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How Much Should I Pay a Virtual Assistant?

 
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A virtual assistant is a person who works remotely in your business. This means that they could be on another floor in your office building, down the street, or across the globe.

I know virtual assistants who charge $100 per hour, and virtual assistants who charge $4 an hour.

Typically, as you might expect, the more specialized a person’s skills, the more you will pay. Also, if you are hiring in the western part of the world, where the cost of living is high, you can expect to pay more. If you hire from somewhere like the Philippines, South America, or India, you can expect to pay less.

There are lots of misconceptions about these rate differences.

Misconception #1:

Paying someone less than $10 per hour is unethical.

False.  If you hire someone in the Philippines, for example, understand that the cost of living there is much less than in the USA.  The infographic below shows just how different the cost of living is:

 
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For the small business person who can’t afford to pay $25+ per hour, especially at the start, this is a perfect solution.

But the key to success for the business owner and the VA, and what we teach in our program The Front Row CEO, is that it’s important to 1) guarantee hours/use a salary model  2) include bonuses or profit-sharing opportunities.

The salary model:  After a trial period of a week to one month, paid hourly, it’s a good idea to start paying your virtual assistant on a “salary model”. (It’s not *really* a salary, as your VA in the Philippines is not recognized as an employee of your company. They are technically freelancers. But you basically pay them the same amount each week.)  This will go a long way in instilling confidence and trust for both of you. For the VA, this security will almost guarantee that they will stay with you for years, rather than just weeks or months. The mindset here is that the CEO is more concerned with the work getting done, rather than policing the clock.  

Bonuses and profit sharing: As your business grows, everyone grows. When you and your team have success from a product launch, for example, consider rewarding everyone with a cash bonus. Setting goals, with cash rewards, is also a wonderful way to keep morale high. For the VA, this creates a true sense of ownership in your business.

Misconception #2

“The pay is less, but the quality of work is not as good”

False! You can expect to find highly skilled, fluent-in-english, hard-working, dedicated, professional VA’s in the Philippines and all across the world.  If you’ve ever hired a virtual assistant and ended up disappointed, there’s a good chance that 1) your hiring process was not set up to screen out those who were unqualified 2) your onboarding process didn’t include the components necessary to set him/her up for success or 3) when he/she started working for you, there were no systems and processes in place, or, those systems weren’t clear.

A common pricing model for the Philippines would be to start at $5 per hour for a trial week, or a trial month, paid hourly. 

Once hired, if a full time position, the salary would be $200 per week, or $800 per month.

If part time, $100 per week, or $400 per month.

You can read more about why I recommend a salary model over hourly, here.

If you are hiring in the United States, you can find a general virtual assistant for $25-40 per hour. For 40 hours per week, you should expect to pay $1000 per week, or $4000 month.

The cost of living in the Philippines is much less than in the US. Small business owners can leverage the exchange rate to create a win-win for VA and CEO.  If you offer a salary model, and supplement that with generous performance bonuses, holiday bonuses, and profit-sharing, it can be life-changing. The idea is to hire an assistant who will be with you for years, not weeks or months. This is someone who will grow with you, and together, you will grow your business. Over time, the idea is that your VA can be paid the equivalent of a VA anywhere in the world, because your business will have scaled to a level that makes it possible.

 
 
 
 

Are You Ready to Hire a Virtual Assistant?

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What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant is a human being (I’m not referring to Siri, or Alexa, or an operating system akin to what you may have seen in the movie, “Her”). This is a person who works remotely in your business. They could be on another floor in your business, or on the other side of the world.

When I talk about virtual assistants, I’m referring to a generalist. This person will likely have expertise in one particular area, but their role in your business will be broad.  When looking for a specialist assistant, I think more of “project manager”. 

“Am I ready for a VA?”

More often than not, I am inclined to say “yes you are”.

How can that be? How can I be so sure that you are ready when I don’t know you or your business?

Because, when set up correctly,  two heads are better than one. It’s that simple. 

I don’t need to know your revenue  in your business, because you can start with a virtual assistant, part time, for about $100 a week. (If you cannot spare $100 a week in your business, I would argue that you don’t have a business, you have a hobby.)

