🎙 This episode's guest is Richard Evans, founder of Awaken 2 Business, through which he provides a range of solutions and services to help entrepreneurs and SMEs take their businesses to the next level. And VaVaVoom, a Virtual Assistant company providing skilled personnel sourced from the Philippines to small businesses to help them systemize and free up their spare time. 

Steve and Richard discuss the advantages of hiring VAs from The Philippines, the common mistakes made when using a Virtual Assistant, effective communication with your Virtual Assistant, the importance of values in business, and security when using a Virtual Assistant. Richard also shared the service VaVaVoom offers and his favourite software or app in his company.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

💡 Most Virtual Assistants from the Philippines have a good work ethic and are honest, loyal, ambitious, and willing to learn. 

💡 VaVaVoom have around 350 applications from Virtual Assistants per month, of which only 10 to 15 get through to the comprehensive training and join the team of nearly 100, so the quality of staff available is very high standard. 

💡 Common mistakes made when using a Virtual Assistant are not having the correct processes and software, being unfamiliar with the culture, being reluctant to delegate, not correctly identifying which tasks to delegate, and failing to monitor staff progress and tasks.  

💡 Keep communication at the highest level possible via zoom or through a video rather than email or text, as these are not interactive enough to keep communication efficient. 

💡 VaVaVoom have General Virtual Assistants who operate with generic work and Premium Virtual Assistants with unique skills or specialisation to offer to a business. 

💡 It is vital that both your staff and clients share the same values that you have in your business.

💡 The right process of hiring and training a Virtual Assistant, using secure password software like LastPass, using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), and having a clear privacy policy will make it more secure for a business to use a Virtual Assistant. 

💡 Richard’s business gives to the charity, 'The Purple Community Fund', which works with child workers in The Philippines to provide food and education, so they don’t have to work to support their families. 

BEST MOMENTS 

02:30 - 💬 ‘ I love the Philippines and the Filipinos. They have a really good work ethic. They're honest. They're loyal. They're hard-working, want to do well, and want to be part of your business. There are so many good reasons for taking people on from the Philippines.’ – Richard   

03:07 - 💬 ‘I’ve got a big team in the Philippines doing various tasks for me. And there’s no need for me to go anywhere else because they're just such wonderful people.’ – Richard   

04:37 - 💬 ‘We recently recruited someone for ourselves internally, and we went from about 200 applicants, and we got down to 2.’ - Steve  

10:26 - 💬 ‘When the client isn’t doing all the stuff that we tell them to do, they wonder why it doesn’t work out for them, and that’s not fair to the VA as well because then the VA loses a client because the clients not doing their bit.’ - Richard 

13:07 - 💬 ‘When you’re communicating with somebody, 7% of the communication is in the words and the language you use. 35% is in the tone of voice and 53% is in the body language.’ – Richard

28:56 - 💬 ‘ Saying NO to the wrong clients has a huge positive impact on your business as opposed to saying YES to the wrong clients, which could drag the team down.’ - Steve

30:33 - 💬 ‘The impact of working with the wrong client is that you focus so much of your attention and energy on someone who's not right that you miss far more opportunities. And it is that short-term gain for long-term pain.’ - Steve

37:51 - 💬 ‘One of our core values is giving back. It’s really important that we’ve got a business with a purpose, and it’s not just about making money.’ - Richard

41:28 - 💬 ‘We use Xero, train the VAs in Xero, and have a Xero partner. Wonderful piece of software, just love it to pieces.’ – Richard

GUEST RESOURCES

Website: www.VaVaVoom.solutions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-evans-98441246/

Contact: https://www.richardaevans.co.uk/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Website: www.SystemizeYourSuccess.com

Facebook Group: Facebook.com/groups/systemsandoutsourcing/

LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/company/systemsandoutsourcing/

Instagram: Instagram.com/systems_and_outsourcing/

YouTube: YouTube.com/@drsteveday42

ABOUT THE HOST

Steve used to be a slave to his business, but when he moved to Sweden in 2015, he was forced to change how he worked. He switched to running his businesses remotely. After totally nailing this concept, he spent his time helping other small business owners do the same. Steve’s been investing in property since 2002, has a degree in Computing, and worked as a doctor in the NHS before quitting to focus full-time on sharing his systems and outsourcing Methodology with the world. He now lives in Sweden and runs his UK-based businesses remotely with the help of his team of Filipino and UK-based Virtual Assistants.

Most business owners are overwhelmed because they don’t know how to create systems or get the right help.

Our systems and outsourcing Courses and coaching programme will help you automate your business and work effectively with affordable virtual assistants. That way, you will stop feeling overwhelmed and start making more money.