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Answer Upon - An Internet Marketer's Guide To Finding a Virtual Assistant
Pricing Strategies, Revenues, Costs And Profits: How Does Profit Connect To Your Sales Price a good way to weed out the desirable from the undesirable candidates.When I ask my accountant, he tells me that Profit equals Revenue minus Costs. He then spoils this simple equation with two caveats: Revenue is the cash flowing into your bank - this is sales without the bad debts, returns or shrinkage. Costs include your materials, labour and energy bills as well as everything else needed for long-term trading such as your contingencies, investments, replacements, training, and insurances. So how do you determine your price?If you were my client and I was helping you to calculate your sales price, does that mean that can you simply take the cost of the goods or services that you are selling and add on the Profit you choose?No - though you are in business for profit, your other goals might include growth, long term survival, avoiding competition or managing tax. So deciding your b What exactly is a retainer agreement? Just like a lawyer requires an upfront retainer so you can have access and reserve their services, so does a professional VA. They want to make the most our of the time that you allot to them. And by retaining their services for a specified period, usually over the course of a month, you not only have their undivided attention, but you also know that you will always come first in their business. Most VA’s will also offer a price break for retaining a certain amount of hours of work per month. Always ask a potential VA about their retainer arrangements. Contracting a VA is Not the Same as Hiring an Employee This is one area where internet businesses and marketers get a bit confused. Hiring a VA is NOT hiring an employee. A virtual assistant is running a professional business that offers a much sought out service. They want to make it a win-win situation for both themselves and their client. Therefore, they have set office hours, rules, and guidelines. They work on their time and schedule and will do everything possible to accommodate you, but they are not your employee. Therefore, you cannot expect them to work strange and long hours, or be there every moment of your day (unless you are retaining them enough hours to constitute 8 + hours a day). If you are a mi Branded Promotional Items Get You Noticed So you have launched a great site with an awesome product/idea. You are generating new sales all day, every day. You have people lined up to JV with you, your phones ringing off the hook, and you don’t know when the last time you slept a full 8 hours was. Congratulations and welcome to the world of a successful internet marketer! You’ve reached a plateau that most internet marketing newbies only dream of. You are on your way to guru status.Among the many advantages of marketing your business with promotional items is the visibility you gain when your gifts are used. If increasing brand awareness and recognition is part of your intent in using promotional gifts for marketing, then visibility should be high on your priority list when you choose which items or gifts to use. Of course, visibility is – if you’ll forgive the pun – in the eye of the beholder. There are many different kinds of visibility. Before you make your choice of promotional giveaways, you should decide exactly what you hope to gain from them and the type of visibility that you want. That will help you choose promotional gifts that most closely achieve your objectives. Here are a few for instances to help you in your own planning.Maximum Visibility If you’re gunning for maximum visibility for your brand because your market is nearly universal, then you can’t go wrong with big visib But what do you do next? Your email box is full, your brain is storming with ideas, the programmer needs your help with the next project, and you have 10 voicemails to return. It’s becoming extremely hard to focus on just one thing. You know you need to hire someone to help you out, but the problem is that you have no office space (as you work in your living room converted into an office), and don’t have the slightest clue about local, state, and federal laws regarding employees and taxes (nor do you have the time to learn). You just want a reliable person who will focus on the projects at hand, complete the tasks in the time allotted, and be there to help you grow your business to the next level. Its time to hire help, it’s time to find a reliable and professional VA. What Can a VA do For Me Just what is a virtual assistant anyway? You know you’ve heard the term on marketing forums and through associates, but what exactly do virtual assistants do? A virtual assistant/personal assistant (VA) is considered to be an executives right hand person. Virtual assistants handle many day to day activities including answering/returning calls, scheduling appointments and trips, research, answering emails and customer service questions, link exchange management, project management, scheduling updates for your website, managing your forums and blogs, building relationships with your JV partners, seeking out affiliate programs, copywriting (very important), creating and managing personas, registering and keeping active domain names, and basically making your life and business run much smoother. They are a highly skilled group of individuals whose focus is on creating a win-win situation for their clients through effective time management. They save client’s countless hours, weekends, and overnighters by prioritizing their lives and schedule to accommodate