Ask the Master Newsletter Archives

Welcome to the previous editions of the Ask the Master newsletter. On your left you will find links to tips and the how to’s of running a Virtual Assistant practice. We hope you enjoy your stay and if you have a question you’d like answered send it to submission@vatp.ca.

Training - Special Edition

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you great success in all your endeavours for 2003! I wanted to make you aware of an upcoming opportunity for our community.

Training shortens your learning curve and accelerates your ability to succeed. Trial and error can be a great way to learn however the costs can sometimes be high in terms of time, frustration or stress. The path of least resistance is a road well travelled for good reason. Why reinvent the wheel when you can lighten your load instead?

Warmly,
Mary-Lou Ashton
Master Virtual Assistant

Questions In This Edition
(Click on the links to go to that question.)

• How important is training?
• What training programs are available?
• How do I know which one is for me?
• How can I find out more?
• What is the community opportunity?

You cannot learn something unless you are taught a.k.a. trained. Whether you are self-taught, learn via mentorship, apprenticeship, or formal training. So training of some sort is essential to learning. All of us have preferred learning styles whether visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic or a combination of these.

Determine your preferred learning style and decide on the method of training that works best for you and go from there.

I am only aware of three VA training programs currently available. Assist U (www.assistu.com), the Virtual Assistant Training Program (www.vatp.ca) and Virtual Assistance U (www.virtualassistanceu.com). If you know of any others please let me know and we'll pass the information on to the community.

First you have to decide what you need or want to get trained in. Is it how to get started, office setup, business license/registration, software programs, networking, marketing, getting clients, bookkeeping/accounting, web sites, time management or all the above? You may not even be sure what it is you do need however research the curriculum of the training programs to see what is being covered and if they will meet your needs or 'speak' to you.

Find out what the benefits, features, and results are. What is the vision for the training program, what is the teaching modality, who is facilitating the training, what are their credentials, do you connect with them? All of this information is important to find out.

Finally combine this with your preferred learning style, your budget and your intuition and you should make the right choice for you.

Start by researching the web sites then call to speak to someone in person. Find out if the person you are speaking to will be doing the training. Have a list of questions you would like answered. Ask for testimonials or references from graduates of the program. All of this should be freely given to you as a potential student so you can make an informed decision.

On Monday January 20, 2003 from 4-5pm PT (7-8pm ET) and again on Thursday January 23, 2003 from 9-10am PT (12-1pm ET) I will be holding free informational sessions on the Virtual Assistant profession and the Virtual Assistant Training Program. For those of you who are interested in or considering getting into the profession, interested or considering training, would just like to experience a teleclass, would like to 'meet' me J or would just like to come out and listen send an email to infosession@vatp.ca with the date of which call you would like to attend in the subject line. Please note that you will be responsible for the long distance charges and the bridge line is located in the US (none in Canada, yet!). If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at 1-604-483-3740 or info@vatp.ca. I hope to 'see' some of you on the call!!