Virtual Efficiency

Hello, my name is Danielle and I am a recovering Yesaholic.

For as long as I can remember, it has been hard for me to say no to work and helping others. Was it fear of rejection, aiming to please no matter how it impacted on the rest of my life? Maybe.

After reading many books, blogs and quite a few hours of coaching, I know now that everytime I say yes to more work, more commitments, I’m saying No to other things that are important to me. Enter the guilty feeling and resentment.

It’s not easy but now, everytime I’m about to say Yes to a new commitment, volunteer work or work project, I ask myself what I’m saying No to.  Sometimes it’s worth saying Yes when it’s in alignment with my values, my mission and my vision.

Remember, there’s nothing wrong with saying “let me think about it”, really think about it and come back with an answer.

Since I took the decision to go from a “Me, Myself and I” business to a Multi-VA business, I get to see the client point of view more clearly.

My latest pet peeve is with Virtual Assistants who list services for which they don’t have the skills. Each potential VA Partner has to provide a work sample or a portfolio for some specific services (PowerPoint, blog, website, desktop publishing) that my company needs. When they can’t provide a sample or a portfolio, I send a small project for them to complete so I can evaluate the skills. I’ve been disappointed a few times with the results. To me, this is a reflection of what they will deliver to my clients and I can not endorse this type of work.

I’m sure I speak for many experienced VAs when I write that clients expect us to be professionals. Clients expect us to be able to deliver the services we promote and if they need something that is not listed, to provide them with resources that can.

The solution to be able to deliver constantly is to list ONLY the services for which you have the skills and experience. Clients should not pay for your learning curve. It’s a good indication of your professionalism if you can tell a client “I can help you with this and that. For that project, I recommend this professional. Would you like me to coordinate the project for you?” This way, you’re creating a win-win-win situation for the client, the resource and yourself.

If you want to offer more services, invest in your training. Take classes to master new skills. There are many different courses available and you can choose a new skill that you will enjoy using for a long time.

Lately, I’ve taken the Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant Course at VAClassroom.com and before offering these new services, I test-drove them for my own business.

If you want to Strive for Excellence, you must invest time and money in yourself and in your business. Then, you will be able to say “I Can Deliver”.

Almost got a cramp in my right index finger from clicking on the Spam link in Wordpress. Today, I had 60 spam comments and this blog is relatively new. Does it get any better? Do people finally get bored and choose another newbie’s website?

Luckily, all comments must be approved before they appear on my blog. I want my readers to know I care by carefully reading the comments before adding them.

If you have something intelligent to say, even if you don’t agree with me, I might post your comment. All I ask is that you don’t drown me with a multitude of ridiculous links for products that are not related to virtual assistance.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter Facebook or LinkedIn have noticed that I’ve been working a lot on systems and processes lately, my own and my clients.

Did you know that everything you do in your business is actually a system? A system (or process) is a group of different steps you take to achieve a result. Each step is a procedure within a system. The E-Myth books explain how systems can help you go from working IN your business to working ON your business and bring more success.

My friend and colleague Kristi Pavlik, the Systems Chick, wrote a terrific book on systems and processes with ready to use flow charts : Systems of a Successful VA Practice.

Since I read this book, I use the teachings and the colorful models to craft my clients’ systems and processes. Everything has been adapted to suit the client’s needs but I wanted to share where the main idea comes from.

By documenting systems and processes for recurring activities in the business, you save time and facilitate the delegation process. You’re actually creating a step by step document of how the business is supposed to run, whether you’re there or not. At VADG, not only do we create these systems and processes for your business but we also implement them, use them to give you more time to realize your vision and upgrade them as your business grows.

Now that’s what I call Simple, Easy and Fun for me… and my clients.