working for.

Remember that value. The client is hiring you. Your subs are working for you, representing you. It's so important that they do things your way. Don't ever forget that.

Ridiculously good time management isn't rocket science. But it does take tracking to a new level, and it's much easier than counting minutes or using a clock timer all day long.

I used this method to support my 6 and 7 figure business coaches for many years. And we did lots of tasks that many VAs tell me can't be tracked in this way - yes they can, and I can show you how.

You may need to change the way you think or the way you work (slightly) but once you make the change you'll see the difference immediately.

It's only a secret until you learn to do it!

Growing your VA business is something we can work on together in The Virtual Circle, my mastermind group for Virtual Assistants. Check it out at www.YourVAMentor.com/TVC (the virtual circle) - I bet it's exactly what you need to work better with fabulous clients for your VA business.

If you need some help with creating processes and estimate your work time, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to growing their business through my private and group coaching. I'd love to do the same for you.

That's all I've got for you this week, see you next time!

Today we are going to talk about meetings! Everyone hates them because they often end up being time wasters, but they really do serve a purpose, and today I'm going to talk about how to make them super efficient so they work for you!

Meetings are very useful, but so many people don't use them properly.

They take up too much time. They aren't run properly. They don't achieve anything.

And yet, I tell you to schedule meetings with your VA clients all the time. So why would I say meetings aren't that great?

Because a lot of people don't run them well. That's really the basic problem with meetings.

So let's talk about how to make your meetings work.

First things first, I call them production meetings. Because what we cover in them is about what is going to get done, and also because the word production indicates that there is a purpose to the meeting.

Secondly, these are scheduled. Regularly scheduled. When we are working with clients, the more time we have to work the better for everyone, so it's important to not stop what you are doing to take a meeting. You set up your calendar in your meeting and you work the rest of your time around it.

I used to have a weekly production meeting with my clients - I'll tell you more about how I ran those later in the episode, but we would typically meet once face to face (Zoom), on Mondays, and then the rest of the week we would communicate by email and project management system. It was effective, even for my busiest clients.

When your clients know you have a meeting once a week they can plan for it - and yes, although sometimes you do need a second meeting during the week, if you let the client book endless meetings you are allowing them to form a very bad habit - not every email or question needs to be a meeting.

Third, these are brief meetings. The biggest complaint about meetings is that they take too much time and get too little done, so avoid that at all costs. When you are organized and when there is a purpose, setting a time of 15 minutes or 20 minutes is the best way to go. These meetings are to make decisions, not go over every single detail of your work together. Even with my busiest clients, we kept meetings to 30 minutes or less every week. Everyone appreciates that, and everyone buys in for sure!

So how to run a meeting so it works better?

Here are a few of my best tips:

1. Take charge

Don't let clients run your meetings. There, I said it. Clients are not the ones who are tracking your time or working within their own budget. They are not the administrative expert of the relationship. That's you. So you need to take charge of the meetings. Set the date and time - and time limit - and invite the client to the meeting. When you are the one who calls and runs the meeting, you can control the flow and the outcomes. After all, the meeting is for you to get clarity on what the client needs done.

2. Set an agenda

Be sure you know exactly what you are going to cover in your meeting. Create and agenda and stick to it. For my clients, I had a set agenda depending on what services I provided for them. My business coach clients the agenda went something like this: 1. Money (what's coming in, what is in arrears, what is happening with that) 2. Clients (client issues, client updates, etc) 3. Ongoing projects (quick status update on what was outstanding for things like blog posts or event setups) 4. Upcoming projects (longer term stuff we were working on that was in process and 5. New Stuff (what happened last week that will result in new work down the road)

The key to the weekly production meeting is to give a high level overview of what is going on - details are for your project management system.

With that agenda, there were specific topics we would discuss and both of us knew what to bring to the call to ensure that we covered it all and still stayed within our booked time. Very efficient.

3. Keep it on time

Another complaint is that meetings run over time. Because you have taken charge of the meeting, it is up to you to keep it on time. Everyone's time is valuable, and it's important to stay on task.

Use your agenda and make sure that if something goes down a rabbit hole you save it by saying something as simple as 'okay I'll get that info and circle back with more information'.

Don't screen share on your call unless the client needs to approve something and you have to show it to them. Don't do research on your call. If a decision can't be made on a call because there is further research to be done, it's an open item and it goes on the schedule to be worked on in the coming week.

Keeping a meeting on time also means starting on time. If you are attending a meeting, show up 5 mins early or on time - not 5 mins late. Don't extend a meeting is your client shows up late. Implore them to show up on time or reschedule.

4. Leave with action items

The purpose of a meeting is to make decisions, as we have already stated. So that means when a decision has been made, then it's time to take action on it. Summarize the action items for the items discussed, and then keep them up to date in your project management system.

Take notes during each meeting - according to your agenda, and provide those back to the client so you both agree on what was discussed and decided. Make sure you don't send a transcript, just a brief summary of item discussed and what follow is necessary.

And again, if something requires more research or discussion, add it as an open item for next meeting and circle back to it on the next production call.

5. Follow up

If there are open items from your meeting, be sure to follow up with them - enter them into your project management system as a project or task to be completed, and keep the client up to date on progress until completion. Calling them next steps on your agenda works great.

A little trick I have learned is to schedule your meeting for 20 minutes, but book 30 into your own calendar. End your meeting on time and take the next 10 minutes to process the action items and information from the meeting. That way you can close it out, bill the client 30 minutes and be organized for your week to come.

If you haven't run meetings like this in the past, you can do it!

It may take some practice in the beginning, so you can start with 30 minutes if that helps - but always try to do better, and get them as efficient as possible. If you have 5 clients and each other them needs 2 hours of meetings a week, that takes 10 working hours out of your schedule. Not to mention that client is now getting billed for 8 hours worth of meetings every month instead of 8 hours work of work done.

By keeping them to 15 minutes and make them work for both of you, the client only gets billed 1 hour for meetings in a month, and more work gets done. Win win!

Doing meetings more efficiently can buy you back that time, but it also vastly increases your productivity - and your communication with your clients. It asserts your expertise because you are the one running the meetings.

Working efficiently is something we can work on together in The Virtual Circle, my mastermind group for Virtual Assistants. Check it out at www.YourVAMentor.com/TVC (the virtual circle) - I bet it's exactly what you need to start working more efficiently.

If you need some help with working more efficiently, time management, or productivity, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing through private or group coaching. I'd love to do the same for you.

That's all I've got for you this week, see you next time!

Today we are going to talk about social media platforms, and which ones you should be using to market your VA business.

Social media is a huge entity. There are so many places that you can 'be' online.

A lot of it is personal - not related to business. So what I want to talk about today is where to do your VA business connecting - and marketing.

I'll talk about the five main platforms - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Tiktok. Close behind these are still Youtube and Twitter but I'm not going to talk about those in this episode. I'm also not going to talk about paid advertising in this episode. This is all about you - your content and your activity.