I don’t need to know what industry you are in, because whether you are B2B, B2C, brick and mortar, or a professor at an ivy league school, a virtual assistant is going to help you get where you need to go, FASTER.

But there are certain things to consider before you take the plunge:

The first and most important question to ask yourself is, “Am I ready to let go of some things?”.

I have a friend who runs an online business who told me that she left her corporate job because she was sick of managing people. She loves being alone in her business. She loves the feeling of freedom that comes with that. She knows her business would grow faster and that she would be more profitable if she hired someone, but to her, it’s not worth it. She’s happy with the slow but steady growth of her business. So obviously, it would not be a good idea for her to hire a VA.

You need to make sure that you WANT the help. That you WANT to share the highs and lows and twists and turns with someone else.

It may be that you’ve hired someone before, but it was more trouble than it was worth. Either they didn’t perform as well as you had hoped, or you spent so much time trying to keep them busy, you didn’t get anything done! You fell into the “might-as-well-do-it-myself” trap. And this is very common.

The good news is, once you make up your mind that you want to hire a VA, the pre-work you need to do ahead of time to set yourself up for success  is not as overwhelming as you imagine. 

You don’t have to have perfectly organized Drop Boxes, meticulous spreadsheets, a content calendar, or a color-coded Trello board.

But you do need to take these next steps: 

1. Define : What is it you need help with most immediately? Social media posting? Email management? Research? If you don’t know what you need help with, you won’t be able to set success metrics for your new VA. Everyone needs to know what success looks like.

Completing the following sentence will help you to hone in on exactly your expectations are: 

I need help with _________(social media management)_________ so that I can___________ (increase new leads by 20% each month)________.

Now that you know why you need a VA and what you want him/her to help you with, it’s helpful to put in place a few systems or processes so that once you hire your VA, they can work without you, or with minimal oversight.  The more you can remove yourself from the process, the better.

Here’s an example of a simple social media management process.

 
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Click here to access our Trello board and make a copy.

Click here to access our newsletter process document.

2. Guide: Often I hear from people who were disappointed with their VAs because they started the journey assuming that once they handed things off to the VA, they could peace out. Not only is this not true, you don’t want it to be true. Guidance is where the magic happens. No, you don’t want to be holding your VA’s hand all day long. Of course not. But with your feedback and guidance, your VA will become a better VA, you will become a better CEO, and your business will become exponentially more efficient and a place where you and your team will thrive for years to come. 

How to give guidance and feedback without eating up all of your time?

3. Weekly team meetings: each week it’s a good idea to have a short meeting via Zoom or Skype to review what’s ahead. My team meets every Monday at 9am EST. Our agenda is always the same: 1) we review the calendar 2) I review our newsletter via screenshare 3) Each person shares anything they need feedback on, or any announcements that the team needs to be aware of. This meeting is usually between 15-30 minutes.

4. A daily shared Google Doc.  This sounds so basic and that’s because it is. Don’t be fooled, though. It’s really powerful.  I share a Google Doc with each of my VA’s. In other words, each VA shares a Google Doc with me that is just for the two of us. 

There are 3 questions on the document:

  1. What did you accomplish today?

  2. Do you have any questions?

  3. Do you have any suggestions?

We always stay inside the one document, and the VA updates it daily and submits it to me at the end of her shift. We are literally on the same page and I’m able to give feedback and guidance without interruption throughout the day. By asking “do you have suggestions”, I am able to tap into hidden talents! The feedback you will receive from this one question can transform your business.

Quarterly reviews. It’s very important to set time aside for your quarterly reviews. Everyone needs feedback to improve. Leave room in this meeting for your VA to give you feedback, too. 

Final thoughts:

You are ready for a VA if you are ready to scale your business by handing over tasks that are keeping you from focusing on the work that only you can do. If you can slow down long enough to create some simple systems and processes before you hire, define what it is you need help with, and give structured guidance to your virtual assistant, you are ready to hire a VA. And remember, you don’t have to have it all figured out at the beginning. Your VA will ideally be with you for years and as time goes by, your business, and your relationship will change and grow and flourish.  It’s a worthwhile journey!


