I plan, create and publish lots of social media and blog content for one particular client of mine, so making sure that I have a constant source of ideas is something that comes with that. No one likes to be sat in front of a screen thinking “I need to put out a post. What…
Working with… Sally M Fox – Copywriter Up next in my client spotlight is freelance copywriter, brand voice writer and strategist Sally M Fox. Sally is a freelance copywriter and tone of voice writer for businesses and brands that give a damn. She also writes a monthly newsletter full of ideas and resources aimed…
10 things that I love after 10 years of working for myself. 1. You can do what you love or at least what you’re good at Working for yourself gives you as good a chance as any at being able to forge a career doing something that interests you. Sure, we’re not going to…
10 years of WriteCloud December 2021 marks 10 years of WriteCloud, so I am taking a look back at how it all started. The beginning If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would still be working for myself in 10 years time, I would have laughed a little and…
Content. From the top down. How I use my newsletter to shape all my business content When I started talking about creating a newsletter back in September 2020, I knew I had to incorporate it into my marketing so it worked with it. I didn’t want it to be separate. Another thing to think…
Working with… Helen Hill AKA Unlikely Genius Up next on the ‘Working with…’ series, we’re zooming in to take a closer look at some of the work I do for Helen Hill. Helen goes under the moniker of Unlikely Genius, which is the name of her learning and content design business – that’s the words…
Working with… Katy Beskow Continuing my ‘Working with…’ series, where I focus on some of the work I do for individual clients, up next is bestselling author, food & lifestyle writer, and cookery tutor, Katy Beskow. She is a recipe developer and award-winning cook who has written six vegan cookbooks, including her latest The Easy…
I don’t know about you, but saying I’m going to do something and actually doing something isn’t the same thing. There are things I should be doing, things I’d like to do, things I plan to do, and things that I need to do. Work projects, content plans, biz admin, exercise regimes, blog post ideas,…
My top 10 apps and tools that I use when running my freelance virtual assistant business.
Last year I was interviewed by one of my clients. Alice asked the questions, I provided the answers. Read on for Q&A with me…behind the scenes at WriteCloud, who I am, what I do, and how I help my clients.
Notification fatigue is a very real thing.
Have you noticed how some of them seem important, but others are easier to ignore?
The benefits of creative pursuits are well known, but as we all know all too well, it can be hard to find the time to fit them in or to justify the time spent on them when you work for yourself because there are ALWAYS a million things to do, and this creative thing –…
Productivity is a funny old word It’s an output but it can also be a feeling. I like to feel that I’m being productive in my working day, does that mean I’m being busy? That depends on my perspective. Everyone’s busy, right? Busy is a state of mind. It’s not the same as being productive. I…
It’s time. Time to get on top of your inbox. For good. They’re an essential part of everyday life – in work and life admin – but managing them, reading them, replying to them and actioning them can all be a huge time drain. We’ve become slaves to our inboxes and it can sometimes get in the way…
It’s such a long time since I worked in an actual office, I can barely remember what it’s like. We still had a fax machine! We didn’t use it much by then, but that does help date my last few days in a traditional office setup. It would’ve been summer 2007 that I bid it…
Mailchimp is super easy to get started with and has been a popular choice for newsletters for some time. With its entry-level starting plans, excellent choice of templates and layouts, you can import a list of contacts and be sending beautiful emails in no time. There are many so features to make use of, but…
Feedback is part of any service, whether that’s providing resources for a community, a fixed service deliverable or an online event, asking your customers or audience what they think is useful for several reasons: It helps you improve through making informed decisions It re-engages your customers and helps build relationships It can be a pat on…
3 options for collecting payments if you’re providing stuff for free If you’re running free events or providing resources for free, you could still give your audience or community the opportunity to contribute towards it with one-off payment – if they want. The three options covered here are: PayPal, Ko-fi and Buy Me A Coffee.…
When you work with me, I become part of your team. This might be for a fixed duration – if you have a specific project – or in a continual role, where I literally do step into the team for a certain amount of work each week or month and I assume full responsibility for…
Working with creatives and communities and a few things in between
Isn’t it time we reframed the role of a VA? The year we saw the biggest shift in remote work. All those that had resisted it up until then, had no choice. But where does that leave the VAs? Have we lost our biggest USP? What’s special about ‘virtual’ if everyone is virtual? After spending…
Everything you need to know about working with me Welcome to my ‘Everything you need to know about working with me’ blog post. It’s a long one, so I’ve broken it down into sub-headings based on questions that you might ask — just like some FAQs. But first, let me start with one question for…