I am by no means an expert in any of these platforms, but I use them all - and I'll share my knowledge with you today from a business perspective, with the intention that you will figure out what is the best place for you to be going to market your VA business.

Facebook

Naturally I'm starting with Facebook because to me it's the biggest one. Statistics tell us there are almost 3 billion people on Facebook, and more than 200 million businesses. So yeah, your clients are on it.

Everyone is there already and it is usually the easiest place to 'be' and to find people to work with.

One of the keys of what we advise VAs to do is meet potential clients where they are already, which is what you can do on Facebook. Everyone really is already there.

How to use Facebook to market your VA business? Not using your personal profile. First of all, Facebook doesn't - or didn't used to - let you use your personal profile for business. I see lots of MLMs or network marketers using theirs, and although they end up in Facebook jail from time to time, it doesn't seem to be getting taken down, but to me your personal is your personal, and you have so many tools to use that are business based, and that's where you should focus your attention.

We all know that your family and friends are probably not going to be your clients, and I also think you don't have to befriend your business connections so they are privy to your personal postings - so a business page is a better tool.

A business page allows you to publish the content you want, and helps people to get to know, like and trust you.

You should also join groups to network with business owners. It's the advice I give you every single day. Now there is the choice for group owners to allow people to join their groups as pages. I still believe that networking is done person to person, so I have that option turned off in my groups. But that doesn't mean that you don't need a business page.

Your personal profile just needs to direct people to your business page. When people click on your personal profile from a group, it's because they want to get to know more about you.

So all you need to do is leave your personal status updates privacy as friends only, and when someone goes to your profile, have your business page connected in your About section. Your business connections can then see that right away, and click over to your business page.

Social media is all about being social - engaging with people, getting them to engage with you - so don't just publish scheduled content. Take the time to be present, to interact with people - and you will get the connections and the visibility you need to market your VA business.

Messenger is also a great tool to connect with people on Facebook. It's one click to send someone a message and one click to get back to their profile - and just one more to their business page. I used to dislike it, but it has become a very important tool for me - not just as a way to reach out to people, but as a way for them to access me directly. Love it!

No matter what you do and where you are present on Facebook, remember to be helpful and supportive - that's what will get you noticed as a support professional.

Instagram

A lot of businesses are also using Instagram to grow. Again we are talking over 2 billion users, and over 200 million of them are business accounts. It's different from Facebook though in that it's pretty much completely visual.

Posting an Instagram post puts it into your image grid, which is sorted by date, most current first. Some people post things to make their grid LOOK good - patterned, as it were - but it's not necessary to do that if it's not your thing.

The key, like any social media platform, is to post consistently and to create content that your audience is interested in seeing and interacting with.

Stories will appear at the top of the app - and that makes them quite accessible for your audience. You don't have to worry about 'showing up' in their feed if you are doing stories - and that's why stories can be a really good way to market your business.

Stories only stay on your account for 24 hours and then expire, but you do have the option of reposting them or highlighting them - which can be a great idea for people to look through on their own time - for instance if you highlight some posts that are relevant to the services you offer, that can stay up on your profile all the time.

You are not able to put a link in an Instagram post, so consider setting up a Linktree type of link for your bio that allows people to click and find what you want them to find.

Instagram is hashtag heavy, other platforms are not - making use of 8-12 hashtags in Instagram helps people find your content. Of course it ranks hashtag content by popularity, so interaction is going to be one of the things that helps you as well. Tagging others is a great way to get visibility from their audience - they may share your post or story to theirs when tagged. Never spam, of course!

Instagram is widely considered to be a good conversion platform - you can get sales provide real insights into your business and how you help people.

Follow people in your target audience and interact with their content as well. Don't just post. Interactivity is going to be key on Instagram just like it is anywhere.

Try the Gary Vee $1.80 strategy - leaving your 2 cents on the top 9 trending posts, for 10 different hashtags, every single day. So 90 comments a day, your two cents as it were, for cost of $1.80. Yes, it takes time, but if you don't have clients then you have time - use it well, and it will begin to pay dividends soon - you are basically using the strategy to become a part of the online conversation.

Even if you do a portion of that, you will be giving yourself a huge advantage. And its why you can see that hashtags are important for your own content too. Algorithms love people who are active and being active will get your content seen by more people.

LinkedIn

If you haven't already listened to my podcast episode about how to use LinkedIn better to get clients, then start there - or listen to that one after you finish listening to this one!

Look for connections - use the search bar and the options it gives you. I usually search my 1st connections first, because I started connecting with people a long time ago that I have never really gotten to know.

I always tell you that you never know where your next client will come from, and it's very possible they are one of your LinkedIn connections right now.

After that I search by 2nd connections - to make some connections with people that I already may have a common connection with.

You can see people's activity whether you are connected to them or not, so that's helpful to see if they are active on Linkedin.

Growing your audience is important - but growing your connections is what LInkedIn is all about. So find people who fit into your target market, and then start to look at their content.

Interact with it - like, comment and share it. They will obviously get notifications about that and they will start to notice you. After a time, you can then send them a connection request and that helps you seem more familiar to them. You can let them know how much you like their content (you've proved that), and you are then building that connection

You also need to optimize your profile - there are so many tools at your fingertips in Linkedin - from your header image, to your profile pic, to your headline, on down - lots of places to provide copy and highlights - links to things that showcase your expertise. Much more than many other social media platforms.

Post content of your own regularly too - LinkedIn is definitely more quality than quantity which makes it really great for content planning.

When you click on someone's activity, it shows you everything they are doing - liking, posting, commenting on others as well as their own posts - it's fascinating, and you can then even interact with the people that THEY are interacting with, becoming a colleague, not just a fan.

Of course all of this is not to be cunning - it should all be very natural and be YOU.

Being present daily on LinkedIn makes it work much better for you - when people message you, getting back to them is better done quickly.

Pinterest

Pinterest is definitely a visually heavy platform - but did you know that it's an excellent search engine too? Pinterest posts get indexed by the search engines - and that means that if you are using Pinterest consistently to promote your business, you could be coming up in searches for your expertise.

Try it for yourself - go to Google and type in a search term - you will see Pinterest posts in the results.

It's pretty underrated - and it's actually fairly easy to boost your numbers when you start posting content consistently.

What can you post on Pinterest? Blog posts are the simplest thing to get started with - when someone sees your blog post image, they click on it and they get shown a Visit or Read and a Save button which allows them to go to your website, or save them to one of their own Pinterest boards. Either is good for you - as website trafffic is king, but also saving means they are really interested in your content.

Video is also gaining in popularity on Pinterest as it is everywhere. It's eye catching. Great images and titled are really helpful to get your Pinterest pins seen and saved. 445 million people are using Pinterest monthly, and 75% of them are women.

