I read a blog post the other day discussing the merits of franchising a virtual assistance company. The blogger was vehemently on the side of not franchising, arguing that a client receives more personalized service in a solo practice. I, though biased as a virtual assistance franchise owner, disagree.

In any service industry, client relations are vital to success. A client expects and should receive consistent, high quality service. Traditionally this has been provided by a virtual assistant who does all of the work herself, only takes on the type of work she specializes in and the number of clients she herself can handle. The problem with this model is that if a client needs a variety of services (i.e. administrative support and bookkeeping) she is forced to hire more than one company to complete the work. By franchising and using a team approach, a full menu of services is offered and the client only has one point of contact.

Using a team approach can have its challenges. Consistent service is best provided when one person routinely performs a task for a specific client. In cases where the client is receiving such administrative services as calendar keeping, the client and virtual assistant may need to have a relationship outside of that of the client-franchise owner relationship. The franchise owner must manage the workload of each team member and client expectations to ensure that the client receives seamless service.

A client with multiple needs will have to manage several separate relationships if she uses a solo practice virtual assistant. By using a franchise with a team, the client only has to manage one relationship. The franchise has a greater depth of resources since it can also rely on the other franchise teams if needed.

I have great respect for virtual assistants who have solo practices. However, I think there is room for other models as long as everyone keeps in mind that the most important goals are providing high quality service and meeting the needs of the individual client.

Social media marketing has become an important element in a businesses marketing strategy but getting established on all of the sites can seem overwhelming. I know for me, giving Cybertary a presence on all of the various social media sites has at times seemed endless. There are so many good sites and so many reasons to be on them. Cybertary is on Facebook, I am on Linked In, Cybertary has a blog and a presence on other sites, but there is still more. I need to tweet three times a day, search out niche sites, keep the blog updated; put out status updates….it is a job all by itself!
What I am finding works for me is to set aside 30 minutes per day to post status updates, read and respond to group discussions, and catch up on the news on Facebook. I will admit I haven’t started tweeting much but as I get organized on some of the other sites the tweeting will come. I take advantage of sites such as Ping.fm to automate where I can. What can stop me is figuring out what to write. Does anyone really care what is going on in my day? I know I am knowledgeable in my field but can that translate into 140 character messages? From talking with other small business owners this is an issue we all share. How do I contribute to the social media world without coming across as just trying to sell my services? I think the answer is balance. Mix it up a bit – talk about the fun project you are working on or the entertaining networking lunch but blend it in with tips on how to work virtually. What I am finding is as I stop judging what I write, the text comes more easily. Social media can be a wonderful business tool and a lot of fun so take a breath, put fingers on the keyboard and start typing.

You may have heard the term “Virtual Assistant” but what do they actually do and how can they help you and your business?

Today's technology allows a Virtual Assistant to provide you and your staff with office support and specialized services and to get you the help you need, when you need help, without hiring an employee.

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) defines a Virtual Assistant (typically abbreviated to VA, also called virtual office assistant) as an entrepreneur who provides professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office.

Virtual Assistants normally work from a home office utilizing today’s technology to deliver their services and communicate with clients. With Virtual Assistants working from home the client is saved from the worry of providing additional office space and equipment for a temporary solution.

Wondering how a Virtual Assistant works virtually?
Virtual Assistants support their clients over the Internet, via email and fax. The tools that the VA uses depend on how technology savvy the client might be, and the level of trust established with the client.
Occasionally, items need to be physically exchanged and that is accomplished via US mail, being picked up, or dropped off. However VA’s can usually manage a majority of services using just the Internet and a fax machine. VA’s use remote access tools such as PC Anywhere, LogMeIn, and GoToMyPC which are used for sharing applications and data. Conference calls or online meetings typically utilize NetMeeting, WebEx, or Skype-making location a non-issue for those working remotely.

Why use a Virtual Assistant?
More than ever before businesses are utilizing VA’s because office managers and administrators are under budget restraints or need to cut costs but cannot afford to sacrifice the services provided.

