Francis van Wyk
Virtual Assistant Mentor

How did you get to be a Virtual Assistant mentor?

To answer this question, it's probably best that I share with you my story and a defining moment in my life that brought me to where I am today, mentoring people, perhaps like you, on what to do to build your business and get new clients consistently.

After 10 great years in a senior position in a large Petrochemical company in South Africa, I got the opportunity to start my own business when my husband received a job offer to work outside South Africa. Relocating to another country was quite exciting and it gave me the opportunity to start working from home. I was extremely excited and looked forward to the idea of being my own boss, regulating my own hours and being in control of my one professional destiny.

At first I didn't really know what type of business I wanted to have. I knew it should be something I could do via the internet. We travelled a lot and I had to have the luxury of taking my business where-ever I go. After many months of research, I stumbled across virtual assistance. The more I read about it, the more I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do. It just fitted all the criteria I set out for myself.

So I started with a small website and dived deep into understanding everything about Virtual Assistance and exactly how to do it. A few months later, I partnered with my sister to help spread the concept of Virtual Assistance around South Africa. I just wanted to tell more women about this excellent business opportunity where they can have the perfect blend of a satisfying home business, while simultaneously being available to their family and still earn a good income.

We founded Be-Virtual-Assistant-Wise and immediately attracted some clients and lots of interest. Our client base grew steadily over time, but unfortunately it was not enough to keep both partners in business. So my partner decided to pull out and pursue her own business.

That was a defining moment in my life. I had to make the decision if I wanted to carry on with this business or if I wanted to give up on it too. I knew I couldn't continue with it in the same way as before and drastic changes were inevitable. Failure (or rather admitting to failure) was just NOT an option for me. So, I made a decision that I will never quit. This business was my passion and I will make a success of it in spite of everything.

I realised the ONE thing I need to turn my business around was to get more clients - and lots of them. So I made a commitment to myself to learn all I can about business, marketing and getting clients. I absolutely went on a quest and started to read everything I could find about business ownership and marketing. I attended seminars and bought literally tens of thousands of Rands of marketing trainings from gurus all around the world. It was like I was possessed. Slowly but surely the pictures was starting to take shape as I took all the training and everything I learned and broke it down into my own step-by-step system that I can follow over and over again to bring me clients in a virtual environment.

It felt like coming out of a dark, narrow cave into bright daylight. Even though I have a master's degree in Business Administration (that I obtained while working in corporate), this was the first time I could really fit all the pieces together to get more clients authentically in a small business environment and simultaneously grow my business effectively. It truly felt amazing and I just wanted to share this with everybody.

Many entrepreneurs are experiencing the exact same frustrations and pain of not having enough clients. In fact, it is a constant problem in the Virtual Assistant and entrepreneurial industry in South Africa and I feel it is my duty to share this information with more people. Most entrepreneurs do not have the luxury to spend years of their business life and loads of money on figuring it out for themselves and I know my message can help them shorten their learning curve as well.

The thing is: I truly believe that any person can achieve their dreams - whether it is personal or in business. Most of the time, they just need someone to take their hand in the beginning and show them the right path.

That is why I've made it my professional mission to mentor other solo women entrepreneurs and Virtual Assistants in South Africa who want to live their professional dreams and who want to take decisive action to get better results in their businesses, on the finer details of getting more clients and growing their businesses successfully.

Since then, I've worked with private clients, spoken in front of international Virtual Assistant organisations and have created the "Boost Your Business System" - a series of important business-building and client attraction steps every solo professional needs to apply to start their business, grow their business and get more clients.

Who are your typical clients?

I work with high-achieving, motivated and driven virtual assistants in South Africa and also have a growing specialty working with solo women entrepreneurs in other industries who struggle with getting more clients consistently. It's people who are passionate about what they do, but don't necessarily have the correct business related experience and who need more help and assistance in building their business successfully. They feel frustrated about not finding and attracting more of the right clients and know it is time to get some help to break through the barriers that are keeping them back.

My clients range from:

• Independent self-starters who just want a product that they can buy off-the-shelf and work through in their own time to get the results they want, to
• High-achieving go-getters who want to fast-tract their business and grow their client base steadily. People who want the added accountability and continuous support coming from working more closely in a mentoring relationship with me.

What type of person do you work best with in your programs?

My mentoring programs are for virtual assistants and solo-preneurs who have a professional outlook in conducting business. They are enthusiastic and deadly serious about growing their business and getting more clients. They want step-by-step guidance and encouragement to improve their strategies for finding and attracting clients, implementing better systems, and growing their business as a whole.

Being an action-orientated and ambitions person, I am known to work best with other ambitious action-orientated individuals who are willing and have the financial resources to invest in their business and in themselves.

I expect those who work with me in my programs to take consistent action and to implement the strategies they learn to steadily work towards a better, more profitable business.

