Hi there,

I am about to launch my VA business, and I also work out of home 3 days per week (with fingers crossed that the VA business works out well and I can resign!) My husband is a 7 day shift worker so I will be spreading my VA hours across 7 days around my external job hours, and my husband's shift hours (so he can watch our 2 little girls) - including evenings and weekends.

How do others handle contact from clients while at their external job? I will be getting mobile email, so I can shoot off a quick acknowledgement email back to the client advising that I will respond later on. What about phone calls while I'm at my other job? I was thinking of having a voicemail along the lines of "I am attending to another matter and will return your call by COB today".

Also, even though I am plan to work evenings and weekends, I do not want phone calls then - any advice as to how to structure website wording for this?

Ahhhh so much to learn!!

Cheers,
Angela

Good question Angela! I also about to launch and was wonder some of the same things you are....like how to you juggle both out of home job and VA business. Hopefully we will get some good advice from the veteran VA's

Try searching the forum for those of us who work a full-time or 9-5 job (keyword 9-5 should get some good links). There are quite a few of us working our VA biz around a full-time job!

I work on Goddess from 7:00-8:30am, and 7:00-9:00pm M-F and 8-noon Saturdays. I check/respond to voicemail/email during morning and afternoon breaks and at lunch time. I use my cell phone as my business line and encourage my clients to use email for contact. i DON'T answer my cell phone EVER! My default ring is 30-seconds-of-silence so the boss doesn't get annoyed by all of my personal calls (he doesn't hear them ). Also, the boss doesn't know Goddess even exists...

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

I was wondering the same thing. im about to launch(woohoo!) yet I'm still on my 9to5. I just did a webinar with Monia Shah of Ideal Balance. She was great in detailing what needs to happen to get off of your 9to5.

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Linda Henderson, Outsourcing Outlet

I'm about to launch also and work another job 3 days a week. I'm not going to put my hours on my website, but will be including them in my letter to new clients.

Great information ladies! I too will be starting my VA business shortly and was wondering how everyone handled this particular issue. This helps to know that I am not the only individual in this boat. 8-)

I currently own 2 other businesses besides starting my VA and I can tell you that my experience is that customers understand that you have other customers. If I am with a customer I am not going to tell them to wait so I can answer my phone or a email. The minute I did that I would lose that customer.

What I do is I have a voicemail that specifically says: "I am currently with a customer and will return your call as soon as possible."

Even if I am not with a customer but am having some lunch with the wife I let the voicemail answer. My customers are across town or out of town and they do not know if I am with a customer or just enjoying some family time.

But also I DO answer my phone if I am able too. In my business a missed call could be a new job that will now go to someone else.

I am also launching my business and its a challenge to balance the full time job I currently have but its steady income.

As many of you know I began subcontracting for this exact reason. I have a FT outside job and work PT in the evenings and weekends. It really hasn't been an issue when it comes to phone calls since they normally contact me by email first. If it's necessary for them to call me I mention I do work outside the home it in an email to them.

There's nothing wrong with stating you do this part-time. I do suggest having a separate email account created so potential and current clients use that address.