Creating your own group of peers and professionals is a great way to ensure your success as a virtual assistant. One of the most popular pieces of advice for new virtual assistants is to network every day. Unfortunately, it often appears to be one of the least practiced- and to the detriment of many a new VA! Perhaps it is too vague for many to put into action effectively. Let's explore this networking notion a little further.
Networking is beneficial for several reasons. First, it can provide valuable leads for your service. You may be wondering why else would someone network? If you are only looking for business leads, then you are sadly cutting yourself short of the many benefits that networking has to offer. When you form relationships with your peers and professionals in related industries, you are bound to have an incredible collaborative knowledge base at your disposal. You can bounce ideas off each other, ask for and give advice, team up on large projects, not to mention form some of the best friendships of your life.
Sounds great, I know. Perhaps this is where I should mention there is a small catch- it doesn't work overnight. Networking is about building relationships. We all know that takes some time and attention. Frankly, this is where many would-be networkers drop the ball. They talk to a few people and ask for referrals (good start) but then never talk to those people again. I would much rather refer someone I actually know, as opposed to some stranger that came up to me one day and then disappeared forever. To be effective, you are going to have to stay in touch with the people you have chosen to network with (and perhaps even refer them to someone you know).
And who shall these people be? For your inner circle, you should choose a few people from your industry to network with. They will help you to run your business more effectively, and they can sometimes even contract some of their overflow work to you. Most importantly, they have succeeded in establishing their businesses and will have a certain earned wisdom that they may be willing to share with you. While you are looking for peers to connect with, it may not be a bad idea to find a mentor, also.
You will also want to include others from a related field. These people will not be your competitors but will understand your industry enough to be of value as well. You may enjoy reciprocal referrals (you refer me and I'll refer you). For instance, if you know someone who owns a print shop, you can refer people who need business cards. They, in return, may be able to refer you to professionals they know who could use a virtual assistant. It can really become a symbiotic relationship.
Since networking is an ongoing process of building relationships as assisting one another, it should become part of every day. Mention what you do to everyone you meet and strike up a conversation with- that person in line ahead of you at the grocery store, next to you in the waiting room, the new neighbors that just moved in down the street... everyone! You never know when you will run into someone to network with!
Hopefully that takes some of the mystery out of beginning to network. Volumous books could be (and have been) written on the subject, but I hope this is enough to get you started thinking about building your professional support network. As I always say, there is no time like the present!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Thursday, October 06, 2005
One-Minute Interview with S. Smith
Website: http://cleripro.tripod.com/
Services Provided: Secretarial & Administrative Support, Word Processing ( Typing), Bookkeeping, Data Entry, Spreadsheet Creation, Desktop Publishing, Mailing Services
Best Way to Contact: cleripro@yahoo.com
What You Enjoy Most About Being a VA : What I enjoy most about being a VA is the independence of working from home. I enjoy working from my home office and communicating with my clients through email, phone, fax, and instant messaging. I am proud of the work that I do to make my clients’ lives just a little easier by taking their paperwork off of their hands."
A Moment on the Soapbox: If you are serious about becoming a VA for the sake of staying home with your children and being in business for yourself, stay focused. Of course it is hard in the beginning, but anything worth having always is. Spend at least four hours a day marketing and networking. Remind yourself how important your business is to you. In due time, you will have so much work coming that you too will be in search of a virtual assistant.
Services Provided: Secretarial & Administrative Support, Word Processing ( Typing), Bookkeeping, Data Entry, Spreadsheet Creation, Desktop Publishing, Mailing Services
Best Way to Contact: cleripro@yahoo.com
What You Enjoy Most About Being a VA : What I enjoy most about being a VA is the independence of working from home. I enjoy working from my home office and communicating with my clients through email, phone, fax, and instant messaging. I am proud of the work that I do to make my clients’ lives just a little easier by taking their paperwork off of their hands."
A Moment on the Soapbox: If you are serious about becoming a VA for the sake of staying home with your children and being in business for yourself, stay focused. Of course it is hard in the beginning, but anything worth having always is. Spend at least four hours a day marketing and networking. Remind yourself how important your business is to you. In due time, you will have so much work coming that you too will be in search of a virtual assistant.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Bidding at Freelance Marketplaces
Many virtual assistants enter into their new venture thinking they will be overcome with new clients almost immediately. If you are one of the two VAs on this earth that actually had that experience, then you can stop reading this post and get back to work. If you are a new virtual assistant who has been doing everything you can think of to get clients and are about to pull your hair out, grab a cup of tea and read on- this one is for you.
