How to set up a business by Vocational Achievement Training

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Julie Julie Farmer myPA Business Ltd, January 2016

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What are your skills and where can you niche your market Lets find out about you.

Sales and Marketing, which will include Networking. Its not a dirty word and you will love it, I promise.

Finance, yes we will have to discuss money and this is where we are going to find out all about you and your finances.

Running your business and what you should do and why not forgetting your most important client â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you.

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This book is an introduction on how to start your own business, but takes a very practical view of starting the business. We will be looking at where your career is currently, where you would like to go and what aspirations you have. There will be a lot of homework and you will have to spend time researching and being totally honest with yourself. Please remember this book is not a book to read and put on the shelf, there are worksheets and tasks that will need to be completed. The work sheets could take you an hour to do or could take you a few days.

Remember, if you are starting a business you need to know yourself, your market and your determination to change your life. You will have to work hard to get through this book. Do not skip any part of this book as you will have missed a number of important steps. Running your own business can be stressful and very time consuming but it is also one of the most rewarding ventures you will ever undertake.

Please note: In this book I have refereed to set up a business as a Virtual Assistant for ease of reference, when you are reading and undertaking the tasks and worksheets in this book substitute your desired business.

I am going to ask you a number of questions over the next few pages. Please fill in as much information as possible and be honest and truthful. No one else will see these work sheets unless you choose to show them. This is going to be the basis of your business. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exciting time and I am very pleased to be working with you as you start your own business.

Questions 1

What is your Name

Where do you live

Is this in a Town, Village or a City

Do you need your own transport to get about?

Do you rely on public transport?

How long have you been thinking about becoming a VA

Answer

Please use the additional form on the next page for your answer on this question.

Why do you want a career move

Please use the additional form on the next page for your answer on this question.

What do you understand by the term business owner?

Answer to Question 7 in Section 1

Answer to Question 8 in Section 1

Questions 1

Are you currently working?

What is your current job/role

If you are not working what was your last job/role

What was your favourite aspect of your current or last job/role

What was your worst aspect of your last job/role

What would you like to do more of in a new job

What skills did you use during your last role

Answer

Please Use an additional sheet if necessary

What IT packages did you use during your last role

Email Word PowerPoint Excel Outlook Internet Research Publisher Other How would you grade your skills in the Proficient Excellent Average Poor above software packages? P E A Email Word PowerPoint Excel Outlook Internet Research Publisher

Poor

Example: 1 Shop Assistant 1 __________________________________ 2 __________________________________ 10

List the last 5 companies you have worked for

3 __________________________________ 4 __________________________________ 5 __________________________________

For each company (in Question 10 above) list 20 skills that you used for your job. 11 Make sure you get 20 skills. This may take you some time to do, but it is vitally important.

You will now have a list of 100 skills that you have used in your last 5 jobs, how many skills have been used in each of the jobs (Cross over skills)

Out of those 100 skills which were your favourite

Out of those 100 skills which skills would prefer never to use again. Out of those skills which would you like to take into your new business?

This list may form the foundation of your new business so please take your time and be honest with yourself.

Example 1. Customer Services 2. Working with money 3. Working with stock in and out 4. Operating tills 5. Stock Rotation 6. Stock Take 7. Training new staff 8. Supervisor Roles 9. Understanding reporting structure 10. Organising Shelves 11. Worked overtime â&#x20AC;&#x201C; flexibility for work hours 12. Public speaking 13. Flexibility 14. Stock knowledge 15. Delivery 16. Working as a team member 17. Preparing tills for closing 18. Helping elderly shoppers 19. Health & Safety awareness 20. Working with members of the public There is space on the next sheet for you to fill in Please use the additional form on the next page for your answer on this question.

Please use the additional form on the next page for your answer on this question.

Please use the additional form on the next page for your answer on this question. Bearing in mind the answers to Q13, Q14 & Q15

Answer to Question 11 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Company 1: ________________________________________________________________ Job Title: __________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 11 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Company 2: ________________________________________________________________ Job Title: ___________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 11 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Company 3: ________________________________________________________________ Job Title: ___________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 11 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Company 4: ________________________________________________________________ Job Title: ___________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 11 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Company 5: ________________________________________________________________ Job Title: ___________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 12 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Crossover Skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 13 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Favourite Skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 14 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Skills Prefer not to use again: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Answer to Question 15 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment & Skills? Skills to take into my new Business 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

From the skills sheet you have just created which skills do you want to take into your Virtual Assistance Business. You may even start to see a clearly defined niche. For Example:

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6

Customer Services Writing Internet Research Writing Blogs Marketing New Products Use of email and correspondence This could lead to a niche market in Social Media

1 2 3 4 5 6

Credit Control Writing Letters Working with Figures Dealing with Money Creating Invoices Research This could lead to a niche market in Book Keeping

Questions Answer How do you currently spend your time? Use the time table attached to fill in your See Attached Sheet on the next page days. If necessary use an additional sheet of paper.

From the time table you have how many hours do you currently have free to invest in your new business

From the time table you have how many hours could you create to invest in your new business

How many hours do you want to work in your new business

Are you prepared or do you want to work evening/weekends and early mornings? Please be very honest with yourself because this will dictate how you run and organise your business.

Example – This is my Time Table 6 am

7 am

8 am

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

9 am

10 am

11 am

12 pm 13 pm Client work in office

Meeting Money/Contact Client work in the office Client work in the office On Client Sites All day Client work in the office Working on my Business Day off as I don’t work Sundays Networking Networking

14 pm 15 pm 16 pm 17 pm 18 pm Meeting Money/Contact Client work in office Client work in the office Client work in the office On Client Sites All day Working on the Business Working on my Business Day off as I don’t work Sundays

19 pm 20 pm Exercise Exercise

Answer to Question 1 in Section 1 – Time? 6 am Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

7 am

8 am

9 am

10 am

11 am

12 pm

13 pm

14 pm

15 pm

16 pm

17 pm

18 pm

19 pm

20 pm

Answer to Question 3 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Time? How many hours could you create to invest in your new business 6 am Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

7 am

8 am

9 am

10 am

11 am

12 pm

13 pm

14 pm

15 pm

16 pm

17 pm

18 pm

19 pm

20 pm

Questions

Do you have any long term commitments (including family, children and other)

Can you ask/rely on family and friends to help long term with your commitments

If yes to question 2 how much time does that free up for your business. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rely on family and friends where can you get support from?

For example A Nanny, Carers, government assistance etc Call them and put there details in the box to the right. Create a contact list

Do you have any other commitments (short term) for example part time jobs/volunteer work or course that will take your time away from your business

Answer

Name: _______________________________________ Telephone: _______________________________________ Email Address: _______________________________________

Congratulations on setting up your own Business. Running your own business is one of the most rewarding career moves that you will ever make. I love running my business. I like the fact that I’m in control. I decide what I’m going to do each and every day. I decide who I’m going to work for. I decide what work I want to do. On the other hand running your own business can also be hard and many new business owners make a number of mistakes which could delay the time in which they become successful, but I hope from this course you will be able to avoid those mistakes and ‘hit the ground running’. In section one, we discussed the skills that you have acquired during your working life. We discussed the skills you would like to bring forward into your own business and the skills you would prefer not to use again. Knowing these skills is going to be a huge advantage in ensuring your business is a success. This information will help you create and develop your business plan, help you define a niche for your business if applicable, and help to develop a marketing plan. In short knowing what you want to do and how you want to do it is one of the biggest advantages you can bring to your business.

The most important characteristic of your business will be your business name. This is where your branding will start. Your company name will guide your business. There are a few rules that you must understand when naming your business. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Ensure there is no one else already using your chosen name – undertake an internet search, check your local yellow pages, check with Companies House. Ensure your business name is easy to spell and easy to pronounce – you may know how to spell your business name but think about your potential clients looking for your services. Would they know that Gewleigh is the same as Julie? Ensure your business name has a visual element – if I mention an apple to you what do you see? If I mention myPA what do you see? Ensure your business name is positive – If I named my business Black Thunder what do you think of? Ensure your name includes information about being the business you are opening. If I called my business Gewleigh would you know that I am a Virtual Assistant or PA? What about myPA? Ensure your business name is relatively short – remember you will use your business name as a website address and email every day. Ensure your business name is yours and not a copy or a near copy of a larger brand. Ensure that you don’t over create a name.

Ensure you think big â&#x20AC;&#x201C; today your business could be you, working locally. Tomorrow you could be global. Ensure the domain name of your business is available.

TASK Write a list of 10 possible names you would like to call your business. Check on line if that business name has already been taken, check to ensure that the domain name is available, check with companies house. Do not rush this part of your research. Once you name your business and start to trade you have made an investment of your time and money and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want that to go to waste. Possible Name

Online

Domain Available

Companies House

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Once you have decided on your business name you are going to need to tell people that you are in business and how to contact you.

If at all possible I would recommend that you get a dedicated landline for your business. Your business number should be printed on your website, your marketing material, your business cards, your car etc. When your telephone is answered you need to have it answered in your company name. Good morning/afternoon, myPA, Julie Farmer speaking, how may I help you. A business phone answered by a small child with the television blaring in the back ground will not give your company a very good first impression. If you are unable to get an additional line you could get an 08 number that will bolt onto your own private number but you will still need to be careful about who answers the telephone and ensure that you have caller recognition and are able to see which number is being called. If you only have a mobile number for your business you can still get an 08 number that transfers directly to your mobile. Putting just a mobile number on a webpage/business card could demonstrate that you are a small business and may put off potential clients. You want to ensure that when a potential client contacts you for a quotation they are reassured that you are an established business and not just a quick start up. Your clients are going to be entrusting you with a lot of work for their business or spending money with you. They want to know that you are reliable and trustworthy. Your clients will want to create a long term working relationship with you. There are a number of companies that offer free 08, for example www.freeswitchboard.com. You could use a Skype number or another VOIP telephone system. TASK Research your best option for a telephone number. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

One of the next things you really need to look at is a business card. When designing your business card remember these key rules: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Make sure your company name is clear and easy to read - no fancy fonts that can’t be easily read. Do not use an email address like al-and-kate@fsmail.net be professional, purchase your companies domain name. Do not make it difficult for the reader to see the name of your company and if you use a tag line make sure it is appropriate. Use a font that is easy to read, if they can't read the narrative on the card you could have lost a new customer. Use a font size that can be read by someone with poor eyesight. Put your full post code. Put your county on the card, in full. Put a landline number of the card if you have one. Only having a mobile number could indicate that you are a very small business, even if you are, you don't need to let the world know. Put your address on the card, you should have nothing to hide. Create a card that is easy to store, not one that has to fold over 2 or 3 times. Ensure the look of the cards is appropriate for your field of business and that tells the reader what you do for a living, just having your name and address may be informative to you, think of the reader 3, 4 or 6 months down the line. Make sure your web address and email address are the same e.g. .co.uk or .com not a mix of both. Don’t abbreviate words e.g. Rd for Road, if you use an abbreviated word on your marketing material what else will you abbreviate? Make sure the paper you use is of a good quality. Make sure the card is easy to read, for example, it’s not see-through.

Read your business card before you send it to print and then get someone else to read it. Make sure the address is spelt correctly and the telephone number(s) are correct. Double check your website address and then your email address. If you get the chance, put it aside for 24 hours and then come back to it and check it again. It is also important to remember that your business card is designed to talk to your potential customers when you are not there, use both sides of the card. Most importantly, your business card is there to be handed out. Don’t protect them and only give them away to people that you think you will do business with. Make sure that everyone you meet, especially at a networking event or at a seminar has a copy of your business card. You may not do business with them now, but you could do business with them or their contacts in the future. So hand your business cards out as if they were sweeties, don’t keep them for the best. TASK

In the space below, start to design your business card. Play around with your design, show the design to a number of different people and get their opinion on which card they liked best and why.

As wonderful as it would be to have your phone ringing off the hook with new business, or have your email inbox flooded with new requests every day, the truth of the matter is you will need to market your business. Even when business is booming you need to be thinking ahead. All it takes is one client running out of money, and your income could suffer as well. You always want to have a full ‘pipeline’ of business through potential and regular clients. They are the ones you can talk to first when your business is in need of a shot in the arm. Marketing comes in many forms and we will be talking about several of them in this section.

