Training Your Mind for Training

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend.

What I’d like to talk about today requires a little thinking on your part. Oh no, you say, that’s not what I want to hear first thing on Monday morning. But bear with me, I think you’ll be glad you did. My husband is going to really get a kick out of this.

If, like me, you’ve been around the block a few times (alright, I’ll just say it, I’m older than a lot of folks), sometimes there’s a slow-down of the brain processes. You start getting older, you do things entirely on a schedule or routine, you plan what you’re going to eat – everything gets just a little slower. And, again if you’re like me, you’ve taken a hiatus from learning, your brain acts acccordingly.

So then you become a woman small business owner. You really want to make a go of this. You want to work with fabulous clients and bring in the money you want. You want to feel like you are achieving something. But you realize you need some additional training. Maybe you haven’t kept your skills up, maybe you don’t know all there is to know about running a business, maybe you need marketing help. I’ve found that you have to train your mind for training!

Because you haven’t really used your mind in a learning capacity for awhile, it’s lazy. You really have to commit to what you’re doing and make yourself do it. Your brain wants to shout, Overload, overload! But this is good for you. You want to get that exercise in by sticking with it, reading, absorbing, processing, then turning it into action.

I’ve joined a marketing class that is really intense. I also joined late, which means I’ve been playing catch-up. So my mind has really had a workout lately. I’ve read, I’ve re-read, I’ve listened to the sessions, I’ve written and written and written. Yesterday, my mind wanted to quit. I thought, “What have I done? I don’t have to do this. I can do quite well without it.” But then I realized, I don’t want to do quite well. I want to do really well. I want to excel. I want to know all there is to know. I want to continue learning and growing. And so I have to train!

So take a minute to think about where you could use some training. Make the time to check into seminars, courses, ebooks. Not only will you exercise your mind, you’ll make new acquaintances, you’ll improve your business, and you’ll have a sense of accomplishment! Let me know how it goes.

Vickie

What Goes Around, Comes Around

You know the old saying, “What goes around, comes around.” Well, as small business owners, we must take that to heart.

Okay, I will probably get a lot of flack for this, but here goes – I am not totally sold on the law of attraction, the main ingredient to “The Secret.” I know, I know, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and that’s okay. I’m just don’t buy into the total package.

The part I do believe is that the attitudes and behaviors you put out, those are what you will get back. What I mean is, if you’re a happy person, always smiling, talking to people, exuding confidence, people will tend to flock to you. They’ll talk to you, they’ll smile back at you, they’ll lift their shoulders and walk a little bit taller.

If we want to be successful business owners, we must be the type of person that everyone wants to be around. We should be someone who is the “Go To” person, someone who shares what they learn, someone who’s not afraid to hold people accountable. If we show that we have other’s best interests first, good things will come back to us.

And here’s where I deviate from “The Secret.” I don’t believe you’re never going to have problems, that everything is going to be perfect. We know that’s not life. Things happen, clients leave without notice, we owe more taxes than we thought we were going to. But we bounce back. We do what we have to do to keep on keeping on. We learn from our mistakes and we move on.

If this is the type of person we become, we will be successful in life. We will have clients wanting our services because of wonderful referrals, we will have friends who want to learn how we’ve accomplished so much, we will have a full life and a successful business.

So figure out what you want to do for someone else today. See what happens!

Vickie

Alexandra Amor writes about Specialties

I really like Alexandra’s ezines and newsletters. Today she writes about specialties and how it will affect your bottom line.

Enjoy!

Vickie

“What’s Your Specialty?”
by Alexandra Amor, Virtual Success
“An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less, until eventually he knows everything about nothing.”
Anonymous

Is that true? If you become powerfully adept at one skill or service will it adversely affect your VA business? I don’t think so. Here’s why.

I believe the one way to attract clients who are ideally suited to our businesses is to specialize in a service that provides great benefit to our clients.

For example, I used to belong to a relationship coaching group, which facilitated the attraction of a healthy and happy personal relationship. The coach who guides the group is a specialist in relationship coaching. Consequently she is an amazing resource for information specifically relating to this area of life. She recommends books (and sometimes even a particular section or chapter of a book), exercises taken from a variety of sources, quotes, theories or models of relationships, personal stories about relationships, web sites, local relationship and/or dating groups, online resources etc.

What I’ve come to recognize by working with her is that this ability to be such an incredible resource in this area comes from her focus on and specialization in relationship coaching. She talks to other coaches with this specialty, she reads the books related to this area and she attracts into her life tools that help her to be a great and resourceful relationship coach.

