Using a VA In Your Resume Writing Business

Last month, Christine Edick of A Virtual Connection, delivered an excellent teleseminar on BeAResumeWriter.com on "Be More Organized, Efficient, Productive & Profitable (Using a Virtual Assistant)."

In talking with resume writers, I find more and more of them are using virtual assistants (VAs) or outsourcing key tasks.

Christine offered some great tips for getting started with virtual assistants, which include:

• Start with a small project or trial period. Identify one thing to turn over or outsource initially. (See below for the top five things to have a VA do for you.)
• Make sure you're a good match. Many VAs specialize in certain areas, so make sure what you need aligns with what the VA offers (or specializes in). 
• Have a contract — or some agreement — outlining the scope of work and rates.
• Give as much guidance as you can about the project and the work you do — if your VA understands your clients, services, and perspective, he/she will be more effective.
• Check-in regularly, especially in the early stages of a project. This will ensure your VA is on the "right track" with your expectations.
• Be flexible. If you give them one project, and it's not working out, don't be afraid to put an end to that project, and try delegating something else. Make sure you are working to your VA's strengths. What are they good at?

There are five main areas that a virtual assistant can do for you as a resume writer:

1. Website work. That can include updating information, adding plug-ins to a WordPress site, or keeping your calendar updated.
2. Social media. Virtual assistants can both write and schedule content for your social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
3. Database management. A VA can set up your customer relationship management (CRM) system, add in your autoresponder messages, and more.
4. Communications/outreach. Whether that's sending email newsletters oor managing speaking engagements, a VA can work as your virtual representative.
5. Appointment scheduling. This is one that many resume writers would love to do — but are probably wary — allowing your VA to schedule appointments for you and send out pre-meeting information (such as questionnaires) and follow up with prospects to set appointments.

Christine also outlined four key success factors for working with a VA:

• A strong desire to do it (a clear and compelling reason)
• Identify core actions your VA can do to produce results for your career services business
• Count the costs (is the time, energy, and risk worth it)
• Finally, ACT! Act on your commitments, not your feelings.

Take the time to listen to Christine's 60-minute call. Free Level members of BeAResumeWriter.com can find it on the Free Level Resources page (you must be logged in to the site to access it) for the next few weeks. Bronze Members have access to the MP3 and transcript in the Expert Interviews Series section (must be logged in as a Bronze member).

You can also purchase the MP3 recording and fully edited transcript (plus Christine's slides and two bonuses — a Resources and Tools guide, and a 23-page guide, "How to Systematize and Automate") for just $5. Find out more information here.

Find a VA here:

International Virtual Assistants Association

Outsource specific tasks:

• Elance

• Guru

• Odesk

• Fiverr.com

List of Possible Service Offerings for Resume Writers and Career Coaches

Here is a list of possible services resume writers and career coaches can offer their career services clients.

• Resume updates (consulting with a client to collect information necessary to update an existing resume)
• Resumes from scratch (development of a new resume through consultation with a client to collect information)
• Cover letters (to respond to ads, contact headhunters, thank someone for a job lead or information, or for networking purposes)
• Online research (conducting online research for clients to look for open positions or research companies and contacts before an interview)
• Targeted direct mail job search campaigns
• Posting of resumes to online job boards / resume distribution services
• Aptitude and skills testing
• Career counseling
• Interview training
• Job coaching services
• Job-related workshops and seminars
• Job search technique skill building
• Application preparation services
• Federal resume preparation
• Internship resume development (for college students)
• Curriculum vitae
• Supplemental career documents (references, salary history)
• Interview follow-up correspondence
• Thank you letter
• LinkedIn profile development

We are working to update this list. Please leave a comment with your suggestions!

Resume Preparers Have the "Write" Stuff for Spare Time Success

Editor's Note: This an article I wrote many years ago on how a resume writing business can be an ideal business to operate to earn income in your "spare time." Where necessary, I've updated the information to meet 2013 standards.

Resume writing is an ideal part-time (or "spare time") business. It's also one that can be operated from home. This combination of scheduling flexibility and low overhead can mean big spare time success.

Resume writing is ideal for any economic climate. In a hot economy, prospective clients are seeking jobs that will sell their skills and experience and help them advance their careers. In a recession, job searchers need a quality resume that will give them a competitive edge in landing scarce jobs.

