Web URL: http://www.topshelfva.com
Years in Business: 2003
Type of Business: Virtual Assistant Services
Works: 100% virtually
Facebook Page
LinkedIn
Ruth: Welcome to the blog, Naomi. It’s great to have you here and be able to share more about you with the readers. Tell us about Top Shelf VA Services.
Naomi: Top Shelf VA Services is a Virtual Assistant service that collaborates and builds long-term relationships with successful and professional small businesses and entrepreneurs. I have been in business, full-fledged, since September 2003 and have built some wonderful partnerships with clients. My current clients have been with my company from two to nine years. I strongly believe in the benefits of developing long-term relationships with my clients.
I consider myself more of a generalist, rather than having a particular niche area that I serve. It fits my personality, as I don’t do well with doing the same thing day in and day out. Therefore, my clients range from marriage counselors/coaches, psychologists, career coaches, beauty salon/spas, business coaches, professional trainers, breakthrough strategists, etc.
I handle almost all administrative needs except for bookkeeping and accounting. Numbers are just not my thing! On the other hand, I love anything that allows my creativity to shine, so my clients tend to be circular thinkers, rather than straightforward thinkers.
On any given day I could be editing e-zines, maintaining or designing a website, setting up a webinar or teleclass, helping a client with a video presentation, working with a shopping cart and setting up product distribution, autoresponders, broadcasts, and the list could go on! No two days are the same, which is exactly why I started this business.
Ruth: Mmm, I completely understand craving the variety that comes with a diverse group of clients. That’s my sweet spot, too. Naomi, how did you get started as an entrepreneur? What led to making this decision?
Naomi: I was tired of the corporate rat race. There were so many instances of a company being bought out, my department being dissolved, my boss being let go, which meant his Executive Assistant was soon to follow, etc. I wanted to take control of my life and not be dependent on a company providing my paycheck and determining what my income would be. I wanted to take over the reins of my life.
Ruth: Have you had a mentor?
Naomi: I would say I have been blessed with wonderful clients who by example have been mentors to me. I have taken some of what have made them successes and incorporated those lessons into my own business. Examples of a couple of those lessons are to be confident in knowing what your value is and charging for it. The other is to take time for you and give yourself room to breathe. I stopped working Friday afternoons many years ago and my clients are more than happy to pay my rates because they know the value they receive, including knowing how trustworthy I am and that I am always there for them. Some of them have also supported me by being enthusiastic referral partners. If they know of someone that would be a great fit, they seem to fall all over themselves to make the referral. That is a great feeling. I have never had to do any real marketing for my business. It has mainly filled by word of mouth.
Ruth: That’s fantastic, and a tremendous testimony about who you are and what your business can do for others. Would you share some advice for emerging virtual assistants who are considering this career choice?
Naomi: Make sure you are not jumping into the water both feet first without some type of life preserver available! Make sure you have at least six months of survivable income available; preferably a year. The first year at a minimum will be hard. It could even take a couple years. It will be much easier to survive the ups and downs of the first couple of years if you have a little backup behind you for the first year.
I had saved six months of survivable income. However, what happened was that I was on my fifth month, about to run out of money, and no clients. Talk about stress and fear starting to set in! Once I had my first client, the word got out about the quality of my work, my professionalism, trustworthiness, etc., and then the ball started rolling. Things were still tight for the remainder of the year; however, by the end of that first year, I had a full client base.
The other advice I would give is not to go into this without the hard and soft skills to back up your business. You need to know the ins and outs of the software you are using. You should be proficient with the Microsoft Office products, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at the minimum. You need to have no fear of learning anything new, such as shopping carts, autoresponders, e-zines, web design and maintenance, etc. You may have no interest in learning about design and maintenance for a website, how to set up a shopping cart; however, you should at least know what the components are, so if you need to find vendors who can help you with this work, you know how to communicate what your client’s needs are.
With your soft skills, you need to be a people person and know how to work with a variety of personalities. You also need to know when a client relationship is not working out and use your communication skills in being able to end the relationship with the client happy or at least satisfied with the partnership.
Ruth: All excellent suggestions. Enough can’t be said for knowing the ins and outs of your software. It truly doesn’t take a lot of different software to become a virtual assistant who specializes in administrative support or the marketing support that you’ve mentioned. Share with me, what advice do you have for potential clients seeking a virtual assistant?
Naomi: The absolute best way to find a Virtual Assistant is by word of mouth, just as it is for us in finding clients. Think of it this way. If you have a business colleague you admire, trust, and wonder how he/she gets everything done, then wouldn’t that person be the person to ask? Personalities attract same type of personalities, so if your colleague absolutely loves and could not do without his/her assistant, it stands to reason that same assistant could also fit you perfectly.
The same is true when my clients refer one of their colleagues to me. They know my personality, they know how I work, and they know their colleague well enough to feel secure in making the recommendation. I know if one of my clients has referred someone to me, it wasn’t a simple afterthought. If I should have an opening in my practice available, I’ll let my clients know, “I have an opening in my practice, I need another ‘you’ to fill it.”
If you can’t find someone via word-of-mouth, I would highly recommend IVAA, VAnetworking, and AssistU.
Ruth: I agree. So many times when I need someone I ask my friends who they would recommend and they always seem to know the perfect VA for my projects. Additionally, that’s an amazing statement to share with clients when you’re seeking to fill an opening – “I have an opening in my practice, I need another ‘you’ to fill it.” It’s disappointing but it’s nearly time to wrap up our interview, do you have any last comments to share with the readers?
Naomi: Owning your own business, taking control over your life, personally and professionally, can be very fulfilling. Simply do it with some forethought and planning, and you will be a success.
If you’re in need of a Virtual Assistant to help free up your time from the administrative tasks at hand, leaving you the time you need to grow your business, same advice. Some forethought and planning, and finding the right Virtual Assistant that matches the way you work (your personality), and you will once again be able to take control over your life, personally and professionally. Thank you Ruth for the opportunity of this interview! Much success with your endeavors.
Ruth: Naomi, it’s been a pleasure.
If you’d like to meet Naomi and find out if she is the answer to your administrative support needs I encourage you to: 1) visit her website and 2) click on the fun video on her Home page. I think you’ll enjoy it and find she really gets you – the client.