As VAs we are often asked to be a ‘jack of all trades’. I suggest that in addition to being great at the many services we offer, we can make a difference to our usefulness and value to our clients by specializing in one area. It could be anything; writing (my personal favorite example), desk top publishing, design layout, web site copywriting, technology, marketing, e-zines, internet marketing etc. Some VAs are currently becoming successful by being experts in setting up shopping carts for their clients. (Any skill that helps your clients with technology and that makes them money, like a shopping cart, is a skill that you will be able to capitalize on again and again.)

It bears mentioning that if you become skilled in one specific area of service, and you then become a trusted and known resource because of that skill, that you will be able to raise your rates accordingly. The more rare a service, the more in demand it becomes and the more people are willing to pay for it. That’s great news for “specialty” VAs!

Consider how you could add one specialty to your practice and become a valued resource to your current clients and develop a reputation as a VA with a great talent for something very special.
© 2007 Alexandra I. Amor

Virtual Assistant marketing coach Alexandra Amor is the author of books and articles that help VAs build strong, successful practises FAST. To receive her FREE 20 Essential VA Success Habits, visit www.virtual-success.com.

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

To all secretaries, temps, administrative assistants, legal assistants, legal secretaries, paralegals, and virtual assistants, I wish you a Happy Administrative Professionals Day.

This is a special day to me because it always reminds me of my journey – the one that has brought me to where I am today. It’s been a long journey, but one thing that has stayed constant is the realization that we can make a difference in someone’s life.

I’m old, and I can remember clearly when it was the Professional Secretaries International organization. We were young and full of exuberance. We were secretaries and administrative assistants who wanted to make a difference. We cared about the profession and did all we could to maintain the high quality of work we and the organization was known for.

I think that’s the part we forget along our journey sometimes. We forget what we’re in this for. Even though I’m not a typical administrative assistant now, I’m still in the administrative support field – just doing it on my own terms now. I still strive to be the best that I can, to uphold the values and integrity of the VA industry, to not just do the work for my client, but to go above and beyond their expectations. That’s what we all should do.

So let’s spend the day reflecting on where we are and who we are. Let’s spend the day thinking of one way we can “wow” our clients or our bosses today. Let’s spend the day remembering our journey, thankful to those who have helped us along our way, and thankful to those who are still to cross our paths.

Make it a special day in the industry and have a Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

Vickie

Business Inspiration Award

As you know, we had our first Anniversary Party at the VACOC last Thursday. One of the things they did was to present awards to members who had contributed in some way this past year. I’m not good at “tooting my own horn” but they made me promise I’d blog about it!

I was so excited to receive the Business Inspiration award. It was presented to me for my growth as a business owner over the past year, along with my efforts to motivate and encourage my fellow VAs. Here is the graphic:

I am so humbled by this award. One of my main goals this past year was to learn and grow and to share that information with others in the virtual assistant industry. I want to be able to say I made one person’s day a little brighter by talking with me that day. I want to always be encouraging and uplifting. I don’t do it for recognition, I do it to try to “pay it forward.” If we all try to do this even once a week, just think what this world would be.

I hope I never stop growing. Just the excitement when I learn something new is so amazing to me. And it will come back to you many times over as you work with prospective clients. So if I could say one thing to new VAs or people thinking about the VA industry, it would be to take the time for education. Don’t overload yourself so much that you don’t have time to learn. Find things that you love to do and incorporate them into your business.

So thank you all from the bottom of my heart. This was truly an honor and I will strive to live up to the expectations of the VACOC. You all are a wonderful group and I appreciate each and every one of you.

Vickie

Happy 1st Anniversary, VACOC

A year ago this month, the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (VACOC) was created by Danielle Keister, owner of The Relief. She had a vision of providing virtual assistants with a place to gather and share ideas, knowledge, challenges and successes.

Last night, we had our 1st Anniversary Party and it was so much fun. With the advent of the Internet, there are so many things you can do that I never would have thought you could do. We had a party over the Internet. (Actually, we did this at Christmas also, but I digress.) Who would have thought five, three, even two years ago that you could have a party with people from all over the world, and no one has to travel? We had people from the U.S., Canada, and Argentina, and the cost – FREE!

We really had a good time. We played games, we laughed, we gave out awards, we shared our ups and downs over the past year. We got to know each other. We talked about our families, our businesses, our lives. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime, people I may never meet, people I never would have had a chance to get to know, except for the VACOC.

At the VACOC, we make the journey together. We share each other’s triumphs, we cry with each other’s pain, we are there for each moment in this wonderful thing called life. What I have gained can never be measured in words! I have learned and grown and come to understand what this thing called a “VA” is truly all about. I thank you, VACOC, for showing me what I can be and helping me to become.

So to the VACOC, I say, Happy 1st Anniversary. I look forward to many more exciting years, full of fun, friends, education, training, all the things we look for in a networking organization. You are that, and more!

Vickie

Referrals – Key to your Business Growth

Where have your clients come from?