Jobseekers search out resume writers to help them land their dream job. They may not have time to put together a resume themselves, or they may lack the writing skills necessary to accurately describe their current responsibilities and why they are qualified for a particular position. Others find it hard to "sell themselves" — describing their own skills and qualifications is hard for modest people.

In addition, a resume writing business can be operated in your spare time — early mornings, daytimes, evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Jan Melnik, a Certified Professional Resume Writer and author of "How to Start a Home-Based Resume Service," started her resume career at home in her spare time.

"I worked in a traditional office environment from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.," she says. "I scheduled my own client appointments from 7:30 p.m. until 9 or 9:30 p.m."

Melnik also met with clients on Saturdays and Sundays, which made her services popular with clients who were unable to get away from work during the day to have their resumes written.

Sue (Nowacki) Campbell, of 1st-writer.com in St. Augustine, Fla., agrees that after-hour services are popular, but cautions spare-timers that they may prefer not to accept walk-in clients, particularly if you are home-based. (Many spare-time resume writers nowadays choose to work with clients virtually and/or meet with clients in public places, like libraries and coffee shops.)

My clients know that I am willing to work weekends," Campbell says. "It's a selling point for many who are currently employed and job searching on the side, but I never see clients without appointments. Never."

Appointment-only scheduling allows the spare time resume writer to work precisely those days, and hours, desired.

Getting Started in Resume Writing
According to Melnik, a successful resume writer will have:

• Excellent writing skills
• Strong communication and speaking abilities
• Ability to compose original documents with ease
• Good word-processing abilities
• Excellent eye for design and layout of documents
• Ability to develop rapport with clients

Business management skills are also essential for success.

The largest expense for the resume writer is equipment. Any computer system, using any word processing program, will do — but you must use a laser printer for developing the final copies of a client's resume. Inkjet printers, even the very best ones, simply don't provide the quality of a laser printer. (However, many resume writers don't provide hard copies of resumes anymore; they simply provide a digital document that the client will print on their own.)

Services you can offer include anything from basic retypes of resumes already handwritten by clients to the complete development of a resume from scratch. Add-on services can include writing cover letters, developing materials for use during the interview process (including documentation of key accomplishments, salary history, and references), interview follow-up correspondence, and LinkedIn profile updates.

Marketing Your Services

When you are first getting started, it's not necessary to have a large ad in the Yellow Pages. A simple listing (your company name and telephone number) is helpful, but it is not always possible to start your spare-time business at the exact time the Yellow Page advertising representatives are selling ad space. (Nowadays, most resume writers acquire clients through through website and online marketing efforts as well as offline marketing methods that aren't centered on the Yellow Pages as they once were.)

To market your services, consider:

• Offering to write resumes for friends and family members for free or for a reduced price, if they will help your marketing efforts. When you finish with their resume, give them business cards and informational brochures to pass along to people they know. Practicing on friends will also help make you more comfortable with the interviewing and resume writing process.
• Taking out ads in local college newspapers and in weekly community newspapers. One ad a week in a large-circulation newspaper is sufficient and may be all you can afford. Sundays are usually your best bet.
• Posting fliers on student bulletin boards at university campuses or at local community sports (bulletin boards at laundromats, grocery stores, and libraries) to increase awareness of your services.
• Distributing brochures to local employment agencies, college counselors and mental health therapists who provide career counseling.
• Placing neon fliers advertising your services on the windshields of cars at shopping malls and office complexes to prompt telephone calls from prospects wanting to know more about your services or schedule an appointment.
• Writing and distributing news releases announcing the creation of your company to appropriate media.
• In 2013, market your services online using your website, blog, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), write articles, and using paid online advertising (Facebook ads, LinkedIn ads, AdWords, etc.).

Your client base will also provide leads. Resume services have an excellent potential for repeat and referral business. The job search process truly never ends, and clients that start with a high dollar initial package ($100-$600) can be followed with annual updates at an hourly rate (bringing an additional $50-$200 in revenue per client per year).

Referrals also help the spare-time resume writer develop a steady, profitable business. One resume client can lead to referrals of friends, family members, co-workers, roommates, and classmates.

What To Charge

Setting a fee schedule is a critical component for success in your spare-time resume writing business. Fees generally vary by geographical regions (with higher fees charged on the East and West Coasts), and new resume writers generally charge less than experienced writers.