Marketing can be an awful lot of fun… or it can be incredibly frustrating. The most crucial part of marketing is having a strategy or plan. Just as you wouldn’t get into your car and drive without having an idea of where you want to go and why you want to go there, you cannot market your business without a strategy. Think of it as your roadmap for marketing success. For instance, your long term goal may be to talk at a networking luncheon. That may be broken into an immediate goal of exploring different networking groups, a short term goal of joining a networking group and a mid term goal of asking for a place on the speaking agenda of an upcoming meeting. The first step in developing a marketing strategy is to brainstorm all the possible marketing ideas you have. I have listed several in the following section, but you can also take a look online or at your local bookstore for additional ideas. Talk to successful business people and find out what worked for them in growing their business in its early stages. It is equally important to find out what didn’t work. Learn from the mistakes of others and try to avoid making them yourself. Next, you should create a marketing calendar where you can list all your plans in date order. Start with the date that you want to have the marketing idea in place, and then move backwards to the milestones you will need to accomplish each marketing task. This will give you a good idea of what you can and cannot accomplish in a month. It’s very tempting to want to put everything in place immediately. This just isn’t possible. A good visual marketing calendar will show you what is feasible within a specific amount of time.

What happens in each Month

How can you use this in your plan

New Year?

Create a great CRM System for the New Year?

January Valentines Day?

February Easter?

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December This is part of your Marketing plan. There are a number of ways to Market your business, the information below will give you a head start but this list is not exhaustive:

Listed below are some ideas for you to consider as part of your marketing strategy. There are various ways in which you can advertise your business. We will go into more detail about some of the suggested advertising avenues listed below further in the course. 1 2

5 6

7 8

9 10

Yellow Pages, Thompson Local and/or local directories (can be expensive to book a box advert, but one line adverts are generally free). Advertise on the internet, including the free listing sites, for example: www.freeindex.co.uk www.yelldirect.com www.thomsondirectories.com www.kyotee.co.uk www.hotfroguk.co.uk For most free listings, you will include your business name, address (unless you are working from home, in which case you may want to consider leaving out the street address and just put the city), phone number, fax number, email address and website address. Some listings will let you put a brief explanation of your business. Think of how you can best describe your services in one or two sentences. Create personal profiles for yourself and your businesses on social networking sites, including: www.linkedin.com www.ecadamy.com www.facebook.com www.networkingforprofessionals.com www.twitter.com Start your own blog. Local Newspapers and Magazines Many newspapers have a classified section that has an associated minimal cost. Some will even have a small ‘services’ section that costs slightly more, but still tend to be reasonable. The cost will go up as you look at display ads. The display ads can run anywhere from business card size to full page, and of course the price will go up the larger you go. Local advertisements, for example newsagents’ shop windows. Appearing on the radio Look for a compelling angle to get interviewed. It takes a little work, but email, call and send letters to local radio stations, letting them know you have a story their listeners may want to hear. Target radio stations that commuters listen to. Listen to call in shows. If there is something that is relevant, call in and give your opinion… and of course, the name of your business. Putting leaflets through doors (businesses and people). Promote a local event There are always events looking for sponsors. Sometimes the donations can be a reasonable amount of money – you may even be able to donate something like water bottles or a food tray. In return, you can put your name in the programme, and perhaps even a small advert.

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Put together your own event that is relevant to your business. It could be an event on ‘Smart Ways to Outsource’. You can rent a room at a hotel or check out the cost at your local library or other free venues. Invite local businesses and put on a small seminar that delivers quality content. Of course you can also let them know about your services. It’s a great way for you to grow yourself personally and professionally, as well as growing your business. Write a press release. Remember, when you write your press release you must be telling the newspaper or magazine that you have a wonderful new service that has not been thought of before; you need to make sure your article is not seen as purely an advertisement. This is a great way of getting some press in the local newspaper. Some newspapers and magazines need stories as fillers. Offer a compelling story to the Editor. It could be something like ‘Going from Employed to Entrepreneur’ or ‘New Ways Businesses are Cutting Costs’ and showcase how businesses can outsource their administrative work instead of hiring a new employee. Use your own car to advertise; stick on a magnetic logo or your telephone number. Various online print companies can create these; you just need to provide the design. Alternatively, create a poster with your business name and telephone number on it. You will need to make sure you car is clean and tidy at all times as it will be seen as an advertising board for your business and as I mentioned before, image is important. Add comments at the end of web postings. Write free articles on a topic; become the expert - for example on www.ezinearticles.com. Run your own seminars/conferences. My first seminar was on time management, mentioned earlier in the book and a very important topic in my business and for my clients. Start an email marketing campaign. Become an approved supplier on your business colleagues’ websites. At the bottom of any email add a small marketing message. Brainstorm with your family and friends, who may have new ideas as to how you can market your business. You may be very surprised with the results. Leave leaflets in prominent positions, for example at the local supermarket or library (always as permission before leaving your leaflets). Attend workshops in business development. Attend and join in job fairs and business promotional events. Networking (this is covered in more detail later in this section).

In this age of internet-savvy people, it is vital to have a website. When you create your first website don't be frightened about technology. You can get a website up-and-running very cheaply and very easily. Don't get conned into spending hundreds or even thousands of pounds on a very functional website that actually is above what you need at the time. Some key points to think about when thinking about your website: 1

2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9

Keywords: These should be included throughout your website. Think about what people would be searching for on the internet if they need the services you provide. For instance, the words ‘personal assistant’, ‘virtual assistant’, ‘customer service’, ‘administrative services’, etc. Pay particular attention to meta tags and meta descriptions. Have a strong ‘opt in’; a reason that people will want to sign up for a mailing list or newsletter or free report. This gives you the opportunity to capture someone’s name and email address (with their permission) to use at a later date for marketing. An example is often used is entering people into a free prize draw. Have your phone number clearly visible. Include testimonials from clients that have used your services or past employers. Anyone that can say how great you are. Include details of any awards received, community service or community groups that you belong to. Have a short video where you introduce yourself and explain your services. (This is a great way to gain internet exposure). Have a blog on your website that lets you give daily tips or thoughts. Don’t use gaudy flash or animation – this makes your page hard to load, irritates the possible client, and it is more likely they will move on to another more user-friendly site.

A website can be quite costly and time consuming, you need to spend some time thinking about what you want your company to look like, how it feels, what image you want to portray.

TASK Look at 10 business websites in the same arena as you would like to start your business in, analyse them and fill in the forms below. Website 1 Web address www _________________________________________________________________ What colours have they used? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does the website feel like? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does it look professional/business like/male or female? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does the website feel as if it a home build website, if yes why, if not why? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Who is the target audience of the website? Why do you think that? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you like about the website? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you dislike about the website? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do the same exercise for 9 additional Virtual Assistant websites. Once you have completed this exercise you will have an idea on how you want your website to look and feel. What information you want to include and exclude. What colours, how to word your message to your potential clients and more importantly what your business stands for.

Once you have decided on how you want your website to look and feel, you are going to have to put some information on those pages to say exactly which services are able to offer your clients. As you are starting up, I would recommend that you have five pages on your website. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need any more at this moment in time.

The first page should be your welcoming page; this is called your homepage. This is where you speak to your customers, you tell them who you are and about the benefits of employing you as their Virtual Assistant.

On the second page, I would be inclined to put information about your services. Tell your prospective clients the benefits of your services and what they can expect from you.

On your third page you can put a little bit about yourself, your history and where you come from.

On your fourth page, if you want to, you can put your fees and in time you will out your testimonials of good works and references that you have got from very happy clients.

Finally, on your last page put in your contact details, your name, your telephone number and your address. There is very little point in creating a website and then not giving a call to action.

TASK Think about your website, the colour, the fonts, the design, the narrative. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

Whether online or offline, newsletters are a fabulous way to advertise your business to both potential and current customers. Always make a newsletter something that is informative and a little fun. Something that a customer will look forward to reading the next time they see it has arrived in the mailbox or inbox. Make it short and to the point, but have a few key parts that are consistent in each newsletter. Some consistent sections could include: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A key tip for time management (everyone can use this). A business news story (short and relevant). A client ‘highlight’ – choose one of your current clients and include a little about them – after seeking their permission to do so. This is a boost for them (and free advertising) and it lets your potential clients know how much you care about your existing ones. A motivational quote. A funny administrative/business story. Testimonials from clients (again with their permission, but offer to include their business name and website - they’ll be happy). An offer for new clients.

There are a number of websites that will help you create a Newsletter using predefined templates and templates that you can amend. Two examples are www.mailchimp.com and www.benchmark.com TASK Go on line and research 4 other Newsletter providers Name of Company: ______________________________________________________________ Website Address: ______________________________________________________________ Cost involved: ________________________________________________________ Number of Free Email Addresses: ____________________________________________________ Name of Company: ______________________________________________________________ Website Address: ______________________________________________________________ Cost involved: ________________________________________________________ Number of Free Email Addresses: ____________________________________________________ Name of Company: ______________________________________________________________ Website Address: ______________________________________________________________ Cost involved: ________________________________________________________ Number of Free Email Addresses: ____________________________________________________ Name of Company: ______________________________________________________________ Website Address: ______________________________________________________________ Cost involved: ________________________________________________________ Number of Free Email Addresses: ____________________________________________________

Networking is about building relationships with potential clients, existing clients, your suppliers and your co-workers. Remember people prefer to do business with, and refer business to, people they know and trust. The golden rules of networking is that you are not networking to the person you are talking to; you are networking to his or her clients. Understand this fundamental concept of networking and you could become a first-class networker.

When you network, remember that you have decided that you are going to invest some of your very valuable time and effort out of the office meeting people who could potentially help your business grow. Treat a networking meeting just like any business meeting you would attend; have an agenda to this meeting. 1 2 3

Set an objective for each networking event. Be specific, e.g. I want to speak to ten new people. Decide what you are going to promote within your business. Determine what you would like to get out of the meeting on a personal level, e.g. building your confidence in meeting people.

There are two types of networking meetings: formal and informal. Formal meetings are those that are organised and have a purpose. Informal networking meetings are those that happen in the pub or during an idle chat with someone.

Most formal networking groups will have a cost associated with them. Many of the weekly meetings (for example BNI) will expect you to attend every week without fail. If you are unable to attend a meeting you are required to send a substitute in your place (you will be expected to pay for your substituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and beverages). Some of the networking groups will also expect you to donate some of your working week to finding business referrals or jobs for fellow members of the group. Some of the local networking groups may not charge a joining and/or annual fee but you will still be expected to pay a weekly, fortnightly or monthly fee, depending on the frequency of the meetings. I know that this sounds very expensive, especially when you are starting up your business, but the confidence and training you gain by attending networking meetings cannot be underestimated.

TASK List a number of Formal Networking Events in your area, if necessary you may need to go on line to research these meetings Meeting Name

Contact

Telephone

Day of meeting

Price

Visiting

Going anywhere where you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anyone is very scary. This is no different for a formal networking meeting. Formal networking often has an order to the proceedings; a structure that is adhered to at every meeting, leadership, and relies on its membership to organise the club. There could be eligibility criteria for membership and the need for self-funding.

When you arrive at a networking group, in most instances you will sign in and pay your entry fee. This can be anything from £5 up to £35, depending on what time of day you are meeting and where. Do not forget to pick up a receipt for this. You will then go into the meeting room and it is up to you to start to talk to various people within the room. Generally you will be given 30 minutes to introduce yourself to the people in the room and find out about them and vice versa. You will then be asked to take a seat where the formal part of the meeting will then take place. Depending on the type of meeting you will be called up to conduct your 60 second presentation. This could be as short as 40 seconds and is also known as your ‘elevator pitch’. There are a number of other names for this presentation but ultimately you are given the opportunity to stand up and tell the people in the room about you and about your business. The general rule of thumb is to state your name, state the name of your business, the type of business you are running and then a little bit about your business identity. Listed below is an example of a 60 second presentation. Please don’t worry about your 60 seconds. This is an opportunity for you to tell the world how proud you are that you have decided to go into business, that you are open for business and all they need to do is come and talk to you.

