There is no doubt that being a virtual assistant has many perks – you get to work from home, you do a variety of interesting and challenging work, you have flexibility to set your own hours and to take as much or as little work as you can handle, and you make a nice sum of money in the process.

However, with all those perks means there is also great competition. Luckily, there are some things you can do to stand out from the competition. Here are our top virtual assistant success tips:

As a virtual assistant it’s very easy to fall into the trap of working around the clock and doing everything all on your own. If you’re getting lots of clients and repeat work, that’s fantastic and speaks dividends about your services. How about now using that to your advantage?

Expanding your VA business makes sense on all levels – you’ll have the ability to grow a client base, you’ll have a pool of other VAs to help you on a regular or as-needed basis, and you can slowly make the transition into being more of a manager rather than doing all the work yourself.

You spend a lot of time in your office. It should be that this space is not only inviting but also energizing, healthy and creative. One way to do this is by simply creating a positive flow of air and mood throughout the space.

Here are some quick and easy tips:

#1 – Keep the air flowing. One thing you don’t want is stale air in your creative space. Regularly open windows at either end of your office space to allow a clear path of air to flow through at all times. It’s important to keep the air flowing even during the winter months. You don’t have to open your windows very much to get a good flow of air – a little will do.

Believe it or not, your business is not simply about the strategies you apply on a daily basis. Sure, you can run a very successful business while working around the clock and not taking time out for your health, but inevitably we can only go on that way for a set amount of time before we burn out.

Instead, why not attack your business strategy with a multi-step or a “whole” approach. This idea is based on the fact that a healthier and more positive you will mean a more prosperous and thriving business.

Here’s how to do it:

I know it is a common issue for us WAHM’s. Sitting in front of the computer, getting lost in our business and gaining weight. We gain weight because we are not exercising enough and also because our food choices and eating times are not the best. It’s very easy to do.

But there are tips you can use right this minute to get your weight back under control and be more healthy again.

Portions is first. No matter what you are eating just cut back the portions to sizes more appropriate.

So I wrote a couple of weeks ago how much spam makes me mad. Honestly, after I started the post I could only come up with 3 ways that spam gets in my way. They are big ways, but truly, it’s ways I’ve LET spam get in my life and I know it.

Today I’d like to write about how spam helps me with my business and even with my life.

1. My workouts. That week I was so pissed from the spammer and her lies that I went jogging so I wouldn’t throw my laptop. I jogged 5 miles. So thank you spammer for my 5 mile jog.

When you’re speaking to someone face to face, it’s easy to understand what they’re saying. After all, we don’t only speak with our mouths; we actually communicate using our bodies too. When face to face, you can read someone’s hand gestures, body language, tone of voice and facial expressions. All of this makes it very easy to understand what the person is saying.

Online it’s a whole different ballgame. When you’re communicating with someone via email, forums or even webcasts it’s not always so easy. You can’t after all read any of the above mentioned expressions.

Be readable.

Not only do you need a font that’s readable and colors that don’t hurt the eyes, but it’s also extremely beneficial to have correct spelling and grammar. Customers aren’t likely to stick around if they think you’re lazy or don’t know what you’re talking about. Verdana and Tahoma are two common fonts that are very easy to read.