In this episode, I'm joined by Catherine Gladwyn of Delegate VA who shares her two top tips for landing your first client as a VA. Catherine is the best-selling author of "How to be a Virtual Assistant" and runs a paid membership group for virtual assistants, of which I am a member. In this episode we cover: You never know who knows someone that'll need your services Why you should start with friends and family How I landed my first client! You can grab Catherine's book on Amazon or the book's official website - howtobeava.co.uk ..read more

In this episode, I talk about how to go about setting your hourly rate, what considerations I made when setting mine and why you shouldn't let potential clients put you, your rates or your work down! In this episode I cover: Working how much you need to earn Deciding how much you want to earn Settling on an hourly rate that is both achievable and enough for you & your lifestyle Not letting clients put you down Sticking to your rates (as the right clients will pay them ..read more

In this episode, I talk about the importance of getting your home working environment set up correctly. For both productivity and mental health reasons. In this episode I cover: Natural lighting Taking a break Remember to socialise! Get out of the house when you can www.themaleva.co.uk/5 ..read more

In this episode, I talk to Kyle Heath of Kimbley IT about how Google's GSuite is the modern toolkit of many businesses. We go into why it's so good and how it stacks up against Office 365. In this episode I cover: Why GSuite? What do other office packages lack? Why are we still printing application forms to sign?! Ransomware Love Island?! You can head to the podcast page on my website for links to Kyle and Kimbley IT. www.themaleva.co.uk/4 ..read more

In this episode, I talk about how I chose the services I’d offer as a Virtual Assistant, how I resisted the urge to “fake it until you make it”, and why offering potential clients the world isn’t the best approach. “Being known for one specific set of skills is better than having a reputation as a jack of all trades” In this episode I cover: Identifying what skills you have What do you most like doing? Which of my skills are transferrable from my career? What skills do my target audience/clients have? Why I think being a specialist beats being a generalist Avoiding the “fake it till you make i ..read more

In this episode, I discuss how to go about naming your business and how I chose mine. Not only that but I’ll highlight some things to look out for along the way. Naming your business can be really fun but be careful not to let the process turn into an excuse to delay the launch of your business.     “Done is better than perfect” In this episode I cover: Do you want to be seen as a company or an individual? Is the name already in use? Does the name have any negative meanings in other languages? Is there a suitable domain name available? Are all social media handles or usernames available? (and ..read more

In February 2019 I’ll be leaving full-time employment to start life as a Virtual Assistant. I’ve chosen to be a VA as I believe I’ve found a gap in the market where the vast majority of Virtual Assistants are offering ‘standard’ PA services, and very few offer much in the way of technical support. Also, I’m a guy, and we’re grossly under-represented in the Virtual Assistant market! I’d like to change both, one step at a time and this podcast is my documentation into doing so. In this introduction episode of Journey to VA I cover: Why I’m becoming a Virtual Assistant What steps I’m taking to ge ..read more