Hi there,
As you already know, DEXA offers courses on Digital Skills that can help you acquire the necessary in-demand and high-income skills,
To adapt to the changing work environment and get into tech as a freelancer, to work remotely or to work from an office.
With remote work becoming increasingly common, freelancing has become a popular career choice for almost every type of digital skill set.
Whether you’re into web development, Copywriting, digital marketing, project management, video editing, Affiliate Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), or Product designing/management.
Freelancing or Remote working might soon become the nature of your job.
Therefore, we want to share with you some useful tips to successfully transition to remote work as a freelancer.
- Create a designated workspace: Having a designated workspace can help you focus and stay productive, ensuring you have only important items and information readily available on your table. Just at your fingertips.
- Stick to a routine: Establishing a routine can help you stay organized and ensure that you get your work done on time. It creates a pattern for you and consistency with such pattern helps you gain mastery of the nature of your work.
- Communicate clearly with your team: Clear communication is key when working remotely, so be sure to communicate regularly with your team. Don’t assume anything and don’t stay in the dark. Always communicate.
- Take breaks and step away from the computer: It’s important to take breaks and step away from the computer to avoid burnout and mental exhaustion. Your head needs to be intact for you to be productive.
- Invest in a comfortable chair and desk setup: Having a comfortable workspace can help you stay relaxed, focused and productive. Don’t hurt your back while sitting in an uncomfortable position. Ensure your work setup is perfect.
- Find ways to stay connected with coworkers: Remote work can be isolating, so find ways to stay connected with your coworkers. You could have a chit chat group or hold regular group calls from time to time. Just to ensure you’re talking to people. The nomadic life can be boring sometimes. Consider scheduling virtual coffee breaks or happy hours.
- Set boundaries for work-life balance: It’s important to set boundaries to ensure that you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Have fun when you need to and don’t let work encroach into your personal time intended to be spend with family and friends. Set clear boundaries.
- Embrace video conferencing and communication tools: Video conferencing and communication tools can help you stay connected with your team and clients. You can use tools like Zoom, Google Meets, WhatsApp, Etc.
- Stay organized with a task management system: Staying organized is crucial when working remotely, so consider using a task management system to help you prioritize tasks and stay on track.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help: If you’re struggling with remote work, don’t hesitate to ask for help from your team or a mentor. Remote work can be challenging, and it’s okay to ask for assistance.
We hope these tips will be helpful as you navigate the world of remote work as a freelancer. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or if there is anything else we can do to support you.
Best regards,
Lydia Kalu (Team 2)
Question 1
Basically, A general virtual assistant (VA) provides administrative support with a broad range of tasks, such as: Email management, Scheduling, Data entry, Customer service, time management etc. On the contrary, a specialized virtual assistant focuses on specific areas of expertise, offering advanced skills and knowledge in;
For instance, if the individual is a Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant, the virtual assistant specializes in social media advertising, content creation, page management etc
– Offers services like campaign management, keyword research, and blog writing
Another example is the Technical Virtual Assistantโ Specializes in web development, coding, and technical support
But in a nutshell, you can say that the Distinguishing characteristics between the two types of VAs are
1. General VAs are versatile professionals, whereas specialized VAs are authorities in particular domains.
2. Specialized VAs often necessitate advanced training or certifications, whereas general VAs may acquire skills on the job
3. Specialized VAs typically command higher rates due to their expertise and high-demand services, that is, they charge more.
Other specializations for virtual assistants might include:โ E-commerce Virtual Assistant (e.g., product listing, order management)โ Bookkeeping Virtual Assistant (e.g., financial record-keeping, invoicing).
Question 3
Basically, the concept of Niching down involves delineating and focusing on your strengths and expertise to ascend as an authority in the chosen areas of your profession. Just as businesses pinpoint the target market and ideal customer to optimize success, administrative professionals like virtual assistants must also evaluate their skills, passion, aptitudes, and interests. Instead of being a general VA who can handle a variety of tasks, Niching down entails specializing in a specific domain. In essence, a niche for a virtual assistant pertains to a specialized area or industry they concentrate on, such as Social media management, graphics design, or bookkeeping.
Two benefits/advantages of Niching down include:
ENHANCED CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Depending on your niche, your target market may be limited in size. For instance, as a physical therapist, there might only be a few expecting mothers with hip concerns. The advantage of having a small clientele is the ability to emphasize quality and foster relationships with a select group of individuals. By personalizing your communications, diligently following up, and expressing gratitude frequently, you can cater to unique requests, provide customized services, and gain a deeper understanding of your clients. Implementing these strategies can significantly improve customer satisfaction, strengthen relationships, and foster loyalty. It is crucial to avoid compartmentalizing your marketing efforts if your niche overlaps with your target audience; ensure that your niche initiatives complement, rather than detract from, your target audience strategies. This is a pivotal aspect of niche market strategy.
