David:

[0:00] Well, hello. Today we're going to talk about VAs again. Virtual assistants have been around for a long time, and like so many other things, there are various numerous opinions. When I was a mechanical technician, I heard the term piggy, which is a poorly implemented good idea. And I think sometimes that may happen with VAs, too, where it's a great idea, but it's poorly implemented, and so they're like, ah, I don't want to do that. That doesn't work. But it can work for you. And hiring a VA may or may not be the right fit for you. But today, I brought another person on, Alyssa Avent, who's been a VA for 17 years. Lots of experience in that. So we're going to, I guess, pick her brain to get some information from her about what makes a good VA experience and what we as business owners can do on our side. Because it's not just their problem. It's our problem. It's working together, communication and all that. So, Alyssa, welcome. And to start us off today, could you tell me one way that you have found that we can honor God in our business that other people may not know about?

Alyssa:

[1:05] Oh, absolutely. Sure. So, well, the one way that I do this is by making sure that I am spending time praying for my business, but also for my clients each day. So that's something I do every morning prior to getting started on my work day.

David:

[1:22] Very good. Very good. And so tell us three, four minutes, five minutes, a little bit about yourself, your journey as a VA. How'd you get started? Why did you get started and all that?

Alyssa:

[1:33] Well, that's a good story. So this was all obviously back at 17 years. I had a newborn and about a four-year-old child. And I had just quit my part-time job in ministry to stay at home with my kids. And I guess it was about five or six months later, I realized that we really needed that income that I'd had. I'd had a part-time income, but it was paying for some things. We needed that. We needed what I say was diaper money and grocery money back then. And I was like, okay, how can I make an income and not be outside the home? And so I looked around online for some opportunities.

Alyssa:

[2:19] Obviously, there were and still are a lot of scams out there But I joined what I call an old school forum, so kind of like a Facebook group today, and began talking to the ladies in the group because it was for moms. And I had created a mom blog just to pass the time, really. And one of the ladies reached out because she had read my mom blog and she liked my writing style. And she said, can you write some articles for me, like ghost write articles? And I said, sure. And so I actually started my business as a ghostwriting service, and I did that for three years. And then as I began to grow that and learn some of the pieces that I needed to promote my own business as a ghostwriter, I learned about WordPress for websites and I learned about social media. In fact, some of the social media that we have today was just getting started at that point. I remember being one of the first people on Twitter, which we used to call our virtual water cooler.

Alyssa:

[3:28] It was a lot of fun back then. It's completely different. And of course, it's changed names and everything. But that was something that was really fun. And so as I did that, other people were asking me, well, how did you do this? Like, how did you start your website? How did you start using social media to market your business? And I would tell them and then they would say, well, can you do that for me? And I was like, well, sure. And so I became a VA and didn't even realize that's what I was doing.

David:

[3:56] I see. That's interesting. And that's why I've seen a lot of people. They just, they're doing it for themselves. And other people see it and say, hey, could you do that for me? It's like, wasn't planning on it, but sure. Why not? Sure, yeah. Go for it. Yeah, that's neat. That's neat how it transpires and God moves you in that way. Yes. And so how would you define a virtue assistant and what your company provides versus maybe different virtual company assistants? Is it different or is the same or how would you define what you do?

Alyssa:

[4:25] I think it is very different based on that either the person, the VA, if it's an individual virtual assistant or a company like mine. Because I look at virtual assistants as a big umbrella and underneath that are lots of different services because I provide services in email marketing, social media marketing, and content repurposing. But there are also virtual assistants that provide things like bookkeeping or graphic design or any number of things that are done virtually. A lot of them are what would be considered general admin VAs. And so they might help you keep your inbox cleaned out and help you schedule your calendar and things like that. And so it is very different based on the individual or the company.

David:

[5:15] Okay, so if I was going to hire a VA, do you have different levels of virtual assistants that could help me out with different things then?