family time, business trips, and overall sanity. So at this point, you must being saying to yourself, wow! I have got to get myself a VA. Where do I find one and how much is this going to cost me? The Cost of Hiring a VA There are so many different avenues to take when looking for a reliable VA. The first one being how much do you want to pay for a VA? The rule of thumb when looking for a virtual assistant is to know that cheaper is not always better. Simply stated, you get what you pay for. Are you looking for someone trained in the marketing industry? Or maybe you want someone who is going to offer more personal assisting services as well such as booking appointments and trips. I have been in this industry quite a long time and have had clients who not only wanted someone who was spot on when it came to knowing how to navigate and manage a website and blog, but they also wanted someone who would call up and schedule their dentist and doctors appointments as well as find them a reliable cook and maid. Typically speaking, if you are looking for an all around professional and experienced VA, you are going to pay between $30-50 (USD) per hour. Some VA’s charge more for specialized services such as SEO, e-book writing, ect. If you are looking for someone to just answer the phones and a few emails here are there, you are probably going to pay between $8-15 (USD) per hour. Be careful when hiring a VA in this price range and make sure that they are experienced (or you are willing to train) as they will most likely need it. You don’t want to have a lot of turnover with your growing company as time equals money and you don’t want to train someone just to have to fire them and re-train someone else a few months later. Make sure you find out their short-term and long-term goals. Most professionals will tell you that this is their chosen profession or career. Finding a Reliable VA The great thing about working online is that there are many reliable and wonderful places to seek out contractors. You can check out sites such as Guru.com or Elance.com. It’s where potential contractors bid for your project or virtual assisting opportunities. Craigslist is another great place to find potential VA’s. They usually advertise in the services section as well as under resumes. Another good way of finding a reliable VA is through message boards as well as word of mouth. Other marketers are going to know of or heard of a good VA. Most won’t want to give out the info as they don’t want to run the risk of losing a great asset to their business. A lot of internet marketers trade insider information and will pass on information regarding potential VA’s they have worked with and had bad experiences or poor work performance from. Make sure you ask a lot of questions if the VA has claimed to work with so and so but no longer does. There may be a reason that the marketer is no longer retaining their services. Retainer and Work Agreements Make sure you have an agreement outlined in the very beginning and both parties know the parameters of the work to be completed. A professional VA should have a work agreement, retainer structure and work portfolios ready and on hand for you once initial contact is made. This is a good way to weed out the desirable from the undesirable candidates. What exactly is a retainer agreement? Just like a lawyer requires an upfront retainer so you can have access and reserve their services, so does a professional VA. They want to make the most our of the time that you allot to them. And by retaining their services for a specified period, usually over the course of a month, you not only have their undivided attention, but you also know that you will always come first in their business. Most VA’s will also offer a price break for retaining a certain amount of hours of work per month. Always ask a potential VA about their retainer arrangements. Contracting a VA is Not the Same as Hiring an Employee This is one area where internet businesses and marketers get a bit confused. Hiring a VA is NOT hiring an employee. A virtual assistant is running a professional business that offers a much sought out service. They want to make it a win-win situation for both themselves and their client. Therefore, they have set office hours, rules, and guidelines. They work on their time and schedule and will do everything possible to accommodate you, but they are not your employee. Therefore, you cannot expect them to work strange and long hours, or be there every moment of your day (unless you are retaining them enough hours to constitute 8 + hours a day). If you are a mic Resume WorkShop -- Organizing Format tual assistants do? A virtual assistant/personal assistant (VA) is considered to be an executives right hand person.There are some fundamental rules for writing a r?sum?:Keep it brief. Your r?sum? is your primary piece of marketing collateral, like a brochure or a flyer. You must present your career honestly, clearly and completely in one, or if necessary, no more than two, pages.Use sound marketing design principles when creating your r?sum?. According to many authorities, presentation of the content in your r?sum? is as important as that content itself. Use formatting options to highlight key features and benefits of your product (your experience and your skills) to generate interest on the part of the employer. Make use of such conventions as:Bolding text Varying font size Using white spacePresenting data in bullet lists as opposed to paragraph format Organize your content logically, so your target audience (the prospective employer) can immediately see why you deserve as much of his or her ti Virtual assistants handle many day to