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  #11 (permalink)  
Old 08-04-2009
Preferred Virtual Services Preferred Virtual Services is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Serena, thanks so much for sharing your experience as a VA. As a newbie, you have given me a great boost in my confidence and now I am raring to go.

Barbara Cooper
Preferred Virtual Services
www.preferredvas.com
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  #12 (permalink)  
Old 08-05-2009
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VBSOnDemand VBSOnDemand is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Different services have differnet levels of pricing. So Data Entry would be the lowest rate and internet marketing, web design, graphic design, social media marketing, copywriting etc would be at a higher rate.

A great trick for posting your lowest rates is as follows:
I offer discounts to my clients depending on the retainer they require. I give the client options of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 60 hours. Very few would take that many hours as a retainer so I make the 60 hours a 20% discount. Sounds great and sometimes pushes clients to use a larger amount of hours so that they can get a bigger discount. So if you charge $50 per hour (just using any number as an example) and your highest retainer amount of hours is 60 hours and you give a 20% discount you would publish your lowest rate at: $40/hr. "Rates starting as low as $40/hr" or "Rates starting at $40/hr".

By doing this you will not have prospects that can only afford max of $25/hr calling you. I spent many hours a week providing free consultations to prospects that kept me on the phone for hours at a time and then they ended up trying to bring down my rate to $15 or $25 per hour. I started to publish my lowest rates and the amount of calls dropped however the success rate went from 25% to 75% and I filled up my practice very quickly.


Originally Posted by StephanieP View Post
One question, though... What exactly do you mean by your "lowest" rate? Do you have different rates for different tasks/projects and say something to the effect of "rates starting as low as..."? Or are you saying that you cut your rate back to the least amount of $$ you could live on?

Great tip, there, I just wanted a bit of clarification
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  #13 (permalink)  
Old 08-05-2009
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VBSOnDemand VBSOnDemand is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Thank you everybody!! I am very lucky to have finally achieved the career of my dreams and loving sharing my success tips and story with everyone. If it wasn't for the VAF I don't think I would have reached my success so quickly! I have met so many wonderful people and hope that one day we can have a VAF bash in person. I feel like everyne is family here!!
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  #14 (permalink)  
Old 08-05-2009
daisymss daisymss is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
I really enjoyed reading your interview. I loved how you knew what you wanted and went out there and made it happen!!!
Truly inspirational!!!
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  #15 (permalink)  
Old 08-07-2009
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StephanieP StephanieP is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Ahhhhh, now I get it! That's a really good idea!

Again, thanks for sharing
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New VA in the research phase
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  #16 (permalink)  
Old 08-07-2009
JG Virtual AccountingSolutions JG Virtual AccountingSolutions is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Thanks Serena for sharing your story. It was truly inspiring. I'm just starting out my business and today I'm having a "doubtful" day so your story was motivating to me!
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Joanne
JG Virtual Accounting Solutions
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  #17 (permalink)  
Old 08-07-2009
VAStrategies VAStrategies is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Hi Serena,

Thank you for so much valuable information. Great interview.
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  #18 (permalink)  
Old 08-07-2009
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Agnes Agnes is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Hi Serena,

I absolutely enjoyed reading your interview and hearing your passion in your tone.

Agnes
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Agnes Ikotun
Exceptional Virtual Services
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  #19 (permalink)  
Old 08-08-2009
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VBSOnDemand VBSOnDemand is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Anytime Stephanie! I love sharing success tips with other VA's
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  #20 (permalink)  
Old 08-08-2009
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VBSOnDemand VBSOnDemand is offline
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Default Re: 8/2009 Interview with Serena Carcasole of VBS On Demand
Never lose motivation!! We all go through that sometime but watch the movie The Secret and follow their steps and trust me success only comes to those who believe in it and believe in themselves.

Originally Posted by JG Virtual AccountingSolutions View Post
Thanks Serena for sharing your story. It was truly inspiring. I'm just starting out my business and today I'm having a "doubtful" day so your story was motivating to me!
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