Remote working, a remote team and more than a remote chance it’ll be fine. I wrote this post originally back at the end of 2018. Now, in the summer of 2020, remote working is still a necessity for many, and we’ve seen a shift in remote working that is here to stay. It’s nothing new,…
My Write52 year In July 2019, a few posts on Twitter had caught my attention. #Write52 had just started so I decided to take the plunge and join in. What is Write52? Write52 is an accountability pact. A challenge. A pledge. “If you’ve ever found yourself agonising over the tiniest bits of copy on your website, lost…
Are you thinking of setting yourself up as a VA? Having been approached a few times by aspiring VAs, I thought it was about time to share a few tips and pointers and things I’ve learnt along the way. Honestly, my business is not yet where I want it to be, but that is mostly…
Working with… Dark Angels Writers Continuing my ‘Working with…’ series, where I take a closer look at some of the work I do for individual clients, up next are Dark Angels Writers. Dark Angels offer courses in Creative Writing for Business in the form of writing retreats and workshops – for writers of any kind. Having worked…
The short answer to this is yes. A VA can help with your social media. Many VAs chose to specialise in this area, and it’s an in-demand service for many small businesses or independent creatives who are busy juggling many balls in the air and wearing many hats. Can I help with your social media? The answer to this is also yes. BUT,…
Being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being productive. As freelancers or small business owners, we work flexibly, so that it fits in with our lives, but it can be hard to get all the work done. You’re busy, I get it. Aren’t we all? So busy. Our heads swimming with what needs to get done.…
The shift in remote work We didn’t even call it Remote Working back then Way back when sometime when I took my first steps to freelancing and I was beginning to work from home, it felt like a bit of a dirty word. I had to justify it or play it down when I talked about it. When…
Why I track my time and why you probably should too Do you know how you spend your time each day? Do you really know how long those few emails take or how long you spend on the phone with that client talking through a brief? Yes? Unless you track your time, you might have…
Working with… Alice Hollis of More Than Words® In this series, I’m going to take a close look at some of the work I do for individual clients. First up is Alice Hollis. Alice is a B2B copywriter for tech and IT industries. She is a freelancer herself and operates her business under her personal brand ‘More…
When is the right time? Are you trying to do all the things, all the time? If you’ve decided that you’ve reached that point and could really do with a little help, but you’re not sure how and when, then a freelance virtual assistant could be just the thing. We provide support like a virtual…
You’re original, in your own way Magpies, mimics, memories and inspiration We’ve seen it all before. *Yawn* On social media, it’s the same old images and captions and there are so many articles online that are basically saying the same thing again and again. Are you even a virtual assistant if you haven’t written a…
Finding time to find a time How to simplify appointment making using an online scheduling tool By its title, this post probably should be more profound than it is. Sorry, but this isn’t a post about searching for time or making time for things, although that does come into a bit. Instead, it’s a post…
Projects up close: Marketing Brochure for Housing Development Client: Capworth Homes Project: Marketing collateral for new housing development Woodford Park. Requirements: Written content for 34-page marketing brochure and website. Key Objectives: To begin to market the planned houses ahead of the build completion through a sales brochure, company website and third-party property website, Right Move.…
You have a website, now what? How a virtual assistant can help you with website content updates on WordPress What business doesn’t have a website these days? Customers expect to find information online easily, so maintaining an online presence is imperative. You have a website, now what? A common misconception is that once a website…
Canned goods: A case for canned email replies In my quest for efficiency, time-saving and productivity, I’ve dabbled a little with using canned replies in emails and have now come to rely on them in certain instances. It’s a delicate dance between saving time and trying not to lose anything from the personal touch. I still want…
Projects up close: Copywriting for stock photography online store Client: Jacob Lund Photography Project: New stock photography online store. Requirements: The client wanted a personalised and premium experience for the customer, so they felt as though they are dealing directly with the photographer, and in a way that their journey through the website evoked an emotional response and…
What can a virtual assistant do in one hour? It’s all very well knowing that you need an assistant and how much they are going to charge, but what exactly can be done in one hour? What is their time worth to you? In this post I will outline various tasks. Ones that I myself…
Home is where the work is At the time of writing this, in the UK we are on day 8 of an official lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For many people, if they can work from home, they are. Perhaps they’re thinking that the dream of working from home isn’t all it’s cracked up…