Alyssa:

[5:23] Yes, absolutely. So it starts, like I was saying, with what I would consider a general admin VA. So it's more like what you would think of a secretary doing. So it's like they would help you with your email, keeping your email inbox organized and clean, and helping with correspondence, maybe helping you set meeting times. And if you travel like with your calendar and things like that, and then there are people that specialize in certain areas. And for our company, we specialize in those areas that were mentioned, but there are other businesses, VA businesses that might specialize in other areas. Some help with like funnels and sales funnels and shopping carts and all of that sort of thing. There it's very very different based on their unique skills and their specialization so oftentimes you'll just need to do a search for the type of work that you're wanting to look for or if there is a specific say you're in a specific field say real estate for example you could search for real estate virtual assistant people file often find me searching for author virtual assistant or Christian virtual assistant. So it, it does, it is a area where you can find, you can niche down and find very specific services.

David:

[6:45] Okay. That's good. Good to know because, yeah, it's not one size does not fit at all. You don't maybe you can't do everything, but what you do, you do well. So that's good.

Alyssa:

[6:56] Exactly.

David:

[6:57] So back to our original question of a poorly implemented good idea. What factors make for successful virtual assistant experience? Like if I was going to hire somebody, what would I have to do to make this good work work well?

Alyssa:

[7:12] Right. Well, I believe that there are some things that you need to know before you go into a relationship with a virtual assistant. You need to know what you are wanting to outsource. So I would recommend that a business owner sit down and think about the things that, number one, they don't have time to do, or number two, they don't enjoy doing, or maybe both. You know um and think about those things so that they can focus on the areas that they're good at that they enjoy that you know maybe their area of expertise and so think about the things that either you you don't enjoy doing you don't have time to do or you don't have the skills to do because there are some things a lot of times people come to me because they don't have the skills to put together an email newsletter, or they don't understand how social media works. So, you know, there's, it is the need for the knowledge as much as it is the implementation, but you need to know what you're looking for. You need to also know what your budget is. And because there are levels, different levels of services, and you need to know, am I willing to let this go? Like, am I willing to outsource this to someone else? Because that has a lot to do with your own personality, you know, your management, like your management style and, you know, just things like that. And those are some questions you need to ask yourself prior to hiring a virtual assistant.

David:

[8:50] I would think that would be part of your obvious that you're going to want to let it go, but because that's why you're hiring somebody else. But have you found over the years that there are what we consider micromanagers as virtual assistant people?

Alyssa:

[9:05] Yes. So there are, I have had clients who want to micromanage and I find that it's very difficult for them to outsource because even if they outsource it, um, I've had two different types of micromanagers. So they outsource it, I do the job and then they do it. They, they take it back and they redo it, which is fine. Or, um, I have people who, um, they micromanage and maybe they, I have found that these types of people, the second type is they are just not ready for that whole experience and they tend to just get stuck because they want control and they realize they can't have control. So they just kind of clam up and nothing gets done because they are afraid. So those are very hard to work with either way. Um, but that's why I always ask people if they're willing, um, in the beginning to let go of the project, you know, and give it to somebody else because otherwise it is very difficult to work with them.

David:

[10:18] When you ask that question to people, are they pretty honest with you and say, no, I'm not really ready or can you help me get there?

Alyssa:

[10:26] Many times they say that they're, you know, a little hesitant or afraid. Some of them have had poor experiences in the past, you know, just like every other career or our business, there are bad apples out there. You know, there are poor experiences. You know, we've all ran into those in other fields. And so they do are hesitant and maybe they need like a trial period to see how it works. And I'm always open to that if that's something that they want to do. Let's do this project see how it goes and then maybe we will continue afterwards and that works

David:

[11:02] Yeah that makes sense that that helps because and i know for me i've had people working under me a little bit and when i first started it's just like that's difficult that's a difficult that's a different skill and task to take what's in my head put it on paper communicate it to them, beforehand because i usually don't think about it until i'm ready to do it.

Alyssa:

[11:21] Exactly You have to bring something to pass on to somebody else. That's a new skill for me to learn to be like you didn't have a virtual assistant.