It is definitely more for finding ideas than it is to showcase yourself - so it's an easy way to get your content out to people without having to do video of yourself.

Tiktok

Tiktok is definitely a growing platform and it's a great new way to get visibility for your VA business.

It consists mainly of video snippets, from 15 seconds to a few minutes, and they are not only shown to your contacts, but there is a For You page that gets highlighted for all users, so you could end up in front of many people that Tiktok thinks could be interested in your content.

Tiktok doesn't have the ability to provide a long list of links, or even links in your video description, so you get one main link in your bio that you can send people to. Many people set up a linktree or similar type link like they do for Instagram, which makes it easy to provide many places for click throughs to go The use of hashtags to grow your platform is essential, so do a little research to make yours work for you.

And it's not just about dancing and pointing, or doing Tiktok trend videos - some of the most popular content on Tiktok is actually just talking head stuff - you sharing your expertise about what you do (often while doing something normal like getting ready for work or preparing a meal). Be creative and be consistent, like all social media, and Tiktok could be your place to get visible.

There are 1.5 billion monthly Tiktok users, and if you can get comfortable doing videos, it can be very useful

So which platform is right for you is combination of things - what you feel comfortable producing as content. If you don't enjoy it, you're not going to do it. It also depends where your people are. Where are they hanging out?

Remember that social media is about being social with your audience in the place that they already are. And let's circle back to today's quote from Kim Garst - the conversations are going to take place whether you are there or not. So put yourself where they are happening, and just join in!

As always, I recommend focusing on one platform and doing it well, before moving along to another one.

You can also repurpose content from one to the other easily. But that's a topic for another day!

Where will I find you? I'm dabbling in all platforms now, but you can find me most easily on Facebook still. Daily connection with people is a key focus in The Virtual Circle, my mastermind group for Virtual Assistants. Check it out at www.YourVAMentor.com/TVC (the virtual circle) - I bet it's exactly what you need to start getting fabulous clients for your VA business.

If you need some help with your social media strategy and content, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you through private or group coaching.

That's all I've got for you this week, see you next time!

Ah networking. That thing that VAs hate but need to do to build their business.

Let's start by talking about why we don't like networking.

Yes, it's true - a lot of VAs are introverts. I don't have a statistic on that but because we have always played a support role, we are comfortable being in the background - taking care of things for the people who go out there and make the sales, make the speeches, do the meetings - and we run the show from the sidelines.

We are happy to.

So then when we start our own business, we have to assume a role that we haven't before - and we don't always know what to do, or how to do it well.

Networking is one of those things that comes up time and time again when I speak with VAs who are struggling in their business, or paralyzed with fear agt the thought of talking to others about what they do.

And so .... we network poorly. We do what we think we are supposed to do, even if it doesn't feel good - and we struggle to make it work.

Or we avoid it and then our business stays stuck - and that still feels normal.

Being in business should not be a struggle. Sharing how you can help people is not a struggle. You're just doing it wrong.

Let's talk about 5 ways VAs are messing up their networking (and yes, then we'll talk about how to do it better!)

1. Facebook groups - if I had a nickel for every Facebook post or omment I saw that made me cringe, I'd be doing this podcast from a pub in Ireland. Facebook groups are an awesome way to build your business - but you have to use them wisely to make them work for you.

What not to do? Don't respond to any post with PM me, I can help. If someone is looking for help with something, offer the help right there in the comments. Don't make it about a sale. Be helpful!

Why is this important? Moving the conversation offline does nothing for your business. It makes you look like you are pushing for a sale, and no one can see the expertise you bring to the person who posted their issue, or what you could bring to others in the group.

Keep your help online in front of the whole group and get known for the consistent and amazing help you can provide. Trust me, the conversations will go offline - but you need to build up your credibility as a helpful person first. Facebook groups will help you when you show up and get noticed by everyone for not trying to make a sale every time someone posts.

I tell the story of a local Facebook group for women business owners here where I live, that has 25K members, and 3 VAs are always getting tagged in posts as referrals when someone asks about a VA. 3! Why? Because they are doing it right. They have gotten to know the others in the group, they are helpful - they attend the events - they do a great job for their clients. There are many more VAs in that group, but they don't get referred in the same way.

2. Talking in elevator pitches - I make no secret that I do not like the elevator pitch. I think they are useless in most circumstances, and that's mainly because people who teach you to write them try to get you to cram everything you do into a 30 second run on sentence. Honestly, don't get me started on this!

An elevator pitch is supposed to be a short, memorable statement you make to describe what you do. But what ends up happening is that we try to fit everything we do into it, and then we edit it down so we fit into the time limit, and we expect people to remember it. Does it work sometimes? Sure. But most of the time it's annoying and too wordy.

When you are networking with people, you need to concentrate on making conversation. Asking questions. Back and forth. Not telling them everything about you in one single sentence. And pitching at all just doesn't fly with me when you are networking.

A pitch is a sales pitch. Gross. Why are you selling anything?

What you need to do instead is ask questions - what does this person do for their business? Who are their clients? Where do they find them? How do they work with them? Where do you fit in to that - can you help them with any part of their business? If you can, then discuss that. But don't announce what you do from the moment you shake their hand. If you are struggling with how to have conversations, I can help you find those words, and make it easy.

3. Talking about yourself - don't talk about yourself when you are networking. But Tracey, you say, how will the person know what I can do? Because the conversation will come around to you - just don't lead with it.

Imagine going to a restaurant and having the server tell you everything they have on the menu, before you even have a drink in front of you They have no idea what you like, what you might be allergic to, how hungry you are, how much you are looking to spend ... etc.

A good server will come and ask you if it's your first time at the restaurant, and establish a little rapport. Are you celebrating anything special? Would you like a drink to start? Would you like to hear the specials? And if you ask what they recommend, they should ask you what you like - before recommending something.

The same holds true for you as the VA - you are the service provider and the other person is the potential client (not that you are not always trying to make the sale today - but the networking conversation will still be structured very much like a sales conversation.

So you ask them questions about their business because you want to know if they need your help. You can answer questions they ask you about your business of course, but don't make yourself the focus on the conversation.

Talking to others about your business is meant for colleagues.

Focus the conversation on them - and if you can help them. And just as a point of interest - i don't mean self promotion, that's not what talking about yourself is. It's about being curious and getting the person you are talking to to let you know what they need help with. And a simple 'I help my clients do that' often suffices as the response.

If you need help figuring out how not to talk about yourself, I can help!

4. Don't be a wall flower - making networking work for you means you have to speak up! If you are spending your time networking, you have to find a way to be visible, and that is through conversation.

You don't have to meet everyone in the room, but you need to meet at least one person - I always think 3 to 5 is a great number no matter how many people are in attendance. Making connections with just a few people is so much easier than trying to reach the entire room.

And this goes for online events as well. You don't have to speak from the stage, but there is no point being a part of a group that you can grow relationships in, and staying silent. Lurking online.

