Virtual Assistant

Working as a Virtual Assistant in Exeter, Devon.

Hiring Freelance Contractors

Hiring Freelance Contractors

Hiring Freelance Contractors Instead of Employees Increased demand on you and your employees often means hiring new staff, or does it? Instead of hiring new full or part-time staff, focus on growing your business by recognising the value of hiring freelance contractors. As an example most Virtual PAs do not just offer secretarial work and admin skills. They often have a wide range of business experience related to the role, from social media, managing client relationships, to basic creative or marketing skills. Perfect for when you need that “second set of eyes” or…Read more
Using Lastpass

Using Lastpass

How did we ever cope without Lastpass? I’ve been a Lastpass premium user for a number of years. As a Virtual Assistant who supports multiple clients’ in my opinion it is the best, most secure password management service available. Why do you need Lastpass? In short, passwords unlock everything we do online! If you find it difficult to remember one or two passwords imagine having to remember without writing them down over 50. It’s impossible. Before I started to use Lastpass I was sloppy with password storage. Before I’m berated; this was 5…Read more
Networking goals for 2018

Networking goals for 2018

Networking is more than a handing out business cards event. Growing your business through networking is about developing and nurturing relationships. Remember: people do not buy products or services, they buy benefits and solutions and above all they buy from people they know and like. Networking should never feel forced One of the biggest faux pas I’ve seen during my years of attending business events, are the pushy people who approach a networking meeting with a "me, me, me" attitude. A better approach is to learn about the other person first. You then have…Read more
Opening Hours

Opening Hours

Our opening hours over the Christmas holiday period Here are our opening hours for the Christmas period 2017: Monday 25th December - Closed Tuesday 26th December - Closed Wednesday 27th December - Pre-booked work only Thursday 28th December - Pre-booked work only Friday 29th December - Pre-booked work only Monday 1st January 2018 - Closed Tuesday 2nd January - Pre-booked work only Wednesday 3rd January - normal opening hours resume We would like to wish our clients past and present a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2018.    Read more
How to Kick-start Your Momentum

How to Kick-start Your Momentum

 Momentum is a Great Thing At its height, it makes you unstoppable. It’s the times when everything seems to come together effortlessly and your business just gets better and better. It flows and glides with ease. Unfortunately, keeping momentum isn’t always easy. A lot of us find that coming up with ideas or getting stuck into a project are great fun, but staying dedicated once the going gets tough isn’t always so much fun. So how do you kick-start your momentum when things slow down? Here are a few ideas that I use:…Read more
Dealing with Client Emergency Requests

Dealing with Client Emergency Requests

How to Manage Client Emergency Requests I’ve received many client emergency requests asking me to complete urgent work over the years. There are number of ways to deal with client emergency requests for work, so I’ve put together a scenario and a number of ways you can deal with them. The Scenario You have a regular client who you have worked with on many occasions. Because they like the way you work and you have a good rapport with them, you are the first virtual assistant they contact. They usually give you plenty…Read more
8 Benefits of using Cloud-Based Services as Virtual Assistants

8 Benefits of using Cloud-Based Services as Virtual Assistants

The Many Benefits of using Cloud-Based Services Cloud-Based Services or 'the Cloud' as we know it today was originally known as "software as a service," or SaaS. Cloud-based services are a business model that uses licensing and monthly fees to allow its users to have access to software on the owners' own servers. Users have access to the software using a unique URL, username, and password. As long as the user pays their monthly fee, they keep their access to the software. Why I use Cloud-Based Services There are so many benefits to…Read more
How to Acquire Virtual Assistant Clients

How to Acquire Virtual Assistant Clients

One of the most often asked questions I’ve received over the past four and a half years of running my virtual assistant business is, “How do you get virtual assistant clients?” Unfortunately there is no one stop fits all answer. It’s not easy, but, nobody has ever said it was. If you’ve heard from someone that it’s easy. It’s a scam, and you’ve been told a porky. Walk away from it now, save your money and take note of this article. I started my VA business back in 2012 with a client on…Read more
Virtual Assistant Data Protection Procedures

Virtual Assistant Data Protection Procedures

Virtuoso-PA | Virtual Assistant Data Protection Procedures   With the imminent arrival of the GDPR data protection is in the news and on social media daily. Any personal data held by a business which could be used to identify an individual, needs to come under the data protection umbrella.  As an example; your client list & CRM will contain contact details, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. Everyone in business, no matter the size, holds this type of information. To comply with the Data Protection Act even before GDPR comes into effect you must…Read more
Virtual Assistant offering Bookkeeping Services?

Virtual Assistant offering Bookkeeping Services?

Money Laundering Photo courtesy of TaxRebate.org.uk There are regulations you need to know if you're a Virtual Assistant offering Bookkeeping Services   If you’re a Virtual Assistant offering a bookkeeping services without a correct HMRC MLR license, do you realise that you are making your Clients’ insurance null and void? Yes that’s right. You are not only compromising yourself, with the prospect of hefty fines from HMRC. You are also putting your clients business in jeopardy. If you are not a member of a recognised professional body, you are required by law to…Read more