Reconnecting with our Bodies

It’s Friday! Another week has flown by and boy has it been a busy one!

I started working with a new client, I had plenty of work to do with an existing client, I interviewed people for my new web site design, I blogged, I networked, I attended a forum chat, and so on and so forth. We all have so much going on these days, it’s hard to take a minute to rest.

But resting is so important to the life of our business. When we relax or rest, we re-energize. We give our mind some downtime from the daily decisions; we give our eyes a rest from the computer; we give our bodies a break from sitting in the chair all day.

As VAs, we tend to continue the business process throughout the weekend. We continue checking our emails; we check our forums to make sure we’re up-to-date with what’s going on; we listen to voicemail and make sure we haven’t missed any important calls. But we need to do a better job of taking the weekend and breathe. If we end up sick and worn out, we won’t be any good to any of our clients. A colleague of mine was so sick this week, yet she felt she had to continue working. We did finally get her to take a little break (and gave her lots of nasty remedies to help kick her sickness).

I’m sure virtual assistants aren’t the only ones who stay at their computers day and night. When we’re small business owners, we know that the buck stops with us. We have to get it done or it won’t get done. But we will not be the best we can be for our clients if we don’t take care of ourselves physically.

So take a little time this weekend and connect with those important people in your life. Take a walk with your family or dog; go to the park; ride your bicycle; do something that it totally unrelated to work by getting some exercise. You will come back with fresh ideas, a renewed purpose, a refreshed spirit. And most important, you’ll feel better.

Listen and Watch for your Ah-Ha Moments

There is some exciting news coming for me and I can’t wait to unveil it.

Certain circumstances made it possible for me to begin implementing ideas and visions I had into my business. It was one of those ah-ha moments where you can’t believe you didn’t think of it before. I found a way to incorporate my special gift of being encouraging and uplifting into my business areas.

Think about how much more successful your business could be if you took the time to study it from all angles, personal as well as professional. What could be incorporated into your business that would make it stronger, more appealing, more YOU? That’s what I did. I realized I could take my uplifting spirit and use it with my business clients.

I think particularly of life coaches, consultants and motivational speakers. They are constantly connecting with people who they are pushing, showing them a different way of looking at things, teaching them to go inside and find the deeper self. But sometimes they don’t get that themselves. They spend all that time on business, helping their clients, and yet don’t have that for them.

That’s where I will come in. I can provide an uplifting administrative touch both personally and professionally. I can provide an all-around administrative solution that will not only help them continue the course, but will help them grow (at least I hope that’s what gets accomplished).

So think about yourself. Where is your Ah-Ha moment? What can you provide to help the all-around client? How can you support them in their growth? What plans can you initiate that will deepen the relationship between you and your client?

As for me, keep a lookout on my web site and this blog for the exciting changes. Then let me know what you think.

Exercising Your Body and Mind

Here’s a little tip for everyone – whether you’re a coach, a virtual assistant, a speaker, an author – this can work for you. It’s time to start exercising your body and your mind.

Since the weather has turned so pretty, I have started doing my walking outside instead of on a treadmill. I take my best friend, my dog, with me and we walk down our street, looking at the pretty trees and bushes, watching the flowers bloom, and generally having a peaceful morning. Of course, my dog has to water every bush and flower that we see also. But I also got to meet one of my neighbors who I wouldn’t have met otherwise. So it’s not the best exercise I could get. But it’s exercise!

I realized once again this morning what we all know but tend to forget. It helps us to exercise. Not only does it exercise our body, it gets our mind moving also.

I’m thinking about my day the whole time I’m walking – what appointments I have, what client work I need to complete, how much time I’m going to spend on the forums, who can I “meet” today. I start the day with an appreciation of all our world has to offer. I’m thankful I can work in a profession I love. I’m thankful I can take a walk with my dog in the morning. I come back winded, but ready for my day. I drink a bottle of water and I’m ready to go, refreshed, energized.

Think about the days we don’t get up and exercise. How’s our mindset? How’s our attitude? I know for me, my mind has trouble getting going. I can’t think of things to blog about, I don’t want to visit the forums and make any contributions. I really don’t want my day to start. I sit and drink coffee, and more coffee, and more coffee. Then it takes me forever to get myself in gear, to be able to think clearly and be prepared for my day.

