Ways A Virtual Assistant Can Help With Your Blog

Hiring a Virtual Assistant can feel like a big step – and it is – but it’s worth it! If you’re reading this article, you’re most likely ready to take that leap, so let’s talk about what a Virtual Assistant can help you with.

Screen and answer emails.

If you aren’t comfortable with someone else replying to emails for you, at least have your VA screen them. This could save you hours each week.

Find opportunities for you to guest blog.

Guest blogging means linkbacks and more exposure for your blog. Time spent researching these opportunities is something well suited to a virtual assistant, freeing you to do other things.

Comment on other blogs.

Commenting means linkbacks (if the bloggers have CommentLuv), and overall good karma.

Generate blog post ideas.

Give your VA a list of topics you cover, or keywords you’d like to use in your next posts. Your VA can then do the keyword research, and give you a list of ideas for upcoming blog posts. It’s best to have your VA working way ahead. So if you’re reading Easter posts, your VA can be working on back to school ideas.

Maintain an editorial calendar.

On top of helping you generate blog post ideas, your VA can create and maintain your editorial calendar. This has been one of the most helpful tasks I’ve had a Virtual Assistant do. It takes me hours and hours to do this type of thing, but it only takes her a few minutes a few times a week.

Manage comments and social media.

You should have a plugin that helps combat spam, but there’s no plug-in for responding to comments. Having a VA spend 30 minutes a week approving and replying to comments on your blog and social media will free up a lot of your time. Time is money!

Optimize your blog posts.

Install an SEO plugin, and have your VA go through your old posts to optimize them. This will increase your traffic immediately!

Promote your blog posts, new and old.

Have your VA promote each new blog post you publish, and also have them go through each week to promote old posts. This will help to increase your traffic.

As you can see, there are a lot of places where you could benefit from having the help of a virtual assistant. You can also have a virtual assistant help you with the promotion of each post you publish.

Example of what you might have a VA do each time you publish a post:

·         Write an initial tweet, then schedule tweets for the next day and next week, including hashtags (I have a spreadsheet to track which ones I use for which topics).

·         Announce the post on Facebook – in groups and on fan page(s). Your VA can join groups on your behalf and network with other bloggers, so when a relevant thread pops up, she can add your link without being spammy.

·         Send post out via email newsletter. I personally like to have my VA write out a “frame” of the email, and then I will add my personal touches to it and send it out. If your VA has worked with you for a long time, they might be able to do the entire thing.

·         Find a handful of related blog posts and comment on them. This shows your friends and readers that your content is relevant.

·         Finish strong! Pin it, stumble it, promote it via all social media outlets – one per day – until each network has been covered. If you have your VA in LinkedIn groups, make sure he/she adds links to relevant groups/threads there, too. It’s important to spread promotion out. You don’t want to come off as spammy or needy.

·         Hopefully this has given you some ideas of ways to utilize virtual assistants to free up your time for more writing, connecting, and even more time away from the computer.

Why You Need to Network with Other Virtual Assistants

Working from home carries special risks of isolation. It can be hard if you don’t know others in your shoes, who to go to when you have questions about something. It can be difficult to be aware of new technologies, different ways of doing things, and what the norm is when working with clients on a variety of situations that arise. When you network with other virtual assistants you’ll gain so many benefits.

You will Build Relationships with Potential JV Partners 

One of the ways that you can earn more money as a VA is to join forces with other VAs as joint venture partners. You can plan to host events together, do a course together, start a membership site together and so many more things that you may not have ever seen yourself doing. The best way to find JV partners is to network with other virtual assistants so that you can meet the people who may be your future JV partner. 

 You will Have Someone with Whom to Commiserate 

In a normal job, you usually form close friendships with co-workers. The reason is, you’re there 8 or more hours a day five days a week. There is little time outside of that time to make friends. But, when you work at home it’s harder, you must seek out the friendships. You’ll have more in common with other VAs and you can commiserate with them just like you would at work in a way that you both understand. This will help you be happier when working than not having that.

You will Feel Less Isolated 

One reason cited by many who try to start a VA career is that they feel isolated and lonely. Even if you’re slightly introverted, you may have a time where you just need people to talk to. Finding other VAs online to talk to is a great way to avoid this feeling. You can join Facebook Groups, VA Forums, and other types of online communities and if you participate you’ll always have them when you need them.

 You will Learn About New Tools & Techniques 

An awesome part of networking with other virtual assistants is that it helps you stay on top of the best technology. One thing that helps a VA become successful is the ability to set up systems and procedures. The successful VAs who started before you, already have it worked out. You can learn from them if you realize you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. 

