Heather's VA Business Start Up

Change Number 2 -- The New Blog

2005-08-13T17:15:00.000-05:00

This will be the last post to Heather's VA Business Start Up. I'm not going anywhere...I've just transferred all my posts over to my new blog on my website.

This will still be here for resources, but you can find all the new stuff over at www.valleyva.net/blog

I'm very excited about these changes!

Re book mark your site and change your rss feeds to find me there!

Until next time...

Heather

Do you suffer from blog depression?

2005-08-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

As a business owner, I feel it is my duty to help with public service announcements. Therefore, I am providing all of my readers a pamphlet I found from The Nonist on Blog Depression and how it affects bloggers across the world. You can get the full PDF version here.

Until next time...

Heather

Meet me in St. Louis...Meet me at the VA Conference 2005

2005-08-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you that I'm very excited right now! All plans are in place for the VA Conference in St. Louis October 14th and 15th! I'm registered, I've booked my flight, and I've got roommates and a room!

The VA Conference proves to be a valuable event for VAs from across the country and I'm excited! We'll begin arriving at 1 for registration and at 4pm there will be networking and a vendor showcase followed by a group dinner. Saturday is jam packed with speakers and workshops, and yes, food!

The registration fee is modest at only $75, but register now. After August 15th it goes up to $99 (which still isn't bad considering what you'll walk away with!)

If you're going to be able to attend, drop me a line and let me know! I'd love to meet YOU in St. Louis! (Some of us are even planning a singing engagement at the Arch! LOL)

Until next time...

Heather

How to Succeed in the Virtual Assistance Business

2005-08-09T05:43:00.000-05:00

How to Succeed in the Virtual Assistance Business

© Danielle Keister, The Relief

So you want to be a Virtual Assistant, huh?Having built a successful Virtual Assistance practice myself, I can tell you it can be very rewarding being your own boss, doing work you love for fantastic clients. But make no mistake - this is a real profession requiring a high level of qualifications and expertise. And life as a business owner can be very demanding.

Virtual Assistance is not for everyone, and not everyone can be a Virtual Assistant. For serious-minded newcomers who are considering entry into the Virtual Assistance profession, I want to share some of my insights.

Does it take a long time to get a virtual assistance business off the ground?As with any business, success doesn't happen overnight or without much effort. You get what you put in, and it takes hard work, dedication and perseverance.

For some people, business sense is effortless, and they have the acumen it takes to market, network and promote successfully while operating intelligently and providing superior services. For others, this is a struggle, and they often perpetuate ineffectual methods and practices that won't ever lead them where they'd like to go.

Outside of that, it will take time to become established. The better you are at networking, marketing and creating your own opportunities, the quicker that will happen.

What qualifications do you need to become a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual Assistant practices are true businesses providing valuable professional services. Virtual Assistance is not a get-rich-quick, work-at-home, telecommuting side-job, MLM or other network-marketing scheme.

A small segment of the people attracted to the Virtual Assistance profession are those with little to no qualifications or only entry-level skill sets who are looking for a way to make a quick buck with no effort. That won't happen in this business, and veteran Virtual Assistants vehemently discourage that mentality as it both disrespects and misrepresents our profession.

Most Virtual Assistants led accomplished professional lives in the workforce before taking their expertise into the entrepreneurial world. Virtual Assistants come from a variety of business backgrounds, but the common denominator is that they are typically overachievers with extensive administrative experience and superior skill sets and training.

Entry-level skills and experience simply will not afford the ability to serve clients well. Business owners need Virtual Assistants with top-of-the-line expertise. Entering into the profession without these qualifications would be a mistake, and a grave disservice to both consumers and the profession, as well as yourself.

Is the income good?

The income can be very good. And offering certain or highly specialized services can be even more lucrative. But I won't mislead you. It again comes back to how hard one works and learns to create a successful business, and how intelligently the business is set-up.

One of the most important decisions, if not THE most important, is determining your rates. Rather than pulling a rate out of thin air, smart Virtual Assistants utilize established business formularies to determine a profitable rate for their business. These formularies take into consideration, among other things, the amount of salary you expect to earn, administrative costs (non-billable time), anticipated expenses, operating costs and capital outlay. You also need to factor into the calculations the value of your time and expertise.

Realize that in order to remain in business, doing the work you love and living the life of your choosing, you must be profitable, so set your rates with intention and due diligence.

How can you avoid getting the wrong kind of clients?

Some Virtual Assistants will take any client on. A larger number of us, however, prefer to screen or handpick our clients. One of the ways we do that is by first developing a profile of the kind of client we want to work with. That profile can include, among other things, personality traits, work habits, and the kind of work they do. Once you discern the kind of person you prefer to work with, it’s much easier when interviewing new clients to weed out those who won’t be a good fit.

Every Virtual Assistant has different tastes, skills and strengths. Along those lines, we determine who our target markets are, and narrow down our services to offer only those that we most enjoy and are most qualified to deliver. Covering all these bases will go a long way toward finding your most suitable clients, and maintaining joy and satisfaction, as well as quality, in your work.

Although all Virtual Assistants get their fair share of one-time or occasional projects, our business models are more commonly geared toward establishing long-term partnerships with clients. Therefore, it’s important that the client fit your needs as much as you fit theirs. Your earning potential will also be greater with retained clients.

Working with the “right” client on a long-term basis is also much more gratifying, and creates a positive reciprocal energy for both of you. You get to know them and the work very well, which makes anticipating their needs more intuitive, and the satisfaction of having a more personal relationship with a client and being a part of their success can be very rewarding for both of you.

Are there courses that are worth my time to take?

There are several highly recommended courses and resources!First off, Tanya Sutherland, who founded the Virtual Assistant Networking Forum (http://vanetworking.com/), offers the Virtual Assistant Business System (http://www.vanetworking.com/virtual-assistant-business/). This is a comprehensive business system for setting up a successful Virtual Assistant practice in 30 days. To my knowledge, there is absolutely no one else offering such an all-inclusive resource with business forms, workbook, how-to books, business plan template, start-up website, and just about a zillion other tools. And the cost, currently at $495 USD, is much more affordable then some of the Virtual Assistant business training courses offered.

Dale & Becki Noles offer the unique and highly-recommended Virtual Assistant Training (http://www.vatraining.com/). There is no cost in terms of money. Instead, what they do is share their expertise and coach students (who can be new or even seasoned Virtual Assistants), while students complete actual Virtual Assistant work projects. The course is only offered three times per year, and they only accept eight students per 8-week session. Seats are highly prized so it’s best to contact them as soon as possible if you’re interested.

There are also Virtual Assistant certification courses such as Stacy Brice’s Assist U (http://www.assistu.com/) and Janet Jordan's Virtual Assistance U (http://www.virtualassistanceu.com/introduction.htm). The curriculums of both of these well-respected “virtual colleges” are rigorous and demanding, and cover Virtual Assistant basics as well as ethics and running a successful business.

I want to leave a crazy job, and certainly don't want to "jump from the frying pan into the fire." Can the work get out of hand?Again, this depends on how smart you model and operate your business. It can only get out of hand if you allow it. I really encourage systemizing your business and processes and how you deliver your services. That, combined with specializing in particular services, and choosing to work with people who fit your client profile will go a long way towards living and working exactly the way you intend.

These are simplified answers to some of the questions you may have, but I hope they help you start thinking in the right directions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Danielle Keister is owner of The Relief, a successful Virtual Assistance practice located in Tacoma, Washington, that has been delivering expert, personalized office support services to businesses large and small since 1997. She has over 20 years administrative management experience in both the private and public business sectors. Her areas of expertise also include bookkeeping, desktop publishing and Web design. For more information, visit http://www.TheRelief.com.

Online Tools Improve Writing Skills

2005-08-05T07:44:00.000-05:00

=====================================
Online Tools Improve Writing Skills
- by Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
=====================================
Traditionally, every serious writer has kept several bookson writing as well as at least one excellent dictionaryclose at hand.

As our world changes and the Internet and email become partof more people's lives, good writing skills rate extremelyimportant for effective communication.

Thanks to the 'Net you don't have to worry aboutmaintaining a personal resource library any more.

Now you can find some of the best writers' resourcesavailable free right online.

Words and phrases

http://www.rhymer.com - A rhyming dictionary for poetry orsongwriting (enter a word, click a button to receive wordsthat rhyme). This resource rates very simple to use andcomes in handy when you need it most.

http://www.ucc.ie/info/net/acronyms/ - A database ofthousands of acronyms and abbreviations. Also search bykeywords to find the perfect or correct abbreviation for aword or phrase.

http://www.acronymfinder.com - Search through over 60,000acronyms, their abbreviations and meanings. Did you knowthere are 11 meanings for "PDQ" and over 20 for "ASAP"?

http://www.westegg.com/cliche/ - Choose from over 3,300cliché s to illustrate points and paint vivid images inyour readers' minds. This site will keep you "busier than aone eyed cat watching two mouse holes!"

Great Quotes

http://www.bartleby.com/100/ - Nothing sets the tone forany written work quite like a stirring quote from a famousperson. Finding such quotations often took hours ofsearching - until now! Now you can quickly search the database of Bartlett'sFamiliar Quotations to find that perfect quote virtually inminutes.

You can also find more quotes at http://www.quotationspage.com

Dictionaries and Thesauri

http://m-w.com/netdict.htm - Webster's hypertextdictionary.

http://www.thesaurus.com - Roget's Online Thesaurus alongwith a number of other useful reference tools.

http://www.voycabulary.com - Interesting tool thattransforms any web page into easy convenient links todefinition and word lookups in dictionaries or thesauruses. Terrific time saver if you see a web page with lots ofwords you don't understand.

===============================================
Why are some people getting rich selling their ebooks?
Jim Edwards & Joe Vitale have created the *ultimate* guide -
"How to Write and Publish your own Outrageously
Profitable eBook... in as little as 7 Days!"
FREE Details: ==> How To Write and Publish your own Outgrageously
Profitable eBook...in as little as 7 days!!
===============================================

Effective Marketing Copy: It's Not Just About Benefits

2005-08-04T17:14:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest things I work on is my marketing copy. In my mind it can always be improved upon.