So do something that helps not only you physically, but your business as well. Make a goal, just like business goals, to exercise every day. But don’t just make it a goal – make it a priority. Schedule it just as you would other appointments. Exercise your body and your mind. Then you’ll be ready for anything. And after all, I don’t know about you, but VAs have to be ready for anything!

What is (and Isn’t) a Virtual Assistant?

I wrote this a couple of months ago when I first started blogging. I thought with Spring coming in, it might be a good time to bring it back up.

Spring is the time when people start planning how to revitalize their business, cleaning out the old to make room for the new. It’s a great time to start thinking about letting go of those administrative tasks that are holding you back from adding to your client base. That’s where a virtual assistant comes in. Although the term “VA” is getting much more popular and known, I thought it’d be appropriate to talk about what is (and isn’t) a virtual assistant.

Here is my understanding of what is and isn’t a virtual assistant.

The term “virtual assistant” was coined by life coach, Thomas Leonard, during a conversation he was having with Stacy Brice, founder of AssistU, the first organized training and coaching organization for virtual assistants. The AssistU definition says, “VAs are micro business owners who provide administrative and possibly personal support while working in long-term collaborative relationships with only a handful of terrific clients. Using phone, fax, email, as well as other emerging technologies, VAs support their clients’ needs across the board, without having to ever step foot inside the clients’ offices.”

One of my favorite VA forums, the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (VACOC) has this definition (which I’ve espoused to fit my unique business): “A virtual assistant (or VA) is a professional service provider who specializes in providing remote administrative office support services as an independent contractor who works with clients in an ongoing, collaborative professional relationship.”

Now here’s where the waters start to get muddied some. VAs do not work from your office, we do not use your equipment, we do not work piece-meal projects. We are there to be an integral part of your business, providing you the time to add to your client base while having professionally skilled people taking care of your back-end office needs.

Some VAs can also provide additional, specialty services. But that’s exactly what they are, additional and specialty. Services such as bookkeeping, consulting, marketing. These are skills that some VAs choose to provide, but those skills are not the heart and soul of the VA business. The heart and soul of the VA business is administrative support.

If you feel you’re at a point where you have to turn over some of the administrative duties in order to take your business to the next level, I invite you to visit my web site at Elite VAs. I’m looking to add to my client base of coaches, consultants and speakers and would love the opportunity to speak with you.

Vickie

Spring Cleaning for Your Business

Ah, Spring is in the air!

The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, it’s almost April, the birds are singing, the flowers have started blooming – the signs of Spring are everywhere. Naturally, our thoughts turn to newness, the newness of the grasses, the flowers, and invariably, the newness of our homes and lives. But as small business owners and entrepreneurs, we should also be thinking of newness of our businesses.

Spring is a wonderful time to sit down and really do some work on our business.

• First, get out your goals that you set at the first of the year. How are they progressing? Do you need to update them? Are they still viable goals? Spring clean your goals for the upcoming quarter.
• Second, have you been saving for your quarterly taxes? If not, get busy right now. Take a little money from each client payment and put it into an interest-bearing account to pay your quarterly taxes. It will save time and headache when the time comes to pay them.
• Third, look at your current clients. Are they the clients you wanted to attract? Do your clients lift you up or hold you down? Are you an integral part of their business? Do they value your services or products? Or is it time to do some spring cleaning?
• Fourth, prepare for new clients. And that’s means mentally and physically. Spring clean your office by thinking of what needs to be done for you to work most efficiently. Do you have the space in your filing cabinets? Do you have the materials and supplies? Are your file folders ready? Do you need to clean out your email? Have you filed your receipts? Do you have the forms necessary to complete your client interactions from start to finish? On the mental side, have you looked at your processes and how they’re working? Do you need to add a component to your interactions? Do you have the time to add new clients? Do you need to dust off your brain and look at things that haven’t been working for you – to find a new and different way?
• Fifth, take a look at your personal life. There’s always room for cleaning there. Look for the relationships that are weighing you down. If someone is constantly complaining, belittling you, or just don’t have time for you when you need them, is it time to cut and run? Do you have room for a philanthropic project? Are you taking care of your immediate family – giving them the love and attention they need? You can’t have a successful business if your personal life isn’t successful!

