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Good morning Reader,

I'm moving to Scotland next week, so as you can imagine, I'm surrounded by boxes with a to-do list as long as my arm.

Why Scotland?

Well, aside from fewer people, dark skies, clean air, incredible wildlife, and a lower cost of living, it looks like this.

I'll be staying with friends in a small village on the shores of Loch Ryan near Stranraer for a few months while I look for somewhere to buy.

Although it will be challenging to share my space again, I'm really looking forward to the slower pace of life that the west coast of Scotland will bring.

Right, it's time to grab a drink and settle down to read this week's Coffee Break Newsletter.

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🌱 For Aspiring And New VAs: how to find your first client.

To give you an idea of who your first client could be, I asked working VAs in your VA Handbookers Facebook group to share who their first client was and how they found them.

When you read these stories, you'll see there’s no set pattern. Clients can come from anywhere, and the most common way to get them is simply by talking to people, either at an event or through everyday conversations.

Talking to people = what we call networking.

So if networking has always sounded like a scary or official thing, don't worry. It's literally just talking to people - and you do that every day.

PS: If you want to be a VA but are still procrastinating, you know I have a course that will get you set up quickly and painlessly, right? You could actually ​start today​ if you wanted to.

🌳 For Established VAs: write your own testimonials.

In my post on how to get testimonials when starting out, I mention that while clients are happy to give you a testimonial, they often don’t know what to say, so they end up not writing anything.

Which is why it's easier to just tell them.

There are two ways to write your own testimonial.

1. Email your client a template to complete. I've written one for you below - don't forget to change the name!

2. Write it yourself using the template, then send it to the client for approval or edits.

Editable testimonial template for clients:

You can tweak the wording, but this structure works well.

You want potential clients to know that you’re reliable, communicate well, produce high-quality work, and make a difference to people's businesses.

💥 For Everyone: is AI making it harder for VAs to get work?

Recently, a member of the group said they felt: "The AI revolution has made things very difficult for freelancers because business owners and creators can do a lot of tasks now in super quick time, e.g. video editing and graphic design"

But is that true?

Yes, "creatives" such as video editors and designers can now work much faster thanks to AI. But most business owners don’t do those kinds of tasks anyway - they hire other people to do them.

Business owners hire VAs because they don’t know how to do a task, don’t have time, or don’t want to. They want fewer things on their plate, not more.

AI doesn’t change that. Yes, it changes how work is done, not who does it.

It can make you faster, more efficient and more valuable, but it doesn’t replace the need for you.

Clients don’t want to learn new tools; they want results. So offer them that.

That's it from me - have a great week!

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PS: Just signed up and missed an issue? Read previous Coffee Break newsletters here.​