Check out Mike O'Sullivan's most recent article on Effective Marketing Copy.

Until next time...

Heather

Change Number 1 -- The New Valley Virtual Assistants

2005-08-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

It's up and running, my newest website creation! It took blood, sweat, and tears (literally) and over 25 hours to complete, however I learned a new program in the process. The site is done in Dreamweaver and I was bound and determined to learn it!

I did have a book to refer to when I got stuck, although I was stubborn and didn't use it much. It was mostly trial and error, however, the book I used was Look & Learn Dreamweaver 4 pictured here (with a link to Amazon of course!)

It's a STEAL used from Amazon with prices as low as $1.75...yes, that's what I paid for it!

But it's up and more resources will be added soon and make sure you sign up for my monthly newsletter to recieve your copy of 10 Inexpensive Marketing Tactics...most of them are free actually, and what's better than free?

Ok, on to the next big project...moving and updating the blog. In due time...

Until next time...

Heather

The Power of Word of Mouth (and Blogs)

2005-08-01T17:58:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I'm a avid reader of Seth Godin's Blog. Today, he had a link to another Blog entry at The Post Money Value and I must say it truly shows the power of not only word of mouth, but of blogs as well.

I've brought several customer service stories to you via my blog and whether I've persuaded you one way or another to shop or not shop at a particular place, I don't know. But one man's blog about his issues with Dell Customer Service has other's not wanting to buy Dell computers. How's that for power?

You can read the full article at Rick Segal's The Post Money Value Blog. Interesting.

Until next time...

Heather

Change is good...

2005-07-30T15:46:00.000-05:00

I don't deal well with change, I'll be the first to admit it. I'm a creature of habit.

For example, I attend a meeting locally every Saturday morning. When I arrive all of the chairs are around a table and the materials are all laid out on the table and I sit down and joke with the other attendees and the meeting begins at precisely 10:30 and ends right at 11:30.

This morning I walked in and there was no table! It's the first thing I exclaimed before saying hello to the other members. There was no table. The materials were all on the floor in the middle of the circle of chairs. How could we ever have a meeting with no table?

When speaking with someone about the fact that it was changed, he said to me "I don't understand. You're always changing stuff and you don't seem to have a problem with it. Like when you just packed up your stuff and headed to Richmond, not knowing a soul. You loved it! You loved the change and it didn't set you back like the lack of the table is today."

Hmmm....

Let me restate my initial comment about change: I don't like change that I don't initiate.

I'm getting better in time with my change phobia. It's something that I work on and if I don't know why the change was implemented, I ask. I asked where the table was. "They needed it down the hall for the church bake sale they are having tomorrow." Didn't make me love the fact that we had no table, but I was able to accept WHY we had no table.

Change is good. Getting others to see the benefit in change is even better in accepting them to see that change is good. It's like getting a new computer system or program and telling those that aren't computer literate that they're getting a new one. It took them so long to learn the old one, that the thought of a new one scares them. Telling them why the new system is coming and the benefits of the new system might help ease their fears.

Where am I going with all of this? There's going to be some changes with Valley Virtual Assistants! (I initiated them, so I'm okay with them. However, let me share with you why I'm making these changes so you won't panic that it's different...lol)

The first change is a new website. We're still located at www.valleyva.net, but the look and content is all different. I hope to have that site launched in just a few days. The little things are all being fixed now and I need the CEO (Chief Editing Officer) to look over it just one more time.

Next on the list will be the blog. It's actually moving! You'll be able to find it at www.valleyva.net as well, but not just yet. I'll let you know when it's time to re book mark the site.

I'm also adding a new specialized service to my list and I'm quite excited about that! Adding the service was a result of my coaching with Dale and Becki at VA Training and I couldn't be more thrilled with the results I've seen in myself and my business thus far!

Most of these changes are a result of wanting to make my business better and offer more; to be more valuable to those that I serve. Those that I serve may be my peers, my clients, my mentors, and random people who pop on in when they find me while surfing the net.

I'll let you know when all these changes happen, but I must tell you I'm very excited about them and I'm anxious to share them with you!

Until next time...
Heather

1 Overlooked Key to Small Business Success

2005-07-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

1 Overlooked Key To Small Business Success
by: Amy Andrews

Is this you?

You dreamed of owning your own business, doing what you love and enjoying unlimited earning potential. You researched. You planned. You prepared. Finally, you launched.

Your dream was realized...and then your business started to grow! Could it get any better? Well, yes, but if you're like many others, you may have encountered one unexpected challenge along the way: Are you drowning in the day-to-day administrative tasks necessary to make your business run smoothly?

Managing emails. Bookkeeping. Writing articles or newsletters. Processing invoices. Answering phone calls. Scheduling appointments. Marketing. Customer Service. Travel Planning. They all take time. Unfortunately, time is in short supply when business is booming.

The work needs to be done, but you don't want to do it yourself and you don't want the cost or the hassle of hiring an employee, right?

So what's the key? A virtual assistant.

Virtual assistants provide a wide range of administrative services to small businesses and individuals. They are independent contractors who work from home, use their own equipment, occupy their own space and pay their own taxes and benefits. Best of all, they charge you only for time spent on your particular project(s). They typically have years of administrative experience under their belt and most are amazingly budget-conscious.

As an emerging industry, virtual assistance is quickly becoming a valuable asset to individual business owners and a must-have in the small business community at large. Handing off administrative tasks to someone with the tools and know-how to complete them quickly and efficiently is saving many businesses untold amounts of time and money. A virtual assistant is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment.

BONUS: 4 Tips for Working with a Virtual Assistant:

* Start small. Don't be afraid to "test the waters" by giving your new virtual assistant a small project without a huge budget. It may take time to find a virtual assistant with whom you work well.

* Be specific. Virtual assistants like to know exactly what's expected of them. Provide as much detail about your project and your needs as possible.

* Forge a relationship. Establishing a strong, lasting connection with a virtual assistant will benefit you enormously in the long run. You will be surprised how much you come to rely on his/her knowledge and expertise.

* Remember, your virtual assistant is not your employee; they are small business owners themselves, partnering with you to achieve success. This is a win-win situation because when you succeed, they succeed.

Find a virtual assistant quickly, easily and for fr.ee at SimplyComplete.com. Search the VA Directory or post your project in minutes. Visit Find a Virtual Assistant to get your to-dos done!

Roanoke, VA -- The Star City of the South

2005-07-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

I had the priveledge to have breakfast with the Mayor, City Manager, and a Council Member this morning along with other business owners in the Roanoke Valley. I was amazed to learn about what the city was doing as far as marketing Roanoke to outsiders, to get them here and get them to stay here.

I'm a transplant. I was born in York, Pennsylvania. I moved here the first time in 1988 from Watertown, New York, the second time in 1994 from Philadelphia, the third time in 1997 also from Philadelphia, and the last time in 2004 from Richmond, Virginia. Yes, I've moved to and from Roanoke four times. All of my high school friends moved away and have never returned.

When I moved to Roanoke in 1988, there really was very little to do here. We lived on the outskirts of town and the closest grocery store was 15 minutes away. We went "in town" once a week so save on gas.

In 1994 when I returned many businesses have moved into the area and a grocery store was built a little closer to the house.

In 1997, it was even bigger and in 2004 was named the 11th best city to live in by the authors of "Cities Ranked and Rated". Parenting Magazine ranked Roanoke as one of the top 10 cities to raise a family.

I've noticed though over the past year or so since I've been back the new logo, the new marketing materials, the website...all things to promote our wonderful city.

What struck me most this morning was the lapel pin that they gave us attached to a little card
explaining the elements of the logo and why they were important.

"The Roanoke logo visually expresses the soaring spirit of optimism that defines the city. The colors are a balance between urban sophistication and friendly charm.

The mountain, made up of three individual and unique shapes, illustrates the balance and stability of the city. The grey portion represents the dynamic urban culture while the green is reminiscent of the charming neighborhoods and surrounding natural beauty. The cap of blue symbolizes the Blue Ridge Mountains that can be seen from almost every street in the city.

The center star is derived from the well-loved icon atop Mill Mountain. The star embodies the heritage and spirit of the city. The dynamic rays of light illustrate the energy of exciting new ideas and the ability to make things happen."

After reading that this morning, a smile came to my face. Roanoke is where my heart is and has been all this time I just didn't realize it. I'm proud to be a citizen of Roanoke, Virginia, and I just joined their "marketing team" by telling every one else what a wonderful community I live in.

Now if we could just get a Starbucks...lol

Until next time...

Heather

Marketing vs. Business Development

2005-07-18T13:16:00.000-05:00

When I tell people that I specialize in marketing and business development, I'm often asked "what's the difference?" For the longest time I've struggled with a layman's term to differentiate between the two. That was...until today!

Simply put, marketing is paper, business development is people. You can't have one with out the other. The marketers need someone to push thier paper, and the business developers need paper to push!

Some are better at one or the other and then there are those that can act in each role.

I'm hoping that simple definition clears it up for you if you, too, were wondering the difference between them!

Until next time...

Heather

Sponsorship...and kids...

2005-07-17T17:14:00.000-05:00

This is kind of off topic, but something I needed to express and gain some insight on...

As a former TV account executive, I pushed sponsorship on everyone. It was such an effective marketing tool, it showed the client as the king of whatever it was that they were sponsoring among other things. I still feel this way, and often suggest to people who want to ad contests and such to their site, that they get a sponsor and have the sponsor donate the prize, etc.

So, as you may or may not know, I'm a HUGE Kenny Chesney fan. His concert was the first concert I had gone to that had a sponsor. Last year when I went, I thought, "interesting. What way to better advertise yourself than to latch on to one of the hottest country music artists?" Not only that, but if you know anything about Kenny Chesney, you know that he doesn't live in the south. Well, he does, but it's one of those Caribbean Islands in the south! His music is moving in the direction of Jimmy Buffet, and I know this because at the concert I just went to last weekend, I was amazed at the amount of people who donned a cowboy hat and flip flops. First country concert I've ever been at where the majority of the people had on flip flops instead of cowboy boots.

