Stacy Brice Of Assist U, Virtual Assistant Training Company
My guest today is Stacy Brice. She runs a successful business called ‘Assist U’, a virtual assistants’ training company. Stacy started her business in 1997. Assist U offers a comprehensive 20 week training program for aspiring virtual assistants. This program is widely recognised and has a very good reputation in the industry. Read and be Inspired by her business success story !!!
Can you tell us about your business ? What is ‘AssistU’?
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AssistU is the first-ever training organization and community for Virtual Assistants. We began training VAs in 1997, and continue doing so today with great delight. We also provide them with a professional online/offline community, professional coaching, continuing education, certification, and the opportunity to get referrals from our Registry.
With our Registry, we also provide services for the public who want to work with our VAs. |
What were you doing before you started this business?
I ran my own business as an executive travel planner (a fancy travel agent for road warriors), and VA. I was also just starting my coaching practice.
Can you tell us a about the two types of certifications you offer (CPVA and CMVA) – a brief overview?
They are the highest certifications available in the industry–and are available only to AssistU-trained VAs. They call a VA to prove that she’s working to our certification standards with experiential exams rather than knowledge-based exams. Our theory is that certifying someone who has never done the work and can’t prove herself capable to the examining body isn’t worth much. We wanted our certifications to absolutely mean something to the clients who are thinking of working with one of the AssistU VAs, and they do that fabulously well.
You also offer a registry to find virtual assistants. Do all your graduates automatically go into this database ? This database can be very helpful for employers looking for a Virtual assistant. Can you tell us a bit about this service you offer?
It’s a subscription-based service that all members are eligible to join once they graduate from our Virtual Training Program. Many of our graduates have filled their practices from clients who have come to us through The Registry. The Registry, by the way, is free to the public.
If you had to pick two qualities that will make a good Virtual Assistant, what would the two be?
A good one? I’d rather go for great! And I don’t think I could pick just two. There are so many things–from resourceful, to proactive, to self-knowledgeable, to self-directed, to self-assured, to relationally mature, to having low associative borders (connecting dots most people can’t see)…yep, I can’t do it!
Can you give us a couple of your tips on how a Virtual Assistant can market their business?
A VA can market her biz in any number of ways, but what she has to do before that is make sure that her business foundation is well laid. If it’s not, it won’t matter how she markets, her efforts to find relationships with idea clients (by however she defines that) will constantly evade her–and she probably won’t understand why.
With a strong foundation under her business, she can really engage in any marketing methods that work for her (and I absolutely suggest that each VA do it her own way!) and be successful with them.
Finally, your five keys to success?
- Strong personal and biz foundations
- High standards
- Relational maturity
- Heart-based
- Life-long learner
Sites Of Interest
This interview was published on 22nd July 2010
Visit Stacy’s website to get more information about her business
To read more stories about women in the virtual assistance industry click Virtual Assistants
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