What Life Tools Keep You Going?

We all have tools we use in our personal and business lives. They can include equipment, time management, balance, priority-setting, and To-Do lists. I was asked by my life coach to send her one of my life tools that she could share with others.

Mine is pictures. I have pictures of my husband, my kids, my grandkids and my dog all right here on my office desk. They are always in sight. I look at them and know that even though most of them don’t live at home any longer, I do what I do (being a virtual assistant) for them. I do it so that when they ask me about my job, I am animated, I am excited, I am able to tell them that I’m doing something everyday that I love to do (and I get paid for it).

So my family are all around me every day. If I have a good day, they share with me (in spirit of course). If I have a bad day, they’re right here smiling at me! That’s one of my life tools!

Another tool I use is in plain sight, something that Suzanne, my life coach (www.blueprintlifecoaching.com), sent me when we first got together. It is a quote from Marianne Williamson and it affected me so profoundly that I fancied it up on some pretty paper, framed it and hung it in my office.

It says:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.”

I look at that every single day, to remind me to not think small, to not be afraid! We should be all we can be, brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous! What will you do today to be who you can be?

Vickie

Are You Spending Too Much on Software?

As virtual assistants, we could spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the latest and greatest software available to efficiently and effectively take care of our clients and their needs. But be careful and spend your software money wisely.

There are many options available today in the form of free software – options which will sometimes allow you to complete the same tasks, but spend little to no money. I’d like to just list a few that were tested and recommended as the top choices in a national computer magazine.

File Sharing Programs -

• All Peers – www.allpeers.com
• uTorrent – www.utorrent.com

Office Applications -

• Zoho – www.zoho.com
• Google Apps – www.google.com/a/

Time Management -

• Backpack – www.backpackit.com

Online RSS Reader -

• Bloglines – www.bloglines.com

RSS Reader -

• Sage – www.mozdev.org
  

These are just a few of the thousands of programs out there. Check them out, check out others that your colleagues and business associates have used. Play around with them. See what work best in your situation.

You no longer have to pay a fortune for software to be able to complete certain tasks. Even my blogging software – thank you, WordPress.

Vickie

Have You Finished Your Taxes?

I had to visit my accountant late last week.

Yes, I waited until the last minute. I don’t usually do that. But this year, I put it off and put it off and put it off. I really can’t believe it’s April already. Just not long ago, it was January, the new year was just beginning, people were gearing up after Christmas. Then I turned around and it’s April.

I usually do my own taxes but since I had a partnership business last year, I thought I’d better let him handle it.

Have you finished your taxes?

If not, spend some time immediately to get your receipts in order; make sure your W-2’s are all in one place; be sure to take your long-distance telephone credit; get your deductions together. And if you aren’t comfortable with doing your own taxes, and you don’t have an accountant, talk to a friend, colleague or work buddy. Get names of people who have dealt with your friends. They always make the best new business acquaintances.

As small business owners, it is part of running a professional, successful company to complete all legal tasks. This includes taxes!

I hope your taxes go well. I hope you get a big refund! But I truly hope you haven’t waited until the last minute. It’s too stressful!

Happy Easter

I just wanted to take a moment and say to everyone, Happy Easter!

With taxes just around the corner, Spring popping up everywhere which gets us in the mood for Spring cleaning, allergies going hay-wire, it’s easy to forget about Easter.

Take some time to think about what your blessings are in life. Visit a church. Spend time with family. Have an egg hunt with your children. Enjoy the day with friends, family or your favorite someone.

In this time of being so busy, let’s take just one day, and really concentrate on what’s important to us, what sustains us, what makes us happy. And just think of the frame of mind it will put you in to start out your work week.

Have a glorious Easter!

Vickie

Create Your Marketing Kit

The following article is from John Jantsch, 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.

Create a Marketing Kit That Educates
The typical marketing brochure doesn’t demonstrate how your firm is different – create a suite of education based materials and stand out from the competition

I get these calls from time to time. . .”Can you make me a brochure?” Many business owners have been sold on the notion that they need a tri-fold brochure or they are not in business. Forget it…everybody’s got one and no one uses it.

Your potential clients need an education. They need to know how you are different. (The typical tri-fold brochure simply confirms that you are the same.)

Every small business should create the following pieces of information and format them in a way that allows them be printed inexpensively and updated often. I like to call this approach, the Marketing Kit. Your marketing kit starts with several professionally printed pieces that are the framework for up to 10 or 12 different educational documents. The core components are:

1. A pocket folder - A multi-use workhorse, this piece alone, if designed well, can send the message that you are in business to stay. (This one will cost a little but it has many uses)

2. A marketing template – This should be a professionally printed piece that carries your logo and contact information but is different than your letterhead. This is the base piece then for the following pages that insert into your pocket folder. Your actual marketing files can be MSWord type documents that are laser printed. This gives you the ability to change and update your content and also allows you to tailor your marketing kit content to specific prospects.

Some combination of the following pages should be created for your marketing kit.

