Be Cheap in Your Virtual Assistant Business...

Remember that old saying, “You have to spend money to make money?”  Well, I think that’s complete B.S.  For the last six years, I’ve ran my virtual assistance practice in the cheapest way possible.  Now, I don’t mean sacrificing quality or the business’ needs just to save a dollar… but I have been very smart about where I spend my money and where I don’t.

If you’re struggling to keep expenses low, here are some helpful tips to stay cheap in your virtual assistance business.

1. Use free advertising wherever possible. This can be your website, social media, press releases, teleclasses, etc. but focus on the things that aren’t costing you money.  Yellow page ads are things of the past… Instead, get your blog on and generate some natural search engine referrals for yourself that won’t break the bank.
2. Don’t use a paid service when there is a free option available. For example, you don’t need a paid bridge line.  There are plenty of free bridge lines out there when setting yourself up to do a teleclass.  Another great example is in the automated scheduling world.  Some people opt for the paid versions when Tungle is a much better, free option.
3. Don’t register for services, software, classes, infoproducts, etc. until you really do need them. Too many virtual assistants think that purchasing up the latest software or going to that large, expensive conference is going to equate to business.  That’s incorrect thinking.  Instead, only do those things when you (a) can afford them and (b) really need them in your business.

Keeping your costs low does not mean that your business will be lacking in features, functionality or pizzazz.  It simply means that you are going to be a smart business owner and at the end of the day, you’ll have more money in your pocket.

How are you cheap in your VA business?

Are You Over-Spending in Your VA Business?...

When I started my business back in 2004, I began it with very little cash flow.  For the longest time, that worked perfectly – in fact, I even wrote a report about it called ‘What Advertising Budget?‘ which I give away to my group coaching participants.

In this report, I discuss the various ways that you can get advertising and publicity for your business without spending a dime.  It seems that some virtual assistants enter their brand new business with the mindset of, ‘I need to spend money to make money’ and while I agree that in some cases this is true, it is not necessarily true of virtual assistance businesses.

The thing is, you could purchase every gadget out there, every recommended tool, every recommended training, every single info-product but really, at the end of the day, is spending all of that cash going to get you ahead?  You might be thinking, ‘Well, learning all of those new things helps me to attract more clients!’ Right… I agree with you.  However, can you really effectively learn ALL of that at once? If the answer is NO, then pace yourself.

Spend a little bit at a time when it feels right and makes sense to do so.  Don’t just run out and buy something because someone else says you need it.  Get what YOU feel you need based on what your business asks for (ie: a new client needs you to have Dreamweaver…) and ignore the rest.