Davis Virtual Assistants

Good afternoon, my Killer Sharks!

Thrifty Thursday ^** for July 31, 2008, is a virtual shout out to my fellow Virtual Assistants! Whether you’re new to the game or you’re a seasoned professional, you need guidance, support and coaching. To put it more bluntly, you want what I’ve got but you don’t know how to get there on your own.

Thrifty Thursday ^** is a 10% discount on your first three (3) coaching calls when you sign up for individual virtual assistant coaching with me, Lori Davis, Director of the Future at Davis Virtual Assistants. Now, I don’t want you riding my coattails! Indeed, I want you to find your way, your style and your special zing as you interact with clients and expand your business. You’re unique, special and awesome, and I want you to see everything I see! Together, we can get your business jump started, or help you bound over that plateau you’ve reached. Plus, you’ll save some bank in the process!

Thrifty Thursday ^** phone lines close at 5:00 PM U.S. Eastern time zone on Wednesday, August 6, 2008. Contact the VA coach today and let’s talk about your coaching needs.

** This Thrifty Thursday discount may not be combined with any other offers or discounts offered by Davis Virtual Assistants. This discount may be claimed only by new Davis Virtual Assistants (DavisVA.com) clients.

Good morning, campers!

Topic du jour: Your disaster recovery strategy, along with verifying your back-ups are working.

Let’s address your disaster recovery plan first. If you don’t have one, you’re a foolish idiot who’s destined for heartache. Computers fail all the time, and yours will too eventually. You’ve got to have a system in place to backup your data. Don’t argue with me, because you know I’m right. Stop hanging your head in shame and checkout my recommendation for my favorite online backup system.

Talking point #2 is all about trust, but verify. You’ve got to ass-u-me your automated backup system is working, but why stop with the assumption? Verify it’s working by performing test restores on a regular basis; I do mine once a month. Restore a handful of cheesy files and also some really important ones, and verify you’re able to access and open all the documents you’ve just restored. Peace of mind will be yours, and you’ll be that much more prepared when the inevitable computer failure beats a path to your door.

What Would Lori Do? Download your free copy of DavisVA.com’s Disaster Recovery Plan, and set yours in motion today. Not tomorrow, not next Tuesday and not month. Today.

A fine good morning to you, my Killer Sharks, and fins up to my Guppies who’ve finally decided to pull the trigger and “go virtual.” Keep on doing what you do, stay focused, and kick some ass today!

So, I hear you want to become a Virtual Assistant. That’s exciting stuff, my friend! Before you pop the cork on that expensive bottle of champagne, stop and think about how you’re going to launch your new business. Do you know any other Virtual Assistants, or are you being coached or mentored by a successful VA? Do you know about the latest systems clients need, are you up to speed on article marketing and shopping carts, and do you have your web presence live? Do you know how you’re going to market your business, and have you planned out your services and your Rate Sheet? No on all counts, huh? Silly goose you are …

Let’s take this one step beyond: You’re not a silly goose for not having the things I listed above in place, you’re a Dork! That’s right and you read that correctly … You are a Dork. We’re cool though, because your Dorkdom can be flipped like a hot pancake, and you can come around to the correct way of thinking and working.

Living, breathing and eating the “virtual lifestyle” is one of the toughest things you’ll ever attempt. Doing what I do for a living is nothing like working in Corporate Cubicle Monkey Land, and you’ve got to be prepped to the gills to take on this challenge. It ain’t easy being a Virtual Assistant, and you need to approach this next adventure in your life, and the life of your family, with eyes wide open.

I invite you to spend 60-minutes with me next month, on Wednesday, August 20, 2008, for DavisVA’s next Ask the Virtual Assistant Webinar. One hour jam-packed with news you can use, hardcore information you must know about the Virtual Assistance field and of course, your most pressing questions. Nothing is off limits during our discussion, and you’re calling the shots during the Q&A session. We’ll discuss marketing, VA “certifications,” your web presence, filling your pipeline with prospects, and so much more. My goal is to stuff that gorgeous brain of yours with up-to-date and relevant information, and for you to begin steering your own course to success. If you want what I’ve got, I’m willing to give you a leg up and show you how I’ve become a hyper-successful Virtual Assistant.

Need to learn how to become a Virtual Assistant? You’ve come to the right place! Register now for the next Ask the VA Webinar, hosted and sponsored by DavisVA.com. Call me at 866.611.LORI if you’ve got any questions prior to registration.

Here’s to your success!

Good morning, campers!

Let’s play a game called “I Object!” The object of the game is for you to come up with your Top 3 reasons why outsourcing isn’t a good fit for your business model, and I’m tasked with the comebacks and letting you know why you’re wrong. Here are some of the most common objections I’m hearing:

Outsourcing is Expensive

In a word, wrong! Outsourcing and what you pay for monthly services doesn’t begin to compare to all the monies you’d outlay each month for a full-time employee. Let’s go with a base salary of $45K per year, plus all the taxes, health insurance, etc. Don’t forget vacation pay and sick leave. Keep in mind all the time wasted due to office politics, delays on your local highways and public transit system, etc. You’re close to paying $60K a year for that same employee when all the benefits are factored into the equation.

When you partner with a Virtual Assistant, you pay only for the time your VA performs work on your behalf. The best part? That’s the only part of your outsourcing equation! You don’t pay my taxes, health and dental insurance, when I’m on vacation nothing comes out of your pocket, and the same holds true when I take a day off for sick time. You’re outsourcing budget, on average, will range from $350-$1,000 per month, and the rest of your hard-earned money can go towards marketing and other important aspects of your business.

Virtual Assistant: 1
Business Owner: 0

I can outsource to India, the Phillipines or Pakistan and pay $7 an hour

Awwwww, aren’t you the cute business owner! Guess what, Sparky? “Cute” doesn’t cut it in the deep end of the pool; that’s Guppy action and leads to the business being shutdown. Killer Sharks think long-term, think strategic, and are constantly thinking of ways to either snuff out or buy the competition. Screw the Cute when it comes to business.

Yes, you can outsource to a “virtual assistant company” overseas for your administrative work, but you’re an idiot for doing so. You’re sending American dollars overseas and at times, you’re supporting rogue nations. (We’re sending enough money outside America for gasoline.) You’ve also got to factor in the time zone difference, the language barrier, and the cultural norms which may not be understood by a non-American.

In my 8.5+ years in business as a professional and full-time Virtual Assistant, I’ve yet to encounter any business owner who’s stayed with overseas outsourcing. There are many reasons for that …

Virtual Assistant: 2
Business Owner: 0

These are 2 of the more common objections crossing through my ears and into my brain. Now, it’s your turn! Contact this Virtual Assistant right now, hit me with your objections, and let’s play the game.

Good morning, campers! Up you wake, up you wake. Time to get rolling on the day, make some money, do some good, and snuff out the competition.

Good morning, campers!

A superb good morning to you, my Killer Sharks! For all my Guppies who are wanting to swim with the big girls and boys in the deep end of the business pool, call me right now at 866.611.LORI, and I will show you how Davis Virtual Assistants can help you play a bigger game in the big bad world of business.

Greetings!

Good evening, campers!