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July 08 - Phone Systems
June 08 - Professional Development
Feb. 08 - Owning Your Value as a VA
Jan. 08 - Time Management Boot Camp
Dec. 07 - Finishing Another Year
Dec. 07 - Holiday Poem
Nov. 07 - Managing Your Outlook Data
Oct. 07 - Outlook Data Loss
Sept. 07 - Overcoming Fear
Aug. 07 - Building a Multi-VA Business
July 07 - Ergonomics
June 07 - Procrastination - The Hidden Costs
May 07 - Owning Your Domain Name
April 07 - Know Your Niche
March 07 - Transitioning To Full-Time VA
Feb. 07 - Tracking Client Requests s
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Ask The Master
June 2008 - Volume 7/Issue 3

Professional Development

It has been a few months since I have been able to write my newsletter. After 5 years and over 60 editions I really am okay with this today. Why you may ask? Because over the past couple of months I have been intently focusing on my professional development.
In This Issue
(Click on the links to go to that question.) What can I do to improve communication with a client?
Building a Multi-VA Business

The Multi-VA business has become a popular alternative for Virtual Assistants and the clients who hire them. It's a business model that provides Virtual Assistants with a solution to turning business away and offers clients a wider selection of services, skill sets and shorter turn around times.

Now you can learn how to build a Multi-VA business, bringing together a team of talented VA's to expand your business and it's potential.

This 4-week advanced course covers every aspect of starting, managing and avoiding potential pitfalls associated with being a Multi-VA owner. Participants must be a graduate of the VATP (or any another VA training program) or have been in business for a minimum of 2 years.

For more information visit http://www.vatp.ca/info/multiva.html or send an email to multiva@vatp.ca.


Complacency

As a successful or new business owner we sometimes tend to put our professional development on the back burner. We become complacent and comfortable with where we are or too caught up in the building of the business to work on ourselves.

This is fine for a period of time, no one is saying you need to be in a constant state of upgrading, however, it's important not to stay there for an extended period of time, like years! With ever changing technology, new ways of doing business and niches opening up you can get behind the eight ball pretty quickly.

In addition since who we are plays such a big part in the success of our business it is also my belief that we need to keep working on our personal growth as well.


The Signs

So how do you know when perhaps you need to work on your professional development? Here are some of the signs you may be experiencing:

  • You find you are not stretching and growing with your clients
  • When someone mentions a new technology you go "Huh?" or "I've never heard of that!" (and it's been out for years!)
  • You have to subcontact out work because you are unfamilair with the technology required
  • You are using older versions of software programs
  • You feel like a "newbie"
  • You find you are restless, irritible or discontent with your business/clients/work
  • You live in fear that the one big client you have will not need you one day
  • You are out of touch with the general VA community
  • You haven't taken a course in over 3 years
  • You haven't attended a VA conference in over 3 years

What To Do?

Quite frankly...get off your butt!

Schedule time each week to jump into a VA forum, upgrade your software program, get training on new or upgraded software, sign up for a newsletter, hire a coach, work with a mentor, take a course, attend an event, volunteer in the VA community, find new clients, find or change your niche, implement better systems and processes, do some business planning, set goals, get counselling, network your office, declare your intentions to the universe...but do something! After all you are the only one who can ;-)

You have a choice, a fork in the road if you will, to either stay where you are or ignite the passion that brought you here in the first place. Will it be easy? Probably not, but nothing worth fighting for usually is, but keep fighting anyway. You and your business are worth it!

Brought to you by Virtual Strategies
and the Virtual Assistant Training Program

Making dreams reality!

www.vatp.ca         info@vatp.ca
1-604-483-3740

vatp - making a difference
Next course starting Monday January 17th, 2011! Free informational session click here.
2009 dates to be announced!
A 4-week comprehensive course on
Building a Multi-VA Business. Find out more here.







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