Be helpful. That's all you need to do. It sounds simple and it really is. Choose a time every morning to visit the groups you are a part of online, and look for opportunities to help the people there. You only need to be a part of 3 good group to find great clients. You are probably part of many more groups than that - but if you are not showing up and taking part, they aren't of any use to you.

Own your expertise - and share it. Even if someone else has answered a question for someone, answer it yourself too. It's not a contest, it's about being helpful wherever you can. If you need to build up your confidence so you can start networking, I'd love to help you do that.

5. Follow Up - the last piece of networking is arguably the most important one. Following up. So many VAs give up on the follow up, and they lose clients in the process.

How many times should you follow up with someone, I get asked often. Until they say yes, or until they tell you to stop following up with them, is always my answer.

How callous! That sounds like I'm badgering someone. But no, you're not! You are building a relationship with someone. you are simply staying in touch.

You don't follow up by saying 'do you want to start now?' 'how about now?' 'are you ready to hire me yet?'

You follow up by saying 'how did that event go for you?', 'have you talked to so and so recently?' 'I haven't seen you in x group recently - just checking in - what are you working on?'

The fortune really is in the follow up. When you are building relationships with people that builds trust. And when they need help they will think of you.

Networking isn't a dirty word - it's a necessary part of doing business, and the better you get at it, the easier it gets. And the better it works for you.

I have a huge network of VAs and business owners. I talk to a lot of people every single day - in emails, PMs, Zoom calls, phone calls, networking events, through my clients and association members. Are they all paying clients of mine? Nope. But they all know what I do and they know where to find me if they need me.

It's a marathon, not a sprint. And it's natural. It's just conversations. The numbers will work in your favour - the more people you talk to , the more clients you will get.

Show up consistently, make it about them, get laser focused on asking great questions, be helpful in front of as many people as you can, and keep in touch. That's all networking is.

Stop talking AT people, and start talking TO them.

Like Diane says, it's an investment in your business, and it can yield great results for years to come. And it just takes your time. So do it well, and it will yield you results.

Find groups of people online or offline that you can help. Help them and get known for helping them. And you'll be one of 3 VAs in 25K who gets referred almost every single day of every month.

Always be networking, you never know where your next client will come from.

Networking and having conversations with potential clients is a huge focus in The Virtual Circle, my mastermind group for Virtual Assistants. Check it out at www.YourVAMentor.com/TVC (the virtual circle) - I bet it's exactly what you need to start getting clients for your VA business.

If you need some help with doing networking better, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you through private or group coaching.

That's all I've got for you this week, see you next time!

Today we are going to talk about momentum - it can be hard to get started or keep going with a lot of things in our VA business. Stuff like marketing, networking, setting goals or even just updating content - all impacted by momentum.

Momentum.

So much fun when you get going!

How do you get to where you want to go? You start. And then you keep going.

Sometimes when something is exciting - like a new goal, or a new training, or a new client, or a new networking group, we put all of our focus on it. It is new and fun - so it is appealing to make our lists, and block time in our calendar, and get it done - right?

But are you keeping it up after you start, though?

This time of year, new year's resolutions abound. Losing weight, eating better, saving money, self care goals, finding love - and business goals - making more money, getting more clients, be more consistent on social media.

But statistics show us that very few people keep those resolutions. Why? I think it's because they lose momentum.

They are hard. They don't have an actual plan, it's just a wish. They don't see results, so they abandon it.

This can definitely be true for weight loss goals, and it's true with business as well.

A couple of years ago I started taking high blood pressure medication. My doctor told me to eat more vegetables and walk, to help control it.

So I did. I have never taken daily medications in my life, and I was motivated to keep my dosage low.

I ate veggies at every meal (not a big fruit person) - filling half my plate of every meal with roasted or sauteed veggies. I used my hashtag #5todadayiseasy to motivate others and people were talking to me about it, telling me they were trying it to. I walked every morning after getting up. It was the first thing I did - brushed my teeth and headed out. I started walking about 2 km and then was doing 6 km most days. Because it was the first thing I did every morning, I did it without fail. And coupled with my eating habits, I lost 30 lbs (and I wasn't even trying to lose weight, it was a coincidental result of my new daily habits).

It's not hard to stay motivated when you are getting results, and when everyone around you is talking about what you are doing.

The same can be said for you business stuff. Let's break down the reasons that this worked so well for me:

1. Schedule - I did it first thing every morning. No excuses, nothing else got in the way. I usually walked between 6 and 7 am.
2. Routine - I created a playlist of my favourite songs to walk to - and I listened to it religiously on my walks.
3. I came home and ate breakfast right away, before my shower. 3 meals a day is essential when you are trying to lose weight.
4. I got in the shower around 7:30 - still way before anyone else in my house got up. Then I got straight to work. I had an extra hour in my day still, starting work at 8.
5. I meal planned - so I had reheatable meals for lunch every day
6. I was able to take breaks during my work day because I was working a good and regular schedule.
7. Obviously I was seeing results - and I was feeling good too.

Am I keeping it up? Nope. I haven't walked in a year ... sad face, I know. Why? Because I damaged a nerve in my foot and I got out of the habit. It was sore for months. Then I went to visit my friend in Quebec City and I left my shoes there. I never got them back. All excuses. I did have to let my foot heal, but I could have started up again once I knew how to fix it.

Now, my foot is finally not sore anymore, and I bought new shoes, but I still haven't started walking again. And I've put 15 lbs back on. I don't feel good and I start my days way too late. I'm tired a lot, and my doctor increased my dosage of my medication. Such a big old bummer.

So I'm starting over - I have zero excuses - I know how to take better care of my foot, I still meal plan, and I got new shoes. My goal is daily walking, veggies at every meal, and a weight loss goal of 25 lbs by summer time (last time it only took me about 3 months to lose 30 lbs, so I know it can be done - and it's not even hard! i just need to get started, and stop making excuses - and keep it going.

This is why I am talking to you about momentum today!

Momentum is, simply put, forward motion.

And in my experience, forward motion means small daily habits that add up to getting you to where you want to get to. Just like my walking and eating veggies does. Easily!

So how do we do that? Here are 5 things you can do to start building momentum in your VA business right now:

1. Stop taking advice from people who have accomplished less than you.

One of the things that keeps VAs stuck is the cheerleading squad that is the VA community. Don't get me wrong, having such support from our peers is amazing and necessary - but the advice that you get from people who have not yet been beyond where you are can be detrimental to your success. Always seek to get your advice and support from people who have been where you want to go - the experts.

Limit the number of people you get advice from. Too many is a distraction. The VA groups are good for water cooler chat, resources, and camaraderie, but when it comes to the advice you need to make decisions, look for a trusted group like an advisory board or a mastermind group and take your advice only from them. If you outgrow them, change them out for new people. It's not about friendship, it's about business.

