Interview with Tess, Founder of Virtual Assistant Forums

At the behest of a few members for more info from me I'm posting an interview I did with Jackie If you have any questions or comments for me feel free to reply to this thread!

(At the time of posting this...) I've worked as a professional Virtual Assistant for just over two years. I specialize in general administrative support and custom website design. In switching to a strictly referral-based practice in 2007 I decided a better use for my VA business website would be a forum focused on offering information, community, and resources to the Virtual Assistant Industry.

Read on to learn more about my philosophies and practices as a professional Virtual Assistant:

What should any new VA know above anything else?

Believe in yourself *and* check your ideas at the door about what it is to run a business. Accept that it is a learning process and is going to present some challenges, this is *not* the kind of work so many people envision (''someone sitting around at home with an internet connection and nothing better to do”) it's SO much more than that and deserves to be taken seriously

How did you get started as a VA?

Long story short, I had been traveling India for a year and met my husband. We spent every waking moment together from day 1. I knew early on that I just couldn't leave but I was out of money and he was in a similar situation. I'm American, he's Iranian - you do the math. We *had* to stay in India if we wanted to be together, so we got an internet connection and I checked Craigslist, certain that there was something I could do online. I found a job as a VA - it was a totally new term for me and the pay was peanuts but it sounded fun so I sent an email in reply and the rest is history.

What made you decide to start Virtual Assistant Forums?

My professional site was languishing after switching to a referral-only practice. I was mainly fielding emails from new or aspiring VA's who wanted to 'join my team' or find out how I got started. There are a lot of differing opinions about 'what' a VA is exactly and how they're 'supposed' to do things. I have a different theory - as a completely self-made VA I believe that in the internet age people can and do reinvent themselves left and right. Everyone has access to everything - you can learn almost anything internet-related just by doing it - which is amazing and exciting. There's no such thing as 'supposed to' anymore. I wanted to be a part of a community based on that concept but none existed. So, VOILA!

As a VA, what do you say to a prospective client who is weighing your services against a Temp Service?

I don't go through much of a sales pitch anymore with the referral system in place. But when I was first starting out I would point to my desire for long term interaction - letting the client know that my working *with* him or her on their business goals meant I would be invested in more ways that one, as someone who benefited directly from, and was therefore invested in, their ongoing success. As my business grows, their business grows and vice versa.

If there was one thing you could have in your home office, what would it be?

My 'home office' has been a blend of houses, apartments, and hotel rooms in at least six different countries over the past few years and has consisted singularly of my old and now very pathetic Dell laptop. This computer has been through so much...she's died and been rebirthed at least twice (thank God for brilliant programmer husbands!) and as much as I hate to be disloyal I've already picked out her replacement.

What is the one thing your fellow VAs should know about your practice?

I could say something cheesy about success and virtue...but the thing that means the most to me is that my business came from literally nothing, I was in a dirty little Indian city with just my Philosophy background and a persuasive email voice to land me that first client. She didn't have any reason to hire me aside from the fact that I told her I'm smart, inventive, capable, and always willing to learn more than I know already.

From your first-client experience, what lessons did you learn and how did you adjust your business practices in response?

How to talk about money. Raising my rates with existing clients was difficult the first time but it's an important part of running your own VA practice. If you can't talk about money without apologizing or feeling 'bad' you've got a long (and highly underpaid) row to hoe.
How to keep track of ten+ invoices at a time, make sure they all get paid, and what to do when they don't. There were some early days when I had lots of new clients all at once and was waiting ages for payment. I finally established a new policy with pretty sharp fees for late payment. Since then, not a problem . BUT, I will say, the third most important thing I've learned is how to be flexible.

What do you love about being a professional VA?

The personal and creative freedom! Working *for* another company means having to read their script back to people – you sacrifice a bit of yourself there. Running your own business means you write that script yourself, or improvise like mad (which is much more fun!)

Top favorite software that you use in your VA practice?

I LOVE Screenhunter5 - I use it almost every day. And I have an equal passion for PDF 995 which is the best thing since sliced bread. It lets you turn just about ANYTHING into a professional PDF - every VA has to have this program - and it's free too.

Personal top time management rules?

Weekends are sacred.

Personal top invoicing rules?

Write it all down. Keep track of what you do when you do it, and provide as much detail as you can without writing a novel. It helps your clients relax in the virtual scheme of things. It can be hard for a new client to trust that what they're being billed for is what got done.

Personal top marketing rules?

*Minimum* one hour a day, every day. Weekends are fair game for marketing, especially if it's raining.

What's your favorite quote?

"Love first, and live incidentally" -Betsey Johnson (fashion designer)

What people are saying about Tess:

"I 'met' Tess after placing an ad on Craigslist for a virtual assistant. In the two years we've been working together, Tess has made herself utterly indispensable. She's redesigned my consulting site several times and launched and maintained Bloggapedia. She's got a great idea every six seconds..."
Laura Dawson

"Tess sometimes calls herself a professional day-maker, but professional lifesaver is more like it, if you ask me. No matter what she’s working on (and she can do anything!), Tess always provides intelligent, efficient, business-savvy solutions. It’s true that she’s always saving something for me: my time; my money; my sanity. And because I can rely on her expert skills, I’m able to relax a little and enjoy my life more."
Charlene Dupray

"To have someone who is perhaps a great distance away be able to accomplish numerous projects & tasks effectively is a terrific investment. To have Tess at the other end of this practice, is mind-blowing, and a guarantee to double your efforts with ease."
Janice Hoffmann