In June 2007, I had no idea that Virtual Assistant Groups were available, or even in existence. Boy, did I have a lot to learn! I knew I was an intelligent person with a lot of marketable skills, after all, I knew I’d been successful at just about anything and everything I set my mind to. Okay, so maybe I was a little cocky when I joined my first VA Yahoo Group. I have to say, that reading the posts from the more experienced VAs was a huge dose of humility! I quickly realized just how much of a “newbie” I really was. VAs were asking questions and sharing information that I didn’t have a clue about. So, began my professional “lurker” phase.
Every profession has their own acronyms and specialized language. I suddenly felt like I was in a far away foreign land, where everyone only appeared to speak English–and I needed subtitles. I spent so much time looking up acronyms and new words, clicking on links supplied to try to get up to speed on all the new technology and helps for the virtual world.
I remember the first time I was able to answer a question. I felt so proud that I was sharing some of what I knew that might be helpful to others. I found it amazing that there is no competition in this industry. There really is enough work to go around, and VAs, as a whole, seem very secure in their abilities. The groups function as a shoulder to cry on, a friend to give you a pat on the back, a way to feel connected from your isolated office, and of course, to learn new things and share collective wisdom.
Choosing a group is very easy. Get a FREE login to Yahoo
As of this post, searching on Yahoo for groups, virtual assistant yielded 232 VA groups. I started with advice from my trusted mentor, Patty Benton, as to which groups might suit my needs and personality. I have joined groups that are very large and very small, I am a member of 16 groups right now. Be aware that you should try to participate in each group you are a member of–so don’t join too many or you will spend most of your time in Email limbo. Each group is different and helps me in one way or another. Read and heed the rules: the rules for each group need to be respected or you could lose your membership to the group.
This is one way to get your business name out there and begin building trusted relationships with other VAs. Try it, you will probably like it!