These are just a few things you can do to start preparing now for a wildly successful 2nd Quarter of 2007. They’re little things – but they’re so important and can also be huge stress-busters!

How’s your Spring Cleaning going?

Vickie

I Have a Secret

I have a secret. A while back, I realized I was short-changing myself by not incorporating my unique gift into my business. At that time, I started thinking about how I could change that situation.

I have decided to change my focus to a more specific target market. This will allow me to add my uplifting and supportive spirit into all facets of my life. I will be providing uplifting administrative solutions to coaches, consultants and speakers (to be more specific – life coaches and motivational speakers). These industries spend a lot of time helping others in their life journey and I wondered, “Who’s there to help them?” That’s my goal, to be able to provide not only the administrative support they need, but the personal support also.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had some consults with prospective clients and I already see a huge difference this is going to make. There is a connection between me and the target market audiences that make us a perfect fit. The consults have been wonderful; there is an immediate connection; and I feel this is the way I should be heading. They will not only be great clients – I’m hoping to develop great friendships.

If you are not using all of your gifts (whether they be professional or personal) in your business, you are not going to be the success you could be. Think outside the “normal” business box – what can you add that will make you unique in your field? Then take the steps necessary to start making that a part of your business. You’ll be surprised how right it feels!

Keep an eye out over the next month to see my big “reveal!” I look forward to sharing it with you.

Vickie

What a Day!

Wow, what a day yesterday!

For one, it was very busy, with two client consults scheduled, work with my existing client, a call from my brand-new client, etc., etc.

My morning consult got rescheduled to today so that was a change. Then my afternoon consult – let’s just say it wasn’t what I expected! At least I didn’t go through my whole process, thank goodness.

Then I got a phone call late afternoon from my son’s father. My son is 18 and a senior in high school. He’s a straight A (most of the time) student, a wonderful kid, and just an all-around easy boy. I’ve rarely had any problems out of him. Well, it seems he and his girlfriend were supposed to ride the bus to Lexington this afternoon for a state high school basketball game. But they got caught by my son’s stepmother on the way to Lexington – they were driving! The worst part of this is that no one knew it (well, at least me nor Ryan’s dad) and they won’t be home until around 3am (by the time you read this they will be back in town safe and sound). But this scared the dickens out of me. My youngest stepson had a wreck in 2005 driving home from somewhere and almost died so I’m a little freaky about this. Anyway, my son’s dad was so mad, then I got mad, then I got upset and almost sick over worrying!

Then I got a phone call from my brand-new client so that made me brighten a little. Later still, I received an email from an ex-client who would like to start using my services again! So that brightened me up even more.

Needless to say, yesterday was way, way up and it was way, way down.

I guess I say all this just to remind each and every one of us that this is life. It is filled with great moments and not so great moments. But that’s what makes it life. We go from one moment to the next, never knowing what’s coming around the corner.

I think it’s so important for us to grab the good events, celebrate them, be happy and count our blessings. And I think it’s so important for us to take the not-so-good events and put them in perspective. They all go together to make up this thing we call life. We can’t have the good without the bad because we wouldn’t know it was good if there was no bad. Does that make sense?

Anyway, that’s my philosophy for the day. Just be thankful – be places like the VACOC, where I can come and vent, or rage, or celebrate or just talk. Be thankful for people like my fellow VACOC members. Be thankful we have the opportunity to be business owners, making our own decisions. Be thankful we live in a country that embraces women business owners and VAs and coaches and speakers and consultants. Be thankful for our families who drive us nuts sometimes. Be thankful for life!

