I was asked this question recently in email, so I thought I would answer it here. Why can’t I just do whatever the client needs me to do?
Well, for one, the more you do one task the more efficient you become, therefore the more money you will make and the happier your clients will be. If you try to be everything to everyone your business will suffer. You won’t be able to attract the clients because when they look at your website, or talk to you about what you do, you won’t be able to sufficiently tell them.
Many people who hire a Virtual Assistant are not sure what they need. When they go to your site and see a small targeted group of packages to support their business they will feel relieved to see what a VA can do for them. If they go to your site and see an unending list they will become overwhelmed and not know what to hire you to do.
Many new Virtual Assistants, myself included, accept every client that comes their way because they are afraid to lose out on the money. I mean, face it, we need money to live, and sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do in order to make money… right?
Maybe, but if you only take clients that you want to work for, doing things that you enjoy and want to do, you will keep space in your schedule to have more of the same. If you take clients you do not like, doing projects you hate, you will be stuck all day long doing things you hate and you will burn out. You may as well take a J.O.B. for someone else and forget being an entrepreneur.
So that is why you need a niche. So what is your niche? Do you need help figuring it out?
There is some great invoicing software out there for contractors to use. I wanted to tell you about the one I am using. It is called Freshbooks ™.
I really love this software more and more each day. It’s not very expensive and you can try it free. The only draw back on this software is ME. I tend not to read directions so I just try to click my way around. However, it is very intuitive so I often figure it out without reading the directions!
Great things about Freshbooks ™:
Send invoices by email, mail, or print them out and mail yourself
Receive invoices from vendors via Freshbooks
Keep track of hours you work on projects
Keep track of contractors and vendors that work on various projects
Keep track of time via your iPhone ™ with their iPhone ™ app (!!!!)
Accept payments via paypal ™, or check!
Manage your books (yes you can!)
There are so many features that I am just learning about. I love the fact that the paper invoice that some of my clients wants can be mailed by them in very professional envelopes. The invoice is branded with my logo and it looks very professional.
Do you ever wonder how some people sleep at night? I do. I keep reading on Virtual Assistant websites that when you are on retainer it is not your job to remind your client to use up their time. Well, I disagree.
If you promise someone 20 hours a month then, in my opinion, you should give them 20 hours a month. Since you, as the VA are keeping track of the time, then it is your responsibility to keep the client up to date on the time spent and time remaining.
Now, you can word your contracts in a way that this is not necessary. Word your contract that you will spend “no more than X hours per month” and make sure that your clients know that you will not be reminding them about their unused time, and that time does not roll over. I am not sure how this will translate into happy clients and it is not something I will ever do, but I do know that some VAs successfully run their business in this manner.
Just remember that as a Virtual Assistant you should have a certain amount of ethics and responsibility for how clients view you and all Virtual Assistants. As contractors we have to stick together and promise to maintain the highest level of ethics, honesty, and legality.
Remember, just because something is technically legal does not make it ethical.
I talk a lot about finding your niche as a Virtual Assistant here at Virtual Assistant Moms. The reason is that it is very important that you narrow down your services so that you can best serve your clients doing what you do best and “mostly” what you like doing. I say mostly because we all know every job has some “boring” tasks.
But the point is, narrow down your services to a specific target market.
Some people get scared to narrow down their services because they do not want to turn down clients. When working for yourself it can be frightening to turn down a client because you don’t know when or if you will find a new client.
But keep this in mind, if you’re busy with clients doing things you don’t enjoy with clients that aren’t in a niche that you respect and enjoy, then you won’t have room for your idea client. By being picky and only working with people you really want to work with, on projects you really want to do, you keep yourself available to those ideal clients.
The interesting thing is that if you do this, you will find that you attract so many more clients that you love, and people will respect you when you turn them down and send them to someone who is a better fit for their business. Surround yourself with other Virtual Assistants in other niches (and even your own niche) and you will discover the wonderful reciprocity that exists in the VA world.
Proud to be a Virtual Assistant? Show the World By Wearing Your VAdala
I feel really fortunate to be a work at home mom. Lately there has been reason for me to be around the house and available to my family.
Even though it sometimes requires that I work later into the evening to meet a client’s deadline, in order to care for my family, at least as a Virtual Assistant business owner, I have that Choice.
That is the greatest thing about having my own business is the amount of choice I get each day in all that I do.
I choose my clients.
Through a process of interviewing I am able to pick and choose who I work with just as much as they are able to pick me.
I choose my hours.
I can work around my family, get them to the doctor, keep the house in working order, (sometimes) and cook healthy meals at night. (most of the time)
I am able to engage in life long learning, reading materials important to my career, go to graduate school, and truly “have it all”. (just not at the same time)
I am very, very fortunate indeed. What do you love about working from home?