The 60 second presentation is a brief description of you and your business and is generally equal to about 100 to 150 words. A good 60 second presentation should include the following details:    

Who are you and what is your company called What product or service you are offering How the product or service will benefit your listener What your listener should do to get the product or service

Finish by reiterating your name and your company’s. Below is an example of a 60 second presentation that is specific to myPA Virtual Services, offering Virtual PA and Recruitment Services. Example ‘Good Morning, my name is Julie Farmer and I run a company called myPA. We offer ‘Pay as you go’ secretarial services. Our services include Credit Control, Audio Typing to Diary Management. This week one of my clients was on his way to a meeting and got lost. He called us, asked us to email him directions that he could pick up on his Blackberry and also to contact his client and let them know he was running late. Our client was happy because we provided a valuable service to him and his client was happy as he was kept informed of the situation. So if you know salesman who needs a virtual PA or secretary please give them my number. My name is Julie Farmer from myPA, ‘Pay as you go’ secretarial services.’

Break down of the 60 Seconds Who are you What is your company called What is the product or service you are offering How will the product or service benefit your listener

Restate who you are What should your listener do to get the product or service Who are you What is your company called

Good Morning, my name is Julie Farmer and I run a company called myPA, We offer ‘Pay as you go’ secretarial services. Our services include Credit Control, Audio Typing to Diary Management. This week one of my clients was on his way to a meeting and got lost. He called us, asked us to email him directions that he could pick up on his Blackberry and also to contact his client and let them know he was running late. Our client was happy because we provided a valuable service to him and his client was happy as he was kept informed of the situation. Once again my name is Julie Farmer So if you know of a salesman who needs a virtual PA or secretary please give them my number. My name is Julie Farmer from myPA, ‘Pay as you go secretarial services’.

It is also important to be proactively listening when others are giving their elevator pitch. Take notes on who may need your services based on their elevator pitch. Write down their names and telephone numbers or write down their names and go and talk to them afterwards. Get their business cards if at all possible. Let them know you would like to meet them at a later date convenient to them, when you can discuss their business and what services you can offer to help them. As with anything, you need to test and measure what you say about your company and what promotional material works for you. Write a number of elevator pitches and use them at different meetings and monitor the response.

TASK Write down some ideas on what you could included in your own elevator pitch ______________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

TASK Now I would like you to write 4 more elevator pitches Pitch 1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pitch 2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pitch 3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pitch 4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ultimately, your 60 second presentation will be one that suits your style, suits your services and is something that you feel happy and comfortable saying in a room full of people.

Informal networking is the most effortless kind of networking that you will undertake and can be difficult to define. The network group could be a group of colleagues or friends with a common interest. Other networking groups may be created through people you meet while travelling, attending church functions or simply someone you meet at the pub. As a business owner you are never off the clock. Any opportunity to promote, market or sell your business is an important marketing opportunity. Do be careful though; you don’t want to bore your family and friends every time you meet them.

A great marketing tool that you might like to create is a leaflet, this can either be a DL leaflet, (which is an A4 piece of paper folded over into three which is also called a tri fold leaflet) or just a small A5 booklet of your services. Take some time and start to collect a number of promotional leaflets that you like, collect different sizes, different businesses, different textures. This will start to guide you in designing or asking a designer to design your leaflet to your specifications. When I first started I asked my designer to design a logo for me that was a green lemon with a paperclip. All of your marketing material should be designed as an aid memoir for people when you are not there. When designing your marketing material, always ask yourself this question, “What is in it for the client?” Don’t tell them what you do and the benefits of your company, tell them the benefits that it will give to them and to their company. Remember the phrase “what’s in it for me?”

TASK Collect 20 different marketing leaflets of all sizes and types, lay them out on the table in front of you and analyse them. Leaflet 1 What is the name of the business? _________________________________________________________ What is the business selling? ______________________________________________________________ What type of leaflet have they used â&#x20AC;&#x201C; describe it? __________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

What colour(s) have they used? ___________________________________________________________ What does the leaflet feel like, the texture, the paper quality? _______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Does it look professional/business like? ___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Does the leaflet feel as if it a home-made, if yes why, if not why? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Who is the target audience of the leaflet? Why do you think that? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you like about the leaflet? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you dislike about the leaflet? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Does this leaflet make you want to buy from the supplier? If yes why, if no why not __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Do the same exercise for 19 additional leaflets. Once you have completed this exercise you will have an idea on how you want your leaflet to look and feel. What information you want to include and exclude. What colours, how to word your message to your potential clients and more importantly what your business stands for.

Social media is one key to the success of your business. Social media is connecting with people via the internet in a type of social ‘club’. New social media networks pop up each and every day. This is a professional network where you can build a profile (including current work position, previous career; as much or as little as you wish to include) and connect with other business people. Once you build your LinkedIn profile, search for others that you have worked with or for in the past, and invite them to join your network. This is all about making connections. You can (and should) load your CV to your profile, which will help you to connect with even more people. Often thought of as a tool for the ‘younger generation’, Twitter is very popular throughout the world of celebrity as well as general business and social circles. Many people who are looking for virtual assistants are ‘tweeters’ – they are entrepreneurs who are familiar with using Twitter for their business purposes. Sending ‘tweets’ through your Twitter account not only shows that you are a good marketer but also showcases a valuable skill to potential clients. This is another valuable social network to use for growing your business. Although you can use your personal Facebook account, I don’t suggest this is a good idea. Mixing business with personal Facebook can sometimes be awkward, and downright embarrassing. That old friend from high school could post something just joking around that looks very unprofessional. I would recommend creating a separate Facebook page for your business. Encourage specific friends and colleagues to become ‘fans’ of your page. You can then send out postings to the fans of your page letting them know of business-related tips, events and special offers. Become a noted expert by posting comments on blogs throughout the internet. Do a search on blogs for business-related topics. When you find a relevant question, post an answer. Always be sure to include your business name and email address.

TASK Set up your Social Media Sites Account Name

User Name

Password

Email Address

Linkedin Twitter Facebook Four Blog

There are four options on where you could work: 1 2 3 4

Working from home Working from an office Working from a client’s office Working from a combination of the above

One of the first things you need to understand about working from home is that you are doing just that... working from home. You need to be very strict with yourself, your partner, your children and your friends, especially in the beginning. When you are ‘at work’ your time belongs to your clients. If you stop to have a chat with your friend who ‘just popped in’ to have a coffee then you are no longer working for your client and you have lost valuable billing time in your business. Think of it like this: if you are working for your client and you are charging £25 per hour, your 30 minutes chat with your friend has cost you £12.50 (plus the coffee). When you have scheduled time for your client, you need to focus 100 per cent on the tasks you are performing for them. This means you are not taking a break to throw in a load of laundry or quickly unload the dishwasher. You are not making dinner preparations. You are working for your clients. This means you are able to bill them for your time, which is how you are going to earn money. You are not setting up your business for the fun of it; you have financial obligations that need to be met and you have chosen the VA route to meet these obligations. Time really is money and it is money that gives you time. Here are some of the obstacles that you could face: 

Children off ill from school

      

No-school days Children arguing Husband and children wondering why dinner was not made when they got home from school and work Husband and children used to having access to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week Friends stopping by during the day, not understanding that you are working No one to discuss work issues or problems with No one to celebrate a success with

The Advantages and Disadvantages of working from home Advantages  Save petrol money  Save lunch money  Save on buying ‘work clothes’  Get some housework done during the day  Get the kids off for school – and be home when they get home  No co-workers to distract you by chatting Disadvantages  Easily distracted by household work  Easily distracted by TV  Sometimes harder to stay focused  Can feel less like ‘Work’ – and that feeling can come across to clients  Feelings of isolation - no colleagues to interact with and email/instant messenger communications are just not quite the same as the ‘real thing’

If you decide to rent office space for your business, many of the problems Janet encountered will not be applicable to your situation. You may, however, have other issues. You may not have as much flexibility in your hours, especially if your family needs you at home during the evenings. You would possibly need to have more of a typical 9-5 schedule. You would not have the advantage of ‘working around’ a sick child, where you could possibly juggle working and caring for a sick child if you were at home. Advantages  The feeling of going to a ‘real job’  Easier to stay focused  Nice to have a real address when giving out business cards  Easier to have potential clients to visit – professional appearance  Interaction with other business owners  Support, help and guidance may be available from fellow tenants  Social element, meaning that you do not feel so isolated

Disadvantages  Travel costs  Travel time  Cost of buying lunch (though you could always bring a lunch from home)  Not so family-friendly  Costs of renting office space

There are times when it is going to be advantageous to work from your client’s office, and this can be a very enjoyable experience. You are not interrupted by the telephone and are able to concentrate entirely on your client and his or her needs. I work from a number of my clients’ offices and I always need to ensure that I take a number of thick jumpers, and trousers that don’t show the dirt since I know that I will have one or two dogs jumping on me or that I have to walk through a farm yard to get to the office. Some people like to feel part of the place they are working in, and what better way than to be on your client’s site? Advantages  Quickly develop your understanding of the company you are working for  Familiarity with office procedures  Easy access to required materials  Professional atmosphere  Overhead costs are covered by the client  Your client can feel more confident in giving you even more work and responsibility Disadvantages  Office politics  Possibility to get pulled into jobs that aren’t part of your agreement  Travel costs  Travel time  Harder to stay focused when other people can provide distractions  Not so family-friendly Whichever option you choose, remember to realise all the costs involved; not just financial. Balance is important in all things.

TASK Where will you work and what could be the challenges?

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a look at your Finances before you set up your business. Questions 1

What are your current finances

Do you have any money saved to start your new business

Do you need to buy and equipment for your business

Are you working part/full time while getting your business of the ground

Are you able to take an income reduction while you grow your business? Can you reduce your out goings while you get your business off the ground Name them and the amount

Are you going to get a loan to start your business

Do you have financial support from your partner or family member.

Have you made a financial plan for your household while set up your new business Is your lifestyle sustainable while setting up your new business? What steps are you taking to monitor any changes?

Answer Use the sheet provided. If you have access to excel transpose the information on to an excel workbook.

Eg broadband or a computer and printer

Answer to Question 1 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Finances What are your current finances Use the attached spreadsheet to fill out

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May June July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May June July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Salary 1 Salary 2 Dividends Other Other Total

Out Rent Electric Gas Food Telephone Clothes School Car Insurance Entertainment Other Other Total

Answer to Question 3 in Section 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Finance Do you need to buy any equipment for your business? Item

Cost

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Total

Questions 1

What do you want to do in the future â&#x20AC;&#x201C; i.e. what services do you want to offer

What are your financial aspirations

What do you want your business to be and what services do you want to offer

Where do you want to work from

How much work do you want to do

What do you want your working env to be

What kind of work do you want to do

How far are you willing to travel for your new business

What kind of business do you want to work for Questions

1 2 3 4

Answer

For an accurate understanding of your Finance for your Business I would recommend that you speak to your Accountant. It is very important that you know your business figures at all times. One of the most important reasons anyone starts their own business is to make money. On the whole that sounds great, but there are some very simple rules that you must follow to ensure that you are getting the money you are owed and that you are paying your bills. When you are starting your Virtual Assistant business, you need to be realistic about the amount of money that you will be making. Please take note that it is unrealistic to think you will be able to take your previous corporate salary of, for example £50,000, and divide it by 52 (the number of weeks in a year), times that by 40 (the number of hours in a working week) and come up with an hourly rate to charge your clients. It just doesn’t work that way. You can’t equate what you had in corporate life to what you will have as a VA. There are many other factors you will need to consider.

You are the product. Your time will be what the client is paying for. Of course there may be some ancillary costs that you bill for, such as postage, or cost of adverts that you may run on your client’s behalf. These costs can depend on what your speciality or niche is as a VA.

