When you decided to start your own business, you had a vision. You were going to be a rockstar in sales and customer service. You were going to network like none other. You were going to make your own schedule, allowing for more time with your family and friends. You’re a go-getter and you’re good at what you do, and you were finally going to start a business that allowed you to shine.
It didn’t take too long to discover that being a solopreneur or small business owner meant that you were tasked with everything required to run a business. Who knew that you would need to know how to create and schedule social media content, write blog articles, create proposals and itineraries, manage CRM’s, build your email list, write and send newsletters and everything else on your to-do list? It’s overwhelming and exhausting, and it holds you back from doing what you really want to do, which is selling travel and serving your customers.
Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and burdened with tasks that don’t improve the customer experience and your bottom line? Let me help you with that.
I have been a planner my whole life. I geek out on logistics, organization, and detail, which is how I landed in the events management industry. I have also been an avid traveler my whole life. For me, half the fun of traveling is planning the trip.
After 14 years in events management, I decided to merge my love of event planning and travel planning. At the end of 2019, I got approval to go part-time at my events job, allowing me to start my home-based travel advisor business, which I launched on January 1, 2020.
2020 - What can I say? Not only did the pandemic put a halt to the travel industry, but I also got furloughed from my events manager position. I quickly realized I could only do so much laundry and housework, and binge-watching Netflix wasn’t doing it for me. I signed up for an online marketing course for travel advisors and joined several Facebook groups that focused on social media, email marketing, graphic design and blog writing. I loved all of it!
After 8 months of intense learning, I had a huge light bulb moment. I don’t really want to sell travel. I want to support those who do. In my Facebook groups, I constantly see comments from people who either don’t understand the tech stuff, understand it but don’t like it, don’t have the time or desire for detailed work, or just want to do what they do best. I always want to say “let me help you with that,” hence the creation of LV Virtual Solutions.
Let me help you with that.
Create clients, trips and groups
Create templates for email, forms, invoices and task lists
Set up group pages to embed on website
Load purchased templates into your account
I joined Tern as a Founding Flock member, which means I have been with them since the beginning. I have watched all the videos in Tern & Learn, attend office hours every week and am constantly working in my own account to learn everything I can about this new and exciting product.
I have completed Travefy's Advanced Certification course, which means I have been trained in all aspects of Travefy's product - proposals, itineraries, automated workflows, forms, invoices, websites/landing pages and their lite CRM. I can also help you build or organize your Travefy library.
I work with Mailerlite, Flodesk and MailChimp. If you use a different platform, I am willing to learn how to use it but it may take some time.
I have been using AXUS since 2020, and am extremely familiar with building itineraries using their platform.
Do you have something else in mind that isn't listed here? Let me know what that project is, and we'll discuss whether I can help you with it. *Note - One service that I do not offer is out-of-office coverage.
Not using an itinerary builder like AXUS or Travefy? Let me create a template for you in Canva. (Be sure to scroll through all the pages.)
Click below to see a Travefy landing page that I created for a group cruise.
Click below to see how I used a Travefy landing page to create a proposal for two separate cruises.
My pricing is very simple. I use a virtual debit card system in which you pre-pay for my time in five- or ten-hour blocks. If you just need an hour here and there, that is also an option. The card is good for a year and you can use it in any increment you wish. Some clients buy a card every two weeks. Some buy one a couple times a year. Some buy enough for a project and then we’re done. I track your time as I work and you receive an email every Monday updating you on the amount of time used and the amount remaining.
That’s it. No contracts. No invoices. Just click on one of the links and you'll be taken to the payment page.
10-Hour Virtual Debit Card - $280
5-Hour Virtual Debit Card - $140
How do I know if I need virtual support?
There are several scenarios in which it might be time to outsource some of your work.
You are working more than 40 hours per week (less or more depending on your personal work/life balance goals).
There are certain tasks that bog you down because they take too long.
There are tasks that you don’t know how to do, either because you haven’t learned the tech requirements or because it’s just not your thing (writing content or creating graphics).
There are tasks that you do know how to do but you don’t have any interest in doing them. They don’t bring you any joy.
How do we get started?
It begins with a discovery call. We spend 20-30 minutes getting to know each other. You tell me about your business and where you feel like you might need help and I tell you where I might be able to help. It’s all about discovering if we’re the right fit for each other. If you decide that you want to work with me, you come back here and purchase a virtual debit card. After I receive notification that you have purchased a card, I send you a welcome/onboarding packet. It explains more about my work hours, how we will communicate and what is needed from you to get started (accounts, passwords, project management tools, etc.). Once we’re squared away with all of that, I will start doing the required work.
I see that you charge by the hour. How do you track the work and the time that it takes to complete it?
Yes, I do charge by the hour. Some virtual support providers sell packages. However, I like to charge by the hour so you’re not limited on what type of work I’m doing. With hourly pricing, I can manage social media, work on destination or venue research or even clean out your email inbox. It all costs the same. I use Toggl, which is a time-tracking app, for every project. When I start working on something for you, I give it a name and start the timer. When I’m done, I hit the timer again to stop it. You will receive a report every Monday morning showing what I worked on and how long it took. Our discovery call is free but all calls and meetings after that will be on the clock.
How does the Virtual Debit Card work?
I have a very simple approach to pricing. I charge $28/hour, which can be purchased in 5- or 10-hour blocks. If you want to purchase a random hour here and there, that cost is $30. You purchase your Virtual Debit Card on this page. Every Monday morning, you will receive a report telling you how much time has been used and how much is remaining on your card. Each card is good for a year so you don’t have to use it all at once. Don’t worry. You’ll receive a notice when your card is about to expire. When you run out of time, you just go back and purchase another card. Three important things to note: your card is not transferable, it is not refundable and unused balances cannot be carried over at the end of the year.
What if I do some of my work on a certain platform and you don’t know how to use it?
With so many options for project management, email marketing, social media, itinerary builders, digital organizing and all the other things, it’s not possible for me to know how to use all of them. However, I am a quick learner. If there’s something that I don’t know how to use, and it looks like something that will be beneficial for me to learn, I will do the necessary training and will not charge you for it. If it is something obscure or outdated and I don’t think other clients will use it, I am still happy to learn how to use it but the training time will come out of your Virtual Debit card. We’ll just need to chat and see what makes the most sense.
What if I use a software platform that you don’t have?
Chances are I can use your software by using your login and password or by you adding me as a team member or affiliate. If there is a platform that I don’t use, and you want me to, I am willing to use anything that offers a free option. We can just figure this out on a case-by-case basis.
I am currently unable to take new clients to work with on an ongoing basis. However, if you have a project or just need some itineraries, I can probably fit you in. Schedule a call to see what I have available.