blog
Run Your Business Without Doing It Yourself
Let’s face it, you’ve probably wondered if it was possible to manage a business and not be bounded by it 24/7 because you want to spend time with your family and friends or even go on a 1-week vacation. If you’re feeling that way then it’s a sign to expand your team...
Perks of Working Online and Remotely
Have you wondered why some people would prefer working online and remotely? The internet surely did develop along with the opportunities and benefits. If you’re new to the online industry, you might think working online is lonely since you’ll be working remotely but...
Finding My Worth in the Online World
The Mental Transition From Corporate America To a Career of Virtual Opportunities. Mindset, Mindset, Mindset! Limited mindset, money-blocks, and lack-there-of-mentality. These are all success crippling pitfalls that are all too common among the working class. Why?...
FREElancing: The Journey of Wanting Something More. Redefining Motherhood While Working On Your Own Terms!
So you’ve recently added “mom” to the many titles you pride yourself on. Motherhood in itself is a beautiful blessing that comes in many different forms, shapes, and sizes. This may be your first introduction into the crazy world of sleepless nights and never-ending...
Balancing Work & Family
For the last 15 years, I have worked from home and felt like I did well at balancing work and family. I had my set work hours which for the most part also gave me the freedom to volunteer at the school, have lunch dates with my husband, keep up on the housework, and...
Moving from Face to Face to Virtual
Many small businesses like mine were built around on one to one sessions, face to face classes, and product presentations. So, this year has thrown business owner a curve ball and an opportunity to rethink how we do business. I knew I would need to change how and...
The Importance of Self Care
Self Care is a term that gets tossed around daily these days. You always hear “you can’t fill from an empty cup” Have you ever thought about why that is? As a mom of two young boys, I know the challenge of finding time to even fill your own cup. For many years I...
Managing your Time while Parenting and Working under One Roof
The ultimate balance of time is working from home with kids. Having kids at home without trying to get work done is tricky enough but then add in your own deadlines and clients, and zoom calls there is another element that comes in. There is no right or wrong way to...
Staying Organized Amid a Pandemic
If you’re like me, you are still struggling to figure out what day it is and how long we have been staying at home. All of our routines and plans have just been completely changed! It’s a challenge to just wear proper clothing every day. Why do yoga pants have to be...
Do I Need a VA or an OBM
You've likely seen at least one of these acronyms in your travels through the online space. For our purposes, I'm going to assume you don't have the first clue what either of these are, nor how they can help you in your business. Here's the breakdown: virtual...
How To Create The Perfect Pinterest Account
Nowadays when there are so many social media choices and all kinds of commercial advertising material, its not always easy to decide which platform to devote your attention and develop a decent virtual presence for your business. What is obvious is that all social...
The One Tool that is a Must for your Business
When you work from home and you are going at it alone you need all the help you can get. There is so much to do in running your own business. There is writing content for your blog, keeping up with the algorithms of all the social media platforms, creating new...
Using an Editorial Calendar for Your Business
When I first started my business and working from home, I basically never used a calendar for anything except to see what the date was. I am not sure why I did not see the use for one as I used one every single day, all day long, at my job as a Paralegal. Being in the...
Connecting Online
Human connection is and always will be the most important aspect of your online business. With millions of people around the world able to access the internet, we are becoming more and more of a global community every hour of every day. On the flip side, never have we...
A Work Mindset in a Home Environment
In the online business world, you can literally work from anywhere. As long as you have a laptop and the internet, you can achieve anything! Let me be clear: this is NOT an article on living the "laptop lifestyle". There are so many posts on this topic, and let’s get...
Hiring Trends in the Online Industry
The Market Today Businesses today are placing focus on skills and expertise, emphasizing the huge demand for creative talent. With the current economic changes, the marketing industry is rapidly expanding. Companies are searching for skills to grow their teams, while...
College Degrees vs Skills in the Online Industry
What is the demand today? Does a college degree prove a person’s competency and ability? In the era we now live in, does a degree guarantee employment? Or, can skills, critical and creative thinking elevate you in today's work industry? Previously, without a degree,...