The Difference Page – Hit them with how you are different and shower them with benefits of doing business with you. Don’t tell them what you do. I like to keep this one to the top 3 or 4 things that you do that your target market will value. Think benefits that are unique.

A list of products and services – Okay, now tell them what you do or what you offer, but make sure do it the context of how they can benefit from your products or services.

Case Studies - Pick representative clients or industries and outline how your product or service solved someone else’s challenge. People learn in different ways and case studies allow them to see themselves getting relief. I think this format works well. State the situation, the problem, your solution, the result. Over time you can collect more and more of these and draw upon the ones that fit an industry or problem that in relevant to your prospect.

Testimonials - Get quotes from real live clients and create a page titled – “See what others have to say about us.” These quotes can be some of the strongest selling tools you have. New technologies make it easy to create audio and video testimonials too.

Process Description – Show them how you do what you do. Create detailed checklist and flow charts that show them how you keep your promise. In many cases you have these anyway but by making them part of your marketing you can demonstrate how much more professional your organization is. These also help you justify why you charge a premium for your services. Many people underestimate how much really goes into delivering a quality product or service. So show them.

Your Story – Many companies have interesting or even gut wrenching histories. Tell them your story in an open, honest, and entertaining way and you will win their hearts as well as their heads.

FAQs – Compile a list of the questions your prospects and clients ask most often (don’t forget the ones they never ask, but should) and answer the for this page.

Ideal Client Description – In some cases a page that describes the type of person or business that you can help the most can allow a prospect to select or deselect themselves.

There are other pages that may or may not make sense for your particular business situation and the kit can and should be constantly grown and updated as you gather more clients and refine your core messages.

After you complete your kit you may wonder if anyone will actually read all of that information. The answer is probably not everyone, but many will skim and find what they were looking for as people learn in many different ways. You kit allows them to read the same message, essentially, packaged in a number of formats.

All of the above pieces can, in many cases, be word processed files that are laser printed onto the template I described above. You can learn even more about how to use this unique tool here.

This format allow for very inexpensive printing and a great deal of flexibility when you need to update, change or even personalize your marketing materials.

Your marketing kit is not meant to be used as something your send out to a list of suspects, it is your lead conversion tool to be used ahead of or after a lead or referral asks for more information.

 

April is National Humor Month

Did you know that April is National Humor Month?

It seems this holiday was founded in 1976 by Larry Wilde. He felt that using humor could improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of people’s lives.

“Since April is often bleak and grim and taxes are due on the 15th, it can be one of the most stressful times of the year,” says Wilde, author of 53 books on the subject of humor. “Besides,” adds Wilde, “it’s the only month that begins with All Fool’s Day — a day which has sanctioned frivolity and pranks ever since the 1500’s.”

I had never heard of this holiday until this year. But it’s a great idea. How long have doctors told us about the benefits of laughing? There have been studies and more studies and more studies done to prove that laughing reduces stress, helping you to live longer.

So instead of freaking out over the taxes this year, let’s laugh a little. Here are a few jokes to help you along:

A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, “Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated.” “And what,” his friend asked, “do you want me to do with your ashes?”The businessman said, “Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service. Write on the envelope, “Now, you have everything.”

A mainframe computer on which everyone in the office depended suddenly went down. They tried everything but it still wouldn’t work. Finally they decided to call in a high-powered computer consultant. He arrived, looked at the computer, took out a small hammer and tapped it on the side. Instantly the computer leapt into life. Two days later the office manager received a bill from the consultant for $1000. Immediately he called the consultant and said, “One thousand dollars for fixing that computer? You were only here five minutes! I want the bill itemized!” The next day the new bill arrived. It read, “Tapping computer with hammer: one dollar. Knowing where to tap: 999 dollars.”

Two young engineers applied for a single position at a computer company. They both had the same qualifications. In order to determine which individual to hire, the applicants were asked to take a test by the department manager. Upon completion of the test, both men had each missed only one of the questions. The manager went to the first applicant and said, ”Thank you for your interest, but we’ve decided to give the job to the other applicant.” “And why would you be doing that? We both got nine questions correct,” asked the rejected applicant. “We have based our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you missed,” said the department manager. “And just how would one incorrect answer be better than the other?” the rejected applicant inquired. ”Simple,” said the department manager, ”Your fellow applicant put down on question #5, ‘I don’t know.’ You put down, ‘Neither do I.”’

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.

ATTORNEY: hat is your date of birth?
WITNESS: July 18th.
ATTORNEY: What year?
WITNESS: Every year.

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his Sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he’s twenty-one.

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?

ATTORNEY: To the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Duh………….

I hope you all have a wonderful day and spend some time laughing!

How to Start a Woman-Owned Small Business from your Home – Part 2

Yesterday, I started this article about women starting their own home-based businesses. Today I’d like to add 5 more items to my list of things which are important and sometimes unique to women.

6. Do you know your way to San Jose? Wasn’t that a song? Seriously though, do you know your way around the computer? If you’re going to be a small business owner, you must have at least a basic knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, email and a little bit of accounting. Oh, and that all-knowing thing – the Internet. I’m not saying you have to be the next whiz kid, but you need to be comfortable with getting around on your computer, viewing and responding to emails, researching on the Internet, typing a quick document, and setting up a short little spreadsheet. This will help you immeasurably when you’re talking with prospective clients.