DIMINISHED COMPETITION
Having a niche product or service translates to facing fewer competitors. While numerous companies sell knives, fewer offer knives with handcrafted wooden handles or personalized initials. By specializing in a more specific product or service, you can reduce the number of competitors vying for clients and emulating your methods. Reduced competition can be advantageous for businesses as it entails less price monitoring and competitive activities. Moreover, a smaller audience tends to seek out niche products, thereby reducing competition. If your competitors fail to cater to a specific niche, it presents a favorable opportunity for you to capitalize on that market.
Challenge; However, it is essential to recognize that being overly specialized carries the risk of limiting knowledge and expertise. In the event that the niche becomes obsolete or less lucrative, it may pose challenges in generating opportunities and building a sufficient clientele base for the VA. Acquiring comprehensive knowledge is preferable to possessing limited or superficial understanding.
Peace Iwuoha. Team 9.
Question 3 Data security
1. I will install anti-virus and anti-malware software
2. Use secure systems in all devices and ensure I turn on two factor authentication
3. Protect my device with password
Question 4. How to find clients
1. I will start networking
2. By direct outreach
Strategy in my choosen niche.
Choosing a niche as a general administrative virtual assistant significantly shapes my client search strategy in several ways:
Targeted Outreach: Focusing on a broad niche like general administrative tasks allows me to reach out to a wide range of potential clients, from small business owners to busy professionals across various industries. I will tailor my approach to highlight my ability to handle diverse administrative needs, emphasizing my versatility and adaptability.
Industry Research: To effectively find clients, I will conduct thorough research into industries that commonly require administrative support, such as real estate, legal services, and tech startups. By understanding the specific administrative challenges within these industries, I can present myself as a solution to their unique needs.
Customized Proposals: When reaching out to potential clients, I will craft customized proposals that showcase my ability to handle their specific administrative tasks. As managing emails, calendar scheduling, data entry, or customer service, I will highlight relevant experience and skills that align with their requirements.
Networking and Referrals: Networking is crucial in this niche. I will attend industry events, participate in online forums, and join virtual assistant communities to connect with potential clients and other professionals. Building relationships and seeking referrals can lead to valuable client opportunities.
Online Presence: I will optimize my online presence, like social media profiles, for starting to reflect my expertise in general administrative tasks. By sharing relevant content, client testimonials, and case studies, I can attract potential clients who are searching for reliable administrative support.
Flexible Service Packages: To appeal to a broader client base, I will offer flexible service packages that can be customized to meet the specific needs of different clients. This approach ensures that I can cater to both short-term projects and long-term partnerships, making my services more attractive to a wider audience.
By leveraging these strategies, I can effectively identify and connect with clients who need general administrative support, ultimately helping their businesses run more smoothly and efficiently.
Question 5. Step by step process in calendar management.
Review and assess my client’s Calendar to see if there are patterns.
List down the patterns: This will help me in setting up their calendar.
Ask questions to be sure I’m not missing anything out.
Sync the calendar with all necessary devices and applications.
Calendar scheduling: Block out important task, events and meeting on their calendar using titles and color code and ensure the format I use in entering appointment and meetings is consistent. Set reminders for upcoming events, keep my client informed and send calendar invitation for meetings and ensure all parties involve accept. Leave buffer time between appointments to accommodate overruns or travel time. For regular meetings and task I will use reoccurring event features and periodically review it to ensure they are still relevant
Integrate calendar with other tools like Todoist and Trello to track task and slack and Microsoft team for seamless communications and updates.
I will backup calendar to prevent data loss
I will use Google Calendar for easy share and synchronization across all devices and Calendly for scheduling my client’s calendar while Savvy Time will be used to schedule time zones.
udrat Alabi (Team 9)
Question 1:
A general virtual assistant is the back bone of many businesses where the VA does all administrative tasks both for businesses and individual such as: book keeping, arrangement of appointments, reports, email management and all day today activities that keeps everything organized and running smoothly.
A specialized virtual assistant only specializes in a particular area of expertise. For example, A Social media manager; is a virtual assistant who is in charge of mainly handling social media accounts, creating content and also concerned with generating leads and putting the clients business in front of audience using engaging contents.
Question 2:
CRM Customer Relationship Management : This is concerned with the process of efficiency and lowering operating cost and improving customer interaction experiences.
Features :
Operation CRM-concerned about marketing sales and service functionalities.
Analytical
Collaboration CRM.
-CRM provides the ability to track performance and productivity and also helps record various customer interaction.
Project Management;This is the developing and putting together strategies offering and support on company’s projects.
Tools are time Management, Asana, workplaner
SEO: This is the process of enhancing a website so that it appears more frequently when I people search for items or services connected to the company.
It enables business put themselves farward to audience who are in need and looking for their services.
Tools are:
Google Search console
Botify
Kwfinder.
A general VA, is in charge of every work being given to him or her. He or she is in charge of booking event, email management, appointment setting, and will be proficient with all CRM tool.
Specialized VA, has niched down to either being a social media VA, E-commerce and other
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