Vickie

Getting Your Message Across

There was some discussion today on one of our forums about the importance of your message in advertising. I found these on the Internet and thought I’d share them as tips for SBOs and VAs:

• “Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you’ll never go anywhere again.”
• “Our experienced mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included.”
• “Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.”
• “Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.”
• “Stock up and save. Limit: one.”
• “Semi-Annual After-Christmas Sale.”
• “3-year old teacher needed for preschool. Experience preferred.”
• “Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating.”
• “Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary.”
• “Dinner Special — Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00”

Obviously, your message is very important. What does your message say? Does it convey who you are to your prospective clients? Does it show professionalism? Is it spelled correctly? Does the meaning translate properly to everyone who reads it? Ah, that last one is tough, isn’t it?We know that not only do certain words mean different things in different countries, but the same holds true here in the U.S. You may say something in the South, but someone in the North may take it to mean something entirely different. And since most of our interactions are through the Internet, we can’t hear the tone of the voice. So how do we keep from making these blunders?

One way to help get your message across is to test it before you use it. If you belong to a forum who has members from all over the U.S., get them to critique it. Ask them what it means to them? Find out what they think of as they read it. Don’t just rely on those closest to you. After all, they probably have the same thought patterns as you.

Another way is to word it, then reword it, then reword it. Try it many different ways to see if the message changes.

Be sure to spell-check. Obviously, if you’re targeting a different country, find out their common spellings and use that.

Our message is so important. We want to convey who we are, what we do and why we do it with as little misunderstandings as possible. In order to do that, it is important to plan ahead. After all, advertising children for $2.00 might be a little misleading. But I don’t know – it’s an awfully good bargain!

Vickie

Grow Your Business With Seminars – by John Jantsch

One of the ways I try to stay educated in this ever-changing virtual world is by receiving eZines and newsletters through email from several experts in their respective fields. One such example is Duct Tape Marketing with John Jantsch. He presents great information in an easy-to-read format. I think you’ll find the below article quite informative.

Holding educational workshops has always been a very good way to build business. The problem with this strategy though is that it has become increasingly difficult to get prospects to come to workshop type events. In addition, the cost of holding a physical event involving a room, refreshments and audio visual equipment, makes this type of event a sometimes risky venture.

Recently, businesses of all shapes and sizes are turning to seminars conducted by phone, or teleseminars, to easily present information to groups of prospects.

The teleseminar format, in which attendees simply dial in to a conference line to listen to a presentation, has much to offer the small business presenter and the attendee.

The cost to put on such an event can be fairly small and, for the attendee, the ability to dial in from anywhere, without the need to travel, can be very appealing. Many organizations find these benefits so appealing that they have come up with many uses for the teleseminar that reach beyond traditional sales efforts.

For example, use teleseminars to:

Present an ongoing series of topics

Demonstrate how to use a product

Conduct a training program

Hold group coaching sessions

Offer service tips to get more from a product

Conduct focus groups and research

Answer questions

Recruit employees

Have a plan

Like all marketing tactics the best way to employ a teleseminar component is to approach it systematically. The first step is to determine how you plan to use teleseminars in your business. It is best to take a bit of a long term approach as this tactic may take some time to build the momentum you need. If you want to use teleseminars as a way to promote your business and enhance your reputation as an expert, plan to stick with it for a period of at least six months, holding a new teleseminar each month.

Teleseminar system

Decide what technology platform you plan to use. You can find free and very low cost conference lines but, I would suggest that you look at one of the following options. If your teleseminar is an extension of your business then you need reliable, service oriented conferencing with features like automatic recording. You can conduct phone only conferences or phone and web demonstrations. Web demonstrations from services such as WebEx can add some very powerful presenting capabilities but do present some potential technology roadblocks for your users. The costs of these types of services vary depending upon your number of attendees.

Telephone based
Conference Calls Unlimited
Great Teleseminars

Web based
GoToMeeting andGoToWebinar
WebEx

Attendees

So, where do you go to get attendees? If you have your own mailing or email lists then start with this group. They know you and will be a good source to tap as you are getting your feet wet.

Without such a list you may need to look to industry lists, chamber lists or other purchased type list to run a direct mail campaign. Remember, the low cost feature of a teleseminar means you don’t really need many attendees to make it work.

Partners

Strategic partners can also be a great place to go to acquire attendees. An accountant might go to a law firm, or several law firms, and offer to conduct a free teleseminar for their clients. A construction attorney could go to a construction related trade group and offer to conduct a free teleseminar for their members.

Invite a potential referral partner to be a guest on your teleseminar and you can create a powerful promoter for your business.

