This is a new post in my “Increase Your Income” series for virtual assistants!

If you would like to read through all of the ideas that will help you make more money as a virtual assistant, please click here for all of the blog posts tagged “Increase Your Income”

Sometimes all it takes to increase your income as a virtual assistant is a little creativity. Create more value for clients, and create more income. But sometimes, we need a few ideas to make this resonate with clients in order to start increasing those invoice amounts with no questions asked!

Here are 7 creative ways to create value for your clients without completely losing your mind or replacing the things in your life that bring you joy to spend time on!

Disclaimer;

This post contains affiliate links that won’t cost you anything to use - they may help you save some money while helping me earn a few cents for the free information you're learning in this blog!

For a full disclaimer click here.

1. Keep a very organized project management system

An organized project management system will reassure your clients that choosing to work with you was the right decision. It demonstrates your professionalism and the seriousness with which you approach running your VA business.

The beauty of this way to add value is that it will help you to keep yourself organized. And also allow the client to see your progress on the important work they care about. You may think that it will take you a large chunk of time each day and week to maintain a project management system, but it doesn’t have to. Use something simple like Dubsado or Notion so that the client can quickly check in for updates and you have already created so much value for them. Now they can quickly check in on the status of a project for ease of mind and also limit how much they need to contact you!

4 Tips to keep an organized project management system:

1. When setting up your project management processes, let technology assist you to become and stay organized. Head over to my post Top 5 Must-Have Tools to Use as a Virtual Assistant to find the best tools and tech for your VA business. 
2. Ace your time management and be more productive. Plan your days and weeks ahead of time and ensure you block out deep work sessions to effectively use your time.
3. Keep track of your due dates and make sure nothing is missed. Since it's all about producing high-quality work on schedule, a good task management system is crucial for virtual assistants as service professionals.
4. Status meetings with your clients should be a mandatory part of your project management system. They help you stay in contact, stay accountable, and stay on top of all your clients’ needs. They are a game-changer.

2. Send them quick reminders 

If a deadline is coming up and you need their feedback or update to move forward, feel free to send them reminders!

Always account for their life and business keeping them pulled in many directions.

You create value for them by making sure they don’t forget something important. Maybe you prefer to do this in one message per week a few days after your status meeting with them. Maybe they prefer that you keep your reminders on their Google calendar. The important thing is that you help them stay on track. It is much appreciated 9 times out of 10!

These little meticulous actions differentiate any VA from a great one.

Even if they end up pushing a deadline, remember that you did your part to remind them and check in with them on the original plan. It is always up to your client or appointed decision-maker to make the final call on a task or project in their business.

Keep showing up and they will see your value!

3. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas 

Many business owners appreciate when you share with them something that could help their project or business be more successful a.k.a. reach more customers, provide more value to customers, and in turn give them back time or increase revenue (or both!)

Pro-tip: Have a ‘brainstorming’ section in your client collaboration platform. Here you could add ideas you proposed that your client liked. Or an idea that your client mentioned on the fly. It will be useful, it will create value, and your clients will be impressed!

4. Have a fun and positive attitude, even during challenges

People really value sharing space with others who bring light to work. Even if you are very passionate about what you do as a business, even if it has made you very wealthy, it is still work!

How a positive attitude helps your clients gain value from you:

• When you show up with a positive attitude despite having to go through yet more spam emails to delete, they gain value from that.
• When you encourage them on tough days if they share something going on behind the scenes and reassure them that you’ve got this deadline covered for them, you provide SO MUCH VALUE.
• Life happens to everyone. It is during these times that you, their virtual assistant help your clients be on top of their game and continue to grow their businesses.

This does not cost you anything extra. But makes a whole world of difference to the clients who count on you.

Read my ebook about marketing to and signing your dream, ideal clients, then this should come easily! Sign up for the waitlist here.

5. Start a client newsletter

I absolutely love this and the little bit of extra time spent will help your business go a long way! You can spend as much or as little on this as you’d like. Send a newsletter once a month or once a week depending on how many clients you serve.

You can use this as:

• a further way to let clients in on what’s going on with your business.
• to provide them with some links to resources they can use to help theirs!

You may or may not want to share personal content and keep this strictly business. That totally depends on what you’re comfortable with. Get creative either way and make this something fun.

6. Deliver faster

You should naturally increase the speed with which you complete tasks as you gain more experience, however, make it a habit to evaluate once a quarter where you may have some bottlenecks with your time to deliver tasks to your clients.

How to deliver faster?

• There may be a software tool you can invest in now that your business has grown.
• There may be a way to collaborate with another VA (I know photographers who work with each other to cut the editing time in half for example).

Why should you deliver faster?

If you can deliver results faster to clients, there is no reason why that would not be seen as valuable to them! We live in the days of Amazon Prime after all and Bezos knew what he was doing when he aimed to get products to customers faster than competitors. Clients will happily pay your increased rates when they get what they need faster.

Make sure to keep the work top quality!

7. Make sure you are convenient to work with

Clients need convenience and that may be one of the things they are looking for in hiring a virtual assistant.

• Make sure that it is convenient to contact you.
• Make sure that you have an easy, online payment portal for starters.
• Also, figure out a way you can make it simple for them to add any additional services you offer or make a quick upgrade.

Again, let me remind you it’s these little things that matter.

Keep great attention to detail and you will add great value to your client’s business.

Hard skills can be learned. It’s the soft skills that set you apart. Go above and beyond to make your client feel rewarded to have hired you as their VA.

Last but not least,

strive to give your clients a luxe experience working with you.

Hope this helps you become a high-value VA and increase your income!

Don’t forget to pin this for later and if you’re still building the foundation of your business, check out joining the Build Your Virtual Assistant Business Bootcamp!

Thank you for reading!