2. Forget about what everyone else is doing.

What do they say, comparison is the thief of joy? I couldn't agree more. When you compare yourself to someone else, especially just by watching what someone else is putting out there online, your could be robbing yourself of the facts - and the ability to get to where you want to go.

You have to work on your own stuff - your people, your service offerings, your business. Even though we are all VAs, our businesses are all different because they are service businesses - and we are the main commodity. We are all different. We work differently, we know different things, and we approach all of the things we do differently.

What will work for you? Set goals that inspire you. Don't work towards something that doesn't excite you. Build your business the way you want it. Everything that you do and achieve will mean more because it's what you actually want.

3. Stop learning.

I know, you're just like me. A perpetual learner. I love to learn new stuff. I love to take courses - free, paid, simple, complex, whatever. But in order to start building momentum in your VA business, it's time to start taking action. Only action will get you where you want to go. There will always be another training that will come along.

If you take some training, implement it. Implementation is what will build your business because you'll be making focused changes based on the new stuff that you have learned. You don't have to implement everything - choose one thing to do well, like everything we tell you - focus on that and it will reap rewards for you.

Make planning your new hobby. If you can master planning and setting up action steps that will get you to the goals you set, or the plans you make, it becomes easy and yes, even fun!

4. Leverage your time.

we all have the same amount of time every day. How are you using yours? You need to master your time management so that you are using it as efficiently as possible. Schedule your day, including breaks - and find time where you think you don't have it.

What helps with leveraging your time? Doing like tasks at the same time, doing one client's work during a bucket of time, eliminating distractions and working smart. Don't do things 10x a day. Checking email, even for a client, doesn't need to be done 10x a day. If they are very busy, you can check it 4x and be very efficient. Set yourself a bucket of time to process it - 15 mins, 30 mins, and stop after your set time, and move onto something else. It's about working efficiently.

Routines and habits are essential in time management. Manage and leverage - focus on doing these better and you will find a lot more time in your day.

5. Seek to implement growth daily.

You also need to focus on growth every single day. That doesn't mean getting a new client or raising your rates, or even anything else that is that huge. Look for opportunities to grow your business. More connections? More visiblity? More clients? More money? More productive? There are so many ways that you can start doing one thing better and that will help you grow your business. If you are not growing every day, you are losing opportunity.

Evolve with your business. When you take even just 15 minutes every day to look at the opportunities, you can make some good decisions - and then use that planning to make some adjustments.

If you can't tell from this list of just 5 things, the key to momentum is to take daily actions. But doing things one step at a time is what will get you there.

Concentrate on the small changes - see results - that's exciting - concentrate on another change - see results, and so on.

Be sure you get accountability for your routines - a personal cheerleader to help you get stuff done and get to where you want to go.

That's exactly what we will be doing in The Virtual Circle, my new mastermind group for Virtual Assistants. Check it out at www.YourVAMentor.com/TVC (the virtual circle) - I bet it's exactly what you need to start building momentum in your business.

If you need some help with starting to build momentum - or keep it going in your VA business - reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you through private or group coaching.

That's all I've got for you this week, see you next time!

Is it time for you to bring subcontractors in to your VA business?

There is a right time , and there is a wrong time.

And there is a right way to set yourself up for them, and a wrong way.

Let's get started by talking about what leads up to you bringing in subcontractors.

It's about your work load of course.

the best time to bring in subs is when your business has gotten so busy that you need help. That's the simple answer.

As you bring in more and more clients, your attention will get divided - and you will have to work more.

Getting more clients is always good for business. You make more money, and you can help more people.

But being a very busy VA is not always great though. Sometimes our response times suffer, sometimes our turnaround times suffer, and sometimes we can get burned out because we have so many things to do.

That's when getting help to get your client work done makes good sense.

Of course if you know your VA business is going to grow, that's the best time to plan to bring in subcontractors. The setup time for subs depends on what you are going to outsource to someone else. Getting a couple of things in place is easy - like a sub agreement, but getting your systems set up and raising your rates for your clients can take more time. So if you know that you want to run your business with subs, make sure you are doing that set up long before you need it and things will work out much better for you.

But most of the time we realize that we are working too much and need help - and that's when we decide it's time. And that's okay too - like I said it's the far more common way to do it, but you still want to prepare your business well.

Just quickly, when is the wrong time to bring in subs? Well, there are a few:

If you are not booked out, it's not the right time. If you haven't set rates that allow you to pay out subs, it's not the right time. If you don't know how to do the things your subs do, it's not the right time.

I'll elaborate on all of these as we talk about the right way - but these are really important, and worth mentioning.

So let's talk about what you need to have in place before your bring in subs.

1. You need to know exactly what you need help with. You can train subs but you need to define the tasks you need help with so you can get the best support. You don't always want to train VAs with every little thing, so decide how much experience someone needs or how challenging the tasks are to figure out the skill level your subs need. I have worked as a sub with my expertise, and as an absolute newbie. What helped me be a good sub in both of those roles? The lead VA, their processes, and their ability to help me, their sub, get the work done as efficiently as possible. Also, decide how many subs you need. Sometimes it depends on what the tasks are - it also depends on the timing of those tasks, and the skill level too. You don't always have to have just one sub doing everything.

2. You need to set your sub payment rate, or the rate you are willing to pay to hire a sub. When you are paying out someone else, you need to retain both administrative money and profit from the money the client pays you. It makes no sense to pay a sub all of what your client pays you. You have to be sure that your rates are set up to retain profit and make your VA business money. When you are growing your team you need to also grow your business, don't forget that. A lot of VAs will pay out 75% of their billable rate to their subcontractors. So for a $30 sub, you need to be charging your clients at least $40. Sometimes VAs will tell you how much their sub rate is - meaning they will work for you as a sub for X rate. I prefer to tell them what being on my team pays, but as long as the rates work out so that you are profitable, you can do whichever you like. Work within your budget, like we tell our clients to, and you will be fine.

3. Track all time and tasks. Project management excellence is essential when you are working with subs. You need to make sure that you know what they are doing, and how much time that is taking. You will set a budget for each client and the sub VA needs to work within that. And of course since you are doing the admin, you want this info to be as easy to check in on as possible. Use a project management system - whatever works for you is terrific - and make sure your team members all use it. Be sure that your VAs are keeping their time spent up to date so you can monitor your client budgets.

4. Communicate very clearly. When I work with a client, we have regular check in calls - weekly production calls I always called them - to quickly connect and talk about priorities for the week. I do recommend doing a team meeting once a week, they are very effective, and then the rest of the communication can and should take place in your project management system the remainder of each week. Your subs also need to communicate very well, no matter what they are doing for you. A lot of time can get wasted in the communication process if you aren't doing it well. Setting a system for communication and making sure everyone uses it can really help the work between more seamless.

