I'm very new to this industry and wanted to ask a couple of questions.
1. As a veteran VA are you always looking for new clients or do you have a good base?

2. Has anyone ever "bartered" their time? I have a business coach who has offered to help promote my service and at the same time has asked me to provide a quote to him. He is a 1099 contract 'employee' so he asked me to be "gentle" on my quote to him. He currently has 17 clients he is coaching as well as speaking engagements which gives him a lot of exposure to other small businesses.

Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you!

Honey, your time is your time and shouldn't be worth any less just because he doesn't have enough money to pay you. Having said that you need to decide what is best for you. If the contacts you can make through bartering can help your business then go for it.

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Kylie Short
Tilda Virtual Services - Making virtual personal

If this guy has 17 clients, he should be able to afford to pay your rates. Business Coaches don't sell their services cheap. It sounds like he is just trying to get a deal.

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Julia

I agree with Julia and Kylie. Business Coaches don't sell their services cheap and neither should you. I have a business coach client and her advice to me was never to undervalue my services - ever. Your rates are your rates. If you lower them you will be working more hours for less pay.

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Shari Sultana
Online Business Manager (marketing for retail ecommerce)

Thank you very much for your replies, I really apprecite it!

On the first question, once 'established', are you always chasing after clients?

I'm still chasing after clients - I don't have a full practice yet, but I think marketing all the time is important.

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Julia

Originally Posted by JuliaW

I'm still chasing after clients - I don't have a full practice yet, but I think marketing all the time is important.

I agree entirely with Julia. I am always on the lookout for new clients and am continually marketing myself and my business. You never know where your next client is going to come from!

Good luck!

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Kate V. Kerans
Kerans Virtual Assistance

Originally Posted by VAofSWFL

Thank you very much for your replies, I really apprecite it! On the first question, once 'established', are you always chasing after clients?

I think that marketing should be a 24/7 non-stop job. you shouldn't ever get too comfortable with your client base because they could always go away. If you are too busy to take on clients just be honest with them and let them know (it may even make you seem more desireable since obviously you must be good at what you do ). One thing that I learned from my mom who is a real estate agent and a friend who is a mortgage broker is that for every active client you have, you should have at least two in the pipeline. It may be slightly different for us since a lot of our clients are on-going but the general idea should still hold. Then, if you do have a slot open up, you can always go back to those potential clients who you had to turn away. Who knows, they may still need assistance and feel lucky that you were able to fit them in. It's better to continuously market yourself rather than wait until you need another client. Know what I mean?

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Stephanie
New VA in the research phase :daisy:

I think the other VAs have already pretty much covered, it but I'll say this again. KNOW YOUR WORTH, if he isn't willing to pay, he probably won't be a good client in terms of respecting your time and energies, etc.

tj

Originally Posted by VAofSWFL

Thank you very much for your replies, I really apprecite it! On the first question, once 'established', are you always chasing after clients?

I think you should always, always market for new clients. I listened to an awesome marketing teleseminar a couple weeks ago. The teacher made the point that marketing is the core of your business and should never stop; you should have an automatic marketing process. She said the only two things you really should be doing for your business is marketing and actually performing work for your clients. Only looking for clients when you "need" them is like digging a well when you're thirsty.

If you can't take them on you can always refer them to other VAs or sub the work out. You may also find yourself so high in demand that clients are willing to be on a waiting list just to work with you. I have heard VAs mention that they are in that situation.