I am very excited to have Sharon Williams of The 24 Hour Secretary, The Alliance for Virtual Businesses and the OIVAC stop by on the blog tour to promote the upcoming OIVAC Convention. If you’re not already registered…hop to it!

Thank you so much for stopping by Sharon! I am looking forward to reading your answers to my questions!

Becki

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I’m glad to be here Becki, and I apologize for being a little late. This week has been very hectic, but I was determined to not let anything interfere with my stopping by, and here I am! I hope your readers are still hanging around, because your questions are very interesting and I can’t wait to dive in and respond.

1. How can the Online International Virtual Assistants Convention be a catalyst for change in one’s VA Business?

The convention offers opportunities for VAs to assemble with VAs located around the globe, they would not normally engage in conversation. It also presents opportunities to create and nurture relationships that in the future may lead to the development of partnering relationships.

It also allows VAs to experience, first hand application of VoIP technology, inclusive of white boarding, video and PowerPoint presentations, file sharing, etc., all which can potentially be marketed as a value-add service to clients.

By attending seminars conducted by intra- and external VA-industry recognized experts, attendees gain access to a wealth of knowledge, experiences and information specifically crafted to benefit the virtual assistant audience. In other words, if you have questions, these presenters have answers!

2. How is the Alliance for Virtual Businesses and the OIVAC connected?

The Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB) is a promotional arm of the international VA community and primary sponsor of OIVAC. OIVAC is the brainchild of the chairperson of the Alliance (me). I believed the industry had grown to where we could hold an annual event, where, regardless of geographic boundaries, VAs could come together in a relaxed setting, network, attend educational activities, and celebrate virtual assisting, as well as individual and collective contributions to the business community, virtually and inexpensively. Because of these beliefs, and my continuing efforts to promote the industry, it made sense for the Alliance to grab the mantle and make it happen.

3. How can the right VA be an asset to a client’s business?

There are many, many ways the “right” VA can be an asset to a client’s business. For instance, the VA can serve as the right-hand person, intermediary with clients and vendors, appointment scheduler and problem solver. When the right VA performs duties, she can allow the client to “relax” knowing a professional is handling the responsibility. She can assume many duties and actually “make the client look good”, at home and before clients and prospects. If the client and VA maintain open lines of communication and she understands the client’s mission, she often times brainstorms, conducts research, and has prepared answers “before being asked”, implements processes and lets the client know “after the fact”.

Value-add services are something clients always appreciate – and when the client thinks you are one thought ahead, literally reading their mind and having a solution in hand, you are, in reality, 2 or 3 ahead. Eventually, the client recognizes your true value to the business; appreciates your direct and indirect contributions and compensates accordingly.

4. Is the OIVAC geared more towards the emerging VA or towards the VA ready to take the next big leap?

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if you are classified as “emerging” or “ready to take the next big leap”. Emerging VAs are “taking the next big leap” into entrepreneurship, and established VAs are really “leaping” all the time. Like the 2006 convention, we have something for everyone. For instance, Laurie Dart, a copywriting expert VA, is presenting Winning Sales Copy, which is a topic we all should be interested in; Cheryl Callighan’s seminar is on subcontracting, which covers the issue from the owner as well as subcontractor prospective. Janice Byer will discuss how to respond to requests for proposals, another topic of interest to newbie and experienced VAs, and the list goes on.

In addition, the schedule also includes “specialty” or “niche” topics; again, which may be of interest to both categories. They include:

What is a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant? presented by Victoria Ring; How to Use Search Engine Optimization to Get More Clients Online, with Biana Babinski; and Coke7 is More than Soda, It’s a Brand: Learn How to Identify Yours & Increase Profits, which is presented by yours truly.

General categories every VA should want to attend include: Business Ethics, given by Jeannine Clontz, The Most Important Plan of Your Business - The Disaster Recovery Plan, by Diana Ennen, and Documenting Critical Success Factors for Profitable Growth, with Roberta Eastman.

As you can see, we’ve a wide array of topics that, frankly, VAs, no matter how classified, could select. And, this list does not include our eight (8) feature presenters. So to answer your question, we didn’t plan this year’s convention around any industry group but instead based it on overall industry interest. We invite VAs, no matter the category, to attend.

5. How does the industry go from where it is today to something bigger and better than ever before?

I guess the question is what is bigger and better? Looking over the past 10 years, the industry has progressed and as the future faces us, my hope is that the disparate groups can come together and develop a cohesive bond around creating an industry plan of action. Now I know there are some who ask, who does she think she is to propose the industry leadership – and even if you deny it, there are industry leaders (self proclaimed or not and even if you, the reader, do not subscribe to the title “leader”) meet and define parameters where we can all work together. It may be to work on just one activity or component of a project – but something that everyone is willing to sit at the table for. If that ever occurs, I see it as the foundation for bigger and better and then the industry’s future will be limitless.

Well Becki, I hope I’ve provided enough insight into the how’s, why’s and who’s of the OIVAC and look forward to attending your presentation at the convention. That’s right, now I remember; your topic is Imagination, Inventiveness and the New Fangled Idea explains how to network to find the experts that you need. Kathie Thomas of VA Directory, whom we visited yesterday, is also a presenter. Tomorrow, we go back “down under” to visit Lorraine Pirihi of Office Organiser. I can’t wait to share her scrambled puzzle clue with our Australian VA readers. So stay tuned. I won’t leave here without giving today’s clue, so don’t worry! It’s aslse. Okay, time for a nap. See you in the Land of Oz, tomorrow.

About Sharon Williams

Sharon is the Chairperson of the Alliance for Virtual Businesses and OIVAC, and president of The 24 Hour Secretary an administrative, secretarial and internet-based marketing support services company. She is the 2006 recipient of the Thomas Leonard International Virtual Assistant of Distinction Award and co-founder of Virtual Business University an e-learning environment for entrepreneurs willing to step towards their greatness.