I have received many emails asking where to find clients. It reminds me of when I first started out and had the same question- where are all these people and businesses that supposedly need my services? I have learned a few things the hard way, and I thought perhaps from time to time, I could share some of my VA "life lessons" and make your endeavor a little less painful and a little more productive. Finding clients really isn't that difficult, although it does require persistence.
My suggestion would be to consider bidding on projects at sites such as Elance.com or Guru.com as part of your start-up strategy. There are other freelance marketplaces that you can find online as well. This is not necessarily a quick fix, as there is considerable competition out there. Yet as an emerging VA, I was able to gain my first clients this way, which opened doors to other clients and projects.
When bidding on these sites, keep in mind that the lowest bid does not necessarily get awarded the project. However, the bid that makes the potential client most comfortable does. (You are starting to notice a recurring theme in my posts, aren't you?). Bid on every project you are qualified for. Place a fair bid, and pay no attention to those $2.00/hour overseas bids. In addition, try to refrain from generic, impersonal proposals. They wouldn't win your business if roles were reversed, would they? Make sure to address their specific project and details pertaining to it.
Keeping in mind that the person reading your bid has little to distinguish you initially from the other 20-150 proposals they have received, give them a little information about you to shift the odds more in your favor. Keep it business-related, of course, and don't forget to mention why you are qualified for their project. If you have a guarantee (if not, see a few posts back) and a particularly admirable work ethic (two posts back), make sure to mention that, too. Basically, you want to give the prospective client a quick chance to get to "know" you through your bid.
Please keep in mind that bidding on these sites is also somewhat of a numbers game. That is why I suggest bidding on every job that you are qualified for. While you may feel frustrated after placing ten bids and not hearing anything back, keep in mind that if you bid fairly and present your qualifications clearly, at some point, a prospective client will probably choose you for their project. Persistence is key. I must have placed about 30 bids before I ever won one. I am glad that I never gave up because some of my best (and steady) clients have come to me through these freelance marketplaces.
If your first bids seem a little awkward at first, don't worry. As you begin to get used to writing them, you will get a feel for what gives your proposals a "natural" tone and what works best for you. You can also check the site that you are bidding at and and see what their suggestions are in creating successful proposals. These are valuable resources.
By now, you are probably at the bottom of that cup of tea, so my suggestion is to do a little research for yourself and determine if bidding at freelance marketplaces is something you want to try. Good luck and remember to stay focused!
I have received many emails asking where to find clients. It reminds me of when I first started out and had the same question- where are all these people and businesses that supposedly need my services? I have learned a few things the hard way, and I thought perhaps from time to time, I could share some of my VA "life lessons" and make your endeavor a little less painful and a little more productive. Finding clients really isn't that difficult, although it does require persistence.
My suggestion would be to consider bidding on projects at sites such as Elance.com or Guru.com as part of your start-up strategy. There are other freelance marketplaces that you can find online as well. This is not necessarily a quick fix, as there is considerable competition out there. Yet as an emerging VA, I was able to gain my first clients this way, which opened doors to other clients and projects.
When bidding on these sites, keep in mind that the lowest bid does not necessarily get awarded the project. However, the bid that makes the potential client most comfortable does. (You are starting to notice a recurring theme in my posts, aren't you?). Bid on every project you are qualified for. Place a fair bid, and pay no attention to those $2.00/hour overseas bids. In addition, try to refrain from generic, impersonal proposals. They wouldn't win your business if roles were reversed, would they? Make sure to address their specific project and details pertaining to it.
Keeping in mind that the person reading your bid has little to distinguish you initially from the other 20-150 proposals they have received, give them a little information about you to shift the odds more in your favor. Keep it business-related, of course, and don't forget to mention why you are qualified for their project. If you have a guarantee (if not, see a few posts back) and a particularly admirable work ethic (two posts back), make sure to mention that, too. Basically, you want to give the prospective client a quick chance to get to "know" you through your bid.
Please keep in mind that bidding on these sites is also somewhat of a numbers game. That is why I suggest bidding on every job that you are qualified for. While you may feel frustrated after placing ten bids and not hearing anything back, keep in mind that if you bid fairly and present your qualifications clearly, at some point, a prospective client will probably choose you for their project. Persistence is key. I must have placed about 30 bids before I ever won one. I am glad that I never gave up because some of my best (and steady) clients have come to me through these freelance marketplaces.
If your first bids seem a little awkward at first, don't worry. As you begin to get used to writing them, you will get a feel for what gives your proposals a "natural" tone and what works best for you. You can also check the site that you are bidding at and and see what their suggestions are in creating successful proposals. These are valuable resources.
By now, you are probably at the bottom of that cup of tea, so my suggestion is to do a little research for yourself and determine if bidding at freelance marketplaces is something you want to try. Good luck and remember to stay focused!
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