They will Send Referrals 

You might think that networking with VAs is networking with your competitors and in some cases, that is correct. But not all VAs are in the same niche. That means many people can be sources of referrals for you and vice versa. To get more referrals give more referrals. 

You will Be More Motivated in Your Business 

When you see other people experiencing success and problems you’ll realize you are just a human being like everyone else and it’ll help you become more motivated. You’ll realize if they can do it by following these steps, then you can do it too. 

They will Help You Reach Your Goals 

People, for the most part, do like helping each other and seeing others succeed. This is especially true in the VA community. We’re a small knit group and we do like it when people succeed and make their business what they want it to be. When you share your goals, you’ll get accountability plus practical help and ideas that will help you reach your goals faster.

You Can Build Your Expertise Status 

If you’ve been around the VA world long enough; younger and less experienced VAs will look up to you. You can build a real reputation as an expert within your niche among VAs who will pass that information onto people they know when your particular expertise is needed. 

HERE’S HOW TO HIRE A VA YOURSELF

Sign up for a service like onlinejobs.ph, or odesk.com. Most of these services will have a fee to have access to its applicants. For example, onlinejobs.ph charges $49.00 per month.

Spend your time searching through thousands of applicants online or submit an ad to have applicants contact you.

Narrow down your applicants based on over 100 different skills and strengths. Once you have selected your applicants, email them to find out if they are interested.

Once you find someone you feel is qualified to be a helpful addition for your business, send them a video and sample spreadsheet that you have created to train them in the process of finding and recording products.

Ask them to do an 8 hour trial to see how they like the job. Keep track of how well they perform the tasks.

Evaluate the spreadsheet to see how all the applicants did! This can be time consuming to finally find the right VA for you and your business.

Narrow down to one applicant.

Train them for the next 14-30 days on the ins and outs of how to find extremely profitable products for you on the internet. This will take patience and time, but it is well worth it in the end.

VA TRAIN & TRANSFER PROGRAM

WHAT OUR VA TRAIN AND TRANSFER SERVICE INCLUDES:

We find and hire a VA who is a perfect fit for your business!

We Train your VA on exactly how to source highly profitable products that you can sell online!

We will pay for all the training of your VA until he/she is ready to start!

We will facilitate the introduction of your new VA to you and you will be on your way to freeing up your time and growing your online business!

If for some reason your VA doesn't work out we will hire and train another Va for you until it does work out!

If you are interested in someone shopping around the clock for you even when you sleep, then let us train a Vitrual Assistant for you to find the most profitable items available on the internet! We have a proven system that now offers all of the above for only $697.00. A VA can truly change your business overnight. My VA Team makes me thousands of dollars of income each month. They have changed my business completely, and I now have time to work on things that are important for growing my business. If you have any questions feel free to contact us. If your ready to take your business to another level then sign up below.

ALL THIS FOR A LOW ONE TIME FEE

YES! I AM READY TO SIGN UP! I WANT TO GROW MY BUSINESS NOW!

AVAILABLE NOW

Are you spending hours trying to find products in retail stores only to come back stressed out or exhausted with sore feet? Do you spend hours upon hours of your precious time going through wholesale lists? Are you lacking the time to source products but find only a few profitable items when you do?

You need time to build your business, but you also need to be able to take care of the most demanding tasks that keep it running both smoothly and efficiently. If this is you, then your business needs someone who will source those products for you while your time is put to better use.

ACT NOW to have a Professionally Trained VA literally change the way you run your business.  You can have a VA personally send you products they have taken the time to research for you to buy and sell on Amazon!  Imagine how quickly your business could grow if your sourcing could be done for you while you sleep. You can wake up to a spreadsheet in your inbox listed with sourced products your VA has found for you.

“I called on Eric Hardwick to assist me in finding a VA, and boy am I glad I did.“

– Ken Kelley 

It doesn’t make sense to spend hours and hours of your own time to find items in retail stores or going through wholesale lists when you can have it done for you for less than $2 per hour.  Isn’t your time worth more than $2 per hour?

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Working from Home

For so many people, working from home is the ultimate dream! They imagine themselves sitting at the computer in their pajamas, making their own hours, and being in charge of their day. Ah, that does sound amazing, doesn’t it?But let’s be honest. Working from home is often much more difficult than people realize, and it’s just not for everyone. If you’ve been thinking that you’d like to work from home, whether it’s running your own business or working for someone else, it’s vitally important to know if you’re truly ready to take the plunge.

Are you self-motivated?

Whether you’re working from home for yourself or for someone else, you’ll have to be self-motivated. There won’t be anyone stopping by your desk to make sure you’re working or to encourage you to keep going on those rough days. You’re going to have to be able to motivate and inspire yourself to keep plugging away. Are you prepared to do that?

 Are you a procrastinator?