 
 

Best Tools, Apps, and Plugins for Entrepreneurs 2021

This is the fourth year in a row that we are offering this epic roundup of the best tools, apps, and plugins for entrepreneurs.

Each Tuesday, in my free online classroom, The Front Row, members submit the tools and apps that help them run their businesses more efficiently.

We've taken those submissions and organized them by category and purpose. We've also made note of the tools we use and love.

Did we leave out one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments.

How to Host an Accountability Challenge

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SHOWNOTES

Twice a year, we have an accountability challenge in the Front Row VIP community.

I wanted our members to connect and support each other while also achieving some slam dunks in their businesses.

The members embraced the challenge and I was amazed with our results that first year... we had an 80% completion rate.

And it's been that way every time.

We launch it in the fall and in the spring and each time, we end up with a minimum of an 80% completion rate.

And by "completion", I mean that 80% of the people who sign up for this four week challenge end up completing it.

In this podcast I outline why this works so well, and how you can make your challenge a success as well. It is one of the best things for creating loyal, raving fans and it’s one of the most popular things we do in Front Row VIP.

Here is how it works:

  • We start with setting a 4-week goal. Only rule: it must be measurable.

  • Identify a good, better, best scenario.

  • We have a points system where members “earn” as they progress through the challenge.

  • We have teams (randomly chosen) and we offer juicy rewards for the team members.

  • Tasking and Basking (the only 2 things required)

  • My team and I follow up with those who miss a check in. We are truly supporting them and encourage everyone along the way.

  • We use the challenge to bring in new members. It’s one of the best ways to show the value of being part of VIP.

  • There is an opportunity for bonus points, and a way to make up points in case someone misses a check-in.

  • Celebrate! At the end, everyone participates in our group celebration and prizes are awarded.

Want to host your own accountability challenge and see your membership or community grow? We created a resource for you to make it super simple.

RESOURCES

  • Front Row VIP

  • How to Host an Accountability Challenge Resource Pack 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

 
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Coping vs Thriving: Online Marketing During a Pandemic 

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SHOWNOTES

 There’s no roadmap for where we are today. I know we’re all wondering “what do I do now?” I am too. That’s why I recorded this episode. 

First, I wanted to tell you that you are not alone. Everyone of us is affected by world events that we can’t control. Second, I don’t have it all figured out, but I have decided on a few things that are working for me. I outlined those on today’s episode, and I hope you find it helpful.

I share the 2 guiding questions that help me make business decisions; especially those related to marketing and selling. 

“We’re in This Together” hashtags are everywhere and it’s encouraging. As hopeful as that is, I also know there will be days when uncertainty is going to show up. When it does ask for help, reach out to someone you trust. 

I’ve made a list of free resources that you and your family can use while we’re all at home and our schedules are out the window. 

I encourage you to continue to serve your audience. Keep showing up. Be sensitive, be real and let people know you care. 

DOWNLOAD THE RESOURCE LIST BELOW

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Resources:

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

  • If you are experiencing loss of job or income, please see this New York Times article for assistance 

  • College Students in need of STORAGE SPACE, U-Haul is offering free 30 day storage

  • IRS is providing tax relief for some affected families

  • Find your state's unemployment benefits signup page here

  • Banks offering assistance to their customers

  • A pretty comprehensive list of financial relief options for people working in specific industries or states. Seems to mostly be interest-free loans and grants.

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR WORKERS

BOOKS, AUDIOBOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, MAGAZINES

  • Overdrive Most libraries have accounts here that allow you to check out eBooks, eAudiobooks, digital comics, manga, newspapers, magazines and stream movies and television shows for free. Most libraries also have ways for you to sign up for a digital card so you can create an account online.

  • Standardebooks.org has free e-books for download that are high-quality. - 

  • https://openlibrary.org for tons of book options.

  • You can now download over 300,000 books from the NYPL for free

  • some libraries offer other services, like Hoopla, Flipster...; check your local library’s website (need a library card number usually) 

  • Project Gutenberg is a digital library of books that have all entered the public domain, meaning many classics such as Shakespeare, Moby Dick, and A Tale of Two Cities are available for free as ebooks.

