Feeling a bit insightful so I’ll share some truths I’ve experienced and observed. You may feel the same. Enjoy and let me know what you’d add to this list. (I’ll keep the list short so you can add many of your own.)
- Leading my own company is exhilarating, tiring, freeing, breathtaking, joyful, and satisfying all at the same time…and often in the same day.
- You can form some amazing, very close and caring, supportive friendships with people you’ve never met in-person, never heard each other’s spoken voice, and know only via email words on a computer screen.
- No two virtual assistants operate their respective businesses identically so stop comparing and clients should stop expecting matching prices. Individuality and personality are two very good things.
- If you don’t know the answer chances are that Google can point the way. It’s better to ask Google (do a search) before asking others.
- Nearly every policy created is rooted in a prior issue or problem…or in hopes to prevent an issue shared by a colleague.
- You won’t be a good writer if you don’t practice. Writing is a skill like any other and needs to be exercised and shaped.
- Skills, of all sorts, can be learned. You’re stuck working with character so choose your partnerships wisely and strategically.
- Copycat pricing seldom works out well for the copycat. Do the math. Figure out what profit margin you need instead of following what someone else does. If you need to talk with your bookkeeper I’m sure they’d be thrilled to help you set some profitable prices.
- Sites go down from time to time and the reality is that most people never notice unless it’s for a very long time. Don’t panic and begin ranting about your host, your IT technician, or anything else. Just be patient, put in a call ticket, and move on to do something productive unless you are that technician that must fix the issue.
- Take away our electricity or internet service and we’re frantic about how to reconnect to a secure WiFi connection outside our office because we care that much about the clients we serve and the customer service we provide. Doing this type of work is like our life blood and keeps us going.
- Having a top notch IT person or two to call upon during a crisis keeps us calm.
- We can party virtually like no other industry just give us an internet connection, an open chat room, a microphone, and we’re all set for hours. Celebrating milestones, business anniversaries, virtual baby showers or birthday bashes…we know how to party online. Plus we each can nibble our favorite snacks and sip our favorite drink – most convenient for the hostess.
- Virtual assistants may span the globe but we’re actually a very tight community. We know people all across the continents. If you’re a great client, we talk. If you’re a client who skips out on paying your invoice, we talk. If we need a referral for a certain service, we talk and refer. If we know who the best, most dependable subcontractors are, we talk. Well, you get the idea.