day activities including answering/returning calls, scheduling appointments and trips, research, answering emails and customer service questions, link exchange management, project management, scheduling updates for your website, managing your forums and blogs, building relationships with your JV partners, seeking out affiliate programs, copywriting (very important), creating and managing personas, registering and keeping active domain names, and basically making your life and business run much smoother. They are a highly skilled group of individuals whose focus is on creating a win-win situation for their clients through effective time management. They save client’s countless hours, weekends, and overnighters by prioritizing their lives and schedule to accommodate family time, business trips, and overall sanity. So at this point, you must being saying to yourself, wow! I have got to get myself a VA. Where do I find one and how much is this going to cost me? The Cost of Hiring a VA There are so many different avenues to take when looking for a reliable VA. The first one being how much do you want to pay for a VA? The rule of thumb when looking for a virtual assistant is to know that cheaper is not always better. Simply stated, you get what you pay for. Are you looking for someone trained in the marketing industry? Or maybe you want someone who is going to offer more personal assisting services as well such as booking appointments and trips. I have been in this industry quite a long time and have had clients who not only wanted someone who was spot on when it came to knowing how to navigate and manage a website and blog, but they also wanted someone who would call up and schedule their dentist and doctors appointments as well as find them a reliable cook and maid. Typically speaking, if you are looking for an all around professional and experienced VA, you are going to pay between $30-50 (USD) per hour. Some VA’s charge more for specialized services such as SEO, e-book writing, ect. If you are looking for someone to just answer the phones and a few emails here are there, you are probably going to pay between $8-15 (USD) per hour. Be careful when hiring a VA in this price range and make sure that they are experienced (or you are willing to train) as they will most likely need it. You don’t want to have a lot of turnover with your growing company as time equals money and you don’t want to train someone just to have to fire them and re-train someone else a few months later. Make sure you find out their short-term and long-term goals. Most professionals will tell you that this is their chosen profession or career. Finding a Reliable VA The great thing about working online is that there are many reliable and wonderful places to seek out contractors. You can check out sites such as Guru.com or Elance.com. It’s where potential contractors bid for your project or virtual assisting opportunities. Craigslist is another great place to find potential VA’s. They usually advertise in the services section as well as under resumes. Another good way of finding a reliable VA is through message boards as well as word of mouth. Other marketers are going to know of or heard of a good VA. Most won’t want to give out the info as they don’t want to run the risk of losing a great asset to their business. A lot of internet marketers trade insider information and will pass on information regarding potential VA’s they have worked with and had bad experiences or poor work performance from. Make sure you ask a lot of questions if the VA has claimed to work with so and so but no longer does. There may be a reason that the marketer is no longer retaining their services. Retainer and Work Agreements Make sure you have an agreement outlined in the very beginning and both parties know the parameters of the work to be completed. A professional VA should have a work agreement, retainer structure and work portfolios ready and on hand for you once initial contact is made. This is a good way to weed out the desirable from the undesirable candidates. What exactly is a retainer agreement? Just like a lawyer requires an upfront retainer so you can have access and reserve their services, so does a professional VA. They want to make the most our of the time that you allot to them. And by retaining their services for a specified period, usually over the course of a month, you not only have their undivided attention, but you also know that you will always come first in their business. Most VA’s will also offer a price break for retaining a certain amount of hours of work per month. Always ask a potential VA about their retainer arrangements. Contracting a VA is Not the Same as Hiring an Employee This is one area where internet businesses and marketers get a bit confused. Hiring a VA is NOT hiring an employee. A virtual assistant is running a professional business that offers a much sought out service. They want to make it a win-win situation for both themselves and their client. Therefore, they have set office hours, rules, and guidelines. They work on their time and schedule and will do everything possible to accommodate you, but they are not your employee. Therefore, you cannot expect them to work strange and long hours, or be there every moment of your day (unless you are retaining them enough hours to constitute 8 + hours a day). If you are a mi The 4 Hidden Secrets of Prospecting (Special) mply stated, you get what you pay for. Are you looking for someone trained in the marketing industry? Or maybe you want someone who is going to offer more personal assisting services as well such as booking appointments and trips.Lots of people in network marketing or