STREAMING FOR MOVIES, DOCUMENTARIES, AND TELEVISION

  • If you have internet access you can watch all local television channels for free with this not-for-profit service: https://www.locast.org/ This free streaming service is available for the cities of Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. 

OTHER MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT

HOBBIES, LEARNING, TOOLS, TIME PASSERS, AND EXERCISE

  • Duolingo is a free app that teaches you other languages!

  • Affinity, an art studio alternative to Adobe, is offering a free 90 day trial

  • The YMCA is offering free online classes and include some of the Y’s most popular group exercise classes like Boot Camp, Barre, Yoga and low impact programs for seniors

  • JSTOR is allowing free access to its articles even if you aren't a university student right now

  • Down dog yoga is offering free classes on their app!

  • Planet Fitness is hosting daily workout routines on their YouTube channel. Live stream starts tonight at 7pm EST.

  • Peloton, an exercise app, is offering a free 90 days

  • Minimoog, a digital synthesizer app, is now free.

  • Adult coloring book pages for printout

  • KORG is a music-making app that normally costs $20, but is free until March 31st

  • 450 Ivy League online courses for adults

  • Yale’s most popular course is free The Science of Well-being

  • Zencastr is a website that helps you start your own podcast. Right now it is offering free services due to the virus.

  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is offering free lessons

  • Creativebug offers free hobby classes through many libraries. Check to see if your library has an account with them!

  • Google Hangouts Meet

  • https://www.zooniverse.org/ Participate in various historical transcription projects to help scientists & researchers. Some projects available in their app. Everything from transcribing Civil War records to looking at photos from nature cams and marking if and which animal actually set it off. 

VIRTUAL TOURS AND LIVE WEBCAMS

The Georgia Aquarium Has Live Cams So You Can Go Under The Sea At Home

Other resources: 

Front Row CEO

Front Row VIP

Simplify Life at Home with 10+ Easy to Use Alexa Skills

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SHOWNOTES

 Wonder what your Alexa can do in addition to playing music? This podcast is for you.  If you’ve been slow to use your device, you’ll find at least 3 new things (probably more) to make life easier and we can all use some of that!

Now that we’re all at home for a bit, this is the time to take advantage of your Alexa device. 

Here are just a few awesome things you’ll enjoy: 

  • 4 Alexa trivia games that your entire family will enjoy

  • Not only can you play with people at home, some games give you the ability to be matched up with someone else who wants to play

  • Ambient sound options – great resource to reduce anxiety and help you get a good night sleep

  • Learn what loop it means and why you might want to use brief mode

  • Use Alexa free meditations to clear the information overload (great for those who haven’t meditated before)

  • Find out how you can keep in touch with loved ones with your Alexa device – using calls and drop-ins (this is such a comfort!)

  • Get the low-down on the smart home devices that work well with your Alexa (a big surprise here)

  • What’s an Alexa routine and how can you use them?

  • Find out about follow up mode – this is perfect when you have a series of questions

  • Don’t have an Alexa speaker device – you can use the app instead

  • Alexa buds are here!

Resources: 

Subscribe at Voicebrew

Growing a Thought Leader Brand with Jason Van Orden

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SHOWNOTES

Today’s podcast is a full circle moment for me. Years ago, I listened to Jason’s first podcast before the Front Row was in existence! I learned so much from him then so it’s a treat to have him on the podcast today. 

Like many of us, he didn’t set out to be a marketing expert. It started with a need to promote his band. He figured out what worked and soon found himself helping others. His story is inspiring, and this episode is filled with actionable information. 

Here are just a few of the things we covered: 

  • The power of information marketing.

  • Jason shares 4 ways he found clients pre-social media, pre-email list. The best part is some of these strategies carry over to today’s methods.

  • Find out how to translate your unique brilliance with Jason’s formula; Position, Platform and Product.

  • How to distill your message so it’s compelling, unique and clear to your audience.

  • The best way to align your marketing approach with your skills and abilities.

  • Find out why shared meaning, shared value and shared stories are so powerful. (Don’t miss this - it’s the key to creating marketing that truly inspires!)

  • Jason breaks down why we under-value our strengths and explains why embracing them is key to creating an impact. (game-changer!)