You may vary your method of charging depending upon the type of work you are taking on. You could choose to charge per hour, which some clients prefer. You should set your rate, however be cautious about publishing a firm rate on any printed material; the rate you set today could be far too low or far too high. Remember any rate can become negotiable. You may be able to offer a discount if you are going to be working long term for a client. Equally, if it is a quick project where your client needs a fast turnaround, you may be able to charge a premium price. Another option is to charge a set fee for completion of a project. Again, do not make the mistake of locking yourself in to a set published price. If you are bundling several projects together with a client, you may be able to afford to give them a discounted price. If you are agreeing a project fee then this is a good time to employ the rule of setting the boundaries (or ‘scope’) of the project in writing. This way there should be no ‘scope creep’ where the client changes their mind about what the project entails, causing far more work than was originally agreed. If the project starts to grow then you can refer back to the original agreement and negotiate a new price.

Your overheads include EVERYTHING that you must pay for in the normal course of your business, such as rent, telephone charges and broadband. You will need to keep a strict and detailed accounting of everything, from your phone bill to your pens. Everything that you touch in the normal course of your day is a cost of doing business and needs to be counted as an overhead. Items are all too often overlooked for the VAs that work from home. Just because you use something for home purposes ‘anyway’ does not mean that it is not an overhead cost. If you use it for your business, count it as an overhead cost. If you are in doubt, talk to your accountant about what you costs you should count as overhead.

Put simply, profit is what you have left over when you take what you are able to charge and subtract your overhead costs. As a business owner, your goal will be to increase your profit. You can do this by either increasing your billing or by decreasing your overhead. Ideally you could do both. We could have a whole separate book on how to do those. I would suggest reviewing chapters 2, 3 and 4 if you need to increase your billing.

If you intend to bill on an hourly basis, you will need to be sure you are keeping an accurate account of the time you are spending on each client’s work. You may well find you are working for several clients throughout the day, so you need to be certain that you are billing correctly for each. It is common practice to use five minute increments to work out your bill for the client. You may want to have an Excel spreadsheet open for tracking which clients you are working with and the time that you start and end working for each throughout the day. There are a number of other software packages that you can get for free from the internet or you can purchase an application (app). I personally use ACT, and when I am at a client’s site I use an app called GetPaid. There are many others, so you will need to find the product and/or method of time keeping that works for you. One of the VAs I employ prefers to write everything down on a daily calendar sheet I created for a Time Management seminar I ran.

It is best to invoice your clients on a monthly basis. You should include:  Your name, business name and business address  Client’s name, business name and business address  Details of the nature of the work undertaken  Breakdown of hours spent on each task (or list of projects undertaken)  Cost next to each task or project  Details of any ancillary costs as referred to previously: postage, adverts, travel, etc...  Total invoice amount

It is also a good idea to include some simple terms and conditions for your services on your invoice. For example, you want to ensure that your client’s payment is prompt and so should include ‘Payment to be made within ten working days’ as one of your conditions. Another point to include is your preferred method for payment; do you want a cheque or payment direct to your bank account? You should also state that any ancillary costs, as mentioned previously, will be itemised and that payment for these should be made alongside the basic hourly/project fees. The type of terms and conditions you include may depend on the type of work you are undertaking. For example, if you are undertaking any design work, you may want to state that the design is your property until payment has been made for such.

Credit control policies are common throughout big businesses and they refer to the terms of payment expected from a customer. Credit control for a VA or other small business is essential, and it is prudent to ensure that your clients understand and agree to the terms of your credit control policy prior to your beginning work for them. Enforcing the policy could be difficult for a small business – often big businesses employ people in a dedicated credit control role – but you need to be adamant about your payment terms and, if the worst comes to the worst, you do have the option of taking a client to a small claims court if they refuse to pay you. This should always be a last resort, and it is worth bearing in mind that you would need to prove to the court the work that was undertaken and the terms of the original agreement. This is where detailed record keeping comes into its own. This is not meant to scare you off. You just need to know that you do have options but you do also need to be aware that it is possible you may not win the case, in which situation you would have to pay your fees (though these should be minimal).

Instead of using BACs and cheques as your payment methods, you can also set up a standing order with clients if they pay a fixed fee a month. This allows for the payments to be made into your account on a monthly basis automatically. There is an example of a standing order mandate in this section

If a client has paid your invoice via BACs you may receive a Remittance Advice. This is a simple form that tells you that your invoice has been paid. Attached to this section are sample letters that you could use when dealing with your clients and accounts.

When you write your letter, please use your own headed paper. Put the date you sent the letter out to your reader and their address on the letter, even if you are going to write their address on the envelope. At the bottom of each letter sign your name, your job title and the name of your company. This will reinforce your authority in the eyes of your client. For the majority of your letters you will need use Yours Sincerely as you will know who you are writing to. However if there is an occasion where you don’t know your reader close the letter with Yours Faithfully.

Date Address1 Address2 Address3 Town County Post Code Dear Your Client Name Re: Outstanding Invoice Number We would like to remind you that you have an overdue invoice(s), with an overdue balance of XXXX. If you have any questions about the amount you owe, please give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss it. If you’ve already sent your payment, please disregard this reminder. We appreciate your continuing business, and we look forward to hearing from you shortly. Yours sincerely

Your Name Your Title Contact Details

Re: Outstanding Invoice Number We would like to remind you that you have overdue invoice(s), with an overdue balance of XXXX. If you have any questions about the amount you owe, please give us a call and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be happy to discuss it. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already sent your payment, please disregard this reminder. We appreciate your continuing business, and we look forward to hearing from you shortly. Yours sincerely

Re: Job/Task Title Although we have contacted you about the outstanding balance on your account, we still have not heard from you. Please note that you have an outstanding balance of XXXX. The following invoices are overdue: Invoice details If you have already sent payment in full, please could you call and let us know. Otherwise, if there are any problems with your account, do call me to discuss what you plan to do to settle your account. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Yours sincerely

Re: Job/Task Title Although we have contacted you about the outstanding balance on your account, we still have not heard from you. Please note that you have an outstanding balance of XXXX. The following invoices are overdue: Invoice Details If you have already sent payment in full, we ask that you call and let us know. Otherwise, please call me to discuss what you plan to do to settle your account. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Re: Job/Task Title The following invoices are now long overdue despite our previous reminders for immediate settlement: Invoice Details Unless we receive your cheque in full settlement in the next seven days we shall have no alternative but to instruct our solicitors to recover the amount due. We still hope you will settle this account without further delay and thus save yourself the inconvenience and considerable costs of legal action. Please contact us immediately regarding this situation.

The following invoices are now long overdue despite our previous reminders for immediate settlement: Invoice details Unless we receive your cheque in full settlement in the next seven days we shall have no alternative but to instruct our solicitors to recover the amount due. We still hope you will settle this account without further delay and thus save yourself the inconvenience and considerable costs of legal action. Please contact us immediately regarding this situation.

Re: Bounced Cheque Your recent payment has been returned due to insufficient funds. To keep your account with us in good standing, we ask that you send a money order or cashierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheque for the amount due within three days. If the returned cheque is due to a bank error, please contact us with verification from the bank. In the case of a bank error, we do let customers simply send a replacement cheque. Please handle this matter promptly, as a delay may affect your account with us. If you have questions about this letter, please contact me.

Re: Your Credit Request Thank you for your recent credit application. After a careful review of your information, we are sorry to inform you that we will not be able to accept you as a credit customer. If your situation changes in the future, we encourage you to re-apply. In the meantime, we welcome your business as a cash customer and hope you continue to let us serve you.

Re: Your Credit Request

Thank you for your recent credit application. After reviewing your information, I am pleased to inform you that we have accepted you as a credit customer. The enclosed sheet describes the credit terms we offer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. We appreciate your business and look forward to working with you on a long-term basis.

To Whom It May Concern Re: Your Company Name Please send us an application so that we can open a credit account with your company. You have become an important supplier, and we would like to establish a long-term relationship with you. Favourable credit terms would make that possible. Thank you very much in anticipation.

Re: Your Recent Complaint We are sorry to hear that you are not completely satisfied with our service. I was absolutely mortified to hear of your feed back. Our aim is for each and every customer to have a good experience with us and to feel satisfied. I would welcome the opportunity to correct the issue to ensure that you are completely happy. I would be very happy to discuss the way forward at your convenience. Your custom is appreciated and we hope you choose to do business with us again.

Re: Happy Birthday! Please accept our best wishes for an enjoyable day and a prosperous year. We also want to take this opportunity to thank you for your business. Customers like you make it all worthwhile. Congratulations again.

Re: Our Apology I would like to apologise for the problem you have experienced recently. We want every person we do business with to walk away feeling satisfied, and that apparently didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen in your case. I hope you will give us another chance to make things right. We depend on customer feedback to let us know where we can improve; please contact me at your convenience so we can discuss this further. I hope you accept our apology and decide that you can do business with us again.

Happy Birthday! Please accept my best wishes for today and the coming year. I also want to take this opportunity to thank you for being such a valued member of the team. We appreciate your efforts. Congratulations again.

Re: Contract transmission Enclosed are two copies of the contract. If it meets with your approval, please sign both copies and return one in the enclosed, pre-addressed envelope. I believe the contract includes all the details weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve discussed, but please let me know if you find omissions or incorrect information. I am pleased we were able to come to an agreement, and I look forward to working with you.

To Whom It May Concern Re: Your Company Name We have received an invoice that we believe contains incorrect charges. We would appreciate your help with this by contacting us with the current balance you have on file. As soon as the details are corrected or verified, we will be able to send a cheque in payment. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Re: Service offered by your Thank you for choosing to do business with Your company name. Our goal is to ensure that our clients are looked after to the best of our ability. If we ever disappoint you, we hope you will let us know as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do everything we can to make things right. Thank you again for selecting us. It is our privilege to work with you.

Thank you for choosing to work with Your company name. We appreciate the opportunity to do business with you and look forward to creating an ongoing working relationship with you. Put a personal paragraph here to do with your new client and the work you are going to undertake.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or require assistance, please feel free to contact me.

In looking over our records, I’ve noticed that we haven’t heard from you in a while. Have we disappointed you in some way? We pride ourselves on maintaining long-term, happy relationships with customers. I’m concerned that we may have failed you in some way, and I’d like to encourage you to bring any issues to my attention. Please let me know if there is something I can do to bring you back as a regular customer. I do hope we hear from you.

Thanks for taking the time to send us your CV. You appear to be a well-qualified candidate, but unfortunately, we don’t have a current opening in your area. I hope you don’t mind if I keep your CV on file though as should we have a suitable opening in the future, I’d like to contact you. Thank you again for your interest in our company.

Re: Holiday Entitlement The company’s records show that you have XXXX hours/days of holiday accrued since you joined Your Company Name. If your records differ from the company’s, please let me know.

The company’s records show that you have XXXX hours/days of accrued sick time. If your records differ from the company’s, please let me know.

This section is about the day to day running of your business and what procedures you should put in place to help your business grow and for you to be become a successful Virtual Assistant. This is the exciting part of your business.