For this reason, I am quite selective in whom I work with on a one-to-one basis and I carefully choose not to mentor those who will not be a good fit for my programs. With due respect, people with a negative outlook on life or who are making regular excuses for not taking action or implementing changes, might not be a good fit. I might therefore from time-to-time gently turn away clients when I feel they will not experience the full value of mentoring with me.

How are you and your programs different from what others offer?

What separates my services from other business coaches is that I only work with virtual assistants, other solo-preneurs or very small businesses and I do not work with big companies and corporate clients. Therefor my advice, expertise and programs are tailor-made for solo entrepreneurs. That is why my clients get better results and notice more opportunities to grow their business effectively.

My programs are all about showing my clients proven relationship marketing techniques to help them steadily build a solid client base, one ideal client at a time. Many coaching programs geared towards marketing, promises unlimited clients. That is all good, but the truth is; as a solo-preneur delivering services, you often cannot handle loads of clients - especially when you are just starting out. You can really only handle a couple of clients effectively. But you want good, ideal, high-paying clients that value you for the difference you make in their lives and who do not complain paying you what you are worth.

Only when a solid foundation is in place, you can expand and grow your business with strategic partnerships or employing your own personnel to enable you to take on more clients.

Something else that differentiates me from other coaches is that I follow a combined approach of coaching and mentoring to help create the best results in your business. Since I've experienced the same frustrations and challenges of starting my own business and filling my business with clients, I have firsthand knowledge and experience of what works and what doesn't work in a solo business.

This experience and knowledge combined with years of formal and informal training are incorporated into my step-by-step Boost your Business System. I have different programs at different price points to fit individual preferences and budgets. I therefore do not charge on an hourly basis like most other coaches.

Tell me more about the "Boost your Business" System. What is it all about?

Building a business to the level where you are satisfied with your efforts and where you can see the results of your hard work requires that you are very clear on what you want to achieve, who you want to work with and what will persuade clients to make use of your services. Then, it's about taking serious action to make it happen.

The Boost Your Business Program achieves it by following a systematic six-step approach that gets you to:

1. Grow as a PERSON, because having a successful business starts with you, the business owner. We evaluate and find your marketable skills - the things that you are really good at and love to do, but that can also add value to your clients and bring a good income to your business. Then we work on developing a business and marketing orientated mindset to help you make better decisions and run your business like a professional.

2. PREPARE for success. We find your personal strengths to turn them into more and better business opportunities and we work on eliminating your weaknesses or turning them into strengths. Then we work on your business purpose, craft your business goals and put a plan in place to reach your goals consistently and align your business activities to what really matters.

3. POSITION your business strategically. We examine exactly how you are positioned in the marketplace. We work on finding your ideal clients and determining exactly what they need so you can correctly position and align your business to focus on the benefits and results your services offer to your clients. This helps in consistently attracting more, ideal, high-paying clients. We also look at your competitors and determine what makes your services unique, so that clients will rather want to work with you.

4. PACKAGE your expertise. In a services business, running a business based on time-for-money often creates a client and income barrier. We look at breaking away from charging hourly and creating service packages and price points that sell, make it easier for clients to work with you and bring in more money. We also craft your marketing message and construct marketing materials so that when people read it or hear you speak, they want to work with you.

5. PROMOTE your services with confidence. Marketing is more than just a once-off effort to get the word out there. Together we work on a marketing and promotion strategy that are the best fit for your specific business.

6. PROSPER in your business. I show you effective ways to approach and talk to prospective clients, turn more prospective clients into paying clients and retain clients longer. We also investigate different strategies to grow your business further and become even more prosperous.

The above 6 steps are broken down into lots of details forming an easy to follow step-by-step process for building your business, getting and managing clients and working smarter not harder to earn a better income and create the business you want.

Does this really work?

Absolutely! With your commitment to follow and implement all the actions steps, you will over time consistently create better results in your business.

What results can I expect from the Boost your Business Program?

You can expect to:

• Break away from an employee orientated mindset that holds you back and keeps you playing small and start working with a business and marketing orientated mindset that creates better results in your business;
• Focus on services that are in demand and give you the opportunity to increase your income;
• Set clear goals for your business and focus your attention on the things that matter most in your business;
• Create an action plan to stay on course with what you want to achieve and keep you focused on your goals;
• Get clear on the people you really want to work with, who are willing to pay what you are worth and who you will enjoy working with;
• Get away from the time-for-money trap;
• Fine-tune your services and creating service packages that makes it easier for clients to work with you;
• Know what makes your services stand out in your industry and in the marketplace;
• Begin standing out as an expert in your field;
• Market and promote your services with confidence because you'll know exactly what to say to clients and how your services can benefit them;
• Diversify you marketing efforts and have many different ways to connect with clients, thus increasing the likelihood of getting more clients.
• Create greater exposure and visibility for yourself and your business;
• Turn followers and friends into clients;
• Conduct business professionally and have clients staying longer;
• Expand and grow your business.