5. Create and use procedures and checklists. If there is one thing I can tell you will help your subs do the work you need done in the way you need it done, it is procedures and checklists. You can either create the procedures, or have your subs create them when they come on your team. And then all you have to do it walk through the procedure to ensure that the work is being done to your expectations. It doesn't matter how they think it should be done- you are the one who dictates it all for your business. And in terms of checklists, these will always ensure that no steps are missed, and that you can see that the VA is verifying they have done every step in a checklist when you look in on their work. Remember when you are working with team members, your rates will be higher - and that means your clients are paying you a premium to have high quality work done. In my experience, VAs who use checklists do a better job than those who don't. Make your subs use them, or they don't get to work on your team.

6. Pay your subs the same amount you would charge your clients. This is something that some VAs don't do, so I need to mention it. When you are working with your clients, you have some idea how long a task should take. You need to tell your VAs how long any task should take, and they need to work within that billable time. For example, if you were doing the work for a client newsletter and it was taking you 2 hours every time, then the sub needs to do the work in 2 hours as well. You can't let your VAs chip away at your time because you are eating into your profit. So even though you are paying them less than you charge, you can't let someone take 3 hours (or longer) to do the same work you would do in 2. Tell them how long they have to complete a task - give them the written procedures - and if they can't do the work in the time, assess why (are you just really fast? or are they really slow?). Match up their time with your billable time to the client. I once had a sub who spent 6 hours on a research project that I was only charging the client 2 hours for. You can't have that happen. If I know the estimate is 2 hours I have to tell the sub it needs to get done in 2 hours.

7. Know how to do what your subs will do. I know many VAs who think they can get people in do tasks that they don't know how to do - these are not subs. These are associates -and unless you have a lot of experience as a VA, I don't recommend starting this way. Use your subs to do your work - to take over for you - so that you can keep an eye on their work and deliver the same quality to your clients. Later you can think about being an agency, but when you are building a team, and you are the one responsible to the client, you need to be able to cover for everyone on the team. And if you don't know how to do something and your sub flakes out, your clients will lose confidence in your ability. Your business is always the most important part of the people you have doing the work for you. Prioritize it and you will build an amazing team.

8. Use a contract and even an application process if possible. You need to let your subs know that the work they do is really important and a contract helps them do that. They aren't just helping you or doing things that are not that important. They are producing their best work for you - their client, essentially - and it needs to be top notch. If you use an application process you can make a better decision about who can join your team. I have seen many people have a quick Facebook group interaction with someone saying 'PM me, I need someone'. I am sincerely hoping they go through a vetting process after that so they can make sure the sub they are choosing is the right one. I always looked for long term subs - just like long term clients.

These are all pretty simple things but they are very often not taken into consideration by VAs who want to work with subs.

Properly planned and managed, working with subcontractors is an excellent way to scale your business growth.

By planning your communication, project management and making sure your rates are maintaining your profit level, you can build a much bigger business than just you!

And when you are organized and can manage both your client's and your sub's expectations, you can keep everyone happy.

Oh yes speaking of those clients, it's essential that you let them know that your business has grown to use others to do their work. You may even need to update your own contract with them. Never let someone else access your client files and systems without advising your client beforehand.

And know that your business insurance won't cover your subs - they need to have their own insurance for their own business, that covers them.

If you need some help with setting your VA business up for subcontractors, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you. I do private coaching, and my new mastermind The Virtual Circle registration is open now. Maybe one of those options is right for you.

That's all I've got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.

Today we are going to talk about overthinking. While thinking as a business owner is a good skill, doing too much of it can keep you stuck.

Quote: Overthinking is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere. - Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck always gave such solid advice, and I think this is an excellent analogy. It's time to go places!

If you are someone who overthinks stuff, this episode is for you.

It's for us. I do it too - I would be willing to bet that everyone has done it at one time or another.

Why is overthinking such a big deal?

There are a lot of reasons why it's bad (but the good news is that we can fix it)

Here are some reasons why it's not good to overthink:

• it keeps us stuck where we are
• it keeps us from making decisions
• it makes things seem bigger than they probably are
• it keeps you in the past, reflecting on what you could have done better
• it helps you make excuses about why you didn't do or say something
• it makes you worry about things that haven't even happened yet

Staying stuck is a common issue for Virtual Assistants anyway, so it really is not good to let overthinking take over on top of that.

The more you think about something, the more you train your brain to think about it.

It's just a bad habit. But it may be one you have had for many years.

Let me ask you a question right out the gate. Are you aware that you are overthinking when it happens?

If you aren't, then that has to be the first thing to think about.

Awareness is important, and even that isn't easy.

I suggest putting a system in place to help yourself - and that might take some practice too, but you have to start somewhere!

Write your system down = and make changes to it each time you use it, as necessary, so that you get better at handling it.

If you have had this habit for a really long time, it will take time to change that habit. Give yourself a break, and give yourself the tools you need to make the change.

So you need a system to get out of the overthinking valley when you are there - and never beat yourself up for going back there. Just plan to move back out as quickly as you can.

So, first things first - you do need to keep an eye out for it. Look for the signs so you can identify when it's happening, and then consult your system.

Look for the solution to the problem. Always focus on fixing the issue. Look at it as objectively as you can, even though sometimes that can be hard when it's your situation.

Step out of your own situation so you can look objectively at what is going on. Try not to get carried away by your own emotions.

I always suggest treating yourself like a client when you are having trouble doing something. Do the same here.

What if your client (or a loved one) presented an issue as overthinking? What would you tell them? How would you help them? How would you be objective about it?

Write all of those things down. You need to do the same things for yourself.

And it is hard to do it when it's for yourself, I get it, but you can do it.

Get help with this in the beginning if you find it difficult, Practice makes perfect, and I promise you will get better at it the more you practice your system.

When you have worked through something, take a moment to write that down too - so you can refer to it next time. Celebrate that success, you just proved to yourself that you can do it.

Never beat yourself up when you realize you are holding yourself back because of overthinking.

Always honour your thoughts, and your feelings, but still know that you need to change them if you are going to move forward.

Remember that you can't control everything. When things are rough, focus on the things that you can control. Change the things you can change. Move past the things that you can't change.

And definitely focus on what can go right. There is always a good side! And you deserve to be there. And you will get there if you let yourself.

Actually handling the overthinking will do wonders for you:

• you will start to move forward, even if it's just in baby steps
• you will be able to make the decisions you need so you aren't spinning your wheels
• you will see things for what they really are, and not the huge issues that you are presenting yourself now
• you will focus on the future, and learn from what has happened - so you can pay much more attention to the stuff that you did right
• you will stop making excuses because you will be saying and doing the right things
• and you will worry a lot less because you will focus on the future and all the positive stuff that you now see for yourself

When things start to pop up, grab that system. Remember that you worked your way through something last time, and you can do it again.

And final advice: a lot of people suggested giving yourself time to overthink - like set a timer, and then when the timer goes off, stop. I don't see the value in that myself, but I would be remiss if I didn't bow to the experts here.

