Barbara Trubly

AssistenteDirezione.it : Hi Barbara, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Where I am in my life and career still amazes me. New Jersey born, spent 20 years of my life in Vermont before transferring to North Carolina while I was working for IBM. At IBM, I had a couple of different careers but my niche was as an administrative assistant. I took an ‘IBM Buy-out’ and worked part-time while my children were young. I re-started my professional career with a start-up company founded by two retired IBMers. That was an incredible learning experience and it’s why I went back to school to obtain my human resource (HR) credentials so that I could have the duel role of executive assistant and HR manager. I lived in the Raleigh, NC area for almost twenty years before I remarried and moved to Charlotte, NC.

How did you start your career and what lead you to become a Virtual Assistant?

I had been the executive assistant and human resource manager for a few small companies starting in 2000. When I moved to Charlotte, NC in 2007, I started working part-time for a leadership development coach. Most of what I did used web-based tools and resources. I started working from home one or two days a week. The coach I worked for had to cut back my hours so I needed to find another part-time client to maintain the same or better level of income. It was then, in 2009, that I decided to start my own business working as an executive assistant for other entrepreneurs.

What kinds of services do you typically provide as a Virtual Assistant?

I provide social media assistance; contact management; research, writing, layout and distribution of company newsletters and because I am a human resource (HR) professional, I provide HR consulting services, as well.

Are there any kinds of requests you absolutely will not fulfill?

I will not cold-call prospects or leads in order to sell a service. I’ve had people ask me to do this. I did it once and it was not the best use of my skills or time.

Do you work with local clients or clients all over the nation?

Right now, I work with businesses in North Carolina and California but would expand if the ideal client and opportunity presented itself.

Who is your ideal client?

My ideal client is a small business with less than 25 employees that is growing, knows exactly what projects can be outsourced and has a clear vision as to what their objective is and what they need to get there. With that in place, together we can work on the activities that will meet their objective.

How do you communicate with your clients?

Most of the communication is done via email. Texting is becoming more frequent when one of us needs the other quickly.

How do you handle business relationships with them ? Do you require them to sign any contract?

I use contracts with all my clients, regardless of the project. The contracts are tailored for the project. For retainer clients, I require a three month minimum.

Could you describe your typical working day?

The first thing I do is check email for any urgent requests or updates from clients. I leave other emails for later. Once urgent emails are responded to, I work on what has to get done today. After I’ve completed the ‘must do today’ list, I will clean up the INBOX by either deleting, filing or responding to the remaining emails. I am always reading business news to keep up with what’s going on locally and nationally.

What are the most difficult aspects of being a Virtual Assistant?

For me, I’d say it’s keeping up with all the new technology and web-based tools. Every month, there is something new that may be better than the tools I’m using.

What are some challenges you’ve faced in your VA duties?

1. Finding my ideal clients is one of my challenges. I’ve got some great clients but I want one or two more.
2. I need to be very aware of how I spend my time, so that I am not wasting time on non-income producing items or people.
3. Educating people on how to maximize a Virtual Assistant is also a challenge. I want to partner with other entrepreneurs. I’ve met many business owners looking for cheap labor to do their administrative tasks.

Can you tell us a little bit about your computer equipment and software?

I use a Dell laptop for most of my work as this allows me to work from anywhere there is WiFi.

Some of my most used software is Microsoft Word, as I do a lot of writing for my clients but most my tools are web-based. Tools such as Adobe Acrobat, iContact, Constant Contact, SHRM.com and HootSuite. My favorite is Echo-Sign in order to have documents signed electronically and quickly.

Do all your clients have the same software as you?

Not all my clients have the same software. I use Microsoft 2007 and I find many folks are still working with 2003 or use Apple PC’s and its software.

Okay, last question. What advice would you like to give our Community on how to start a Virtual Assistance Business?

To start, assess what you do really well that would benefit your ideal client and determine who is your ideal client. It may change as your business grows but give a lot of thought to this.

As far as pricing, don’t sell yourself short. Consider what you need to pay for:

• Your insurances (health, business (office space, equipment)
• Monthly expenses (website & domain fees, internet, phone, web-based tools, etc.)
• Taxes that you’ll have to pay
• Classes and workshops you’ll attend
• Professional association dues
• Your salary - profit

Thank you so much for the interview Barbara !

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Contact Barbara at Virtual Assistant Plus