Do you need VA training? How can you identify what training you need either if you are starting up, already in the first couple of years or very established – and who should you train with?
I suppose I am taking a little risk in the title but the purpose of this blog post. My aim with it is to:
- help you to filter through the information overload and first identify whether you actually need training
- and then if so, filter through to identify what specifically is going to be useful for you and a true investment
- OK, it could mean some of you do not come and train with me, but you know what, it’s not me that’s important here, it’s you and I see myself as just a useful facilitation to help you to explore your options
In this blog post, I will provide you with some guidelines to help you think about your way forward, which next steps to take and what is right for you…so please do read on and I hope this helps you. Good luck!!
Right let’s get you started…ready?? I have included 2 possible areas:
- Are you considering becoming a Virtual Assistant?
- Are you a new Virtual Assistant who needs a boost?
The following questions are to help you identify if you need training to set up as a VA or take your new VA business forward?? Well I do always stress that this is not about showing you how to be a PA, the training is how to be effective as a VA in providing an outstanding client management system to support your clients to achieve their outcomes. It is also about how to become successful as a VA business owner and about having an authentic and awesome business.
Question: Have you had any business experience in the past? Do you need to acquire (more) specific industry knowledge, guidance and tools in order to set up, run and boost a successful VA business?
Depending on your answer here, training would be very useful as it provides you, from an experienced industry representative, with not only the essential tools to get started, but also what you need to know to ensure stability in your business, the common mistakes to avoid in order to avoid financial failure and knowing what works.
Question: What are your strengths and experiences? Having these will start you off on the right footing…
- At least 5 years experience as a PA, EA or Secretary
- Experience in strategic business planning
- Implementing action planning and process management for those strategies
- Advanced marketing, PR and sales strategies for client attraction and business growth
- Networking and presentation skills
- Social networking skills
- Advanced client retention and management skills and experience
- Virtual working and communication
- Finance management including cash-flow management
- Good copywriting skills
- Understand how to build a team of associate VAs, manage, communicate with and delegate to them to support you and your clients or to build a passive income
- Passion to become a Business Owner rather than be an employee
Question: What do others perceive as your strengths? Where have you excelled? What are your weaknesses?
- A strength is your core values and the fact that you are you!
- If you are a new VA, you might be thinking that a weakness in not having a niche market, promoting yourself effectively, client conversion low, limited experience working as a VA to effectively support your clients or having low confidence in yourself.
- Generally a weakness is if you have identified an obstacle in either getting yourself started then established, especially if you are still employed and need to be able to make the transition on the salary you need to earn OR as a new VA it could be that you have identified a lack of specific skills which would enable you to effectively support your clients ? what are they?
Question: What do you need to improve on or develop specifically?
- This could be your persuasion skills or how to conduct a prospective client meeting to then convert into a client.
- This could be the process of taking on associates, managing them effectively for client support.
- It could be specifically in networking both online and in person and building your confidence.
- Perhaps you need to develop your own social marketing skills understanding what to say and how to market yourself through Twitter, Linked-In, Facebook, Blog writing etc.
Question: What do you need to improve on or develop specifically? Have you identified opportunities which means you have to add to your skills set?
- You may be a new VA however you have identified a niche market, and in order to help support that niche to meet industry demands, you have identified a boost in possible income if you were to add certain skills such as social media, web design, copy writing, shopping cart building etc.
- As someone who wants to set up as a VA you may have established a niche market and want to know how to work on building clientele in this area.
- What skills do you need to boost your profile and income?
Question: What are you aware of that could create a threat to your business opportunities and growth?
- Is it that there is already a high volume of VAs in the area or in your country?
- Are there VAs who are also offering what you want to develop specialist skills in?
- Are there VAs already working with the niche you want to work in?
- Is it the weaknesses you have identified?
- Is it your lack of confidence in getting going?
- Is it the lack of support from others?
- Is it the lack of time?
What next???
Have you identified your areas of weakness, strengths, opportunities and obstacles?
What do you need to do to:
- eliminate the obstacles,
- improve on your weaknesses to create strengths,
- develop the areas where you are currently strong and
- turn them into opportunities for your business?
Read the following VACT blogs for further information regarding VA training:
“How to choose a VA coach/mentor/trainer for you” – https://vact.co.uk/how-to-choose-a-va-coach-mentor-trainer/
“Six big reasons you need to invest in VA training” – https://vact.co.uk/six-big-reasons-why-invest-in-va-training/
Be aware of ignorance, if we don’t know what we don’t know, how do we know what we must know in order to succeed? Check out the VA Mastery Course, it will hand hold you through the process of setting up your VA business or if you have already launched but struggling, it will help you to get the business up, running and on a successful path.