even sales period don't know this little known fact.Curious what it could be?Did you know you have two ears and one mouth for a reason? Ponder that thought for a moment and you'll begin to realize one of the few secrets to building report, making more sales and building a larger team.So many people rather than asking questions just use the shot gun effect when talking to prospects. saying anything and everything to get them to look at their opportunity. A gun to the face doesn't exactly get people happy about working with you. Remember that the next time you find yourself talking and talking and talking and talking...you get the point.Why would you ask more questions you ask? Great question lol. When you understand the 4 personality types you know what a persons hot buttons are and what motivates them. You can only know what those are by asking questions. I have been in this industry quite a long time and have had clients who not only wanted someone who was spot on when it came to knowing how to navigate and manage a website and blog, but they also wanted someone who would call up and schedule their dentist and doctors appointments as well as find them a reliable cook and maid. Typically speaking, if you are looking for an all around professional and experienced VA, you are going to pay between $30-50 (USD) per hour. Some VA’s charge more for specialized services such as SEO, e-book writing, ect. If you are looking for someone to just answer the phones and a few emails here are there, you are probably going to pay between $8-15 (USD) per hour. Be careful when hiring a VA in this price range and make sure that they are experienced (or you are willing to train) as they will most likely need it. You don’t want to have a lot of turnover with your growing company as time equals money and you don’t want to train someone just to have to fire them and re-train someone else a few months later. Make sure you find out their short-term and long-term goals. Most professionals will tell you that this is their chosen profession or career. Finding a Reliable VA The great thing about working online is that there are many reliable and wonderful places to seek out contractors. You can check out sites such as Guru.com or Elance.com. It’s where potential contractors bid for your project or virtual assisting opportunities. Craigslist is another great place to find potential VA’s. They usually advertise in the services section as well as under resumes. Another good way of finding a reliable VA is through message boards as well as word of mouth. Other marketers are going to know of or heard of a good VA. Most won’t want to give out the info as they don’t want to run the risk of losing a great asset to their business. A lot of internet marketers trade insider information and will pass on information regarding potential VA’s they have worked with and had bad experiences or poor work performance from. Make sure you ask a lot of questions if the VA has claimed to work with so and so but no longer does. There may be a reason that the marketer is no longer retaining their services. Retainer and Work Agreements Make sure you have an agreement outlined in the very beginning and both parties know the parameters of the work to be completed. A professional VA should have a work agreement, retainer structure and work portfolios ready and on hand for you once initial contact is made. This is a good way to weed out the desirable from the undesirable candidates. What exactly is a retainer agreement? Just like a lawyer requires an upfront retainer so you can have access and reserve their services, so does a professional VA. They want to make the most our of the time that you allot to them. And by retaining their services for a specified period, usually over the course of a month, you not only have their undivided attention, but you also know that you will always come first in their business. Most VA’s will also offer a price break for retaining a certain amount of hours of work per month. Always ask a potential VA about their retainer arrangements. Contracting a VA is Not the Same as Hiring an Employee This is one area where internet businesses and marketers get a bit confused. Hiring a VA is NOT hiring an employee. A virtual assistant is running a professional business that offers a much sought out service. They want to make it a win-win situation for both themselves and their client. Therefore, they have set office hours, rules, and guidelines. They work on their time and schedule and will do everything possible to accommodate you, but they are not your employee. Therefore, you cannot expect them to work strange and long hours, or be there every moment of your day (unless you are retaining them enough hours to constitute 8 + hours a day). If you are a mi Could You Benefit from Using a Dallas Janitor Service? n profession or career.In the Dallas area, a large number of homeowners and business owners rely on assistance from professional Dallas janitor service companies, to have their homes or their offices cleaned. Are you one of those individuals? If not, you may want to think about becoming one, as there are a number of benefits to using a professional Dallas janitor service.Although there are a number of benefits to using a Dallas janitor service, there are many individuals who are still left wondering if it is the right option for them. While most business owners and homeowners can benefit from using a Dallas janitor service, there are others who may not. To determine which individual you are, it is advised that you ask yourself a few important questions. Just a few of the many questions that you may want to ask yourself are outlined below.If you