For myself, I understand the idea of identifying it, but I can't quite see how you can let yourself be upset and then just shut it off.

I prefer to identify it and then go to my system. You can do whichever works for you. As I always tell you, I can't teach you something that I don't have experience with so there's my caveat for you ha ha

I hope I was able to give you some practical tips today on how to handle your habit of overthinking.

If you need some help with getting your system in place to fix your overthinking, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you. I do private coaching, and my new mastermind The Virtual Circle registration is open now. Maybe one of those options is right for you.

That's all I've got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.

Do you get really stuck when it comes to marketing your Virtual Assistant business? If you do, it's perfectly normal.

As admin professionals, most of us were never taught about marketing. So we kind of make things up as we go, or throw spaghetti at the wall and hope something sticks.

I've been there, and I've done it all wrong. I still get it wrong sometimes!

Let's talk about why that is.

When we are looking for clients, we can't help but think about making a sale.

I mean, if we don't make a sale, we don't have a client. And we don't get any money.

So when someone, maybe a coach like me, tells you to focus on helping people instead of selling, it sounds good ... but it still doesn't solve your issue of not having clients.

We like to think there's a magic switch that we can flip from no clients, to lots of clients. And there can be, but there are a lot of things you have to have in place for that switch to start working.

And if you are still struggling to get clients, then you probably just don't have all of the things in place that need to be there.

One of those things is a simple and effective way to promote your service to the clients who need them.

What is the goal of our marketing?

Not to make a sale, believe it or not!

But it's to showcase our expertise to our clients - in terms of how we can help THEM.

Let me repeat that.

It's to showcase our expertise to our clients - in terms of how we can help THEM.

Yes it's about us ... but only in relation to how we can help our clients.

Marketing and promotion must satisfy the attention of the person who is going to be making the purchase, or spending the money. And that's your clients.

So ... lots of VAs get marketing wrong. We talk about what we do, we tell people that we are VAs, and that we help our clients with everything under the sun, and that we have a special on now, and that we have a client opening next month, and that we save them time and money.

But none of that messaging lands with most clients.

What do they want to know? They want to know how you can help them fix something in their business. Simple.

If they are overwhelmed by all of their daily tasks, maybe you can help them with project management.

If they are too busy handling their customers requests and communication, maybe you can help with with client care or customer service.

If they are behind in their books, maybe you can help them with bookkeeping.

If they are not posting anything on social media, maybe you can help them get more eyes on their business.

You get the idea.

So these are real problems that your clients have - and ones they need solutions to.

It's a very simple issue, and they need to understand easily that you can help them with it.

If they believe you can help them do that, you could have a new client.

So how does that come through in our marketing?

We need to create simple messaging that clearly talks about how you are aware of their issues and that's how you help your clients - and how you can help them.

We need to become memorable - so they see us often and we begin to become top of mind when they are thinking about their problems and looking for a solution.

In terms of your content - this means consistent posting, and solid content topics that your clients relate to.

Make it inviting to look at (so it looks good), and don't forget to also make it fun (or interesting) to read.

Content isn't just your website copy or your blog posts either - content is all the words and the images that you are putting out there in the business world. Including the words coming out of your mouth.

So choosing the words and the images that you use in your marketing is important. And it can help you stand out because you will be recognizable.

Consistent posting or connecting will help you to become part of a community and part of your client's feed.

Sharing a consistent message in your copy and images also needs to flow over into your conversations.

So when you are networking, you want to talk to people about the same types of things that you are posting in your content. What is the theme of those things? How you can help them.

And when you are having conversations with people - at events, or in groups, same.

In networking situations, you are marketing your business. Yes, you are getting to know people, but it's still about moving relationships further when you connect.

Ask questions, answer questions. And always be sure you are keeping things simple and light.

So update your website copy, your social media bios, and your content so that it is all consistent and conveys the message of how you help your clients.

Share information, resources and tips that showcase your client's problems and how you solve them.

So let's get back to the idea of helping people over sales. The sales will come when the messaging doesn't scream 'sale'.

Those posts about being a VA, helping clients with whatever they need, a special on now, a client opening next month, and saving them time and money ... they are falling on deaf ears. So you are spending time creating and posting things that aren't doing anything for your business.

Get your messaging right and focus on your clients and what they need, and you'll see a lot better results. It gets easy once you get started. So let's get you started!

If you need some help with creating content that works for you, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you. I do private coaching, and my new mastermind The Virtual Circle registration is open now. Maybe one of those options is right for you.

That's all I've got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.

Today we are going to talk about your mindset. It's important to keep checking in on that all the time! Business is hard, and we need to master our mindset to go where we want to go.

What you think you become. Buddha

Buddha is smart. Buddha knows that you are responsible for your own happiness, success, and thoughts.

Mindset is incredibly important to keep tabs on when you are a business owner.

There are hard things, and if you let them get the better of you, you will not survive.

What are you thinking of every day that is shaping the way your days go?

If you think you are struggling, you will focus on the struggles. If you think you are busy, you will find the busy everywhere and feel overwhelmed and behind. If you think you are great, you will find the greatness in everything you do.

It sounds simple, and it really is.

The more positive you can be - the more positive things you will focus on. And the more positive things will come your way.

If you have ever seen someone on a roll, you can watch how it snowballs.

The same is said for failure. Spirally downward is much easier when it's all you are thinking about.

So let's focus on the positive.

Your mind is such a powerful thing. Your brain is. And it will help you as much as you let it. It doesn't make decisions for you or tell you who to feel, it just naturally leads you in the direction of your thoughts.

So how can we fix a crappy mindset?

First things first - say it out loud!

How many of you spend some days in total silence? I do - there are days when I realize I haven't spoken out loud for hours. We live in our heads, and like I said our brains are powerful things. We don't even realize how many thoughts we are capable of processing in a second, a minute, an hour.

If we are dreading doing a task or taking a meeting or making a connection or creating a piece of content, we'll probably put it off and do something that is more fun. But it's still there in your mind.

Getting things done is much easier when you want to to do it.

So we need to keep ourselves in that frame of mind as much as possible.

Like the golfer or the musician who is on a roll and cranking out the wins, we need to do the same.

Also, it's more fun!

So what can you do to help your mindset?

Keep it positive. Do whatever you can to help yourself stay in a positive frame of mind. Success journals work - if you are down, you can make a point of remembering things that you have done that went well. Then find the opportunity to do more of those. I know it sounds crazy but talk out loud to yourself. The silence is deafening sometimes. Talk to yourself - read things out loud. It really will help redirect your inner thoughts when you hear and outside voice.

Read every day - reading a business book or blog can really help you find inspiration for your business - whether it's new strategies to implement, new content to create, new people to connect with ... bringing in new stuff every day can be exciting.