7. Can you easily grasp new concepts and ideas? (Are you trainable?) This one may make some people laugh, but we’ve all heard the old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” That’s not you, is it? You must be receptive, open to new ideas, open to new ways of doing things. With the Internet, everything you used to think is true is no longer true. There are ways and ways and ways to connect with each other and your clients. Be open to learn constantly about how to best operate your business.

8. Do you have high speed DSL or cable? This is a must to run a business in today’s world. You don’t want to be caught on the phone with a client who says, “Did you get my email?” And you’re waiting and waiting and waiting for it to come in because it had a small JPG file with it. Be sure and spend the money to upgrade and it will be money well-spent. If you can afford it (and it’s available in your area), cable is great! It’s made such a difference in my business.

9. Do you have a banker who is familiar with you and can help you out with the “ins and outs” of starting a business? This is so important. When you get to the stage where you feel this is truly what you want to do, get your business plan written (this is a MUST – do not pass go, do not collect $200 unless you write your Business Plan), then talk to a banker who recognizes you as you walk in the door. Tell them your plan, show them your business plan, ask them their advice. They are the experts and can help you through not only the financial aspect, but maybe give you some small business tips you didn’t think of. Plus women love those relationships that extend from personal to professional.

10. Do you have an EIN (even though you have no employees)? As a sole proprietor with no employees, you do not have to have an Employer Identification Number. But, if you’re going to be working with sub-contractors quite often, if you’re going to be selling quite a bit, it’s important to keep your personal information separate from your business information. Yes, I know that as a sole proprietor, most things will be run through your personal side also. But if you have a unique identifying number, it helps in many ways. It not only shows a certain sense of professionalism, but it keeps your social security number safe and confidential.

Well, those were just 10 quick tips to think about if you’re a woman looking to start a small business. Most of the topics can be used by anyone starting a business. But I feel sometimes we, as women, have some unique needs that men don’t have.

I hope these prove helpful to you. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy your week!

Vickie

How to Start a Woman-Owned Small Business from your Home

So you want to start a woman-owned small business from your home. There are so many statistics out there telling us that women are starting their own businesses at twice the rate of men. What most are not saying though, is that women are also closing those same businesses within five years of operating.

I think there are unique challenges for women which do not face the males who are wanting to be entrepreneurs. And it behooves us to think about these unique situations before jumping out there and deciding “you can do it.”

Today I’ll start with 5 things I believe are imperative to women thinking of starting their own business. Tomorrow I’ll add 5 more. I hope these prove to be useful to you.

1. Are you a “own-your-own-business” kind of person? Not everyone is cut out for it. Can you ignore the pile of laundry? Can you ignore the home telephone ringing? Can you ignore the kitchen floor? These are a few of the things that we will have to turn “off” as moms and wives before we can successfully run a business out of our homes. You may think you’re multi-tasking. But studies have shown that multi-tasking is really an inefficient way to run your day.

2. Do you have the space needed for a home office? It’s very important to have a separate space that is only your office, even if you have to run that office out of the smallest part of your bedroom. Whatever space you have, make it office only. Don’t set your dirty clothes in a basket in that space. Don’t put a changing table in that space. Make it as professional looking as possible. But make it as comfortable as possible also. If you’re going to be spending many hours in that space, have pictures of your family sitting around you. Bring in a nice clock for your workspace. Paint the room a pretty color that you will enjoy being surrounded by every day.

3. Do you have the support of your significant other and children? This is one of the most important aspects of being successful from home. You must have the support of your significant other and/or children. Your family must not only understand what you’re trying to accomplish, they must support your endeavors. These are the most important relationships in your life and they need to be aware that this is important to you, that this is not just a hobby or a whim, that this is part of the master plan for the family unit.

4. Have you talked to a CPA and attorney? This is an important aspect to any new business, but especially for women. Be sure the CPA is familiar with all the tax breaks available to women. Has he/she showed you how to set up your books? Are you using your home phone or a separate line for your business? You want an attorney who stays up-to-date with current trends and knows the laws regarding women working from their homes. It is a whole different ballgame when your home is your base of operation.

5. Do you have the equipment or the funds necessary to get the equipment? And do you know how to use the equipment? Equipment is important to the success of your business. Many of us start out running a business on a shoe-string budget. But if we do not have the equipment necessary to serve our clients, we are wasting our time. You don’t have to purchase the newest and best on the market – shop around, look for bargains, check the paper for things others are selling. You can equip your office for much less than what you think. And where does this money come from? So many times I’ve heard people say it doesn’t cost anything to start a virtual assistant business. Well, any successful business is going to cost you money. Be sure you have a plan in place before you start.

Tomorrow we’ll talk more about women-owned small businesses. We’ll discuss how to get the funds to successfully launch your business, specific equipment needs, and other things that will hopefully help you have the business you’ve always dreamed of.