Where am I going with this? Well, I'll tell you. My kids and I are big music buffs. We listen to everything from country to disco, but mostly country and disco. We dance, we sign, and we enjoy the music. It's a part of us.

Kenny's sponsor is Cruzan Rum. It's Caribbean, it's sexy, it's the epitome of Kenny Chesney at this stage in his career. There couldn't be a better match.

I really hadn't listened to his latest album until last weekend. When I did, there's a song called "Old Blue Chair" and one of the lines goes..."That chair was my bed one New Year's night When I passed out from too much Cruzan and diet." I can tell you on his last album that song went "too much Malibu and diet". Ok, so he changed the words from Malibu, a direct competitor of Cruzan, to Cruzan, his sponsor. I don't think I have an issue with that.

Today, while listening to the album, my new fun song, Key Lime Pie, came on. In it he sings of how he loves his "Cruzan and key lime pie". Talk about product placement!

While discussing this with a colleague, I came to the realization that my kids are singing about Cruzan. Sure, they don't know anything about it now, but what happens 8 years from now when they're with some "friends" and those "friends" have a bottle of Cruzan? Do the lyrics from Kenny's song pop in their head and they think, "Kenny's awesome, mom loves Kenny, we love Kenny, Cruzan must be awesome?"

Just a few weeks ago, my kids and I kareoked to "When the Sun Goes Down" a song all about how all the fun happens when the sun goes down and how they "slept all day to go back for more" and the more I think about it, a lot of the newer songs have many references to alcohol or drinking in them.

I have to tell you that as a marketing geek and a parent I'm torn. I do know that it's my responsibility and not Kenny Chesney's to teach them about the effects of alcohol. However, I was also a kid once. I know what it's like to have idols and peer pressure.

It's one of those things that's out of my control. I do like his music, and so do my kids. He's not talking about killing cops or something like that. (Although, apparently my ex husband listens to different music than we do because I caught my daughter singing "Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?" but that's part of my point!)

I think at this point in time, we'll keep grooving like we have been. I don't want to shelter from my kids. Life is life, and they've got to learn about it some time. (Please don't think I throw it all on them at once.)

Sorry for the ramble about nothing in particular. Just kinda hit me that my 8 and 6 year old are singing about rum....

Your thoughts on this are welcome...

Until next time...

Heather

Stuck...

2005-07-15T22:29:00.000-05:00

You know, most of the time, I have a problem with too many ideas going through my head and I can't focus.

This week I have the exact opposite problem. I know exactly what I have to do and I just can't seem to give myself direction. At this point in time, I don't care if it's the right direction or the wrong one. I'm standing still and the clock is ticking.

There's always the part of me that says, "don't worry Heather. The last minute always produces your best work." And that's normally true. Every paper I ever started early in college received a lower grade than those I started the night before it was due. Maybe I just need that pressure of a deadline. I don't know.

What I do know is that I hate when the creative juices dry up and I'm left standing there.

For now, I'll walk away. It will be there tomorrow. Maybe when I come back to it there will be a road sign...

Until next time...

Heather

Banish Procrastination

2005-07-13T08:46:00.000-05:00

Whoa! Did I say banish procrastination? Yes, I did.

I came across an article today on banishing it...yes banishing it and while I was reading the steps they said to take, I thought, wow! That seems simple enough!

The article came from a subscription I have to The Organized Executive and here's briefly what it says...

List all the things you've been procrastinating.
Assign a rating to each item based on how much pressure it's causing by having it hanging over your head. (Keep in mind, this isn't an importance rating, rather a rating system of how it's affecting you!)
Start with number 1 -- the item that's just bothering you to no end. Once this is done, you should start to feel some of the pressure lifted!
Reward yourself for being a doer and not a procrastinator!
Keep plugging away at your list in the order that you have them rated by stress factor. Don't beat yourself up over how late they are, how long you procrastinated, etc. Keep rewarding yourself along the way.

Now how simple are those steps?

I'm off to make my list and challenge you to do the same if you're a procrastinator! Let me know if you try it and if it works!

Until next time...

Heather

When Motivation Strikes...

2005-07-08T00:17:00.000-05:00

Go with it!

I was just telling my coach at VA Training that I had lost motivation this week. I don't know if it was the weather, the kids, my business partner not being around, or what. I really don't know. What I do know is that I didn't want to even look at the computer!

I felt bad, guilty even, that I wasn't getting anything done. I kept making lists and then not completing what was on them!

So tonight, I go to bed at a reasonable hour and I actually got quite a bit of work done this evening. And I lay there. A gazillion thoughts running through my head.

I finally got up and came out to the computer and started working and now, 2 hours later, I'm beat, I know I'm going to feel it in the morning, however, I feel good about myself and what I've gotten done!

That will carry me through the day!

On a personal note, the kids are leaving for their dad's tomorrow evening, Tim's headed north for a golfing weekend and I'm headed south with my best friend for our annual girls' weekend. We're headed to Charlotte, NC to see Kenny Chesney Saturday night and then out dancing at Coyote Joe's! Just to let you know what we're like when we're at concerts, you can see a picture of us in the front row at the Montgomery Gentry concert in April here.

See you on Monday!

Until next time...

Heather

Hiring a Marketing Director...

2005-07-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

Sometimes there are things that you just can't do for yourself...

Or maybe it's that you just don't want to...

This weekend we took the whole family camping...we're brave, yes, I know...

While booking our site, I noticed on the main franchise page that you could click and go to a personal website, however, everytime I clicked I was just returned to the main page. I did know that it was just bought out a few months ago as we got a very nice letter from them, however, I wanted to know what activities were planned for the weekend.

I mentioned this to my boyfriend the first night we were there and he said, "Well you ought to give them your card." I said I will. I needed time to psyche myself up. See, I'm REALLY good at helping others market themselves, but when it comes to marketing myself, I'm not so hot. I always seem to trip over my words.

Yesterday, we were sitting there at the fire and I said, "Well what do you suppose I should say to them?" Tim replies, "Oh, I already talked to them." WHAT???

He proceeds to tell me that he told them exactly what I had told Tim. He also told me that he thought I should speak to the wife as the husband wasn't real into computers.

So today, we're packing up to leave and I'm psyching myself up to go and talk to them, and I see Tim coming back from the bathroom. He asks, "where are your cards?" I said, "playing cards?" He looked at me like I was the most retarded thing on the face of the earth and said, "no, your business cards!" I gave him one and off he went.

When he came back I thanked him and said that I should hire him as my marketing director. He said, "might as well, I do everything else for you..." and he's right, he does alot. He's my main research person, my editor, and for all intents and purposes, he's the bestest assistant I've ever had. He's a pretty good cheerleader too.

I'm greatful that he went to talk to them for me today. Now I'll call to follow up. I have no problems following up, it's just those cold calls that I have issues with. So we'll see...

Until next time...

Heather

Pulling My Hair Out...

2005-07-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last 2 hours deleting and recreating my blog...Don't laugh...Sometimes I think I know more than I do!

I decided that it would be cool to move my blog over to my site and use word press...ROFLMAO!!!!! Um, yeah...

So I got Word Press all set up on my site and then I read that I can just import all of my entries from blogger into Word Press....AGAIN....ROFLMAO...

I followed the directions...but something wasn't working right...I don't know what I did, but thank goodness I had the sense to save the template that I had set up in blogger...

So when I gave up on the importing, I decided I'd just paste my template back in to blogger and I did...and it didn't work!

So...I think...well I'll just use blogger to publish my site...ROFLAMO...somehow I deleted my whole site...

I finally got them both back up and where they are supposed to be...and I'm leaving them there...for now anyway...

All I know about God is that her name is not Heather...it's a shame I didn't realize that 2 hours ago when I decided I would just jump in WAY over my head...

So there's your lesson for the day!

Until next time...

H

VA Rebels

2005-06-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

I've been tinkering with my blog today and I've added another link on my sidebar...go ahead...scroll down, you'll see it...can't miss it! Big logo...VA Rebels!

I'm going to post how Erin and Becki have described this site, and I want you to read it thoroughly before you decide to join...it's NOT for everyone...

Virtual Assistant Rebels – Rebels With a Cause!
As virtual assistants we are pretty darn awesome aren't we? The industry is fabulous, but are you just dog-tired of the politics? Welcome to Virtual Assistant Rebels – Virtual Assistants and Rebels With A Cause!
Have you noticed that many Virtual Assistant listservs require you to be politically correct, always polite without a hint of negativity? Are you a non-conformist and ready to express:
Your true feelings
Opinions that aren’t sugar-coated
The good, the bad and the ugly about a profession that you love
A realistic approach to the VA industry
No-holds barred content
Virtual Assistant Rebels started as the simple vision of two virtual assistants who were tired of apologizing for speaking their minds and constantly sugar-coating their answers to please the mainstream. As staunch supporters of the virtual assistance industry, their mission is to uphold the integrity and professionalism of the industry, by creating a comfortable (and not so comfortable) place where virtual assistants from all walks of life and all nations, can express their opinions freely, in an open environment, without the harsh penalties of many listservs.
Note: This list is not for everyone! On this list NOTHING is off limits. However, no direct flaming and no offensive language please.
******All members must receive individual emails or the daily digest. If you have your account settings set to "no mail" or "special notices", it is apparent that you are not serious about being a VA Rebel and will therefore be removed from the group.******
Group participation is highly encouraged!
“The superior person's learning goes in his ear, attaches to his heart, expands to the end of his limbs, and is established in his actions. Even in his smallest word or slightest action, he sets an example." ~ Mencius (Mengzi Meng-tse)"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine."~ Mike Murdock

Hope to see you there! (If it's your cup of tea!)

Unitl Next Time...

Heather

Riding the Bus

2005-06-29T16:36:00.000-05:00

I once heard my CFO say "the key to running a successful business is getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats." I don't know where she heard it or if she made it up, but it's stuck with me for quite some time now.

As small business owners, there aren't many people on our bus which has it's advantages and disadvantages. I like not having to manage people and I like not being managed by others...but this trip gets lonely sometimes.

