Virtual Assistant Moms - Tips for being a VA and a Mom

How many hours can you really work per day?

October 5, 2011

As a virtual assistant, you likely want to do as much as you can in a day to increase your income. But realistically, you need to know what is possible for you to work. Just because you are awake for 16 hours a day does not mean that you can be working for every minute of it. When determining how many hours a day you have to work as well as how many clients you can realistically take on, there are some things you need to consider: Family Commitments – If you have a family, you need to consider how much time they will take from your day. This includes activities that they may have, time you want to spend with them as well as time for meals and getting ready for bed. If you have a pet, they require some of your time as well. Household Activities – Chances are you do not have a self-cleaning home, so you have to schedule in time for keeping up with the house. You also need time for outdoor activities such as cutting grass or cleaning out the eaves. Appointments – There are times that you are going to have to leave

Scheduling your Day as a Virtual Assistant

September 30, 2011

By Sharon

When you are working as a Virtual Assistant, chances are there are a lot of things on your plate to take care of. But getting to them all can be difficult. For this reason, it’s important that you schedule your day so that you can accomplish everything that needs to be done. 1 – There are a couple different ways that you can attack your schedule but the first thing you need to mark is any appointments or demands on your time that are absolutely essential that you complete that day. 2 – Check what deadlines are coming up and figure out what demands they are going to make on your time. If you have items that are due today, you likely want to complete them first. 3 – If nothing is due today, look at your upcoming projects and deadlines. Determine which ones are going to be time consuming, which ones are going to be easy or possibly by the ones you are dreading doing. For me, I tend to work on those items that are due right away and then those that I dread so that I can be rewarded with the fun ones. 4 – Another method

Spotlight Interview – Patti Rowlson

September 29, 2011

By Stephanie Watson

This is our next interview in a new series on the site – VA spotlight. We’re not looking for just Virtual Assistants – anyone that provides a service is welcome to be interviewed. That means if you’re a web designer, ghostwriter, copywriter, business coach, etc we would love to feature you! Please, fill out the form here and you’ll be contacted once your information is reviewed. This week our expert is Patti Rowlson of PR Consulting Services. You will find her bio below and a little farther down the page you can listen in to her interview. Patti Rowlson PR Consulting Services Patti’s Bio: PR Consulting offers affordable marketing services to businesses of all sizes. Clients range from mom-and-pop start-ups to established firms with more than 200 employees. As owner/operator I am hands-on in the business, working with owners and managers to increase visibility in their specific market. Known as a ‘get it done’ person, I do not just share great ideas, but use experience, versatility, and organizational skills to put plans into action. Clients trust PR Consulting to help with a wide range of marketing tasks including branding, publicity, websites and social media. Coaching and business development services are

Exciting free Webinar — Start a Mailing List

September 29, 2011

By Stephanie Watson

This is a really exciting announcement. Some of you know that I’ve been involved with Mom Masterminds now Solo Masterminds for a few years and I truly love all the people involved in this group. I can’t rave enough about all the things I’ve learned, the business I’ve gained, none of it can be fully quantified. Here’s your chance to see them in action. Just sign up for the free Webinar and if you like what you see consider joining Solo Masterminds. You’ll never regret it. Just click the link below. October Free Webinar: Start a Mailing List If you do end up signing up to Solo Masterminds, let me know so I can give you a shout out and a bonus from me!

VA Question: How Do I Deal With Taxes?

September 27, 2011

By Stephanie Watson

This question comes to me by email almost on a weekly basis. I’ve answered it a few times, but I figure I better answer it again. Taxes are very serious and should not be guessed at. You must either educate yourself by reading books like, Small Business Taxes Made Easy, Second Edition, that truly give you the appropriate answers, or you must hire a tax accountant and do what they tell you to do. Maybe even both. There is nothing you can do to avoid paying taxes.In fact you should be glad if you make enough money to actually pay taxes. There are many strange myths being spread about taxes on the net and specifically many work at home forums, that boggle the mind. I’ve seen people who have no idea what they are talking about tell other people who have a home business that they only have to pay taxes on money if they earn over $600 for that person. That’s not true. I’ve also seen people tell other work from home business owners that they only have to pay taxes if they receive a 1099 in the mail. This is not true! Come on people please read books

How to Get the Most Done in the Least Time

September 23, 2011

By Sharon

One of the most effective methods of getting things done in a timely manner is to make up a schedule and stick to it. While this sounds simple, for many people it is not as easy as it may sound. But when you are working with multiple clients with different demands as well as your household, it is a good idea to figure out when you will be able to deal with everything in your life. Figure out the Constants I like to start with a grid of the day in half hour increments and write in the things that constant every day or week. This would be things such as waking up the kids and getting them off to school, when you have supper each night and activities that you are already committed to. Make sure you allocate enough time for each and if you have to leave your home to get there include your transportation time in the schedule. Scheduling Clients Now that you know when you are busy and when you have some time open, you can start scheduling in your clients and the work you do for them. Depending on how much work is required for

Spotlight Interview – Christy Whelan

September 23, 2011

By Stephanie Watson

This week our expert is Christy Whelan of Life Simplified. You will find her bio below and a little farther down the page you can listen in to her interview.

Why should you become a virtual assistant?

September 19, 2011

By Stephanie Watson

Why should you become a virtual assistant?

You’re organized. You have office skills. You have experience running an office. You know a lot about WordPress. You’ve successfully marketed your own product. You’re great at tech support. You’re wonderful on the telephone. You’re ready and willing to learn new things. You need a job. You love helping other people. You have children and need flexibility. You already have a computer, software and everything you need to start! If you have found yourself wondering if you can do this job or not, then consider the above, and think about whether or not you have the skills you need to be a Virtual Assistant. If you don’t have the skills find out how you can get them. If you’re computer savvy, can use word processing programs, can use WordPress and other software learning quickly, then you can become a Virtual Assistant. Simply choose a niche that you can specialize in and do that one thing. The more you do that, the better you’ll get. Say you want to learn how to install shopping carts for other people but you don’t know how. Why not practice on your own website, watch all the tutorials, take a class, and learn how to

Do you have WordPress Questions?

September 13, 2011

By Stephanie Watson

If so your answers can be found LIVE. WP Live Support is the place to get your WordPress Answers. You actually get to talk live to a WordPress expert. If they don’t know the answer that night, they’ll often find the answer and bring it to the next session. The price can’t be beat! I’m often there, so I hope to see you there!

How to Manage Leads

September 10, 2011

By Sharon

The backbone of any business is the customers. Without customers, you do not have a business. While you may have customers that contact you and you do not have the time to work with them or do not have the skills required at that moment, there is no reason you should lose them. They should be put into a contact file for the future. Let’s say you are talking to Jane and she is interested in hiring you to do something for her business. But right now, you are overwhelmed and do not even know when you are going to sleep. You ask Jane if you could contact her in two weeks as you would love to help her out but you are not able to take on anything right now. Hopefully she says yes. Now, you could just write Jane’s information down on a sticky note and hope that you do not lose it in the next two weeks, but there is a better method out there. The supplies you need: - Paper - Pen - Binder - Hole Punch - Optional: Dividers, Paper clips, Stapler You want to start by creating a lead