Take action every day - sitting around doing the same old same old is going to yield you lousy results. If you are looking for clients, get out there and do it. Make connections. Help people. Talk to people. Every single day. It's easy to develop a habit of staying behind our computer screen and not actually talking to people but you will be amazed by the growth you can do as a business owner by having real conversations with people (phone, Zoom, in person or in social media groups).

Work in your purpose. VAs love to help others. That's why a lot of us love what we do and want to help as many people as possible. If you want to stay positive, focus on that. Always think about your purpose and how you are doing so much good for others. Valuing yourself is a really good way to keep your mindset strong and positive.

Do what you do best - nothing makes us negative like when we struggle. Struggling to figure something out, or doing something you don't like or aren't good at can really add to the negative attitude. Things take longer, People aren't the right fit. You find yourself stuck on support chats most of the day. Become a master at what you do and you will have smoother days too.

Be proactive. Don't let your clients dictate the workload. Be in charge and keep them on their toes to be sending you the pieces you need to get their work done. If you sit around and wait for them it's very easy to start feeling down. If your client isn't busy enough, find one that is. A busy and productive VA is a happy one!

One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.

This is so true. I am not a big fan of affirmations or intentions of stuff like that but they do work.

Stick up positive messages in your office and work space everywhere. Read them out loud to yourself each morning and any time you need a boost.

And finally, find and rely on your community. A business buddy, an accountability partner, a mastermind group, a trusted group of colleagues. Whatever you can, find people you can talk to - and be sure to focus on positive communication with them. You can talk about your struggles, but always try to find the positives and the way through - don't just bellyache to each other.

Some days will be hard but setting yourself up to be the best that you can be starts with your mindset.

And the more you can help yourself develop a positive one - and create steps for yourself to shift back into a positive one when you are struggling, the better you will be.

Ridiculously good, in fact!

You're it, baby. You have to figure it out or it will cut you down. Let's do it!

If you need some help with fixing your mindset or developing your process to stay in a better frame of mind as a business owner, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you. I do private coaching, and my new mastermind The Virtual Circle registration is open now. Maybe one of those options is right for you.

That's all I've got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant

Today we are going to talk about productivity - how to get more done without sacrificing quality work or excellence

As virtual assistants, we talk a lot about productivity.

Time is money when you provide a service like we do, and every minute counts.

That doesn't mean that you have to work fast, or charge by the minute. What I'm talking about is increasing productivity - and that's different.

We want to be ridiculously good - right? - and so we never want to sacrifice excellence.

We just want to make the best of our time.

That means we need to identify what needs to be done , prioritize it well, and make sure it gets done.

The system that you use to manage your work has everything to do with works best for you.

I can't tell you what to use - pen and paper, a project management system, Google, Outlook, time tracking.

What works for me may not work for you. But what I want to share with you today will let you know how to manage your time better, no matter what system or process you use.

1. You must eliminate distractions when you are trying to get things done. Yes I know, lots of people tell you this. But I'm going to explain distractions a bit differently for you in this episode. Many virtual assistants I talk to have no idea where their time goes during the day. But then they tell me that they check a client's email all day long, or leave it open so they can manage whatever comes in as soon as it comes in. I will say that if a client requires that you do that for them every day, I hope you are getting paid for 8 hours a day from that client. Email is a means of communication but it does not need to be answered immediately. Instead, plan to check in hourly or less - I used to do client care for 6 and 7 figure business coaches, and I checked their email 3x a day. That's it. It helped me manage my time better, and the clients still got responded to three times every single day. Eliminating distractions extends far past closing social media - we need to work smarter and not make excuses for why the way we do things might not be the most efficient way to do it.

2. Learn to focus better. The more time you give yourself to get something done, the longer you will take to do it. When you focus on what you are trying to do, you can work much more efficiently and you can get it done in less time. Look at everything you do - are you repeating things, or taking longer to do something than necessary? Think about what you could do differently - or ask a colleague to give you some input. A business coach of mine once ran us through an exercise at a live event. We paired up with another attendee and the exercise was to tell the other person 5 things that we did to help our clients. We each had 5 minutes to explain what we did, and then the other person helped us write down our 5 things, as they understood them. Once we finished that exercise, she tasked us with another exercise - create a piece of content in 15 minutes. She suggested a blog post. Everyone panicked - 15 minutes - but she said to use one of the ideas we just came up with, and get it done. There were 24 of us in the room and nearly all of us got the piece of content made in time. Why? Because she gave us the tools we needed first - and then we worked to complete the task in the time that was allotted. That's focus.

3. Create buckets of time - I often talk about this, and it will definitely make my productivity podcast! Part of the reason that we lose time is that we give ourselves a start time, but we then don't stop. I've seen it happen with things like research projects, social media, and more. Going down a rabbit hole - and letting yourself do it - can rob us of valuable time every single day. If you tell yourself that you will start at x time, and then stop at x time, you give yourself a reasonable bucket of time to complete the task. It is important to manage your time, not just spend it. So if you give yourself a stop time, that's managing it. And if you need more time you are aware that you need more time, and you can assign yourself more time to complete it. But you're not losing track of time.

4. Use tools - checklists, procedures, automation tools. Whatever you need - and whatever you will use. I use a bullet journal, Trello and my Google calendar. So that is a combination of paper, my phone, and a project management system. It works for me. With my bullet journal, I keep lists. When I want to get something done, then I can use the bullet journal list to create checklists, processes, procedures, Trello boards and set deadlines. The bullet journal is my master list. The Trello board is where I manage the tasks or action steps. The calendar I use to book my time - but I don't book all of my time like many others. I know when I have hard stops for meetings or other commitments by my calendar. And it helps me decide when I can fit in the things that I need to do. You need to use the same process. Keep a master to-do list, use a system or process to manage your daily and weekly tasks, and work within your calendar. Again here you are managing your workload in the time that you have available in a day or week. It's a great habit to begin using and you get better at it the more you do it. Practice makes perfect!

5. Stay on track. Whatever you plan, do your best to keep yourself on track. If you haven't scheduled your time and really managed it before, you may get it wrong sometimes. Cut yourself some slack. and keep at it. Block in a bit of empty time every day to use to catch up that way you don't get used to bumping tasks. And keep honing your managing skills. You can do it! Create a distractions list so you don't get derailed by distractions too. All that is, is a list beside your work station of things that you think of - that you may feel like you need to do now. But you don't. The task you are working on is the priority, keep it that way. Write the new thing on the list, and then decide when you will work on that when you next do your calendar management.

Remember lost time is never found again. When you start to change the habits you have around your time, and start to manage it better, you will get more done in less time -and won't lose any excellence. In fact, you'll become even more excellent!

If you need some help with getting more productive and managing your time better, reach out to me at [email protected]

I've helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I'd love to do the same for you. I do private coaching, and my new mastermind The Virtual Circle registration is open now. Maybe one of those options is right for you.

That's all I've got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.