While thinking how I can apply this statement to my business, I kept drawing a blank. People who ride my bus won't ride for long however, I did determine that I can apply this statement to my marketing plan.

So I got off the business bus and on the marketing bus. I evaluated all the elements of my marketing plan and determined which ones were right and which ones were wrong. This is more difficult than it sounds. How do you know if it's completely wrong, or just a right on in the wrong seat? There's some food for thought.

I set the bar for wrong. I've decided that if I move an element to three different seats and it STILL doesn't work, then it's wrong and I'm ejecting it from my bus.

I do know what works, so I'll keep those in place. But then again, how do I know they're really right? Maybe if I tweaked them a little bit and moved them to a seat closer to the window it might produce more results...

oh this chauffeuring business is entirely too difficult, but I want to enjoy the trip, so I'll keep plugging away at determining what should be on my bus, what shouldn't be, and where they should be sitting...and just enjoy the open road...

until next time...

Heather

VA Training

2005-06-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

I've been fortunate to have been accepted to the VA Training program put on by Becki and Dale Noles of Virtual Accuracy. I am VERY excited about this opportunity to learn more and grow my business.

When asked by Dale in the preliminary stages why I felt the training would be beneficial to me, I replied to him that (a) I jumped into the whole VA thing feet first...literally took off running. Now I'm playing catch up and fixing things that I might have been able to avoid and (b) I'm looking to change markets and basically rebuild my VA business from ground up! (I'm crazy, I know...)

The Training is an 8 week program that begins on July 5th and while I'm going thru the training I hope to be able to update the changes that I am making with my business.

And as if one set of coaching wasn't enough...I just learned that I won a free month of e-coaching by Lyle Lachmuth for Creative Careers Unleashed! That coaching will begin on July 15th! My little heart will be coached out over July and August! But I'm VERY excited about the changes that will be taking place!

I had the opportunity to see Lyle present a few weeks ago and was amazed. After asking me just two questions on how I handle situations, he was able to tell me my personality and aid me in accepting who I am and how I work, and how to make it better. I'll also update you on how that coaching is going.

So combine the 2 coaching sessions I'll be participating in and the new project I'm working on and it being summer....::sigh:: I guess the tan just wasn't in God's will for me this year...lol...

Until next time...

Heather

Prioritizing Your Business!

2005-06-24T12:56:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to see Diana in action this past week and attend a brief presentation of Prioritizing Your Business and I was absolutely amazed! What's even better is that she is offering a FREE telecleass on June 29th at 3pm EDT.

Don't waste anymore time! Take an hour of your busy day and learn how to free up time, and not feel as if you've worked all day and have nothing to show for it!

Until next time...

Heather

Holding Pattern

2005-06-23T05:57:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you're in a holding pattern? Feel like you're just not going anywhere, but at the same time, you're not trying to?

That's not entirely true for me. I've had so much going on that a holding pattern for Valley Virtual Assistants is probably what's best right now.

I am working on two other projects and the house is being remodeled. You can see pictures of what we're doing here...(if you're also in a holding pattern and don't have important client work to do.

Sometimes, the best thing is slowing down and taking a break. I know that's easier said than done. I know it's not always possible either. Because I run a part time business, and it's not my sole source of income, I'm able to take a break when I need one, and I don't like doing that, but sometime's it's what I have to do.

The two projects that I'm working on are both marketing related and a lot of fun. So I AM still working, just nothing billable at the moment, but the projects, hopefully, will pay off in the long run! Or at least I'm hoping.

I'm rambling, I know...however, please know that holding patterns aren't forever, and that sometimes they are just what you need, to regroup, refocus and re-energize before you hit the ground running again.

Until next time...

Heather

The Art of Customer Service

2005-06-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

Customer service is a dying art. I wish I could say that it wasn't, but it is. There are certain stores that I dread going into because I know the service will be sub par. Best Buy is one of them. Although they do offer the "best buy" most of the time, I hate being ignored or, even worse, not being able to find someone when I have a question.

Yesterday, I went to Best Buy looking for a computer. I don't NEED a new one, but I'm starting to use programs that require more RAM, etc and since Tim's laptop is four years old and doesn't cooperate all the time, I thought that I would go and get a new one, give him the old one and life would be peachy.

I was ready to walk out of the store with a computer.

I walked into the store knowing exactly what I wanted, with the exception of what processor I wanted. I don't follow the technology trends as far as what's new, what's better, etc., so I really only had one question. Of course, my first glance was at the prices. I knew how much I wanted to spend.

That's when a gentleman approached me to see if I needed any help. I proceeded to tell him what I used my computer for and asked him what he would recommend. I was very firm in the amount I was willing to spend, and that hard drive size didn't matter. I just wanted the requirements needed to run these programs.

I had a long talk with him and we determined what I needed and what I needed to stay away from. He even went so far as to tell me he would rather me go to another store than buy a computer with a certain processor. To me, that's service.

He couldn't find one that wasn't a package deal, as I only needed the tower and attempted to find the head of that department. When he couldn't find Sam, we reviewed what I needed, and went looking again for computers that didn't come without the whole package.

Finally, Sam appeared toting some boxes and my salesperson attempted to ask him a question and he was rude, didn't take time to stop and listen, and went about his business.

We finally determined that there wasn't one in my price range, but he did tell me that they price matched and that there would be new systems on sale. But he refused to let me walk out of the store letting me buy something that wouldn't suit my needs.

I told him about my feelings on the store and that he was wonderful. He'll go places.

While traveling to Greensboro later that day to drop off a company truck, we stopped at a little store outside Martinsville. There were about 6 men outside dressed all in white with black bowties and hats. There were there for one thing...service. While pumping gas, one of them washed my windshield. When I walked into the store to pay, one of them held the door for me. That's service.

I thought that I was going to have a customer service blessed day until I went to the video store. We selected our movies and I was informed that I had late fees. No biggie. I though they were due on Tuesday and they were returned on Wednesday, so I paid my late fees, got our new movies and he said, "these are due back on Wednesday by midnight."

I said, "Wait a minute. If movies checked out on Friday are due on Wednesday, why did I have late fees. I returned all those movies last Wednesday that we checked out on Friday."

He looked at nothing and said, "I don't know, it just said that you have late fees." So I asked him to look at when they were checked in and reluctantly he did so. "They were checked in on Thursday" to which I replied, "they were in the box Wednesday night."

"There's nothing that I can do," he says, and at that point I'm getting angry. "My manager is outside somewhere if you want to talk to her." I stated that I would like to.

I waited five minutes and the manager, who looked as aloof as the boy originally waiting on me, came in and HELPED SOMEONE AT THE COUNTER, walking right past me. She checked out two people before looking at the other kid behind the counter and asked, "where's the person Josh was helping?" I spoke up, "that would be me."

I walked over to the counter in front of her and told her the situation. She said nothing to me while punching numbers on the computer. She finally mumbled, "I put a credit on your account."

"But I want my money back!" I exclaimed. We have a monthly movie pass and rarely do I ever exchange money with the store. I asked if that credit would be applied to my subscription and she replied no.

I stormed out of the store. I was mad. Enough to consider not going back. I still haven't made up my mind. I've not had a problem before, but I know that I'll now be looking when I go in the next time.

Two good out of three experiences in the day isn't bad.

I'll state it again, customer service is a dying art. It will make or break your business. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. I've told many (and now those who read my blog) all about my experiences.

Remember that marketing your business includes the service you provide to others. Take a moment and think about how you service your clients. Doing a good job often times isn't enough.

Until next time...

Heather

KNOCK KNOCK -- Who's there?

2005-06-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

As I posted a few days ago, Seth Godin published a new ebook entitled KNOCK KNOCK and Aaron at Brandplay has come up with a sequel -- WHO'S THERE?

Between both Seth and Aaron, making your website work is just a little easier.

Best of all? WHO'S THERE is free...and KNOCK KNOCK? A mere $9...which is a drop in the bucket compared to the potential sales you can make after reading his book...

Until next time...

Heather

Marketing Must Haves (Part 2)

2005-06-09T17:28:00.000-05:00

Virtually Speaking

By Heather Jacobson

Marketing Must Haves Part 2

Last time I mentioned the basics you must have in your marketing arsenal . You need those to advance to the items I wish to discuss in this article, which are “gimmicks”, your marketing kit, and direct mail (or email) campaigns.

“Gimmicks”

I hate the term “gimmick” as I feel it means we’re trying to hustle the client. That’s not it at all. Simply put, we’re trying to get their attention. If two “solicitations” come across my desk, I’m more likely to pick up the more appealing one first. Our potential clients do the same.

Now, I’ll state that misleading “gimmicks” I’m not real fond of. Therefore, when I send out or attempt my gimmicks, I try to keep that in mind. I don’t want to make my potential clients angry because they think they are getting a free car when they sign up for my services.

Gimmicks and direct mail go hand in hand. While sending out a brochure is a great thing to do, it’s not going to get their attention like it would if the gimmick were attached to the brochure.

One of the things that I have done is send out my standard introductory letter and inside is a little foam foot. You can get these feet at any craft store, normally in the scrapbooking section. On that foot, I write, “Just wanted to get my foot in the door.” When I worked in television and made sales calls, I would often take a large foot with me and leave it with the “gatekeeper” and you would be surprised at the amount of response I received. Why? I got their attention.

Lisa Sommer of Errands to Go used this gimmick:

I recently held an open house for an apartment community and the marketing gimmick that I used was a small business card sized teaser saying "When the work day's through and there's still much to do let Errands-To-Go be your life saver" I purchased some individually wrapped life savers and stapled one to each card. When the life saver is removed, it reveals a picture of a life preserver, like you see on a boat.

There are many things you can do to get the attention of the person you’re sending something to. Send them a pad of post-its with your logo on it. Who doesn’t use post-its? That’s 50 times someone (and not just your potential client) will see your logo. One site that I look at often for promotional items is www.4imprint.com. Their prices are reasonable, but more importantly, it starts your mind into thinking about how you can put a spin on your gimmick. I even found feet post-it notes and may move to sending those out instead of the foam feet!