Communication within your Virtual Assistant business is going to be the key to your success. You must always let your clients know what you are doing for them, what you have done for them and what you are about to do for them. If you keep your clients informed about your activities they will be very forgiving and supportive of you. There are 5 means of communication that you will need to master in your business. • • • • •

Letter Email Fax Memo Telephone

Although there are other communications that are quicker than sending a letter, it’s still an effective and preferred way to convey important information. You should have a smart letterhead as it can reflect the professionalism of your business. Your letterhead should contain your business name and logo if you have one, followed by your trading address. If you are a Limited, LLP or Partnership you will need to include your company registration number and registered address (this information should be included on all documentation you send to clients, potential clients, suppliers etc). The most common format when writing a letter is “left block” (all text blocked to the left of the margin). You should always include the date the letter was written. Leave a couple of line spaces and then write the address of the person you are sending the letter to. Again, leaving a few lines spaces and include who the letter is to, for example ‘Dear XXXXX’. If you are going to use a reference include this next, this is generally the first written paragraph or sentence. (In brief, it is an outline of what the letter is regarding so the reader instantly knows to read on). You can then construct the main body of the letter which will include all of the

information you wanted to inform your reader. Finally, you should finish with a ‘Yours sincerely (if you know their name) or yours faithfully (if you don’t know their name) and your name and signature. Letter Head Your Log here Date

Your address Insert 1 Space here

Address Address Post Code Insert 1 Space here Dear Sir/Madam Insert 1 Space here Re: Payment of Cheque Insert 1 Space here Please find enclosed a cheque for £250.00, could you please pay this into my account with immediate effect. I would also like to know the balance of my account and request you send me a statement of my account on a monthly basis. Currently, I receive a statement on a yearly basis.. Insert 1 Space here I would like to thank you in advance for your help in this matter. Insert 1 Space here Yours faithfully Insert 7 Line Space here, about an inch so that you are able to sign your letter Julie Farmer Managing Director myPA Virtual Services

Your letter should look like this: Date

Your address

Address Address Post Code Dear Sir/Madam Re: Payment of Cheque Please find enclosed a cheque for ÂŁ250.00, could you please pay this into my account with immediate effect. I would also like to know the balance of my account and request you send me a statement of my account on a monthly basis. Currently, I receive a statement on a yearly basis.. I would like to thank you in advance for your help in this matter. Yours faithfully

Julie Farmer Managing Director myPA Virtual Services

An Email is a quick means of communication and used in every business. It is very important you remember that when you create an email you are still writing a form of a letter to your reader. The etiquette of an Email is not defined at the current time however I find that it is easier, and safer in a business environment to use the same principle as writing a letter. Never start an email with Hi Ya, or Hi, be generous with your words, Dear XXXX. Finish your email with Yours Sincerely, Yours Faithfully and if you know your reader very well you can use Take Care. This is very much your call. However, do remember that if anything were to go wrong with your work or your business and you were taken to court your email communication will be regarded in the same manner as a letter. So treat an email communication with respect. Re read your mail before you send it and make sure that your language is professional, courteous and appropriate for your client. Your email should contain your business name and logo if you have one, followed by your trading address. If you are a Limited, LLP or Partnership you will need to include your company registration number and registered address. You should also take advantage of the space in your email to do a little advertising of your business. If you have a new promotion on in any month included that promotion in each of your

signatures. If you have some testimonials, you could also include those. Be a little careful about the about of additional text you use in your email as many of your clients will be using their telephones to ready your email. Julie Farmer Senior Partner, myPA Virtual Services Founder of VA4GB www.mypavirtualservices.com Email: julie@mypavirtualservices.com Tel: 01367 246003 Fax: 01367 246041 www.juliefarmer.co.uk Email: julie@juliefarmer.co.uk Tel: 0845 481 2633 Registered England. Registered No: OC352798. . Registered Office: 7 Milbanke Court, Milbanke Way, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1RP. (Confidentiality of this electronic transmission - The documents of this electronic transmission contain confidential and/or privileged information belonging to myPA Virtual Services. The content is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution and/or taking any action based upon reliance of the contents of this transmission is strictly forbidden. If you have received this email in error then please notify the sender immediately by returning the email. The views expressed within this e-mail are not necessarily the views or policies of myPA Virtual Serivces. The information contained in this e-mail may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Unless the information is legally exempt from disclosure, the confidentiality of this e-mail and your reply cannot be guaranteed. E-mails are not considered a secure medium for sending personal information and may be at risk. All recipients should run anti-virus software before opening any attachments. All liability is excluded to the extent permitted by law for any claims arising from the use of this medium by this organisation).

A fax or facsimile is a communication method used before the introduction and wide use of emails. To a certain extent most business no longer use faxes and prefer to scan documents on to their computer and then send the document via email. However some businesses and business process still require a fax machine. A Fax machine can be purchased from any stationary shop and can range from about ÂŁ20.00+. Many multi-functional printers come with a built in fax machine A fax can send and receive pictures and text via a telephone line.

Your Company Name Here

Facsimile ___________________________________________________________________________ To: From: Fax: Pages: Phone: Date: ___________________________________________________________________________ Subject: ___________________________________________________________________________

A memorandum or memo is an internal document used to communicate in the workplace. It is a simple tool to convey a message to other employees, although it is used less due to the use of email. A memo is an informal method of communication.

MEMORANDUM To: From: Date: Subject:

Before you attend a meeting, research your client or your potential client on the internet and make sure that you do some research about their business. Make sure that you know who they are what they do and then you will be able to ask some important questions about their business. This is also for your safety. You don’t want to attend a meeting with a person who doesn’t have a business or who you feel nervous about. If you get a bad feeling about the meeting you should cancel it or old the meeting at your office. Let’s talk practically about you going to meet your first client. If you have been to a networking meeting or they have answered an advert on your website or in the newspaper they are going to want to have a chat with you before they give you any work. It is not going to be a case of yes I want a job done and here you can do it. So the first thing you are going to need to do is set up a meeting, quite often a virtual assistant when they go to a meeting will be meeting in someone’s home because a lot of VA’s work for small businesses. When you go to somebody’s home it is very important that you follow the following steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Ensure that you get the correct postal address of the office/home that you are attending. Make sure you know the name of the person you are visiting. Make sure you have their telephone number. Make sure that you have their mobile number. Make sure you have their email address. Make sure you have their website.

Put all of this information down on a piece of paper, you can use one of the forms that is attached to this training course and then, I want you to give a copy of that form to someone you trust and tell them you are going to this meeting. Tell them the day of the meeting and the time of the meeting. When you arrive at your meeting, you must then phone that person (who you have given the form to) to say that you are just about to go into the meeting and that they are to expect your call in an hour’s time to say that the meeting has finished. If not, they are to give you a call in an hour’s time to make sure that you are safe. Women going in to different offices and into people’s homes just have to have a little bit more security minded and be aware about their environment. When you go in to visit your client wait until they have asked you to sit down and then sit down, let your client do all the talking and ask them before you do anything if it’s ok to write some notes. Some people will say yes and some people will say no, they may just give some additional information they just want you to listen. But either way, always ask permission to write down some notes. If your clients got any additional literature that they are prepared to give you, take that literature away with you, it is always important so that you can do some research after your meeting. When you return to your car, phone your trusted person to say the meeting is over and you are safe and that you are on your way back to the office/home.

I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A SUGGESTION, IT IS MANDATORY. p

Your Representative: _________________________________________________________ Date of Meeting: ______________________ Time of Meeting: ______________________ Customer Name Telephone No

Company Name Company Address

Mobile No Fax No Email Address Service Address of Meeting if different from above Nature of Meeting VPA Clients New Client Client Review Meeting Client Query Meeting Client Lunch Other

Recruitment Clients New Client Client Review Meeting Client Query Meeting Client Lunch Other

Concierge Clients New Client Client Review Meeting Client Query Meeting Client Lunch Other

Estimated length of meeting: ___________________________________________________ Reason for Meeting

Now is you opportunity to sit down and make some additional notes about the meeting. Ideally you should create a client file or a potential client file and put all the information in there, once again, it is their name, telephone number, all their contact details and a little bit more about what they do and the services that they are after. It could be that they only wanted to meet you and get to know you meeting before they ask you to do any work or provide a quotation. This is where you write all the information about their likes and dislikes, there company fonts, colours. Who works in their business, who may call you etc.

Use this form, or one similar to record your clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements. Once you have understood what you are required top do ensure the other members of your team are aware of the request. Get them to read and sign this form. It is often said that before a prospective client will employ you they need to see you at least seven times. On your notes, be very comprehensive about your conversation, write down their likes, their dislikes, write down what is worrying them in their business and what they need help with. Customer Name Telephone No Mobile No Fax No Email Address Service

Company Name Company Address

Website address: Description

Travel from your company:

Clients Name:

Date:

Your Representative

Date:

Your Representative

Date:

If they have asked you to send a quotation, make sure that you send in the agreed time frame, make sure that you have fully understood the requirements they want and then you could ask them if you can record the conversation, take a small dicta phone with you to record the conversation and then listen to it. In your quotation, reiterate what your client has said and repeat that back to them in the quotation and then send your quote first class in the post. You could also send a copy via an email. If you have some additional literature that you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take with you, pop that into the quote as well. If they have asked you to email the information over, by all means email it, but I would also recommend you put a hard copy in the post. A few days later, give them a telephone call and ask them if they have received the quote and if they have any questions. At the same time create a quote file to keep all of your quotes in one place. On the computer, create a quote log sheet and write down the information from your meeting, this is so that you can keep a check of the amount of meetings you have, the amount quotations you send to find out what you conversion rate is. Date 02/01/2012 12/01/2012

Meetings Held Yes Yes

Quotation Sent Yes Yes

Won/Lost Lost Won

Why? Reason why you lost Start on the 17/01/12

If you have lost a quotation against somebody, take control and call the potential client to find out why this is so.

Creating your terms and conditions may seems like a complex and tedious task to carry out, but it is vital that you protect both yourself and your business to avoid loosing clients over misunderstanding and avoid unexpected legal costs. To create a contract you can use your Headed Paper and confirm the services you are going to offer, the price as shown below. You must also include your own Terms and Conditions, this is your protection and sets out the rules that you work to and by. Customer Reference Number: VS010 Customer Name Telephone No Mobile No Fax No Email Address Service

Julie Farmer 01367 246003

T&C Attached Date of Completion Customer order number

Yes Monthly ongoing TBC

Date: Saturday, 09 January 2016 Company Name Address

myPA Business Limited Brunel House Volunteer Way Faringdon Oxfordshire SN7 7YR

Invoice Address

As above

01367 276041 julie@mypabusiness.com

Agreed Services 1. 2. 3.

Assistance with updating your database at your office and remotely when necessary. Assistance with banking and post when you are on holiday or in London. Assistance with any additional administrative support when necessary.

Costs Rates are charged at ÂŁ18.50 per hour invoiced at the end of each month, at Âź hours segments, if myPA makes any phone calls on your behalf they will be charge to you at the end of each month.

Signed: ________________________________ On behalf:

Client Name Client Company

Date: _________________________________

Signed by: ______________________________ On behalf of: myPA Virtual Services LLP Julie Farmer Date: Saturday, 09 January 2016

SAMPLE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO GET YOUR SOLICITOR TO CONFIRM THAT THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS. Please note, using our services will be considered acceptance of these terms and conditions 1.

Definition of Terms Client Contract Document Input Material Your Company Output Material Personal Assistant Specified Service Supplier’s Standard Charges Work Sheet

The person for whom the Supplier has agreed to provide a Specified Service for in accordance with these Conditions. The contract for the provision of the Specified Service In addition to a document in writing, any map, plan, graph, drawing or photograph, any film, negative, tape or other device embodying visual images and any disc, tape or other device embodying any other data Any documents or other materials, and any data or other information provided by the Client relating to the Specified Service Means Your Contact Details Any documents or other materials, and any data or other information provided by the Supplier relating to the Specified Service The person described further in the schedule The service to be provided by the Supplier for the Client and referred to in the literature The charges shown in the Supplier’s brochure, web site and/or other published literature relating to the Specified Service. The sheet to which these Conditions are appended

The headings in these Conditions are for convenience only and shall not affect their interpretation. 2.0

Supply of the Specified Service 2.1

Your Company shall provide the Specified Service to the Client subject to these Conditions. Any changes or additions to the Specified Service or these Conditions will be notified to the client in writing giving at least 30 days’ notice.

2.2

The Client shall at its own expense will supply the Supplier with all necessary Documents or other materials, and all necessary data or other information relating to the Specified Service, within sufficient time to enable the Your Company to provide the Specified Service in accordance with the Contract. The Client shall ensure the accuracy of all Input Material.

2.3

The Client shall at its own expense retain duplicate copies of all Input Material and insure against its accidental loss or damage. Your Company shall have no liability for any such loss or damage, however caused. All Output Material shall be at the sole risk of the Client from the time of delivery to the Client.

2.4

The Specified Service shall be provided in accordance with the Work Sheet and otherwise in accordance with the Your Company’s current brochure and/or other published literature relating to the Specified Service from time to time, subject to these Conditions.