are a homeowner, it is advised that you ask yourself how much time you spend on cleani Finding a Reliable VA The great thing about working online is that there are many reliable and wonderful places to seek out contractors. You can check out sites such as Guru.com or Elance.com. It’s where potential contractors bid for your project or virtual assisting opportunities. Craigslist is another great place to find potential VA’s. They usually advertise in the services section as well as under resumes. Another good way of finding a reliable VA is through message boards as well as word of mouth. Other marketers are going to know of or heard of a good VA. Most won’t want to give out the info as they don’t want to run the risk of losing a great asset to their business. A lot of internet marketers trade insider information and will pass on information regarding potential VA’s they have worked with and had bad experiences or poor work performance from. Make sure you ask a lot of questions if the VA has claimed to work with so and so but no longer does. There may be a reason that the marketer is no longer retaining their services. Retainer and Work Agreements Make sure you have an agreement outlined in the very beginning and both parties know the parameters of the work to be completed. A professional VA should have a work agreement, retainer structure and work portfolios ready and on hand for you once initial contact is made. This is a good way to weed out the desirable from the undesirable candidates. What exactly is a retainer agreement? Just like a lawyer requires an upfront retainer so you can have access and reserve their services, so does a professional VA. They want to make the most our of the time that you allot to them. And by retaining their services for a specified period, usually over the course of a month, you not only have their undivided attention, but you also know that you will always come first in their business. Most VA’s will also offer a price break for retaining a certain amount of hours of work per month. Always ask a potential VA about their retainer arrangements. Contracting a VA is Not the Same as Hiring an Employee This is one area where internet businesses and marketers get a bit confused. Hiring a VA is NOT hiring an employee. A virtual assistant is running a professional business that offers a much sought out service. They want to make it a win-win situation for both themselves and their client. Therefore, they have set office hours, rules, and guidelines. They work on their time and schedule and will do everything possible to accommodate you, but they are not your employee. Therefore, you cannot expect them to work strange and long hours, or be there every moment of your day (unless you are retaining them enough hours to constitute 8 + hours a day). If you are a mi From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money Selling Info Products a good way to weed out the desirable from the undesirable candidates.The term “Infopreneur” is a relatively new industry buzz word that is making waves because it opens doors for entrepreneurs to generate new streams of income. Simply put, an infopreneur sells information.Information products are offered in a variety of formats including books, e-books, special reports, audio formats, videos, workbooks, tips booklets, and virtually any method in which you can deliver information. Many successful entrepreneurs have been doing this for years. Here are some examples:*Joan Stewart is a publicity expert and operates www.PublicityHound.com. With over 100 special reports and audio recordings of the teleconferences she hosts, Joan is a master infopreneur.*Dottie Walters is the author of “Speak and Grow Rich” and several other books, and the founder of www.SpeakandGrowRich.com. In addition to her published books, Dottie sells audio programs, subscriptions to “Sharing Ideas,” her What exactly is a retainer agreement? Just like a lawyer requires an upfront retainer so you can have access and reserve their services, so does a professional VA. They want to make the most our of the time that you allot to them. And by retaining their services for a specified period, usually over the course of a month, you not only have their undivided attention, but you also know that you will always come first in their business. Most VA’s will also offer a price break for retaining a certain amount of hours of work per month. Always ask a potential VA about their retainer arrangements. Contracting a VA is Not the Same as Hiring an Employee This is one area where internet businesses and marketers get a bit confused. Hiring a VA is NOT hiring an employee. A virtual assistant is running a professional business that offers a much sought out service. They want to make it a win-win situation for both themselves and their client. Therefore, they have set office hours, rules, and guidelines. They work on their time and schedule and will do everything possible to accommodate you, but they are not your employee. Therefore, you cannot expect them to work strange and long hours, or be there every moment of your day (unless you are retaining them enough hours to constitute 8 + hours a day). If you are a micromanager, unable to be online frequently, or want an employee in your office or home, then you should consider hiring an actual employee who, in the end, will probably cost you way more in taxes, fees, and headaches. With a potential employee, you will pay for down time, sick time, bathroom breaks, socializing ect. Remember, a professional VA’s time is ALL productive time which helps your business grow, prosper, and reach new heights.
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