I’ve found that the best source for new clients is from referrals – word-of-mouth. There is nothing like a glowing report from someone you’ve worked with and who are happy with your services. Referrals are the key to your business growth and that should not surprise us.

Look at how we live our daily lives. How do we find accountants, bankers, car dealers? Most of the time it’s through someone we know who have used their services. And we decide to try them out because we trust our colleague or friend or family member. We want to get the same service they received.

Referring should be a two-way street. If there is someone you deal with, or have dealt with, and they were professional, accurate, quick, thorough, tell your friends and business associates about them. They will be excited that their services are sought after – but they will also think of you the next time someone needs what you provide. It’s a win-win situation.

So the next time you talk to someone and it sounds as if they’re searching for a service provider, maybe a life coach, maybe a marketing coach, maybe a consultant, or maybe a virtual assistant (that’s me!), be sure to spread the word about those you’ve come in contact with, those who made your life easier, those who helped your business grow. You’ll see that it will come back to you!

That old saying, “What goes around, comes around,” is true. Try it out!

And one last thing – be very careful about referring people or services you haven’t tried. How can you make a referral when you don’t know how their service is? Your name is the one they will remember, so make sure you know what you’re talking about.

Vickie

Surprise – It’s Tax Time!

Well, I got my taxes filed yesterday! Nothing like last minute, huh?

You know, I am really good at organization. I try to have everything I need to complete a project, I have forms for every aspect of my VA business, I keep lists and calendars.

But, I got a nasty surprise yesterday – yes, I had to pay. And I’ve rarely ever had to pay. But I didn’t do what I should have last year. I didn’t plan and prepare for taxes. This should not have come as a big surprise and that’s what I want to talk about today.

Preparing for April 15th each year should be part of your business, just as preparing for a new client or preparing for your newest product. There should be no surprises, especially if you use a computerized bookkeeping program. The various programs all have reports so that you can know at a glance where you stand in terms of income, expenses, and tax liabilities. If you look at your reports at least once a month, you have plenty of opportunity to make the necessary adjustments.

Having a healthy small business includes many aspects. Not only do you need an environment conducive to work and room for those new clients and software to handle all aspects of running the company, you also need a good picture of where your business stands.

If you do not feel entirely comfortable with keeping your own books, hire an accountant. It’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind when April rolls around. They are trained to find deductions and savings you wouldn’t necessarily know about. They are very tenacious when it comes to looking for every adjustment available to you. They are the experts.

So I tell you now that when next April comes around, I may have other surprises happen. But one thing I won’t be surprised about is the state of my tax liability. I will be prepared, I will be knowledgeable about the state of my business, I will be ready for taxes.

Vickie

Where Do You Hang Out Online?

There’s a blog-tag going around, and my new friend, Shann Vander Leek, who is a life balance coach with True Balance Life Coaching has tagged me! Shann and I met through the Ryze networks.

Here’s the deal — when you’re tagged, you post three things to your blog:

• Tell who tagged you
• Write a description of where you spend your time online (include links)
• Tag some more people.

As I said, Shann Vander Leek tagged me and I want to say thank you to her. We are developing a really nice friendship and I look forward to many years getting to know this new business colleague.

I spend much of my time online at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (VACOC). They are a group of virtual assistants who support and uplift each other in the VA industry. Another group I spent a lot of time with is the Virtual DiVAs. This is a wonderful networking group who are interested in the health aspect of their lives, exercising, dieting, etc.

I’m now tagging:

• Fellow VA and great friend, Joy Slaughter of A Capital Solution;
• My personal and business life coach, Suzanne Evans of Blueprint Life Coaching; and
• My mentor and founder of the VACOC, Danielle Keister of The Relief Virtual Assistance.

I hope you all have a great week!

Vickie

What is So Good About Being a Virtual Assistant?

Well, some people think I fell off the face of the earth last week!

Actually, I decided to take a spur-of-the-moment trip to Georgia to visit my son. My clients were out of town also so I didn’t have to worry about missing projects from them. And my husband said Go. So off I went.

That is one of the wonderful things about being a virtual assistant. I am able to do the things I love to do, the things I was meant to do, the things I’m good at, in an environment that is conducive to my being most productive. I can be a true business owner, making my own decisions, working with clients I choose, deciding the best ways to complete a project.

And I can be with my family, providing their needs, attending school functions, taking mini-vacations. I can truly have the best of both worlds.

If you’ve been thinking about becoming a virtual assistant, I urge you to check out some of the great sites available. Two that I strongly recommend are the VACOC, which is a forum where you can network with like-minded colleagues in the VA industry. It also has wonderful resources for the small business owner. The other site is AssistU, which is a training facility for new and upcoming VAs.

Check out these sites and the many others available to you. Do your homework. Research, learn, train. Then you’ll see what is so good about being a virtual assistant.

Vickie