2.5

Further details about the Specified Service and advice or recommendations about its provision or utilisation, which are not given in Your Company’s brochure or other promotional literature, may be made available on written request.

2.6

Your Company may correct any typographical or other errors or omissions in any brochure, promotional literature, quotation or other document relating to the provision of the Specified

Service without any liability to the Client.

3.0

4.0

2.7

Your Company may at any time without notifying the Client make any changes to the Specified Service which are necessary to comply with any applicable safety or other statutory requirements, or which do not materially affect the nature or quality of the Specified Service.

2.8

Your Company retains the copyright on all designs produced unless agreement to purchase any such design and copyright is reached.

Charges 3.1

Subject to any special terms agreed, the Client shall pay Your Company’s Standard Charges and any additional sums which are agreed between Your Company and the Client for the provision of the Specified Service or which, in Your Company’s sole discretion, are required as a result of the Client’s instructions or lack of instructions, the inaccuracy of any Input Material or any other cause attributable to the Client.

3.2

Your Company shall be entitled to vary the Your Company’s Standard Charges from time to time by giving not less than one month’s written notice to the Client.

3.3

All charges quoted to the Client for the provision of the Specified Service are exclusive of any Value Added Tax, for which the Client shall be additionally liable at the applicable rate.

3.4

Your Company shall be entitled to invoice the Client for any Additional Charges following the end of each month in which the Specified Service is provided, or at other times agreed with the Client.

3.5

Your Company’s additional charges shall be paid by the client (together with any applicable Value Added Tax, and without any set-off or deduction) within 14 days of the date of Your Company’s invoice or by the due date shown on the invoice.

3.6

Your Company reserves the right to treat all sales calls, wrong numbers and hang-ups as valid calls.

3.7

Sales Lead Generation service – Payment is required in advance of commencement of any Sales Lead Generation project. Invoices are issued in advance (together with any applicable Value Added Tax, and without any off-set or deduction).

3.8

If payment is not made on the due date, Your Company shall be entitled, without limiting any other rights it may have, to charge interest on the outstanding amount (both before and after any judgment) at the rate of 4% above the base rate from time to time of HSBC Bank plc from the due date until the outstanding amount is paid in full.

3.9

If payment is not made on the due date, Your Company shall be entitled, without limiting any other rights it may have, to suspend service provision without notice, until payment is made in full.

Personal Assistant 4.1

Your Company will use its reasonable endeavours to ensure the Personal Assistant provided as part of the Specified Service be aware of the Client’s business requirements.

4.2

The Client acknowledges that from time to time Your Company will be required to allocate a new Personal Assistant and Your Company will notify the Client when this occurs.

4.3 5.0

6.0

The Client warrants that neither it nor any of its employees will solicit or attempt to entice away from Your Company any of Your Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employees.

Rights in Input Material and Output Material 5.1 5.1.1 5.1.2

The property and any copyright or other intellectual property rights in: Any Input Material shall belong to the Client. Any Output Material shall, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Client and Your Company, belong to Your Company, subject only to the right of the Client to use the Output Material for the purposes of utilising the Specified Service.

5.2

Any Input Material or other information provided by the Client which is so designated by the Client and any Output Material shall be kept confidential by Your Company, and all Output Material or other information provided by Your Company which is so designated by Your Company shall be kept confidential by the Client; but the foregoing shall not apply to any Documents or other materials, data or other information which are public knowledge at the time when they are so provided by either party, and shall cease to apply if at any future time they become public knowledge through no fault of the other party.

5.3

The Client warrants that any Input Material and its use by Your Company for the purpose of providing the Specified Service will not infringe the copyright or other rights of any third party, and the Client shall indemnify Your Company against any loss, damages, costs, expenses or other claims arising from any such infringement.

5.4

Subject to paragraph 5.3, Your Company warrants that any Output Material and its use by the Client for the purposes of utilising the Specified Service will not infringe the copyright or other rights of any third party, and Your Company shall indemnify the Client against any loss, damages, costs, expenses or other claims arising from any such infringement.

Warranties and Liability 6.1

Your Company warrants to the Client that the Specified Service will be provided using reasonable care and skill and, as far as reasonably possible, in accordance with the Specification and at the intervals and within the times referred to in the Specification Sheet. Where Your Company supplies in connection with the provision of the Specified Service any goods (including Output Material) supplied by a third party, Your Company does not give any warranty, guarantee or other term as to their quality, fitness for purpose or otherwise, but shall, where possible, assign to the Client the benefit of any warranty, guarantee or indemnity given by the person supplying the goods to the Supplier.

6.2

Your Company shall have no liability to the Client for any loss, damage, costs, expenses or other claims for compensation arising from any Input Material or instructions supplied by the Client which are incomplete, incorrect, inaccurate, illegible, out of sequence or in the wrong form, or arising from their late arrival or non-arrival, or any other fault of the Client.

6.3

Except in respect of death or personal injury caused by Your Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s negligence, or as expressly provided in these Conditions, Your Company shall not be liable to the Client by reason of any representation (unless fraudulent), or any implied warranty, condition or other term, or any duty at common law, or under the express terms of the Contract, for any loss of profit or any indirect, special or consequential loss, damage, costs, expenses or other claims (whether caused by the negligence of Your Company, its servants or agents or otherwise) which arise out of or in connection with the provision of the Specified Service or their use by the Client, and the entire liability of Your Company under or in connection with the Contract shall not exceed the amount of Your Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charges for the provision of the Specified Service, except as expressly provided in these Conditions.

6.4

7.0

8.0

Your Company shall not be liable to the Client or be deemed to be in breach of the Contract by reason of any delay in performing, or any failure to perform, any of Your Company’s obligations in relation to the Specified Service, if the delay or failure was due to any cause beyond Your Company’s reasonable control.

Termination 7.1

The Client shall be entitled to terminate the Contract at any time by giving not less than one month’s written notice to Your Company. A cancellation fee may be applied for any cancelled services within a 48 hour period at the discretion of Your Company to include any expenses incurred for the service.

7.2

Your Company reserves the right to terminate the Contract without notice in its absolute discretion and if in particular it does not consider the Client’s business to be of a legal or morally sound nature.

7.3

Either party may (without limiting any other remedy) at any time terminate the Contract by giving written notice to the other if the other commits any breach of these Conditions and (if capable of remedy) fails to remedy the breach within 30 days after being required by written notice to do so, or if the other goes into liquidation, or (in the case of an individual or firm) becomes bankrupt, makes a voluntary arrangement with his or its creditors or has a receiver or administrator appointed.

General 8.1

These Conditions constitute the entire agreement between the parties, supersede any previous agreement or understanding and may not be varied except in writing between the parties. All other terms and conditions, express or implied by statute or otherwise, are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.

8.2

Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other under these Conditions shall be in writing addressed to the other party at its principal place of business or such other address as may at the relevant time have been notified pursuant to this provision to the party giving the notice.

8.3

No failure or delay by either party in exercising any of its rights under the Contract shall be deemed to be a waiver of that right, and no waiver by either party of any breach of the Contract by the other shall be considered as a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision.

8.4

If any provision of these Conditions is held by any competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, the validity of the other provisions of these Conditions and the remainder of the provision in question shall not be affected.

8.5

Any dispute arising under or in connection with these Conditions or the provision of the Specified Service shall be referred to arbitration by a single arbitrator appointed by agreement or (in default) nominated on the application of either party by the President for the time being of The Law Society in accordance with the rules of The Law Society.

8.6

English law shall apply to the Contract, and the parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Computer Communications

9.1

All incoming emails, files and discs are scanned for computer viruses, as are outgoing documents and emails.

9.2

We will not open any unsolicited attachments to emails, or emails that have no message with the attachment, unless the attachment originates from a known and trusted source.

9.3

Where anti-virus software indicates that a client's files are infected with a computer virus we will send an advisory email to the Client so that they are aware that work cannot be undertaken until a clean copy of the information is available.

9.4

Output Material will be held electronically for the period of the project with appropriate backup. Archived material will be held on file for a period of time as agreed between Your Company and the Client but will not be disclosed to any third parties without the Clients specific instruction in writing, except where necessary to comply with the requirements of any relevant legislatory body or legal warrant.

9.5

Information with regard to the Clients specific requirement and general information will be held on our database and will not be issued or sold to third parties.

The Schedule Personal Assistant means the person employed by Your Company who will be available to the Client for the Purposes of:i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii)

receiving and making telephone calls answering questions about Clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business taking and passing messages diary management, making business arrangements sending letters, quotes and invoices preparing presentations and documentation additional administration work as requested by the client and agreed by Your Company

Work Sheet Your Company agrees to provide the Client with a Personal Assistant between the hours of 9.00am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday (save for bank holidays and other public holidays), or the agreed hours of business worked by the Client and as agreed in advance by Your Company. The Client shall receive the benefits of the Service as published by Your Company and notified in writing from time to time.

To get an accurate Terms and Conditions form you should contact your Solicitor and ask them to confirm that the T&C are correct and will protect you for litigation.

You will be asked to do a lot of confidential work for your clients and they often have a concern about privacy. I have used this None Disclosure Agreement with my clients and they have felt a little more secure about giving me work to take away. SAMPLE NONE DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT. I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO GET YOUR SOLICITOR. TO CONFIRM THAT THIS NONE DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS NON DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

The agreement is made, on the Date Between Your Company (full address which should including your companies registered address). And ___________________________________________________________________________ Whose registered office at of it is ______________________________________________________ Whereas the parties hereto during this discussion, agreement, delivery and/or supply of services between them provide to each other or discover certain information relating to the business, financial and prospects of each other and technical information, know-how and intellectual property of each the other conditional nature (the confidential information) and wish to ensure that the confidential information remains confidential. Now it is agreed as follows: 1. 2.

In this agreement, the terms of myPA, and the recipient including their respective associated companies and associates (as defined in the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 section or 416 and 417). In consideration for parties disclosing confidential information, the parties hereby agree and undertake: a) to treat confidential information disclosed and will not without the prior written consent of any other party, make use of confidential information except for the purposes of evaluating and pursuing the relationship between the parties, nor disclose the confidential information to any third party; b) not to use, or copy, or retain any copies of confidential information, except for the purpose for which it was provided or generated, without the prior written consent of the other party; c) to keep all confidential information in a safe and secure place; d) to ensure that all confidential information is disclosed in confidence only to such of their officers, employees, servants, agents of professional advisers (the permitted

persons), as is essential for the purpose of evaluating and pursuing a relationship between the parties, and then only to the extent that such Permitted Persons have been made fully aware that the Confidential Information is not to be disclosed, other than as provided for in this agreement, and have undertaken to abide by the terms of this agreement. that each party is then responsible for any breach of the obligations of confidentiality contained in this agreement by the permitted persons, and shall enforce such obligations at itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own expense upon the request of the other party.

The restrictions as to the use and disclosure of confidential information set out above shall not apply to: a) any of the confidential information, which is or becomes published or otherwise comes into the public domain otherwise than by an authorised disclosure is a breach of this agreement; or b) any of the confidential information, which is shown by written or other tangible evidence to have been known to the receiving party prior to the date of the disclosure under this agreement; or c) any confidential information, which is lawfully acquired by the receiving party from an independent source, having a bona fide right to disclose the confidential information or; d) any confidential information which can be demonstrated by written or tangible evidence to be independently developed by an employee of the receiving party, who has not had access any of the confidential information disclosed to the receiving party.

Any party which has received any confidential information in writing, tangible or electronic form will return to the party supplying the same or destroy the same and any copies made thereto if so requested; and certify in writing that it has complied with this agreement. This confidential information, including any documents, drawings, sketches, designs, materials or samples supplied hereunder, will remain the property of the party disclosing or supplying the same, and no rights are granted to the receiving party in the same.

The Parties acknowledge that damages may not be an adequate remedy of any breach of this undertaking contained in this agreement, and therefore confirm that the view and agreements that each party should also be entitled to the remedies of injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief in respect of any threatened or actual breach by other quality of the provisions of this agreement. All additions or modifications to this agreement must be made in writing and must be executed by both parties. This non-disclosure agreement shall apply for a period of three years, from disclosure of the relevant confidential information and shall survive the termination of this agreement.