David:

[11:32] Absolutely. For you as a virtual assistant, what are some of the biggest frustrations that you have felt over the years in working with different business owners?

Alyssa:

[11:43] One is that micromanager type of personality where they won't let go and fully allow you to do your job, which is difficult. The other is when someone oftentimes doesn't really know what they need. And that can be frustrating because you're trying to convey to them that, you know, I cannot get started until you tell me what you're looking for or what you need help with. And many times if they don't know exactly the tasks that they need done, if they have a goal in mind, an end goal in mind, I can tell them, hey, this is what I can do for you to help you to reach that goal. So as long as they at least have an end goal in mind, I can help them. They don't have to know the specific task that I have to give them or that they want to give me. They just need to know what their goal is. And so if someone can tell me that, then I can usually help them. But if they cannot, they can be very difficult to deal with because maybe they know they need help. They just don't understand what they need help with.

David:

[12:56] That's that's very interesting because as a coach i i help people as well and those are the hardest people to work with if people who they it's like i want to help i want you to work with me it's like what's your end game what you want to accomplish it's like it's very loose and fluid and it's hard to move them or encourage them or what training do you need unless they have something so it seems like the first little bit,

David:

[13:23] we work on what's your clarity for your goal. I mean, that's like the beginning thing. And yeah, that's, that's very interesting with you as well. Okay. And so is there a way that you can, um, how could we as clients make your job easier? Then you've already told me the two big frustrations. How can we make your job easier?

Alyssa:

[13:46] I think, you know, like I said, knowing... I think my chair is moving. Knowing what your end goal is and also knowing... What you don't want to do, what you want to get off of your plate, such as maybe you don't like the technical pieces. So you can tell me that I struggle with the technical pieces. And then I'm able to say, OK, I can help you in this area. Um, another thing would be to tell me what you're struggling with, um, so that I can see, okay, these are areas you struggle with and these are areas that I can step in and I'm good at or someone on my team is good at and therefore we can meet you where you are in that case and kind of fill in the gaps that you might have lacking in your business.

David:

[14:44] Yeah, no, that makes sense because that also helps with the person who's unclear about their goal, too. Yeah, absolutely. You know they're short on time. I know you could probably help. I don't know exactly how you could help, so this is what I got. That's a good idea.

Alyssa:

[14:57] Yeah, and it helps, you know, I always have, I do a consult to kind of see if they're interested in working together. But I also do like an onboarding call. And on the onboarding call, they've already decided, hey, I do want to work with you. But it helps me to kind of get a better feel for exactly what they need help with and to prioritize those tasks so we can kind of see where we need to get started.

David:

[15:24] Okay. Is there a minimum number of hours that they could work with you?

Alyssa:

[15:32] Most of my clients start out with at least five hours a month and move up from there.

David:

[15:37] Okay, five hours a month. That's not a whole lot. That's like an hour and a half a week.

Alyssa:

[15:42] Yeah, yeah. So, and I have, you know, I have clients that start out small like that and then move up from there and go up to, you know, 10, 20, 25 hours, things like that for the month. I don't have, I don't guess I really have anybody that's like a full, you know, full time. It's just part time work.

David:

[16:00] Okay. Do you find people that once they start getting that fuller, fuller 30, 40 hours, they're going to be like, you know what? You're really good. I'm going to hire somebody full time. Do they, do they make that transition some?

Alyssa:

[16:10] I have never had that happen to me. Now, I've had people that have decided to, you know, go with someone else. Maybe they needed a different, a different area of expertise or something like that. Or they weren't able to keep me on. Maybe they couldn't sustain a VA for a long term period of time. But I've never had anyone go and hire somebody full time.

David:

[16:35] Okay. Okay. Very good. Going along this whole theme of things going well, things not going well. If I'm having a bad experience as a business owner, I don't think I'm getting... The right value out of you or you're doing the project wrong. What do I do? What's the best way to handle that?