  • Get Jason’s insight about taking time to think and create. This is a huge shift in how to look at giving away content.

  • Find out why understanding frameworks is so powerful. 

This podcast episode is packed with great insights from Jason. He has a great way of framing how to step into your expertise. I know you’ll get a few aha’s when you listen in. 

Be sure to check out his new podcast linked below. 

Jason’s Podcast: Impact: How to Grow Your Thought Leadership Brand and Business

Jason’s Website

LinkedIn Strategies with Judi Fox

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SHOWNOTES

Be ready to take notes when you listen to today’s episode! My guest Judi Fox shares her incredible LinkedIn strategy and it’s AMAZING. 

Listen, take notes then take action! 

There’s so much good info in this episode – here are a few of the highlights: 

  • Leadership by listening. This will change how you think about commenting and posting your own content

  • Get the latest info on LinkedIn Live and Judi’s experience with it so far. 

  • What to do when posting on LinkedIn. The exact formula!

  • Company pages. Judi shares why you want one and how to make it work for you.

  • What content works where on LinkedIn. (Seriously valuable info!)

  • LinkedIn in-box strategy. The good, the bad and how to manage it.

  • Judi’s brilliant solution: The best way for us to start this connection is through the public comments on the platform. Go follow my hashtag #foxrocks and I’ll see you online in the comments.

  • Hear why you should have a personal hashtag and the best way to use it.

  • Using LinkedIn DM without being obnoxious is possible. Judie shares 2 ways that work! 

Create a LinkedIn profile that makes you $$ while you’re sleeping. For real. Judi generously shares her strategy that you can make your own. These are just the highlights. There’s much more on messaging strategies, how this can also help you on Instagram, why images work so well (and the exact type) and more. 

Here’s how to connect with Judi: 

Application process that leads to a 30-minute call

Website 

LinkedIn

Follow Judi’s hashtag on LinkedIn #FoxRocks

The Front Row CEO Content Planning System

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SHOWNOTES

You’re going to love today’s episode. I’m sharing the Front Row CEO Content Planning System. You’ll see how I create 3 months of content in just a couple of hours. 

If you follow the plan that I’m breaking down in this podcast you will never have to worry about what to post, or how to show up. 

You’ll be consistent and you’ll always know what’s happening each day. That may be the best part of all, the clarity. (And the results!) 

Here’s what I cover: 

  • How to determine your themes 

  • The best way to support your upcoming promotions

  • Anchor content – what is it and how to create it

  • Micro-content and why it’s going to make your life super easy

I also cover how to determine what goes where. Literally how to put this on the calendar or your content management software so it’s ready to go. 

Get the C E O content formula. 

  • Connection content – find out why it’s so important 

  • Expert content – see how to use this to position yourself as the expert

  • Original content – great ideas to help your audience see the real you 

Imagine how nice it would be to see more engagement while spending less time planning and creating content. This system will do that for you!

RESOURCES

Get the Content Planning Worksheets: Text: CEOCONTENT to 44222

Front Row CEO Planner (because sometimes nothing beats pen and paper!)

Get your March content planner!

What Kind of CEO Are You?

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I recorded this episode with you in mind. After working in the entrepreneurial and online marketing space for several years I recognized a pattern. First in my own business, and then with clients. No matter what type of business, or what field of expertise I saw the same struggles. 

Are you a solopreneur or a CEO?

Are you the queen of doing it all? This was me at one point in my business. I’m sure you’ll see some similarities. 

Are you successful but stuck and feeling swamped? It’s more common that you might realize. I’m breaking that down as well. 

Maybe your business is a series of on again/off again cycles. How do you find the way to a regular sustained income? I’ve got the answer.

Why I know this will help you. 

Hire your VA. A professional who can become a partner in your business and help you grow. That’s the next step.

Listen to this episode and hear why this is the right time. There’s always a reason not to. Now let me explain why you should. 

My team (I love saying I have a team!) and I figured out how you can find the exact right person (or people) that will help you get back to the work only you can do. 

Find out why I know this will work for you. Not in theory, not in the hazy some day future. Right now. 

RESOURCES

How to Know When It’s Time to Hire