This agreement shall be constituted in accordance with, and governed in all respects by, the law of England, Wales and Scotland. Neither party shall be entitled to assign the rights and obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party. ----------------------------------------------------Signed on behalf of recipient by Print Name:

_________________________

Date: _______________________________

Signature: ____________________________________________________________________ Signed on the half of Your Company by Print Name: Position:

Your Name Your Company

Date: _____________________________________

Signature: ____________________________________________________________________

Once you have heard back from your client that they would like you to undertake some administrative services for them, now is the time for you to create a welcome pack. This is very important because it shows to your client that you have listened to what they have said and you have understood the services that they need. The welcome most consist of a contract, which once again lays out the quotation that you sent, it must have you terms and conditions and it must have the price and the job that you are doing. Send that out with possibly a client welcome pack that just tells you a little bit more about how you operate and what to do if there are any complaints, what to do if your sick. Again send this in first class post. Once you have your client on board. It is time to ensure that you have followed your internal procedures to ensure you have not missed anything. I use this tick sheet that is then placed in their file. Customer Name Telephone No Mobile No Fax No Email Address Service

Company Name Company Address

VPA Clients

Completed By

Tick

Set up on CRM System New Client Meeting Client Quote (attached) Client acceptance of Quote Confirmation of Order sent (Contract, printed and personalised) None Disclosure Agreement Sent (printed and personalised) Welcome Pack sent to New Client • Confirmation of Order (Contract) • Literature about Your Company • Your Company Business Card • Non Disclosure Agreement • Welcome Letter • Welcome Pack Pre-stamped Your Company Address Envelope Set up on Accounts Package Create Your Own Company Client File Confirmation of Order signed and returned (Contract) Non disclosure agreement signed and returned

Once you have sent out the above documents and have had them returned to you, you can start to undertake any work/tasks they require from you.

During a meeting, your potential client may have certain task requirement that they want you to carry out immediately. To make sure that all requirements are recorded and you know exactly what needs to be done you should create a form that allows all of this information to be recorded in a professional manor. The form should contain both your business details and your clients business details, including name, telephone number, mobile number, fax number, email address, service and website address. This should then be followed by a detailed description of the task that you have been given by your client. It may then be advisable to show your client to be sure that you are clear of what the task involves. Client Job Sheet Date Task issued: 12/01/2012 Customer Name Telephone No Mobile No Fax No Email Address Service

Nature of Task

Company Name Company Address

myPA Business Limited Brunel House Volunteer Way Faringdon Oxfordshire SN7 7YR

Estimated length of Task: ______________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Head Office Name of myPA staff commissioned with the task: _________________________________________________ Dead line of task: ___________________________________________________________________________ Task Completed: ____________________________________________________________________________ Form returned to Office Manager Signed: ________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________ Once you have started working for your client, keep them informed every step of the way of the work that you are doing. If you are doing project work, make sure that they are kept abreast of the project at all times. If you have a number of questions and queries that your client needs to answer, save them up, don’t phone them every two minutes and ask them a question, phone them up, ask them if it’s ok to talk and then run through a number of questions at any one time. It may be that you need to go over to their office once again and get some additional information from them. Some of your clients may ask you to work on site if that’s the case, don’t worry about it, and if you’re happy do so you will have costs of your petrol, but you will be using all of their stationary. If you do go to work at somebody’s office make sure that you tell somebody where you are going and what time you are due back.

When you are working for a client the other thing to make sure is that you record your time accurately and what you are doing. It could be that you bill your client on a quarterly or an hourly basis; you need to ensure that you make accurate notes of what you did and the time that used it. As an organisation myPA use a piece of software called ACT CRM, but there are many out there. It is vitally important that you keep and accurate record of the time that you use. If you are going to tell your client that you bill in quarter hourly blocks, you need to make sure that you bill in quarter hourly blocks. The decision then comes down to you, if you work for five minutes for one client, are you going to bill him for a quarter of an hour because that is what you contract has said. You need to look at this very carefully and keep detailed records. You are going to need to keep an accurate account of your time and the time you allocate to each of your clients for the work you have undertaken. You may choose to use and electronic version of a time management system, for example ACT or GetPaid. Many people prefer to use a paper version of a time sheet. Below is an example of time sheet some of my staff use. Daily Diary Sheet Date: ________________________ Name: _______________________________________ Start Time

Stop Time

Client

Task

On Acc

1 2 3 4 5

Decide when you want to invoice your client, whether it is project by project, weekly or monthly. You will need these timesheets to bill your client. It is very important to ensure that you and your staff all account for their time during the working day. Time is money and your business is built around the fact that you feel time.

Keep a record of all sales made each month to see how your business is progressing. It is useful to look back and see what services clients used and which clients you worked for. January Client 1 Client 2 Client 3 Client 4 Client 5

Invoice Totals £300.00 £25.00 £400.00

Invoice No. 1 2 3

Time Sold 4 hours 2 hours 10 hours

£50.00

30 minutes

Rework

£100.00

Notes Typing Database Reception Rework Template Design

There may be times when you have decided to outsource some of the work for your client. You will then need to know what your representative has done for you. This time sheet should give you an idea on what your representative has done for you and the times. You will also be able to contact your clients to confirm the times they have worked for you. Thank you so much for agreeing to use XXXX to provide you with some additional office support. Could you be so kind and complete the attached time sheet. Client Name: Client Address:

Candidate Name: Contact Tel. No: Notes Position Filled: Month

Client Tel. No: Week 1

Start

Finish

June 2010 Start

Finish

Total Hours Worked

pm Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Total Hours Worked Week 2

Start

Finish

Start

Finish

Total Hours Worked

pm Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Total Hours Worked Week 3

Start

Finish

Start

am Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Finish

pm Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime

Total Hours Worked

Lunchtime

Sunday

Total Hours Worked

Week 4

Start

Finish

Start

Finish

Total Hours Worked

pm Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Total Hours Worked

Week 5

Start

Finish

Start

am Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Finish

Total Hours Worked

pm Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime Total Hours Worked

Signed: __________________________

Signed: ________________________________

(on behalf of client)

(On behalf of Your Company)

Print Name: _______________________

Print Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

Date: __________________________________

If you are going to take post in for clients, if you have your own office, make sure that you have a booking in and booking out system so that you know what to do with the post when it comes in, also if you have agreed with a client that when post comes in you will email them, make sure that you have systems in place so that you can instantly email a client when post has been delivered.

CRM System - When you go to your networking meetings you will pick up a number of business cards and contacts and some additional leaflets, use these to create your own CRM System (Customer Relationship Management System), this is what you will use to send out emails and marketing material for people that you have met so you can promote your business. You will need to go over this information every six months to ensure that it is up to date and accurate, small businesses come and go quite quickly.

Diary Management - If you have agreed to look after somebody’s diary you need to make sure that your organisational skills are exceptional at all times. If you are sharing a diary with one of your clients you can use a number of the free diary systems that are out there, for example, Google so that you can update their calendar and diary at the same time as you viewing it.

Self discipline - Self discipline is something that is going to be vital in your new VA business. Working on your own has its advantages but it also has a number of disadvantages, it is very easy to go off and do something else while you are supposed to be working for your client. However, you must remember that every time that you go off and leave your clients work, that is time that you are not able to bill. You’ll need to set an area aside so that when you go to your work station if you are working from home your family and friends know that is exactly where you are and what your doing. You are at work and can not be disturbed. It will also help you know that when you are in your chair, in your office, that that is what you are there for, you are there to work and not to watch television, clean up or play on the internet.

One of the most important aspects of running your own business is your word. If you give your word in a business scenario you must ensure that you keep it. If you have agreed with a client that a deadline will be reach, you must ensure that you make that deadline even if it means you have got to be working late into the evening, early in the morning and at weekends. It is your professional standards and ethics that dictate the work that you take and the work that you are given. If you believe the job will take five hours and it take five hours that’s excellent, if you have quoted for a job that is 4 or 5 hours and it takes you 12 you cannot in all good conscious ask your client to pay you for 12 unless you have already spoken to him. So your work is your bond.

There may be occasions where you will have to redo work if you have misunderstood what your client has asked and unfortunately that redo cannot always be re-invoiced. So do ensure that you take down full details of the tasks at hand, if necessary, write them down, email them over to your client, in the client request form (that has been attached) and get your client to confirm that is what they want you to do. At all times be guided by your client and what your client wants. If on the other hand your client has asked you to do a task and he then changes it half way through then it is ok to bill for additional work.

It is also good practice that when you speak to your client if you record the day and the time of the telephone call and what was said, it could come back at a later date that your client has asked for some additional information that he gave you during that conversation. We always take down telephone numbers of calls that we have taken for our clients, our clients quite often loose those and will phone us again for those telephone numbers, it then becomes and added service that we then become telephone directory. We then record that telephone number on our logging system so when we come to do the billing we always have the information at hand.

There are going to be occasions when you are going to dread going into work or you have got a difficult phone call or client to deal with. It is one of those tough situations that putting that telephone call or client off until a later time in a day will just pray on your mind. It’s best to get it over and done with first thing. Ultimately your client will appreciate your getting back to them instantly and putting their mind at rest, because they will be just as nervous about the phone call as you are. Make sure that your clients are always kept happy and they will come back to you again and again.

One of the other things that you do need to be aware of that is not often discussed is bullying in the workplace. Although you run your own business there is still the chance that you could get bullied by one of your clients. You need to be very careful and very aware of this happening to you; it is one these things; that will creep up on you and you won’t notice.

10.

If your client is asking you to do something that is against your morals and against your principles then you need to tell your client. If your client is asking you to do some tasks that are unachievable or you can’t achieve them in the time scale given you most tell your client and set those boundaries straight away. If you feel that you are being bullied by a client or that you no longer wish to work for them, for any particular reason, there are a number of ways you can deal with this. The first one is to find another VA for them to work with. This won’t be passing a bad client off to somebody else, it can all be down to personality and character, so somebody else’s character and personality could work better for them than yours. Alternatively you could just call the job to an end and say that you unfortunately don’t have any further time available to look after them. Running your own business does give you the advantage of refusing to work for somebody, if you do find that you are being bullied.

11.

You also need to be aware of security, not your security, but the security of the data that you keep. You may hold a number of passwords and bank account details and become a cheque signatory on various accounts. Make sure you have a none disclosure agreement that you can send to your clients. Ensure that all your passwords and their passwords are kept under lock and key, if necessary write them in a book and put them in a safe. Alternatively keep them somewhere safe.

12.

You will also need to backup your computer data because you will hold a lot of information on your computers with regards to your clients and your clients work and they may not hold that on their computers, a good example of that is bookkeeping, you may have their accounts on your system but they won’t have it on theirs. So ensure that you back up your computers on a daily or at least a weekly basis, you can get online backup packages or you can just use an external hard drive and back up your computers that way.

13.

The Know to Person - One of the great advantages about being a Virtual PA is that you then become known as the person who knows anybody and everybody and can get anything done. When you go out networking, ensure that you collect as many business cards and as many different types of services as possible. This is a great opportunity where you can do joint ventures. A joint venture is something that one of clients may require a service, for example, they may require a lift to Heathrow Airport. If you have a tax service on your books where get a percentage of every trip that you book, that is a joint venture, then you will use the same taxi service over and over again. Your client will never go anybody else and come directly to you to book his taxi, hotels etc. The more joint ventures you have, the better it will be for you financially and for your business. Remember if you do a joint venture one way it should also be reciprocated.

14.

Training - When you have set up your business please remember that you will constantly need to train yourself in new businesses, new systems and new processes. There is a plethora of DVDs, courses, seminars and workshops that you can go on. Ensure that you only use the services and training coursed that you think will be valuable to you and your business. Types of selling • • • • • • • • • •

Cold Calling Referrals Internet Sales Newspaper Sales Social Media Marketing Sales and selling Time Management Software Training Book Keeping

15.