How quickly can I expect results?

I'm sure you know that results depend on a number of factors including:

• how long you've been in business;
• how committed you are to the process;
• how much you put into the assignments I give you and
• how much you implement;

There are no such things as overnight successes, quick fixes or instant results. The Boost your Business program works on planting seeds now that will grow and pay off in future much quicker than when you do it alone without support.

That said, most people see results within the first couple of months (even weeks) in terms of improved time management, improved mindset, more focus, better self-confidence, new leads, new clients and / or higher income.

Will I regain the investment I put into the coaching / mentoring program?

Definitely! The skills and strategies you'll learn can be used over and over again for the lifetime of your business and you will most probably recover your initial investment in the program with your first one or two new clients.

In addition to acquiring new business building and marketing skills and strategies, you will also receive valuable tips, shortcuts and guidance that will propel your business forward even faster.

Francis, I know you are the one I want to guide me on my path. What are the options and where do I start?

Fantastic! I'm honored to help you achieve the success that you're looking for!

To begin enjoying a more successful business, more clients, more money and more freedom in your business, let me introduce you to the products and programs I currently have to offer depending on where you are in the process of building your business.

Virtual Assistants and entrepreneurs just starting out will benefit most from the following products:

• Jumpstart Your Virtual Assistant Business: Jumpstart is a step-by-step e-book guide for virtual assistants who want to fully understand how they can deliver services virtually and how to start their own business effectively. The e-book goes into detail in terms of setting rates, legal and tax requirements, doing the right planning, implementing basic marketing strategies, running a business on a day-to-day-basis and more. It is a comprehensive start-up guide that will gently guide you through the thought processes needed to start a business.

• Business Documentation Pack: This easy to use business documentation pack contains detailed, fill-in-the-blank-templates for planning and running a business on a daily basis. It includes work agreements / contracts, business planning documentation, financial spreadsheets, day-to-day documentation (such as quotes, invoices, receipts, introduction letters) and more. The documentation prevents serious entrepreneurs from re-inventing the wheel and helps them be in business much faster.

Virtual Assistants and entrepreneurs already in business will benefit most from:

• More Clients in 30 Days Challenge: This product is a complete step-by-step marketing and client attraction process to help virtual assistants and other solo-preneurs successfully attract more clients in just 30 days and for the rest of their business career.

• The Boost your Business Coaching / Mentoring Programs: These programs will help you discover easy, authentic strategies to grow your business daily, bring in more clients consistently and generate a higher income per month. The following programs are available:

• Fast-Track Program: (minimum 6 months commitment) We schedule up to 24 private 1-on-1 calls to get you on track and speeding through the process of building your business and clientele. I roll up my sleeves and get in the trenches with you to work on each assignment and give you the crucial feedback and tools you'll need to get moving quickly. This is by far the most popular program and creates the best long-term successes.

• Basic Program: (minimum 6 months commitment) We schedule up to 12 private 1-on-1 calls to help support you in taking your business to the next level. This program is for entrepreneurs who need an affordable and accessible way to work with me privately to kick-start / maintain their business success.

• Accelerate Program: (10 weeks) We schedule 10 private laser 1-on-1 calls via Skype. This program is for the independent self-starter who enjoys immediate action and is ready to work independently and implement action steps extremely fast. Together we strategize, collaborate and brainstorm any issues or assignments that come up to help you see results fast.

Each program includes valuable worksheets, lots of practical assignments, proven resources and timesaving recommendations. This means you don't need to reinvent the wheel to grow your business or to get clients. You receive all the tools and assignments you need, we answer all your questions, discuss completed assignments & worksheets and set action plans for you to implement. The result of our work is an approach to business and marketing that works consistently to build the business you deserve. Click here for more info on the Boost your Business Programs

OK Francis, I know where I want to start. What's the next step?

Congratulations! Did you know that one of the most prominent characteristics of successful people is that they move towards success faster as a direct result of taking decisive action?

I'm looking forward to work with you on this exciting journey. All you need to do is to click on the links above and follow the processes on those pages. If you have a question, be sure to contact me and I will gladly answer your questions. I can't wait to meet you and to get you started on your journey to success.

If I'm not ready to get going just yet, how can I sample what you have to offer to make sure it's right for me?

A great way to get a taste of what I offer is to subscribe for your free 4 part video training. As a bonus you will receive my weekly email newsletter Insight that is filled with excellent business tips and information. You can also read through my website and blog and link to me via my social profiles. Just reach out to take the first step.

I'm ready to do this for myself, but I have a couple of additional questions. Can I get in touch with you?

Absolutely! Just contact me

I'm currently living in Doha, Qatar but 90% of my clients are based in South Africa. When I receive your questions, I will get back to you as soon as possible via email or Skype.

To Your Success

Your Virtual Assistant Mentor

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