How Profitable Is Your Business
Are you guilty of using spreadsheets for keeping track of your business transactions? Sure, you can use spreadsheets and the dreaded shoebox full of blurry receipts, but that doesn’t make you more money! So, why commit to something that is actually costing you more...
How to Monetize your Blog
Blogging is big right now. Everyone wants to have a space on the web to call their own. I get it. I started my own blog in 2016, and I’ve undergone quite a few changes over the years. One thing that has never changed is my drive to make money from my space on the...
Why Blog Articles are a Must-Have for Your Website
One of the first things you hear when starting out with your business is “You need a website!” That is an absolutely valid statement. Websites give you an amazing, flexible platform to showcase your products or show off your skills. You can build an online store into...
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead & Other Fairy Tales – The Importance of Prioritizing People Over Projects
Once upon a time, this girl needed help. Is having it all that really matters? Who doesn't want to have it all? The career, the glittering social life, and the "she has her sh*t together" home life? But when you prioritize one thing over another, what is sacrificed? ...
How Business Continuity Planning Will Get You Ahead
"What comes to mind when you come across the term Business Continuity Planning?" The first time I asked this question was during a workshop for small business owners a few years back. The replies were vague, and I could easily tell that the concept of Business...
Idioting My Way through Downloadable Content
Downloadable content. Everyone knows that a successful online business must be able to supply a product that clients can download. I am not a graphic designer, nor am I a tech-guru. I also don't have funds to pay someone to create downloadable content. That meant that...
Learning to Create My Website
Learning to create my website by myself! What was I thinking? I am a nurse by profession, I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 5-years-old. I have been a qualified nurse for 30 years. Computer literacy was not part of the nursing curriculum it still isn't. Why I...
How to Provide Top Tier Customer Service – Virtually
Great customer service is about one thing - building relationships. While talking face to face it is easier to show intent and expression and some elements of relationship-building are more natural - this does not always translate via email. Below are the metrics that...
How to Get a “Team-Meeting” in an Office of One
You are stuck in the middle of a project and you aren’t quite sure how you can move forward. No problem, you just take the information to your team meeting that afternoon so that you can bounce ideas off of each other. You have a great work ethic but if you aren’t...
Help! I’m an Introvert. Is Remote Work for Me?
Hey there! My name is Andrea. I’m a bookkeeping professional and I work entirely online. Also, I’m a full-blown introvert. And I mean, I really thrive and feel my most comfortable when I am alone. Who knows, partly because I can just throw on some comfy leggings and...
3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Virtual Assistant Business
I was an Executive Assistant in a digital marketing agency last year. I love the job, my bosses, and my team members but I realize that my job there wasn’t aligned with my dreams. 8 years ago, I began taking courses in digital marketing and running campaigns for my...
5 Ultimate Steps To Get Clients On LinkedIn Using Social Selling
How To Attract Potential Clients On LinkedIn Getting clients is definitely one of the tough parts for a new virtual assistant. Even a senior virtual assistant is still facing the same problem. Here I’m going to share with you guys my experience in getting clients on...
Level Up: How and When to Raise Your Rates as a VA
When starting as a VA, we often find ourselves taking any old project for any old price. Sometimes even for... for... *gulp* FREE. *cringe* We are desperate and dying for work and experience in our field to feel validated in our career choice, so we bite the bullet...
Clean up on Aisle 5: A Guide to Balancing Work Tasks with Home Chores
There are so many positive attributes to working from home. I mean, ask anyone who does it and they won’t shut up about how great it is. They’ll rant and rave about how they set their own schedule, their own terms, they don’t have to answer to anyone but themselves,...
How to Use Instagram Hashtags
If you’re looking to promote your services or offers through Instagram while not having to spend on ads, you might want to check out hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to find exposure for your business or anyone on Instagram, it can help you gain likes, followers,...
Delivering Customer Service that Lines Up
When hired to provide customer service for a client, you take on the responsibility of being the face of their business. You need to fully understand their product and services and more importantly, speak their language. Often you can play an important role in...
Tips for Working at Home With Kids
Many of us choose to work from home because it allows us to prioritize our family and spend time with our children, especially when they are young. Working from home with young children is challenging. This is especially true with COVID-19 making childcare options...