Company Ethos - Setting your goals, your vision and your mission statement - These will be the words that you run your business by. One of the important things that you need to do when you’re going out looking for a client is to decide who your client is. There are number of ways to do this, you can sit down and decide who that is with a blank piece of paper, you can create an avatar or you can create does and don’ts. We are going to talk about all of them here. 1. Sitting down with a piece of paper and I want you here just to brainstorm everything you want in a client and who your ideal client would be. 2. Create an avatar of who your ideal client would be. The best way to create an avatar is just think about the avatar exercise (to be continued) 3. Does and Don’ts. I would like you to take a piece of paper. Draw a line down the middle, on the left hand said write 1-20 and I want you to list 20 things that you don’t want your client to be. On the right hand said I want you to write the exact opposite, that is in effect creating an avatar.

16.

Know you competition - One of the great things about being a virtual assistant is that there are many virtual assistants out there and they come in sways, one minute you will have about 20 on the scene and the next minute there will be 2 or 3. The reason for this is that some people have some unrealistic expectation about what you can be as a virtual assistant and how much money you can make, don’t fall into this trap. Do some research; find out how many other virtual assistants are in your area. Make sure that you make contact with them, say that you cant to set up a meeting, get to know them, tell them that your setting up your own VA business or that you have already set up your own VA business and you want to possibly create joint ventures or do some joint work together. I know all the VA’s in my area and I regularly talk to them. I found out how much they are charging, how much I charge so that we are being competitive, we have never actually gone up against each other working for the same clients or against the same client for a quotation.

17.

Distribution Information - If you’re going to send out mail outs for somebody, go into a joint venture, do half costs, advertise their business and you business together. You will have your logo on it. Alternatively do some volunteer work and get some literature together and put on there sponsored by the name of your company. You could also organise your own networking events for like minded people or for businesses in your area. You could get links on your website to other people’s websites and vice versa. You can publish information about yourself in a newspaper or a magazine or an editorial or you can even start to write your own articles and put them on Ezine or an equivalent website.

The importance of your telephone cannot be under estimated. This form of communication is generally the first point of contact your clients, perspective clients and your suppliers will have with you and your company. It is vitally important that the first impression is one of professionalism, accuracy and caring. When I first started my business I was told by my business mentor that I should always remember that a client, perspective client and supplier are generally trying to find reasons why they should not work with me. It is therefore important that when you communicate with them you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give them reasons to put this thought into action. This template has been created so that any messages that come into your company are recorded accurately, that you get all the information you require quickly and efficiently and more importantly your caller knows that they are important as your representative is taking time to gather all the relevant information required for a return call.

Below is an example of the Telephone message sheet that I suggest you could use. You may find that you prefer to use a different style of message sheet, either way please ensure that you get all the relevant information listed below recorded for each telephone call. Date of call Callers Name

Who took the call Callers Tel No

Call is for

Message

Status

Urgent

Important

Not Urgent

Not Important

Completed

This list may seem very simple and obvious when you look at the above Telephone Message Sheet, but if you fail to fill it in correctly the result could end up with you wasting precious time searching for the relevant information by which time your client, perspective client or supplier could have decided to move on to there next task or supplier.

Date of Call

Each time someone calls always record the date, even if you took a call a few minutes prior to this current call and you recorded the date in the date field. This will save you time if you need to return to your messages at any time. You won’t have to try and remember if the call was taken on the 1 May or the 2 May. Its there in writing. This date field will be invaluable. If you want a more accurate calling structure you could also record the time of the call.

Who took the call

Who ever took the call will need to write their name in this field. This gives them accountability of the message. You may find that in some cases you may need some additional information from the person who took the call. For example was the caller excited, were they stressed or was the caller just trying to get information from you that could be sent in a few days.

Callers Name

The caller’s name, spelt correctly is vitally important. No matter who or what your call is about no one likes to have their name spelt or pronounced incorrectly. When you return the callers call using their name they know that your company has listened to them. They know you have understood there requirements and that your company cares about them and their call.

Callers Telephone Number

The caller’s telephone number is vital if you are going to return their call. Even if you have their number elsewhere it is often advisable to retake the number. You never know if their mobile number has changed, if they have moved desks and their direct dial number has changed or they simply have a new contact number. This will also confirm to you that you have the correct telephone number on your system. If you notice that it is different this could be a talking point and you will then be in a position to update your database and contact telephone systems.

Call is for

Taking the name of the person the call is for is essential if you have a number of people working with you. There is nothing worse than taking a telephone message and having no one to give it to. Your client, perspective Client or supplier will lose faith in your ability to communicate with them if they don’t get a returned call or they are called back by someone else stating that they found the message laying around the office and thought that they would call you ‘just in case’ no one else had called you.

Message

This is probably the second most important aspect of the telephone message, after taking a return telephone name and number. Your representative needs to understand why the caller has made the call. Write down why the caller has made the call in the first place. This is the part of the call that could get you that new client or destroy the relationship you have built up carefully over the time you have been dealing with the caller. Details need to be taken down carefully and accurately.

Status

The status of the call is important for your company reputation. If the call is urgent and your caller needs an instant reply that the Telephone Message Sheet needs to reflect this.

Completed

For example, if you are a plumber and your caller has said that water is streaming down the kitchen ceiling then a call in 24 hours time will not help the call and you could have lost that caller as a client. Once the message has been acted upon and the caller has had a reply from you or your company and you are both satisfied the task at hand has been completed you should mark the Telephone Message Log completed. This way you know that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to keep hold of message which could clutter your working space and result in an overload of paperwork on your desk. At this point I would also recommend that you double check that the telephone numbers you have recorded on the Telephone Message Sheet is correct on your CRM system, that your telephone(s) have been updated and that if anyone else needs to know that a caller has either called or a resolution has now taken place should also be informed.

Once all the messages on one sheet have been completed I would recommend that you double check that the telephone numbers you have recorded are on your CRM system, that your telephone has been updated and if anyone else needs to know that a caller has either called or a resolution has now taken place. When all eight (8) messages on the Telephone Message Sheet have been acted upon you should remove the form from your file and then archive it. I do not recommend that you throw it away as you may need the information at a later date. I generally keep my telephone calls sheets for about 12 months. The period of time you keep your messages is a personal to you. There are many reasons why you may need to go back to the message sheet, but the most important one is if you have a dispute with a Client, perspective Clients or supplier you will have some imperial documentation that you can rely upon for proof of their call to you and your actions. I would also recommend that you update your CRM system at the same time.

At the top of the Telephone Message Sheet you will notice the table below. I have added this table for you to record any numbers that you use on a regular basis. If you are out and about for example you could put your mobile number in this box. This would be a useful number for the message taker to contact you if you needed to know about a caller immediately. This has been set up as a header in a word document. To find out how to add a new line in this table or to remove this table altogether please find the crib sheet entitled

Adding a header to my document Important Numbers: Telephone No: Telephone No: Telephone No:

Address: Address: Address:

Date of call Callers Name

Who took the call Callers Tel No

Call is for

Message

Status

Urgent

Important

Date of call Callers Name

Not Urgent

Not Important

Completed

Not Important

Completed

Not Important

Completed

Who took the call Callers Tel No

Call is for

Message

Status

Urgent

Important

Date of call Callers Name

Not Urgent Who took the call Callers Tel No

Call is for

Message

Status

Urgent

Important

Not Urgent

Index Talk About You .............................................................................................................................. 9 About You ................................................................................................................................. 10 Where are you now? .................................................................................................................. 10 Employment & Skills ................................................................................................................ 13 Time what is it and do you have any? ....................................................................................... 25 Your Commitments and support ............................................................................................... 28 Sales and Marketing ...................................................................................................................... 30 Marketing Your Business .......................................................................................................... 30 Lets take a practical look at Marketing your business .............................................................. 30 Naming your Business .............................................................................................................. 31 The Telephone ........................................................................................................................... 32 Business Card ............................................................................................................................ 33 Marketing Your Business .......................................................................................................... 35 Developing a Marketing Strategy .......................................................................................... 35 Create a marketing Calendar ................................................................................................. 36 Ideas for Advertising Your Business ..................................................................................... 37 Your Website............................................................................................................................. 39 Welcome/Home Page ............................................................................................................ 41 Your Services Page ................................................................................................................ 41 About You Page..................................................................................................................... 41 Testimonials/Fees Page ......................................................................................................... 41 Contact Page .......................................................................................................................... 41 Newsletters ................................................................................................................................ 43 Networking ................................................................................................................................ 44 Purpose of Networking .......................................................................................................... 44 Types of Networking Group .................................................................................................. 44 The Cost of Networking ........................................................................................................ 44 What to Expect at a Formal Networking Meeting ................................................................. 45 Your 60 Second Presentation or Elevator pitch..................................................................... 46 What to Expect at an Informal Networking Meeting ............................................................ 50 Leaflets, Brochures and Literature ............................................................................................ 50 Social Media.............................................................................................................................. 52 LinkedIn.com ......................................................................................................................... 52 Twitter ................................................................................................................................... 52 Facebook ................................................................................................................................ 52 Blogs ...................................................................................................................................... 52 Where will you Work? .............................................................................................................. 53 Working from Home ............................................................................................................. 53 Advantages................................................................................................................................... 54 Working from an Office ........................................................................................................ 54 Advantages................................................................................................................................... 54 Working from a Clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office............................................................................................. 55 Advantages................................................................................................................................... 55 Disadvantages .............................................................................................................................. 55

Finance and Accounts ................................................................................................................... 58 Your Finances ........................................................................................................................... 58 Your Business Finance .............................................................................................................. 62 Cost of the product ................................................................................................................ 62 What you can charge ............................................................................................................. 62 Cost of your overheads .......................................................................................................... 63 Profit ...................................................................................................................................... 63 Tracking your time for billing ............................................................................................... 63 Invoicing ................................................................................................................................ 63 Credit Control ........................................................................................................................ 64 Standing order........................................................................................................................ 64 Remittance Advice ................................................................................................................ 64 Standard Letters......................................................................................................................... 65 Friendly Collection for Job Letter ......................................................................................... 65 Friendly Collection Letter ..................................................................................................... 66 Formal Collection for Job Letter ........................................................................................... 66 Formal Collection Letter ....................................................................................................... 66 Harsh Collection for Job Letter ............................................................................................. 67 Harsh Collection Letter ......................................................................................................... 67 Bounced Cheque Letter ......................................................................................................... 67 Deny Credit Letter ................................................................................................................. 67 Accept Credit Application Letter .......................................................................................... 67 Credit Request Letter ............................................................................................................. 68 Customers Upset Letter ......................................................................................................... 68 Customers Birthday Letter..................................................................................................... 68 Customer Apology Letter ...................................................................................................... 68 Employee Birthday Letter ..................................................................................................... 69 Contact Transmission Letter .................................................................................................. 69 Disputed Charges Letter ........................................................................................................ 69 Thanks for the Business (Service) Letter .............................................................................. 69 Thanks for the Business (Service 2) Letter ........................................................................... 69 Inactive Customers Letter ...................................................................................................... 70 Job Application Letter ........................................................................................................... 70 Holiday Accrued Letter ......................................................................................................... 70 Sick Time Letter .................................................................................................................... 70 Running Your Business ................................................................................................................ 72 Day to day management of your business ................................................................................. 72 Communication ..................................................................................................................... 72 Letter Head and Format ......................................................................................................... 72 Email ...................................................................................................................................... 74 Fax ......................................................................................................................................... 76 Memo ..................................................................................................................................... 76 Meeting your Potential Client ................................................................................................... 77 Client Meeting Form ................................................................................................................. 78 Client Requirements .................................................................................................................. 79 Contracts and Terms and Conditions ........................................................................................ 81

None Disclosure Agreement ..................................................................................................... 87 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next ............................................................................................................................... 90 Client Job Sheet......................................................................................................................... 91 Recording your Time for a Client ............................................................................................. 92 Monthly Sales ............................................................................................................................ 92 Employing Staff ........................................................................................................................ 93 The Golden Rules of running your Business ............................................................................ 95 Telephone Message Sheet ......................................................................................................... 99 Completing the Telephone Message Sheet ............................................................................ 99 Telephone Message Sheet Header ....................................................................................... 101