Professional VA’s are increasingly popular since they are able to handle:

• Bookkeeping
• Documentation
• Transcriptions
• Medical Coding
• Social Media Support
• Graphic and Web Design services
• Other office tasks.

This allows business owners and executives to spend additional time with their clients, on revenue generating tasks, or simply taking some much needed time off for themselves!

Many businesses believe that keeping these services in-house will save them money, when in fact; outsourcing certain tasks could help increase productivity in the practice.

Business owners and executives often spend 4-10 hours per week completing tasks that do not generate revenue. Outsourcing some of these tasks could actually save them money when their own “hourly wage” is taken into consideration. Time spent doing administrative tasks could be better spent on revenue producing activities or improving and increasing customer satisfaction. Many times companies are already outsourcing to other professionals such as financial advisors, specialists, human resources, telephone answering services and more.

With a Virtual Assistance, help is only a phone call or click away!

Networking is crucial for building business, especially as a new business. People want to work with people they know, like, and trust which means you have to get out there and be social! I am posting a great article by Meggin MacIntosh on tips for networking. I don't know about you, but I can always use more tips.

5 Truths about Networking Effectively...
If You Want to Make a Difference
BY MEGGIN MCINTOSH, PH.D.
THE PRODUCTIVITY PROFESSORTM

There are so many concepts about networking that you probably never learned. You probably never took a class in elementary, middle, or high school about networking - and didn't learn about it in college or graduate school either - at least not in a formal way. It's time to start learning and practicing more effective networking now.

Each of the following "networking need-to-knows" are offered with the idea that you want to increase your ability to make a difference, i.e., to have an impact on others. Consider these ideas and see which ones seem a little bit difficult for you to accept...and then try to test at least one of them out this week. You'll be able to be more successful than you might imagine!!

1. Networking is not optional. Humans are social beings and your work and professional lives involve person-to-person interactions. Networking is one of the ways that you can build relationships.

2. Networking is YOUR responsibility, not anyone else's. Maybe when you were a brand new kid in a classroom, your teacher was responsible for introducing you to other students in the class. I'm assuming that if you are reading this now, you're an adult. So now it's your responsibility to go out and meet and get to know other people.

3. The purpose of networking is for people to get to know you and for you to get to know other people. It's not just one or the other. This means that when you are networking, there must be some give and take. First, you need to learn about the other person (or people) with whom you are interacting. Then, there can be some time where you talk a bit about yourself, your projects, what you're working on, and so forth.

4. Networking is not all about you. If you try to make it so that it is, networking won't work (at least not for long). It's boorish to talk only about yourself, to promote yourself ad nauseum, to blather on and on with no concern whatsoever that there is anyone else present. The people who engage in this sort of boorish behavior are the ones who give networking a bad name.

5. Pay attention to people's body language (and be aware of your own). For example, all human beings have space (proximity) boundaries. This varies by culture, gender, age, family, etc. Take your cues from the other person with whom you are talking. If that person is backing away from you, then maybe you're trying to move in too close. If the person is looking at his/her watch or looking around the room at others who are there, then it's possible that you're getting a signal that it's time to move on. Be sensitive to such clues-and be aware when you might be sending those cues to others.

Find other helpful ideas for yourself and your clients by going to: FromtheDeskofMegginMcIntosh.com
(c) 2008 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., "The Productivity Professor"TM

In September Patrick and I took the plunge and purchased Cybertary-Chantilly, a virtual assistance franchise. This was a leap of faith made because we really want to be able to better balance our work and family life. We are both passionate about helping people meet their goals and think the world of virtual assistance will allow us to do this. We are interested in helping any small or mid-sized business executive or entreprenur who spends more time running their business than doing their business.

In this blog we plan to share our story as we establish a small business, provide tips for those who have small businesses and solicit feedback and lessons learned from those of you who are further along on your path of business ownership.