According to the 2011 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey, hourly rates charged for resume production range from $50 to $250. Calling your prospective competitors will also give you an idea of the range of fees charged in your area. But make sure you are comparing apples to apples — resume providers typically charge less for straightforward updates versus resume writing and editorial consultation.

The rewards of establishing your own spare-time resume writing business — having clients come to you, pay you, to do what you enjoy, on your own terms — are apparent.

What Will Happen To Your Resume Writing Business?

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Every year, I hear about resume writers who have gone out of business. Some of these are due to the owners changing careers and leaving the profession; sometimes the health of the resume writer is a factor, and many times, the owner decides to retire.

Although there are four common ways to exit a resume writing business, in the vast majority of cases, one method is the most common: liquidation.

And that's too bad … because, in my opinion, simply closing your doors is the WORST thing you can do with your resume writing business. Your business is an asset — and just like many other assets, it has value, even if you are finished with it.

One thing that is sorely missing in the careers industry is a focus on business exit planning. Every business owner has to exit their business at some point. Some business owners exit their business through a calm and carefully planned exit. Others exit their business in an unplanned fashion when they hit hard times, or when they pass away. (I'd strongly recommend you consider preparing a professional will in case of a personal tragedy.)

There are great ways to exit a business and there are poor ways. A great exit will leave you with the maximum cashout possible with minimal hassles. A poor exit will result in your "asset" (your business) not realizing the value possible, while causing you a lot of stress.

Here are four common ways to exit a business, along with a brief analysis of each method.

Outright Sale
This is the most common kind of exit, and it works very well. You value the company being purchased, then the seller makes the purchase with either cash, stock, bonds or a combination of the above. This kind of sale usually allows the owner to realize a lot of value. Unfortunately, a very small number of resume businesses are sold, because the resume writer does not realize the value of the customer list they've acquired, and because prospective buyers don't have access to a list of resume writers who are thinking about exiting the industry (and, consequently, can't make an offer to purchase the business assets).

Mergers
Mergers are when two companies combine their strengths for a better win-win scenario. For example, when Disney acquired Pixar, that was more of a merger than an acquisition. Steve Jobs immediately became the largest shareholder of Disney and Pixar continued to produce the most important films in Disney's array of films. Mergers work a lot like acquisitions and are also a great way to realize value. However, I can't think of any mergers within the careers industry, perhaps because mergers are much more common in large companies than small ones.

Taking the Company Public
Another way to cash out of a company is to take the company public. If you're large enough, that means using an IPO. If you're a small company but want to go public anyway, a common tactic is to use a reverse merger. It's a very expensive process. I don't know of anyone in the careers industry who has taken their resume writing business public.

Management Buyout
Instead of selling to an outside party, with a management buyout the company is sold to the managers and employees instead. It can be sold for cash, or there can be some sort of owner financing involved. Because most resume writing businesses are sole proprietorships (single owner businesses), there often aren't managers or employees to sell the business to. However, I have heard of a couple of resume writing businesses where an employee buys the business. (The most high profile one is probably Susan Ireland, who took over Yana Parker's "Damn Good" business, which is now run by Beth Brown.) This is often an emotional decision rather than a financial one (and the selling resume writer often provides financing to the buyer).

Liquidation
This is the worst option of all — and, unfortunately, the most common in the resume writing industry. This is when you simply throw out any value the business has as an operation and liquidate the business for just its asset values. The assets are often computer equipment (which is converted to personal use, usually), business and career books and materials, and a customer list and files.

The business and careers books have value — although, often they are discarded (if they are more than a few years old, they can contain out-of-date information) or donated. Newer books can — and should — be sold to recoup some of the value.

But the biggest asset of the business is often the most undervalued — customer files and the customer list. These are individuals who have purchased a professionally written resume. There is value in that list of buyers. If you have significant traffic to your website or blog (you can check your PageRank – a measure of the importance of your website), selling your website also has value. A domain name may also have value — resume.com, for example, is an obvious one, but your domain may also appeal to a specific buyer.

So if you are thinking about closing your business, don't just liquidate. Put out the word that you're looking for a buyer. Or approach another resume writer who works with a similar clientele. Or contact me, and I'll try and help you find an alternative to simply shutting your doors.