Alyssa:

[16:55] I personally want someone to come to me if they were having a bad experience. And yes, over 18 years almost, it'll be 18 in October, I've had that happen and that's okay. Many years ago when I first started, it was a lot harder for me to stomach than it is now. But in fact, today I had someone, it's not necessarily that she's having a bad experience, but that she wanted to make sure that we were on the same page with a project that my team and I are working on for her. And she was a little confused about what we were doing. And so she came to us and let us know. Sometimes that can be conveyed in an email. And sometimes that needs to be a phone call or a Zoom call to be able to get on the same page. But one of the things I always do is if I'm ever uncertain about what someone is trying to convey to me, especially in email, I will say to them, I think we need to speak on the phone or on Zoom so that we can get on the same page with this project before I continue moving forward. And so that's what I encourage. I encourage my team to do that and I encourage my clients to do that.

David:

[18:04] Okay, that's good because communication is key.

Alyssa:

[18:07] Yes.

David:

[18:08] Very good. So do you have like a hotline or email they can talk to you directly if there's issues going on?

Alyssa:

[18:14] Yes, they would email me and we would set up a time to talk.

David:

[18:18] Okay, very good. You market yourself as a Christian VA and administrative support. How is marketing yourself such as a Christian VA, how has that shaped your business? Is it working?

Alyssa:

[18:33] Well, that's all I've ever done since the very beginning. I do know for sure that I have worked with people who weren't Christians. They were open with me about that, but they knew or they had heard that I had the skills that they needed. So it didn't seem to bother them. I have only had to turn people away a couple of times when my morals and values did not line up with what they as a business owner were doing. And so I was unable to take those clients on. But that's only happened a couple times and um so it has been a positive experience for me

David:

[19:06] Okay very good yeah um very good so how can my audience find out more about you was there a website or something we could yes.

Alyssa:

[19:16] Um it is aliciaabantandcompany.com and i can give you the link so you can put in the show notes and things like that that is my virtual assistant business website okay

David:

[19:28] We'll definitely put that in. And just real quick, again, high level, what are the areas that you support kind of thing?

Alyssa:

[19:38] Yes. So I support Christian authors, speakers, and coaches in the areas of email marketing, social media marketing, and content repurposing.

David:

[19:48] Okay. Very good. Sounds good. Anything else you'd like to share with us today? Any questions that I should be asking you that because I'm not in the virtual assistant area, I don't know about?

Alyssa:

[20:01] Well, no, I don't think so. I just think that people, when they are looking to hire someone, should be open to what someone can do for them because many times they don't know what they need as business owners and they just know that they need help. And I believe that most people in this field are willing and ready to serve and just allow them to do that. Because I believe that most of us have a servant's heart and that is what the purpose of our business is.

David:

[20:35] Okay. Very good. Trying to think of anything else. Okay. How soon, if I hired you today, how soon would I be able to pass work off to you?

Alyssa:

[20:50] Within, I would say by Monday.

David:

[20:52] Okay. Just a few days then. Very good. Just a few days.

Alyssa:

[20:56] Yeah. Onboarding doesn't take but a few days.

David:

[21:00] Very good. Well, we've talked a lot about virtual assistants and I think it's a good thing. I would love to have one as soon as I get more money coming in. But for our audience, what is one challenge that you have for us to date as we talk about virtual assistants? If we're going to summarize our whole talk into one thing for them to do.

Alyssa:

[21:23] So what I would do is I would, if you are considering hiring a virtual assistant in the future, and maybe you don't know when that is going to be like you, for example, I would go ahead and start making a list of things that you either, like I shared earlier, you don't know how to do, you don't enjoy doing, or you don't have time to do. And that will kind of shape what you're looking for when you go to hire a VA in the future.

David:

[21:50] Gotcha. Nope. That's good. Very crystal clear. Thank you. Alyssa, thank you so much for your time and encouragement today. And friends, your next steps today is to please check out the show notes because there's going to be links to her site and contact information. And I encourage you to sign up for her newsletter. It's a great way to communicate and not miss out on future episodes. And friends, that's all for now. Trust you've been inspired to redeem your business, redeem your time, buy it back, and walk worthy of God's great name. Bye for now.