If you come up with, or have used a creative gimmick and would like to share, I’m always looking for them and would like to compile a master list of gimmicks. Please email them to me at heather@valleyva.net. You will receive credit and a link back to your site for allowing me to use them.

Marketing Kits

There are many different directions you can go with a marketing kit’s presentation. I’ve seen people put them in pretty presentation folders. I've seen kits sent out in labeled file folders, making it a snap for the recipient to file it I’ve also seen marketing kits go out electronically, whether on a regular sized CD or on a business card CD. However you decide to present it, there are a few things that you must include!

I have a standard marketing kit that I personalize for whoever I send it to. If I know they are looking for general administrative duties, then that’s what I highlight and those are the rates that I present. If they’re looking for marketing help, then I highlight my experience in marketing, and include those rates.

The first thing I have in my marketing kit is my general sales letter. It’s a standard letter; however I customize the first paragraph to entice the person it’s going to. In this letter, I give them a summary of what a Virtual Assistant is, how one could help their business, and convince them that they need one -- or at least put the thought in their head. The letter includes my contact information and I normally jot at the bottom that I will call or email to follow up with them in a week.

I then have a more detailed look at the VA industry. I include statistics, what people are looking for in a VA, the services that VAs provide, etc. A page in length is good, but I like charts and graphs as well. What can you find that’s a compelling story to tell these potential clients?

The next section I have is about my company, and me. It’s a resume with a kick. I include a company bio as well as information about my background and my specialties. It’s basically my elevator speech, fleshed out. When I have staff, I will include their resumes as well. I also include a printed resume as well as my addendum, which is a task, action, results page of various tasks that I’ve completed in my career. It’s nice to include a picture, but you don’t have to. If you do decide to include one, make sure it’s a professional one and not one that your five year old took of you at the beach last summer.

The next section that I would include if you have more people working for you other than yourself is contact information for the staff. If it’s just you, then your business card, attached to the sales letter is sufficient.

The “props” section is where I would include testimonials of happy clients as well as any honors or awards you’ve received and any organizations that you belong to. Show them that you are active in the community as well as in the industry.

I would then include a page on what you have in your office that you can use. What hardware do you have, what software do you have? What software do you know how to use? What tools do you possess to make their lives a little simpler?

The rate sheet should go last. It is inserted last in hopes that it will be looked at after all of the other information provided before they look at the cost. It doesn’t normally work that way, however, one can always dream. You may or may not decide to include actual rates as it’s a personal preference. One of the ways to deter people from flipping right to the rates page is to give them the marketing kit in a power point presentation. I am currently working on a presentation for my website. When a visitor wishes to look at my marketing kit online, he or she will have to look at the whole presentation before they get to the rates page.

I also include another sheet behind the rates page as a call to action which simply says, “What are you waiting for? Call me today for your free consultation and learn how partnering together can take your business to the next level.” My contact information is again included.

I recommend a PDF version of your marketing kit that you can email immediately upon request. I also recommend uploading it to your site. The choice of making the link available on your site is a personal decision, however, you can send the link to your marketing kit to you potential client, and it’s another way to drive them to your site.

Direct Mail Campaigns

As a former broadcast television employee, I can’t believe that I’m going to tell you all about direct mail, let alone that it can work. For years, I told people why it didn’t work, why it wasn’t cost effective, etc. Today, I’m going to tell you that it’s a good route to take.

If you want to start your business off locally, or even if you want to target your marketing nationally, direct mail can work. (I recommend something catchy to put in there…)

We’ve talked before about your target market. You have to know who that is before you even think about a direct mail campaign, and here’s why. Don’t waste your time or money sending marketing materials to someone you KNOW won’t be interested. I get information on the mail all the time and I know why it’s sent to me. I just bought a house; therefore, I get all the refinancing mail. I’m their target market. Now, I don’t want to refinance my house right now, but what if I do in the next few months? I’ll know where to go because they’ve already contacted me. I’ll be honest though, it will be the company that somehow caught my attention that I will do business with. You can have the best marketing materials known to man, and they are worthless if you send them to someone other than your target market.

Now that you have your target market, you need a list of people to send the information to. Where do you get that? Yes, there are many places that you can buy lists, but don’t waste the money on a list that you can create yourself. Many Chambers of Commerces are listed online. Many Chambers also list their members online as well. Start there. If your target market is real estate agents, try www.realestateagent.com. Google your target market and see what you can come up with.

Another place to look is your local business journal website. Or read any city’s business journal. You’re virtual, so you don’t have to be in New Mexico just because they are.

Now that you have your list, what do you do with it? USE IT!! You’ve put all that time into it, don’t let it go to waste. Do you have your information ready to send? Do you know what to send?

Do I know what to send? The answer to that is yes, and no. I don’t know what’s best for you and your business. We’ve talked about the brochures and we’ve talked about the marketing kits and the gimmicks. You need to come up with what’s best for you. Do you have a lot of information you want to share? Why not try it in waves?

For example, I might send out a postcard with a tropical place on the front and on the back write “Wish you were here?” and then go into a little spiel on how with the help of a virtual assistant, they could free up the time to take that much needed vacation.

I might then follow up, a week or so later, with my standard sales letter and marketing kit. If I send out a marketing kit, I will call to follow up.

I recommend that you follow up with each person that you send something out to. Things get lost in the shuffle, they forget, etc. It happens to all of us. Drop them a quick email, or give them a quick phone call. It doesn’t have to be anything more than, “My name is Heather and I’m the owner of Valley Virtual Assistants. I sent you some information last week, and I wanted to follow up with you to see if you had any questions that I could answer for you.” Simple. You’ve now touched them a second time.

I recommend tracking what you send, whom you send it to, when, and a response, if any, on a spreadsheet. This will help you to determine what’s working and what’s not. Don’t get discouraged if you sent our 100 post cards and you only heard back from 2 people. Re-evaluate your campaign and try again.

Direct mail works with email too. I don’t recommend sending out a mass email to all the email addresses that you’ve harvested from the Chamber’s website. There are spamming laws in effect now. Make sure that you are abiding by the laws. While we hate spam, we do like to get information that is useful to us!

Each email that you send should be tailored to the person that you’re sending it to. The body can be the same but the first and last paragraph, just as your sales letter that you mail out, should be altered. Take a look at their web site. Talk about their business in that letter. People like it when they’re talked about. Compliment their web site. Schmooze. You can do on the phone, in person, and yes, you can even schmooze in an email.

You can offer a call to action in your email as well, and I recommend doing so. Get them to your site. Make them email you back. Strike up a conversation. Every conversation you have with this person, it another chance you have at making them a client.

Avoid spam looking email. You know what I’m talking about. No subject and big bold red letters. Make the email look like it’s coming from someone they know. Make the subject line something they want to open up to read. The subject line of “How would you like a vacation?” probably isn’t going to work. Be creative, and think about your reaction if you saw the subject line you’re going to use.

Many people ask about putting rates in their direct mail campaigns. For sales at the grocery store, yes, put the rates of the cheese that’s on sale. That’s how you’re going to get people in the door. For services, it’s a little different. Personally, I like to use the word affordable. But my main goal after reading my literature is for a potential client to think, “I have GOT to get a VA”. Then when they see the rates it’s not as bad, as they have already decided that they need one. That and my rates for one client aren’t going to be the same for another. I want them to call me and discuss their needs and their budget with me, so that I can negotiate a fair price. There again, that call to action, “Your first two hours free” can mean a savings of anywhere between $20 and $80 depending on what you charge. Who doesn’t like the word free?

Put time into your marketing kit and your direct mail campaigns. You reap what you sew, so if you’re marketing kit isn’t top notch, you’re less likely to get the response that you want.

Until next time…

Heather Jacobson is the owner of Valley Virtual Assistants. She obtained her BS in Business Management from Radford University and has over 12 years of administrative and marketing experience across multiple industries. Heather resides in Roanoke, VA with her two children, Matthew and Samara.

Tips On Winning a Virtual Assistant Position AND Keeping It

2005-06-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Tips On Winning A Virtual Assistant Position AND Keeping It
by: Lori Redfield

Although still considered an uncommon profession, the Virtual Assistant role is fast becoming the best recognized choice for companies, particularly web-based companies, to pursue nowadays.

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is much like a traditional Administrative Assistant in many ways. VA’s handle correspondence, scheduling, customer support, website updates, writing and design projects, data entry – pretty much anything you can think of that an online company would require for their day-to-day operations.

Many parents who want to stay home with their children have opened their own VA Service. It is a perfect career choice for Mothers of young children, or people who must take care of older relatives. You work out of your home office as an independent contractor. Often times the schedule can be quite flexible.

This is an ideal position for women who plan to return to the workforce when their children are older. It will enhance your resume’ and inevitably you improve your old skills and acquire new ones.

Basic skills and equipment you will likely need include the following:
Microsoft Office – Excel, Access, Outlook, and Word
HTML skills with either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage
Instant Messaging software – ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger
Cable Modem or DSL – Dial up is far to slow for the pace most online entrepreneurs are accustomed to working at.

The above aren’t always necessary – but acquiring each and learning to use them will only increase your desirability and worth.

There are many places to start looking for a Virtual Assistant position:
One of the easiest places to land your first clients is through an ad placed in your own local classifieds. It seems unlikely – but trust me, there is far less competition for local clients then for jobs being bid on through Internet Job sites.

Freelance Job Sites such as elance, smarterwork.com, findafreelancer etc. There is an extensive list of these types of resources here: www.freelancemom.com/gigs.htm

Via Freelance, Home Business, or WAHM forums. Virtual Assistants with an established client base often times search for reliable ‘Over-flow Partners’. Forums are an excellent place to network and seek out these types of opportunities.

Building your own website. Unless you do some very good website promotion, it isn’t likely you will actually gain clients through a website that you build to promote your service. HOWEVER, you really should have a website. Just as business cards are an expected and valuable piece of your traditional business, websites are like an online business card/resume. You should list your rates, your skills, your availability and your portfolio. A well thought out website will give you the edge when bidding on a position.

When you are applying or bidding on a Freelance position, you must come across as a professional. There is something about the online medium that invites a casual correspondence style. You will do well to avoid this temptation. Save similes, abbreviated internet slang (LOL, IMO etcetera) for later on in your relationship with your client.

