Sister Suraya Ali asked several question pertaining to the Virtual Internet Specialist Course..

So here’s my answers… The questions are integrated into my answers.

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Wa’salam,
Alright I’ll answer one by one..

There are 3 phases to an Internet Business. This i will explain again to the students during the first class.

First – Development
Second – Initial Marketing Campaigns + Testing
Thirdly – Maintainence + Marketing

The work of the VA is actually is in phase 3 for most of the time. To develop the sites and so on outsource that to developers who much understand graphic design and coding.

Question 1

Aweber – U$19/month
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Image Editing Software for Windows – U$639.95

Upon graduation, will we be required to buy those original softwares in order to operate as VIA even before we got our first client? It will be another cost to us having paid $2000 for the 13th-lesson course. How does the Company intent to tackle this matter in order not to burden the students financially with the pre-operating costs?

My Answer:

There’s 15 lessons including Suria’s – Wealth Mindset Workshop and my Internet Business Blueprint.

I will ask Bro Shahib to use FREE Tools that exist like Paint and GIMP. Its almost the same as Photoshop. So there is no investment at all on this.

For Aweber, you have to pay from the second month onwards. This is the most effective tool of all the marketing tools. Once you learn how to use it, you don’t want to let it go. Seriously. Its really an investment as its more of an asset because this tool uses the 20:80 rule a lot. What’s the 20:80 rule? Well you have to attend the course or Google for the answers.

Once you learn how to use it, you don’t want to let it go.  You can even create your own campaigns with it. During the class, we will immediatly use it to create a campaign. So while you are learning, you can start promoting it also.

Question 2

Upon graduation, the Company will match client and student to the best of their ability. Suria has mentioned that there are 5 clients awaiting VAs upon their graduation. So of course, I believe they want to launch their business as quickly and swiftly as possible in the internet.

We want to impress our clients with our skills. But if we do not have the experience nor the ability yet to produce a wonderful website and literature as requested by them, won’t the clients be disappointed? We have let the clients down in the process. Will there be a period after graduation where the Company or the trainers coach us? If there is for how long? Who will be able to help us if we need guidance in web design etc? Will it be just a phone call away?

My Answer:

That’s why the first month you are not paid. Neither will the company pay for the first month. This will allow you to have a hands on experience and get a grip of whats going on.

As I mention, you are not the one designing the website, your job is to maintain, market and get more viewers to their sites.

The most we will teach you is to create a simple landing page just like the http://www.vadiploma.com and a blog from wordpress. You will see how powerful wordpress is.

We will explain to you why this creates more business than those fanciful sites.

The support:

The trainers will be helping you. Don’t worry. I can’t handle all of you that’s why I also need their help to manage your queries. I will be telling all the trainers to provide the support as much as they can.

A phone call away is hard to promise you because we too have other businesses to attend to. So when you do call, do ask us if we are free to attend the questions.

There will also be a quarterly meet up. Among a class of 20, we will assign leaders to keep in touch with all the classmates. Macam class monitor gitu. . Its really gonna be like school all over again.. So we will arrange a meet up every quarter to check on each others progress. Where you are now? How many clients you have? What problems do you face… etc etc.

Thanks for asking this question. We will definitely create something to maintain the rapport.

Question 3

At the end of the course, VIS graduates will want to treat this as their business in line with the Company’s intention and aspirations and make money in their pyjamas. If one has invested $2000 in this course, one will be serious in pursuing that aspirations. As such, I believe there should be a business plan, in writing, that the graduates need to help them to focus and follow through. The plan also states their intentions and aspirations. Will the Company help to draft this?

My answer:

By the end of the course, if you intend to run it as a business, then we will encourage you to set up a company. Business plans and all can be consulted by the EDC Malay Chambers and of course with our inputs. We will tie down with them on this.

At the end of the day you have to learn to draft a BUSINESS plan and cannot just rely on others to do it because its YOUR BUSINESS. Do you know a BUSINESS plan is ever changing in the company’s timeline? Usually every 6 months to 1 year, its reviewed again.

We can discuss this further during the course. As we all know mula-mulanya semangat, bila come to the crunch, habis all drop out.. By then you will know who really can do it and who can’t.

I’m a realistic person hence I can share with you about Entrepreneurship. Not everyone can do this however with the skills garnered you will pick it up bit by bit and we will share with you the ups and downs of this business too.

Question 4

I am a facebooker. I have a multiply website and a blog. Hence, I know how to upload videos and photos. As such, I do not want to attend that part of the course to save cost. Can I do that? If I can, how much do I save?

My answer:

No you can’t. You still have to attend a full course or don’t attend at all. Its just like taking a course in Poly or Uni, you have to finish your modules.

At least now you mention that you have the strengths. Can you also help your classmates to do this in class? You see if you know something you have to share it right and by doing this you can build trust among your classmates.

And if there is a video assignment or video task, can they outsource this part of the work in the future and so who will they outsource it to?

Do you see how all this adds up…. Eventually all the VIS graduates will have their own niche. One may love to create newsletters and another may want to focus just on videos. Another might just love to work on the autoresponders.  So do you see how within the student network you can get business from each other.

Question 5

Fadzuli, you are a living example of a VIA. Next, I will ask you personal questions.

How is life so far? Are you able to go on vacation without having to be a VIA? I want to be sure before I jump on the bandwagon. The time spent as VIA and the time spent as a family member has to be clear to me.

Thank you Fadzuli for reading my email. I hope my mind will be clear after I read you response.

My answer:

Yes. I’ve been on vacations a few times last year and this year. Walaupun tak jauh. Anyway I’m not just a VIA and I don’t call myself that. As I said VIA only do certain work..

I’m more of a serial entrepreneur. Kerja kita set up business jer. I will explain further how I earn my dollars and cents through helping businesses. Because as VA’s you will eventually get tired of serving people and want to run systems that runs autopilot. Before that happens you must learn all the know hows.

I will share with you some of them, but you need to discover it for yourself when you do your own business. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t have passion for that business, it will die on its own.

Ok if I explained further, this would be a SUPER THESIS. You can talk to some of my students that attends my classes. I don’t do business because of money, I do it to help people, change the community and make a difference in the world if possible.

I believe in this philosphy when you help enough people, the money will eventually come. However you have to serve and help people first.

One of my portals www.islamicevents.sg is a solid example. For the last 1.5 years we have not earn much from this portal as we wanted to create a platform for dakwah.

However recently we have partnered with another company who are willing to pump money into the business and generate more advertising and sales for the website. We agreed on giving the partner a huge share of the business for him to take it to the next level. So you see eventually the dollars and cents will come.

I may say that my income fluctuates from $0 in some months to over $4,000 for other months because of the time that I took to learn what I need to learn and development of sites, products.  Today I can say that I know what needs to be done and how it should be done.

So they say an Entrepreneurship Life is  living for a few years others don’t wish to live and living the rest of your life like many others can’t.

Wa’salam,
Fadzuli

Wish to attend the Virtual Internet Preview this Saturday, 25 July 2009 @ 7.30pm? Venue will be Citiraya Center.

Visit www.vadiploma.com to register.

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