Thank you Kim!
You can find us:
Web: http://www.MondayMorningVA.com
Twitter: @MondayMorningVA
Email: dawn@MondayMorningVA.com
Latest Updates: Dawn Martinello RSS
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Dawn Martinello
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Kim Beasley
@MondayMorningVA Thanks for allowing me to interview you. Please share how you can be contacted.
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Dawn Martinello
@MondayMorningVA Social media is all about relationship building, but it can be a time consuming job! Using a VA to automate the “business end” of your social media networking so you can manage the personal end makes good sense.
The business end of things would be things such as soft advertisements – sending out links to articles that relate to your business, or sending tips and how-to’s to your followers. With this part covered, it frees up the business owners time to create relationships with those that they network with.
A VA can help set up auto-tweets on Twitter, set up a social media aggregator that will allow you to update all your profiles with one click of a mouse, and he or she can help maintain your professional image by creating “matching sets” for all your social media profiles.
A VA can also help you to develop an entire monthly campaign that can be weaved through each of your profiles.
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Kim Beasley
@MondayMorningVA One last question for you. How can business owners use a VA to help them develop or enhance their social media efforts?
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Dawn Martinello
@MondayMorningVA Let’s back up just a moment before I answer that one.
When you do choose your VA, having an open discussion about expectations – both the VA’s and the business owner – is a necessity so that hopefully you won’t fall into this situation. However, sometimes it does occur.
The first thing a business owner should do is contact their VA immediately. We’re business owners too and our goal is happy clients. Most problems can be solved quickly and easily by a phone conversation.
At Monday Morning VA, we always add a trial period for our new clients because we want people to feel secure in trusting us with their business. This trial period gives all brand new clients a 7 day opportunity to work with us and have the ability to back out of any long-term contract paying only for the hours used to that point. If your VA doesn’t offer this type of scenario – ask!
If all else fails, a frank discussion about the inability to work together has to happen. Be up front and honest about your failed expectations and end the relationship on good terms.
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Kim Beasley
@MondayMorningVA Good pointers! For the case when a business owner has hired a VA who doesn’t meet up to his or her expectations, what are some ways that a business owner can deal with this?
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Dawn Martinello
First of all, you’ll want to look for a good professional website. Not sure what I mean? Think about walking into a store. You want things to look bright, clean and fresh. You want to see the stock put away. When you look at a VA’s site, you want to have that same feeling. The website is his or her store.
Sometimes, having affiliations with VA groups – whether it’s the Chamber of Commerce in their city, or a VA community online – can signify that the Virtual Assistant is here to stay. But, because there is no formal accreditation process in place, a VA who bears the badge of a formal training process doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll be receiving a top-notch professional. It’s still going to take some leg work to do your homework.
Doing a quick Google search on the company should bring up some information as well.
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Kim Beasley
@MondayMorningVA With this in mind, how can business owners ensure they are getting a good VA? What types of things should they look for?
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Dawn Martinello
@MondayMorningVA One of the most important things you must do in order to ensure you are hiring a qualified VA is to talk! Talk to his or her clients. Talk to your colleagues for referrals. And most importantly – talk to the Virtual Assistant! You’ll need to ensure that the VA has the experience necessary for your job; that he or she will fit within your budget constraints; and that he or she will mesh with your personality. If the website doesn’t list client testimonials – then ask for the names, emails and/or phone numbers of people you can contact for referrals. When you hire the right VA, you’ll not only save yourself money and time – but you’ll finally be able to let out a sigh of relief!
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Kim Beasley
@MondayMorningVA Please share what it means to hire a qualified Virtual Assistant (VA), and how can one help business owners?