Your client needs to trust that you are going to help him/her run their business with professionalism. Your first impression must come across as professional as a traditional cover letter for employment. Be confident and clear in your interactions with them. Ask intelligent questions and be very honest about the time that you have available in your schedule.

I strongly advise all aspiring Virtual Assistants to do an honest assessment of what their career objectives are before they begin seeking out work. It is easy, and common to over extend yourself. If your main goal is to earn a part-time living specifically so that you can put raising your children ahead of your career… then be very clear about that when you begin to take on new work assignments.

Start off slow and add clients or responsibilities for clients gradually. Being too eager to succeed can quickly be your worst downfall. The quickest way to lose a good client is by under-delivering. Make realistic promises. You will gain their respect and their trust. And you will find that as their business grows, they will be more then willing to work around your schedule and needs in order to keep you as a valued contractor.

About The Author
Lori Redfield is a freelancing Mother of three, happy wife and blooming online entrepreneur. She is founder of newly launched http://www.freelancemom.com/ an esource for women who want to work from home. lori@freelancemom.com

Seth Godin...what an amazing mind!

2005-06-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

Seth's Blog: more on small

I have to tell you that I read very few blogs religiously. Well, I take that back. Ever since I started using Modzilla Thunderbird as my email client, I receive the blogs that I browse as soon as they are posted, however, there are certain blogs that I actually can't wait to see another post. Seth's is one of them.

Seth Godin, in my mind, is a marketing genius. Maybe he is, and maybe he isn't, however, I hang on his every word, and I take alot from it.

Yesterday, he posted about being small. Today he followed up with "More on Small" and I just thought..."there he goes again!"

I just love his work, his blog, etc.

Seth also just published a new book called KNOCK KNOCK -- Seth Godin's Web Site e-book which I highly recommend. It's $9 and a GREAT investement, or you can wait until September when he posts it on his site. Don't wait...just get it now!

Anywho, just thought I would share Seth's thoughts on being small, for those days you get discouraged that you are a small business owner.

Until next time...

Heather

Success in Business Depends Upon the Successful Targeting of a Strong Niche Market with a Product/Service that this Market Demands

2005-06-06T06:32:00.000-05:00

Success in Business Depends Upon the Successful Targeting of a Strong Niche Market with a Product/Service that this Market Demands - Copyright © 2005 Ever Enterprise

Within every market there usually exists many varied, smaller "niche" markets.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "niche" as: a cavity, hollow, or recess within a larger mass. The term "Niche Marketing" therefore applies to business marketing by identifying a certain audience within a larger audience with special needs/wants/desires that will be an active and receptive purchaser of goods or services.

Identification of a niche market and identification of the marketing techniques that will successfully reach that niche is absolutely crucial to the success of any business, offline or online.It is not enough to simply decide upon a product/service, however, and find a niche market that "seems" to need this product/service. Some guidelines for success do exist and following these guidelines will prevent a lot of heartacheand wasted time and money:

1. A target niche should have a reasonable size. Althoughthe term itself, "niche" insinuates a very small market, ifthe niche market chosen is too small, not enough sales willoccur to keep the business alive and well revenue-wise.Conversely, too large a niche market will lead to severecompetition against larger businesses, and may very well be too untargeted for advertising to be effective.

2. A target niche should be relatively easy to reach withthe proper marketing. Although this will take some trialand error to find the "perfect marketing mix", once thismix is found, the target niche will view the advertisingeasily and respond consistently.

3. The USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of the companyshould reflect the needs and desires of the targeted nichemarket. A USP is the concept the company carries to theconsumer, and it is what makes a product/service "stand outfrom the crowd". The USP, if it matches the needs of thetargeted market, would ultimately furnish the "perfectsolution" to their problems, and the target market, ofcourse, would then be actively searching for this perfectsolution, and hungrily buying once they find it!

4. A target niche should match the knowledge and skills ofthe company. It is incredibly difficult to effectively sellsomething that you know little or nothing about, or thatyou have little to no actual interest in. The old marketingproverb, "You have to like a product/service in order tosell it", comes to mind immediately here.

5. Proper research and due diligence should be done intoany possible niche markets before deciding on the selectionof a niche market. This is an extremely important step, asthe product/service offered to a chosen market must meetsome of the needs of the market explicitly. This researchshould include:

A. Research into the demographics of a market: whichproducts the market needs and why, as well as theirproblems/needs/wants/desires. This would also includeresearch into their buying behaviors.

B. Research into the viability of the product and service.If there are no apparent competitors within the market,this can raise "red flags" as this can occur when there isno need for a particular product/service within certain markets.

C. Research into existing competition. If a market is alreadyglutted with other competitors, the establishment of abusiness and its products and services will be indeed, more difficult.As you can see, simply following some very easy guidelines can increase the chances of identifying a target niche market, as well as increase the effective promotion to this chosen niche market. Identifying your own particular niche, and speaking "to this" niche will return a hungry market each and every time!
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Jeffery Greer is the author of "Ever Enterprise Marketing Tips", an online marketing newsletter. You will receive Down-to-earth practical marketing tips and advice you can duplicate to propel your business into the spotlight and snowball your online profits, delivered to your inbox weekly! http://www.everenterprise.com/adtrackz/go.php?c=pwniche

Hiring a Virtual Assistant -- How to Get Help When You Don't Want Employees in Your Home Office

2005-06-06T06:09:00.000-05:00

Hiring a Virtual Assistant

A Q&A from Entrepreneur.com all about VAs, how we work, and how they can benefit!

Until next time...

Heather

Virtual Assistants: A New Breed of Work At Home Entrepreneurs

2005-06-04T07:35:00.000-05:00

Virtual Assistants: A New Breed of Work at Home Entrepreneurs
Source : Moneyplans.net Archives

According to a 2004 study, the Center for Women’s Business Research reports there are an estimated 10.6 million privately-held, 50% or more women-owned firms in the U.S., accounting for nearly half (47.7%) of all privately-held firms in the country. Astonishing, isn’t it?

It’s the dream of millions to start their own business and utilize their computer to make money at home. Now, with the help of Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker’s latest book, Virtual Assistant – The Series, 3rd Edition ($29.95, Another 8 Hours Publishing), it’s a reality! With the latest technologies, the rapid growth of the Internet, and the business community recognizing the benefits of partnering with a qualified virtual assistant, the virtual revolution has begun. And there is no end in sight!

What started out in the 80’s as home-based word processors has grown into what we are seeing today. The local limitations are gone. The boundaries are erased. Modern advancements and the sheer power of the Internet coupled with enterprising, cutting edge entrepreneurs such as these authors have skyrocketed this industry. They know the technology. They have the resources. And they’ve written the book on it! A book so powerful that it’s cited as the “bible” for the virtual assistant industry. Virtual Assistant – The Series is currently used as training material for VA courses including: Virtual Assistance U, an online training center for virtual professionals; Red Deer College’s VA Certification Program (in Canada); and other higher level learning organizations and colleges who are recognizing the potential for growth and continued education in the VA industry.

Priscilla Y. Huff, Author of 101 Best Home-Based Businesses for Women, 3rd. rev .ed, states, “It’s more than just a startup manual, it is written by professional virtual assistants (VAs) who combine their knowledge and experience with practical tips from other successful VAs to help ensure your own success in this exciting new venture. Virtual Assistant – The Series is an essential tool for launching one of the most exciting new entrepreneurial ventures–becoming a professional virtual assistant.”

This book leaves no stone unturned. Virtual Assistant – The Series is a complete guide to starting and running a successful and PROFITABLE practice. It covers the nuts and bolts that are the foundation of a successful practice including business and financial planning, bookkeeping, marketing, and setting up a business. Plus it offers information on domain registration, creating a web site, and most importantly, how and where to find clients.

Virtual Assistant – The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA 3rd Edition Revised ISBN # 0-9742790-5-6, 248 pages, August 2004, is available at www.VA-TheSeries for $29.95 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. (First and second editions published under the title Up Close and Virual.

MercuryNews.com | 06/03/2005 | Online sales clerks assist online shoppers

2005-06-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

MercuryNews.com | 06/03/2005 | Online sales clerks assist online shoppers

Those annoying clerks that pounce on you when you walk in to the store have found their way to the internet.

Now, don't get me wrong, they aren't ALL annoying. There are some that do their job and do it well. They let you know they are there, they don't dissappear when you do actually need something and they don't pester you.

What I worry about with this is that every minute I'll get a pop up asking me if I need help. One of the main reasons I shop online is because I don't like to be bothered, and it looks like that is now over.

Your thoughts on these new "virtual assistants"? I'd love to hear them!!

(Although...this might be a great opportunity for those wahm's out there!!)

Until next time...

Heather

Yahoo! waives set up fees!

2005-05-26T17:49:00.000-05:00

Reliable web hosting from Yahoo! Domain name included.

Yahoo! waives it set up fees and it won't last long!! Hosting prices start at $11.95 a month and Yahoo! Small Business Services offers much, much more!!

Marketing Must Haves (Part 1)

2005-05-25T20:40:00.000-05:00

Work at Home Mom Newsletter

Here's my latest article all about the MUSTS for your marketing efforts!!

Please let me know what you think about the article! I welcome all thoughts, comments, and suggestions about what I can bring you in the newsletter each week!

Until next time...

Heather

Virtual Assistance Hits the Bluegrass : Khalsa News Network- KNTimes.com

2005-04-02T09:39:00.000-05:00

Virtual Assistance Hits the Bluegrass : Khalsa News Network- KNTimes.com

Virtual Assistant Celebrates Five Years & Shares Lessons Learned

2005-03-29T14:45:00.000-05:00

Virtual Assistant Celebrates Five Years & Shares Lessons Learned

Inman Real Estate News - Real estate's a game of 'instant gratification'

2005-03-25T21:13:00.000-05:00

Inman Real Estate News - Real estate's a game of 'instant gratification'

I was thrilled to see this article. As many of you know, I am attending the Roanoke Valley Real Estate Expo. The person putting the Expo together is a client of mine, and I've been working on putting together targeted marketing materials for Realtors explaining WHY they need a VA. Look at some of these statistics...

