Your Virtual Assistant will be the Key to your Success.

I just read a great post on Linkein, about Richard Branson's assistant Helen.

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130402091536-204068115-things-i-carry-smart-phone-i-prefer-a-brilliant-assistant

In the article Richard says that Helen is his other brain.. his memory.  Smartphones and tablets, calendars and reminders are great.  They help all busy entrepreneurs, employees and even stay at home moms.  We all benefit from having one or more of those gadgets that get us through the day. 

Remember the days before them though?

Then it was just your assistant or secretary and her typewriter and telephone.  You later added a telefax machine, a photocopier and then a computer.

Helen has my dream job!  Yes, when I finished high school (back in the early 80's) I used to dream about becoming one of those secretaries that traveled around the world with their sophisticated employers.   

Cary Grant, Louis Jourdan or even Clifton Webb.  My dream employer would be a world-class writer, an international business man, or even a charming and handsome prince.

I would screen all his calls, type all his letters, arrange all his travel. I would be indispensable.  I would accompany him to all his meetings and social events and meet other amazing people.

The movie Three Coins in a Fountain comes to mind.  :-)

The world has changed, but a need for a right-hand 'person', a human being, has not!  All successful business owners have amazing assistants.  Whether they are an Admin Assistant, an Executive Secretary, an Office Manager or a Virtual Assistant.

My goal is to become the right hand of a busy entrepreneur who is looking for someone special to become their 'memory'.  I succeed when you succeed.

Jen :)

http://www.JenSheaVA.com     

News Release

I finally finished my News Release.  Here it is:

NEWS RELEASE

February 18, 2013

Jen Shea VA

My Job is a Virtual Reality.   

Small business owners, could you be spending more time generating new business? Are admin or social media tasks filling up your networking and sales time?

An enterprising Ottawa, (Ontario) area woman has recently launched a business perfect for the technological age:   Virtual Administrative Consultant ~ more commonly known as a Virtual Assistant.

Jen Shea recently started her business, after working in office administration for more than 20 years.

“Just like a traditional personal assistant, I handle a wide variety of tasks using today’s technology.  The only thing I can’t do is get your coffee.   My tag line is 'Your Virtual Collaborator'.  I want to work with people who are building and growing their businesses and I feel very strongly about developing a relationship based on trust and compatibility.”

“I specialize in creating & maintaining websites using Wordpress, and also in desktop publishing, client services and social media set up, and other time-saving administrative tasks.”

With software programs such as Skype, email, e-fax and secure file sharing sites (for example Dropbox) almost anything can be done virtually. 

Small business owners can hire a ‘VA’ to keep costs down.  A VA is a self-employed contractor, not an employee, so you don’t have the expense of overhead costs such as office space, equipment and computers, etc. 

The most appealing part of outsourcing to a VA is that the client is only billed for the actual time spent working on that particular task or project. 

 “We are always furthering our skills and perfecting our techniques so that we can deliver superior work.  My clients do not pay me when I go on a personal appointment, take a holiday, or get sick.  Virtual Assistants are only paid for time actually worked”, offers Ms. Shea.

    

“You would be amazed at how much it costs to hire a full-time, or even a part time, employee.”

Ms Shea explains that some clients hire her to do one-time projects and others work with her on a retainer basis.  You can hire her to work a couple of hours a day, a few hours a week, or several hours a month.   

“Every client is unique and so are their needs.  After our initial discussion, a plan is put in place and a contract is signed.  Adjustments can easily be made along the way.”

Ms. Shea also works with a team of other VAs with specialties of their own and this enables her to offer a ‘Total Client Experience’.  The client doesn’t have to spend precious time looking for different VAs because she can do that for you.  “I only work with VAs who share my work ethics and whatever your need is, I have an expert who can make it happen”, she explains.

Contact Jen at jen@jensheava.com to set up a free consultation.  You can also visit her website at http://www.JenSheaVA.com for details on services, packages and rates.

 

My VA Mentor and Friend...

This is the story of how I got 'here'.

Not long after I met Tracey, I asked her what she does...  You know, part of the usual conversation when you getting to know someone new.  She told me, a VA.   http://www.traceydaviero.com/

Tracey has been a Virtual Assistant for more than 15 years. She was a VA before the term was 'coined'. 

Like most people, I didn't have a clue what she was talking about, but with a short explanation I was intrigued.  Tracey knew that I had many years of Administrative and Management experience and suggested that a career as a VA would be a great fit for me.  She treated me to a coffee and she told me all about her business.  I was hooked.

At the time, it really didn't fit into my life.  I was married and we lived in a rural area with no cable TV (we did have satellite, let alone a reasonable internet service.  Eventually we did get internet but it was pretty slow and expensive.  

I liked my job, but didn't love my job, so I did keep the whole VA  'thing' in mind.  One day, one of the girls in my office told another girl that she had heard about the VA business and it just so happened that I had also mentioned it to her not long before.  Well, the two of us connected and I told her about my friend Tracey.  I suggested that she meet her.

Talk about timing...  We went for dinner with Tracey and asked a hundred questions (maybe more) and as always, she generously answered all our questions.  Then, she told us that she was starting a new business called, Your VA Mentor, and in fact she was planning to launch her first 'course', shortly. I couldn't wait for it to start. Tracey's course can be found at Your VA Mentor - http://www.yourvamentor.com/

At the time I took the course I was still working full time, and although I started learning about creating a website and learning about all the different software that VA's use, I still wasn't able to make the jump.   Almost a year went by and then suddenly an opportunity showed itself to me.  I was offered a one-year contract (covering a maternity leave), which made it a little easier to leave the job and company I had been working for, for over 11 years.  

Fast forward to the last few months, and that contracted ended and my new Virtual Career is on it's way.

Thank you so much Tracey, for everything!  You are a mentor and a good friend.

You can also find Tracey on Facebook.



https://www.facebook.com/traceydavierova
https://www.facebook.com/yourvamentor

Cheers,

Jen :)

http://www.jensheava.com/