Collect sign-ups

When you promote your teleseminar it’s best to require your attendees to sign-up. This way you have the data for future sessions and you can contact the attendee with reminders and follow-ups.

Encourage tell-a-friend

As you begin to promote your teleseminar make it easy for prospects to tell others about your session. Add a script to you web sign-up page and automate this process
JavaScript Example
PHP Script Example

Remind

Make sure that you use an autoresponder like AWeber to automatically send a sign-up confirmation and “day of event” reminders with the conference call-in information and access codes. GoToWebinar handles this for you.

Invite participation

One tactic that works very well and will help you when it comes time to create the content for your teleseminar is to encourage your attendees to ask a question about the topic prior to the event. You can do this in your confirmation email.

Don’t sell

When you present a teleseminar you must present good content. If you simply treat it as a sales pitch your attendees will be turned off. Even free sessions must be valuable if you expect people to take the time to listen.

Have a call to action

Even though you shouldn’t sell throughout your presentation, you should have an offer at the end. This can take the form of some other, more advanced, free information or evaluation or simply a special deal to act today. Don’t just hang up without a next step.

Get testimonials

One tactic that you may also wish to add is a call for testimonials. This can be very important as you start your teleseminar series and help build credible proof for future events. One thing you might do is offer a written transcript of the call to anyone who sends in their (glowing) feedback.

Archive the content

One of the biggest benefits of holding teleseminars is that they present a great platform for creating permanent content. You should record each session and create a method to archive and promote this content on an ongoing basis. You might want to consider turning the content into a podcast or create an entire CD collection. Transcribing your audio sessions through a service such as Cyberdictate – is another way to extend the content.

Get my teleseminar checklist

I have produced a mini teleseminar checklist that you may find useful in you planning. Get the checklist here

Related article – Podcasts Demystified

. ~ ~ ~

John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson.

He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com

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Making Connections

Hi Everyone! As I’ll be out of town Thursday through Saturday, I wanted to post one more time on my blog. I’d like to say I’ll do it while I’m gone, but you know how that goes!

I’ll be at a State Speech Tournament with my son’s high school group. They’ve made it to the state finals and we’re really excited. It’s a good group and we expect to come home with some trophies. But no matter the outcome, I will be spending the time making connections – with my son (who is graduating high school and getting ready for college), with my son’s friends (who are such a wonderful, eclectic bunch), with the volunteer who leads this speech team (thank you so much for all the hard work), and with some parents who are spending a few days helping out with this event. These people have opened up a world I didn’t know existed, the world of forensics (no, not dead bodies – speech!). I’ve met people I would never have met without my son being such a friend of all and joining as many organizations as possible.
It started me thinking about our connections. Connections are so important. They help you expand your horizons, they get you to thinking outside the box, they open up new worlds for you. And this is not only true in your personal life – it’s also true in your business life.

I have the wonderful privilege of being a part of a group of VAs who are dedicated to educating the public about virtual assistance and who truly want to see each other succeed. This group has taught me so much, but I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned from them is there truly are enough clients in this massive world to go around. We don’t have to fight and scratch over the same clients. As we are all unique individuals, we have unique talents, and these talents pull us to our unique clients. I’m talking about the VACOC and I’d love you to check them out and see what’s up.

I also belong to a group of ladies who are dedicated to supporting each other in our quest for being fit – from exercising to lifestyle changes. They are a wonderfully dedicated group and are so encouraging to each other, celebrating each other’s triumphs and holding their hands when they have a setback. These are the Virtual DiVAs and you can find out more about them at their website.

Another group who have truly helped me grow as a business and as an individual is my life coaching group. I had the privilege of “meeting” my life coach, Suzanne Evans, through another networking group I belong to. She has been such a huge factor in my decision to basically start fresh by narrowing my target market, finding out what I love to do, and using that talent in my business. We’ve recently start a group session and the ladies in my group are wonderfully diverse and full of ideas. Check out Suzanne’s website at Blueprint Life Coaching. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

These are the connections you’ll remember forever. These are the times you think back on fondly. These are the ties that bind. Make every effort to step outside your comfort zone, put yourself out there in a way you’re not used to, and start meeting people. You’ll be amazed at the person you’ll find yourself to be!

Vickie