You’ll have a hard time managing a freelance business if you’re always putting work off until the last minute. Yes, working from home can mean setting your own hours, but you can’t fall into the habit of procrastinating. That will only result in added stress for you, and maybe even sub-par quality of work, which isn’t going to be acceptable to your clients and customers. You just can’t run a business that way. You have to focused and on schedule, and make sure you’re getting things done on time. Are you up for that?

Do you have extra money set aside?

Unless you’re going into working from home with a remote part-time job already lined up, it’s a good idea to have some extra money in the bank. Contract and freelance positions can come and go, and you may have to survive long breaks in between assignments. On top of that, until you get your business established, it’s highly possible you won’t be making much money. It’s always a good idea to have a little “nest egg” to fall back on in the event of an unexpected drought in work and income. How much money do you have set aside for those periods when funds might be tight? I recommend enough cash to pay 2 months of bills.

 Do you have short and long-term plans?

If you were working a traditional job, you’d likely have hopes and dreams for advancement. When working from home, you can’t wait for someone to give you a raise or a fancy title. Instead, you need to know from Day One what your goals are for the future. Where do you want to go? You need to have a plan in place to help you reach those goals. If you have not put together a business plan and/or a goal for the future, you are not ready to work from home. Is your business plan ready to go?

Can you network?

Working from home and building a business requires lots of networking. While in a traditional job work just comes to your desk every day, when you work from home you have to bring in your own clients and customers. Luckily, modern networking isn’t too difficult, thanks to social media. But it does take time and skill to see results, and you have to be committed to marketing yourself and your business if you want it to grow. Are you ready to start networking?

Do you have a backup plan?

The fact of the matter is, working from home may not be a good fit for you. It’s been my experience that you’re not going to know for sure until you do it. But every smart girl has a backup plan just in case things don’t work out, so before you commit to working from home, make sure you know what you’ll do if things go south. Hopefully you’ll never have to implement that plan, but you’ll have peace of mind knowing it’s there if you need it. What’s your backup plan?

http://trainedvas.com/

Simple and Healthy Lunches for virtual Assistant

It can be a real challenge figuring out how to feed yourself properly without overeating when you work from home, since the kitchen is always right there! It’s also tricky to do so without a lot of fuss because time can be tight on workdays. I want my workday lunch to be healthy and uncomplicated, but also somewhat attractive. It’s hard, though. It’s so easy to just shove some snacks or leftovers in your mouth throughout the day, never taking the time to realize what you’re eating… let alone enjoy it!

I think it’s important, when possible, to have a break away from your desk for a nice meal. Having a proper lunch on a nice plate or tray feels like a little indulgent break in the middle of the workday, but it’s also good for you and discourages mindless eating. With the warm weather, if you can take your meal outside and get some fresh air, it’ll be even more refreshing. Though, if you just want to eat your nice lunch while watching YouTube videos, I get it, believe me!

These simple and healthy lunches for Virtual Assistant  are currently my easy, lovely summer workday meals.

Mediterranean platter. Probably my favorite type of meal is a sort of snack-tray lunch. Obviously, you can change this up to your liking, but just to get you started here are my favorite ingredients:

 A small hunk of feta (or sometimes I substitute for whatever cheese we have on hand)

 Black olives

 Cucumbers and tomatoes

 A little sea salt

 Plain yogurt mixed with dill

 Hummus or beans

 Crackers

Slice the cucumber and tomatoes and sprinkle with sea salt. Put olives, yogurt, and hummus or beans into little bowls or as dollops on a plate. Spread everything out on a tray. Serve with your favorite lunch beverage. I’m a big sparkling water fan, but if you’re your own boss, you could go full Mediterranean and have a small glass of red wine! The whole meal looks really festive and also like a lot of food.

Ploughman’s lunch. Another snacky-type lunch. This one includes:

 Sliced meats, like turkey or ham

 A handful of almonds

 Whatever veggies you have on hand

 A hunk of cheddar

 Adding a nice piece of bread would make this lunch even more delightful

Basically, this one follows the same instructions as for the Mediterranean platter, above.

Zoodles with marinara. I am late to the Zoodles party, but now that I’ve had them I’m in love! These are quick and easy to make if you have a spiralizer, and only need to be cooked for a few minutes. There is really only three ingredients in Zoodles:

 Zucchini

 Olive oil or other cooking oil

 Sea salt

I top with a simple homemade marinara made from fire-roasted canned tomatoes, balsamic, olive oil, spices, etc. It makes a big, pretty bowl of food and is great when feeling like a hot lunch for a change.These are the three afternoon meals I’m currently loving. I think what I like most is just taking the brief pause in my day to take care of myself. Bonus points if it’s Instagram worthy!

http://trainedvas.com/