From Overwhelmed to Organized: 5 Simple Strategies to Make the Most of Your Work Day
When you run your own business and have a long list of tasks that demands all your time and attention, it’s easy to feel bogged down. The problem is that when we spin in overwhelm, we usually don’t accomplish anything. I’ve been working as a Systems and Branding...
How I Gained Flexibility from Working Online
Ever since I graduated from college, there is always one thing that I want when I’ll start working and that is FLEXIBILITY in terms of work schedule. I’ve always dreamt of working while having a flexible work schedule because a few years back, I always hear stories...
My First Time Experience as a VA
Ever since this Pandemic happened, some people are already considering quitting their corporate jobs and becoming a full-time remote Virtual Assistant. If you’re wondering what it’s like to build yourself as a VA business, you might want to read on. I thought of...
Top 5 Most Requested Skills For Virtual Assistants
Imagine what it would be like to leave that dead-end, hour-long commute job where all you do is count down the hours until 5 pm. Envision leaving your corporate mainstream job and doing, literally, ANYTHING ELSE! Instead, waking up and strolling into your home office...
The Importance of Taking a Break
“Have a break, have a KitKat” If you’re someone who’s fond of eating chocolate, then you’re probably aware of that tagline. Before the pandemic, a lot of us were working days on end and abused ourselves until we cracked. Taking advantage of our bodies took its toll,...
Why Building Your Network as Early as Possible Matters
Growing up, I always liked interacting with people. Regardless of their sexual orientation, race, religion, or anything that you could think of, I would still interact with them as long as mutual respect is existing. I enjoy engaging in discourse with different kinds...
Toolbox For The New VA
With all the different platforms, applications, and tools on the inter-webs, it can be a daunting task to decide what to use. There are many free sites and the paid tools usually have a free trial period. Use the trial period to see if the platform will suit your...
How I Found A Way To Get Paid Doing What I Love Online
That sounds too good to be true, it almost sounds impossible. That was my initial thought when I first heard success stories about people who are able to do what they love online while also getting paid for it. I remember thinking to myself there’s definitely a catch...
How To Land Your First Client As a VA
When you first dip your toe into the Virtual Assistant world, it is easy to be intimidated and lose hope when you can’t find anyone to give you a chance. There are plenty of opportunities out there but most are looking for experience. How can you gain experience and...
Experimenting Your Blog Writing Niche – Ghostwriting for Company Blogs
They say you should pick one niche and stick to it. In the long-term, I agree. The narrower you get on a niche and topic, the more successful you will be in your writing. In the beginning, it may difficult to figure out what you enjoy writing about. I struggled with...
How To Stay Motivated While Working Remotely
With everything that’s happening in the world today and by everything I mean Coronavirus, most of the work and meetings are now getting done through the internet. This sudden shift sure is unusual and let’s say “bizarre” for a lot of people but for me and my pals who...
Being a VA in South Africa
The South African job market has not fully embraced the remote work possibilities as the rest of the world. Yes there are a few companies that allow flexi work with a few days a week at home but mostly this is a scarcity. As we entered the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a...
Successful Strategies to Manage a Client’s Social Media Marketing Campaign Remotely
A business has to have a strong social media presence. This presence makes your brand a million times more credible and it represents how you target your audience. As a freelancer managing a clients’ social media and marketing campaigns (especially having multiple...
How I Went from Teaching to Being a VA
Career changes are often scary and it can be difficult to take a leap into the unknown, especially when you have small mouths to feed. My name is Diana and I was a classroom ESL teacher for nearly ten years. However, a few years ago I found myself five months...
The Essential Things a Successful Digital Marketer Needs to Know
Over the last 30 years, it is undeniable that evolving technology has resulted in major changes to our day to day lives. The reality of living in a digital world means that information on almost any topic is instantly available to us, people can connect with loved...
Setting Yourself Apart When Applying For Remote Jobs
You have applied to remote jobs after a remote job and not had any positive responses. This can be discouraging. To tell you the truth, a lot of remote workers are feeling the same. Then, on the other hand, you see all the posts being advertised but you feel...