Moreover, only 2 percent of open-house leads receive follow-up phone calls.

When agents do respond to e-mail inquiries, 70 percent of the agents take two days to respond and 58 percent do not respond at all.

If I can get these Realtors to understand that they are these statistics and that they NEED a VA to help them make money, then I'm golden!

The Real Estate Industry is big in my area and I have many contacts that I used to work with who are now selling homes. It's a market I'd like to dabble in a bit, but I just need to get my foot in the door...

Until next time...

Valley Virtual Assistants

Virtually Speaking -- March 23, 2005

2005-03-23T09:26:00.000-05:00

Virtually Speaking
By: Heather Jacobson
Original Article in The Red Hot Report, March 23, 2005

So, now you know all about the Virtual Assistant Industry…what next? Well, what do you need to get started? You probably have all the basics, the computer equipment, the skills, etc. But what about the little details?

A Business Plan

Do you really need one? You do…but that doesn’t mean it has to be a full-fledged business plan! I know that I should do a formal one, but where’s the time? For now, I have a note book that I carry with me everywhere that I jot notes down in, goals, things that I would like to accomplish. It’s a personal preference, but you will find that the more you write down, the more you will see your practice unfold. It helps work out all the little details in the beginning, so that when you stumble across them down the road, they just need to be fleshed out.
You can find more information on business plans here.

A Business Name

How are you going to operate? Choosing a name is difficult, and I know many people to take months to figure out the name they want to do business under. It’s important. You want something catchy, something that no one else has, something that people will remember. There’s a lot to go into picking a name. I struggled for months with picking a business name. I decided that I was going to market locally at first and then expand nationally, so I wanted something that people could relate to in my area. Hence the name, Valley Virtual Assistants, as I live in the Roanoke Valley.

Get together with friends and other VAs that you’ve met online and brainstorm on a name. Do you want to keep your name local? Do you want to include your services in your name? Don’t stress over the details, but do realize that once you pick a name, you’re “stuck” with it. You’re not really, but changing a name and re-branding is tons of work, and you want to focus more on billable work than re-branding yourself. After all, isn’t that our pitch to clients?

Licensing

Check with your city or county office about obtaining a business license. The Small Business Administration offers a list by state of where to go to obtain your license. You can operate under your own name, or a d.b.a. (doing business as). If you plan on getting a business checking account (which I recommend), you will need to have the d.b.a licence as well.

In my county, the cost for the business license is a $50 yearly fee, and then an additional $15, one time fee, for the d.b.a. Please save your receipts for this as it is considered a business expense. Once you get the d.b.a. you can get your Federal ID number and open a business checking account. You don’t have to have a separate business checking account, but I have found it to be extremely helpful when working on my books. I can take my “paycheck” from there when and if it’s available.

Once you have that license, you’re in business…legally!

Accounting

Now that you have your first business expense, you’re going to need to set up an accounting system. It doesn’t have to be a grand plan at the moment, but the more organized you are in the beginning, the easier it’s going to be down the road. Set up a filing system for your receipts. I have one file folder on my desk that I have that I put all my receipts in and then at the end of the month, I go through and enter them in to my ledger and then file them in an expanding folder for the month.

You probably don’t need a program like Quickbooks right now. I covet having it, but it’s not an expense I need to incur right now. So what I use is an Excel Spreadsheet that keeps track of everything and then spits out and income statement for me every month. You can download a copy of that spreadsheet from my website. (Look for more “goodies” in the upcoming weeks on my site.)

The best advice I can give you for your accounting is keep on top of it! Waiting until the end of the year will prove to be a nightmare for you or your accountant.

Web Presence

Because your title includes the word “virtual” you should probably have a website, although it’s not necessary. I tend to think that everyone is like me in that if they can’t find it online, then it doesn’t exist. Thank goodness this isn’t the case, because I’m working on websites for clients that don’t currently have one. But see a website as another marketing tool.
Websites don’t have to be costly. Domain registrations are under $10 a year and can be registered through Internet Based Family, GoDaddy.com, Yahoo! Small Business, among others. (There are the cheapest that I’ve found while looking for my domain, and personally, I went with Yahoo!)

Building an actual website doesn’t have to be costly either. If you are proficient with Microsoft FrontPage or Macromedia Dreamweaver, you can build it yourself. If you’re just not that great with those programs, or don’t have them, there are many website builders out there that are included with the hosting. The best site builder that I’ve come across is Internet Based Family. It’s very user friendly and provides more templates, pages, and options than you can shake a stick at. Once you register for the site, you can then transfer it over to your own domain. I currently host my site there, and Mommy’s Place is hosted there as well. My site took me an afternoon to build and I was pleased with the results.

Now, I’ve talked about hosting, but I didn’t really explain it. There are other options if you’re building your site with a program and then uploading it. Yahoo! Small Business offers hosting, along with others. It’s going to be a matter of shopping around and seeing what you need. You won’t need that much bandwidth, so the lesser hosting packages probably would suit your needs. You can read more about various web hosting places at here.

Homework

I’ve left you with enough to chew on for now, and that should keep you busy for awhile. Work on the above and you’ll find that the questions will start coming. When you have one, pop into the forums and we’ll be more than happy to help you, or at least tell you how we handled the situation. And if you’re still hungry for more information, you can check out my blog for more information and helpful tips on starting your own VA practice.
Until next time…see you on the boards!

Valley Virtual Assistants

Telework and Homeshoring Embracing More Home-Based Professionals, Reports Staffcentrix

2005-03-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

Telework and Homeshoring Embracing More Home-Based Professionals, Reports Staffcentrix

As an Army brat, we moved alot. We would come home to find Elton John on the record player, and we knew...we were moving...AGAIN.

It's easy for kids to pick up and move, in the sense that you know there's going to be another school to go to. But for the spouses? Mom would worry more about finding another job in a new state (and as an RN, that meant getting a license for another state.)

Staffcentrix offers help for Military Spouse Virtual Assistants, and I think it's a wonderful idea! Not only owning your own business from home, but keeping that business even when the military up and moves you...AGAIN!

Those that run Staffcentrix have a new book coming out in July called The 2 Second Commute and this is what Amazon has to say about the book...

Virtual Assistants work from home, providing everything from administrative support to high-end consulting via email, phone and fax. Predicted to be a $130 billion industry by 2008, they don't commute, they set their own hours, and they get to spend time with their kids. Wouldn't you like to be a VA, too? The 2 Second Commute will help you decide whether the VA path is a good fit for you. In The 2 Second Commute, you'll learn how to * Launch your VA business on a shoestring. * Market the skills you already have. * Overcome shyness to get the work you want. * Use the business to strengthen your family. * And much more! Christine Durst and Michael Haaren appear often in such media as Business Week, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal, and publish frequently on virtual career issues.

Here's what Staffcentrix has to say about their book...

The 2 Second Commute: Join the Exploding Ranks of Freelance Virtual Assistants is the first mainstream book on Virtual Assistance, and is coming from Career Press in July. In it, we'll tell you all you need to know to launch and grow a successful VA business, and how it can help you build a stronger
family life, now and in the years to come.

I've pre-ordered the book and can't wait for it to be released. It's a great addition to my VA library and for $10.19 you can't beat it!!

Until next time...

Valley Virtual Assistants

Mentoring

2005-03-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

Many companies have a mentoring program in place. It's a voluntary program that matches you with someone else with similar job duties, functions, etc. It's not easy to match a mentor-mentee pair. (I know this because I am the mentor coordinator for my current company.) But the satisfaction of seeing a match work is more than I could describe. It's also amazing when you've been matched with an amazing mentor!

For example, when I started with this company I was matched with an executive assistant at another one of our branches. I was skeptical, I really was. But what I found was a relationship with a person who knew EXACTLY what I was going through. She could empathize with me and lead me in the right direction when I needed to be led. What a concept!

Our pairing and the benefits of it were recognized and we were awarded with the 2005 Mentor-Mentee Award for the company. Many people in the company knew that I leaned on my mentor and that she was there for me when I needed her and had helped me grow.

I'm no expert on mentoring, I only know the impact that it's had on my career, and I recommend that everyone have a mentor. In the VA world, I don't have a mentor that I went to and said, "hey, will you be my mentor?" but I have found several VAs that I spend countless hours online with, helping me form a better business, submitting better proposals, and in general, helping to make me a better VA.

Entrepreneur.com has a wonderful list of articles about mentoring and I encourage you to take a look at them. Decide if mentoring is right for you. To be honest, I had the attitude that I didn't need help from anyone else, but I was wrong.

If you have a mentoring success story (either as the mentor or the mentee), please let me know. Up until a year ago, I had never thought of mentoring as the way to go, but it seems that it is!

Until next time...

Valley Virtual Assistants

Business Plans -- Do you need one?

2005-03-10T09:57:00.000-05:00

Recently, there was a big discussion in the forums on whether or not a business plan is necessary. Because Virtual Assistants don't often need start up funds, a business plan tends to be seen as something that doesn't need to be done. So look at it as something to keep you in check.

Should you do it? The answer is yes, you should. Have I done one? No.

Different people operate in different manners.

"It can be difficult to set those concrete goals, but do keep in mind that you can make 3 month business plans up to 10 year business plans and beyond! Mine, for example, is constantly a work-in-progress, but at least I can look at it, or hand it to my associates, and say "These are my goals Right Now. It's such a huge weight lifted to see my ideas in a solid, organized document that can remind me of what it is that I'm doing, and why." Erin B., TrinityJacobs

"Although [my business plan] is not complete, I can already see the benefits. By writing a business plan, it has forced me to consider all facets of my business. I have had to determine what services I will offer and at what rate, my policies and procedures, my marketing tactics (I also plan to write a marketing plan which will be more specific), etc. It has caused me to actually research the VA industry, consider a niche, evaluate any group affiliations and more. While I have most of the plan done, I still need to determine concrete goals and how I will measure my performance against those goals. I plan to do a pro forma based on realistic assumptions, etc.

A business plan will also help when organizing your website (another task I still need to work on!). It contains your qualifications (background), services, fees, terms & conditions, etc. right at your fingertips!

I highly recommend a business plan. Although the task may seem daunting when you first begin your plan, it is truly worth it!" Erin S., Versassist

Both Erin's are absolutely right! For me, I went into this "business" backwards. I was already doing the work and then realized there was an "industry" and threw a website up, put an "open for business" sign up and started taking on more clients. Looking at it now, I realize that I should have a business plan.

Resources for writing a business plan

There are many books out there that help with business plans:

The One Page Business Plan

Business Plans For Dummies

Business Plans Kit For Dummies

How to Write a Business Plan: 7th Editon

Your First Business Plan: Learn the Critical Steps to Writing a Winning Business Plan

Plan for Profitability!: How to Write a Strategic Business Plan

Anatomy of a Business Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Business and Securing Your Company's Future

Business Plans that Work: A Guide for Small Business

There are also many free resources out there for writing a business plan. Some of the ones that I have come across:

BPlans.com

United States Small Business Administration

BusinessPlans.org

VFinance.com

Business Owner's Toolkit

BizPlanit Virtual Business Plan This site actually walks you through each section of your business plan.

SBA Online Women's Business Center

MyOwnBusiness.org

What are you waiting for?

You're now armed with the resources you need for a business plan. Take the time and think it through. You can use this plan to get funding for office equipment, but chances are, you already have what you need. So, that means that you're doing this for you! Don't bother with it if you aren't going to put the thought into it, as it won't do YOU any good. And don't expect it to be an hour long process. I have written these things before, and they take time. It's a lot of brainstorming, writing, rewriting, etc. It's getting frustrated and putting it to the side for a little while and then coming back to it. They pay off in the end is worth it. You will have something to check your progress against, know what your goals are and aren't and if you're achieving them.

Happy writing and good luck!

Until next time...

Heather

Valley Virtual Assistants

VA Resources -- Knowledge is Power

2005-03-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

When starting your own VA business, knowledge is key! I couldn't get my hands on enough information. I've compiled a list of links that may be of help to you as well as some books that can be purchased online.

Most all of these were featured in my column in the Red Hot Report. If you've not yet signed up for a subscription, you need to do so! It's an audio newsletter (or there is a text version) and I like it because I can listen while I work!

As I find more information, I will be happy to pass it along.

Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA
Receive FREE shipping through this link!

Virtual Assistant's Guide to Marketing: The VA Approach to Marketing Your Services

MommysPlace.net – Nell offers wonderful information to get you headed in the right direction, and the following sites should offer even more insight:

Alliance for Virtual Business – This site has great articles for any virtual business, including VAs and is very informative on many levels.
ePro Services is the site of VA and offers many great articles on website mistakes to avoid, and how to run a successful VA operation.
International Association of Virtual Office Assistants offers much free help and even more help when you join their organization.
International Virtual Assistants Association is another VA Association that offers information on Virtual Assistants
International Association of Virtual Assistants is a VA Association site for the UK, but offers many articles about the VA industry, including some about starting your own VA business.
Virtual Assistant Networking Forum offers a forum for Virtual Assistants as well as a VA listing. This site is completely run by volunteer VAs to help others.
Work-the-Web.com Reporting and resources for the Virtual Assistant Industry
Docutype Administrative Services is the site of a Virtual Assistant who offers a newsletter as well as many articles on Virtual Assistants.
Virtual Assistant Tips Tips and Tricks for VAs in a newsletter format. You will need to subscribe to receive the information.
Admin-Prof.com Virtual Assistant Resources This site is a plethora of VA information. There is a message board, newsletter, VA listing and more!
Virtual Attaché Many articles about Virtual Assistants

VAs in the News

2005-03-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

One of the great things I learned from Nell was the power of Google News Alerts. So, I created several for the VA industry so that I could keep on top of what's going on in the VA world. As I receive articles I will post here for others to read. Some, I print out and keep in a folder for quick reference. Others, I deem worthy to post on the articles section of my website.

At the TV station that I used to work for in Richmond, we all were assigned an industry and were expected to be "experts" in that industry. At our weekly meetings, we shared industry news so that we were all aware of what happenings were going on that may affect our clients. I encourage you to learn more about the industries of your clients when you have them. Not only does it make you look educated, but also gives them more trust and respect for YOU.

But don't lose sight of the fact that you need to know what's going on in YOUR industry.

Local Company Adds Mentoring Program Helping Others Start Own Virtual Assistant Business
This company is offering mentoring services for a fee. Not a bad idea, but if you're low on funds, there are other options out there. MommysPlaceForums.net are wonderful for finding help.

Stay At Home Mom Assists Small Businesses

Settle by the Sea offers paperless transactions

As I come across more that I feel would be a help to your VA business, I will pass them along.

Until next time...I'll see you in the forums.

Starting over

2005-03-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

Starting over...

Sometimes we just have to do a ctrl-z and undo.

With the help of Nell of MommysPlace and her forums, I've realized that I can do so much more with this blog and really offer information that people want to read.

So starting today, the blog will be updated with more frequency AND with relative information on starting your own VA business. I hope that the information will help those just starting out as well as those that are already established. Two heads are better than one, and I might find something or touch upon something that you may not have come across yet.

Also, be on the look out for my column, Virtually Speaking, in the Red Hot Report. I've been given a wonderful opportunity and hope to help others along the way.

You'll notice that I added an RSS feed to my blog so that you can get my blog easier.

I've also signed up for a new Yahoo group called the Virtual Forum moderated by Erin B. of TrinityJacobs and Erin S. (website coming soon). Please venture over there and sign up. You'll find that surrounding yourself with those already in the industry will help you with brainstorming and getting your business off the ground.

Until next time...I'll see you in the forums

Heather
Valley Virtual Assistants

I finally figured it out!

2005-02-22T15:09:00.000-05:00

I finally figured out how to get pictures in to my blog. So ladies and gents....this is me!

Now, when I have some time, I'll introduce you to the rest of my family!

Photobucket

2005-02-22T15:07:00.000-05:00

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

Grand Opening!

2005-02-06T01:29:00.000-05:00

I'm up and running! I have a website and I just landed a client. I hate to use the word landed, so I guess I secured a client. I'm up to two!

I was estatic when I opened my email and saw that someone was inquiring about MY services. The site's only been up for 4 days tops!

It's a simple job, however, I know that I have to treat it like it's a very important job, because it is...to my client. Retiaing clients is the best way to build your client base. Happy clients talk...and so do unhappy clients, but when my name is mentioned, I want happy clients talking.

He said that this could be ongoing, and I'm hoping that he's right. I want to build this. I never though it would be possible, but here it is...I'm on my way...and I couldn't have done it without the wonderful people that I've met along the way...and Tim. He's been amazing!

I should be in bed. I have a gazillion things to do tomorrow, but I'm still reeling with excitement.

For once, I feel like I can take on the world.

Until next time...

Heather

Rough, Very Rough Outline for hosting an expo...

2005-02-04T23:29:00.000-05:00

Again, I helped someone with my knowledge of putting together an expo and this is what I have...it's very, very rough...

One of these days, I'll do something productive with these thoughts and ideas, but for now feel free to use them as you see fit...

okie dokie here we go...

now, keep in mind, that this is off the top of my head...i've never written it all out before...i've just planned and organized ALOT of events...

if you have further questions, please let me know...i'd be more than happy to elaborate...

The first thing you need to do is establish a location. The only way you're going to know about costs is to ask. I would check with the local mall first. Malls have traffic anyway, so you know people will be there. Most malls have counters on their doors (some don't...we have 2 in the area, one does, one doesn't...) but this is helpful in your sales pitches for clients...if you can tell them the REGULAR traffic that the mall has, plus the additional traffic because you're advertising! Now the door counters only count the number of times the door was opened, so you can also offer up that this is only the amount of times the doors are opened, and more likely than not, more than one person is going through that door at a time.

The event that I am doing now, I don't know the budget, so I don't know how much my client is paying for everything, but I can give you what another event did financially. These will vary with you.

We paid the mall $3,000. Now in return, the mall advertised the event on their calendar, website, directories and table tops in the food court. (We provided the inserts for the table tents but they weren't that much.)

We have stipulations with the mall...no selling can happen from the booths. Or actual products. You can take orders *i think*...you will have to check...they don't want you to take away from mall sales. Does this make sense? But talk to them and see what they say. You have to have a plan laid out before you go to them. You have to show them why this would be a good opportunity for them.

There are two mall options...one in the corridors and two in an empty store, if there is one available...

Ok, then you need to check into the people that will provide the booths for you. We paid $45 per booth and that did not have electric. You can choose to eat the cost of electric if you have an exhibitor who wants it, or you can make them pay extra for it. You will need to determine how many exhibitors you think you can get. This is how you are going to be able to plan your budget.

The date is iffy as to when you decide on it...you may want to get title sponsors first and have them help decide the date or you may want to make it up on your own. Be sure that it doesn't conflict with major events in your town. Like here, for instance, when VA Tech has a home game, no one goes out. It's not a good time to have it. Look into those types of hang ups. You will need to clear the date with the mall and the exhibit people.

Once you secure the location, you need to get sponsors. There are several levels of sponsors. Ideally, you get a media sponsor. To do this, you call up either the marketing director or sales manager at the local tv stations, radio stations and newspapers...there are two levels of sales managers as well...general and local...get on the phone with them, explain your concept and sell it to them. If you can get them on board, you're good to go. Most of the time, they will match what ever you buy. So if you buy a $2000 advertising schedule, they will match $2000. Also, you're going to want to know about how much advertising you're going to want to buy. (I've worked in TV, so I know all about this stuff and can edcate you on some terms to go into the meeting with.) They want to know how it's going to benefit them! Selling points to them is that their logo will go out on all printed materials, etc. You will only be able to have one tv station, radio station sponsor as they are competitive. You can purchase time on another station, but they can't sponsor it. Does this make sense?

You will want to create a website for it, ideally, before your first wave of sales materials go out. Your first wave of sales materials should include your business name as the presenter, the media sponsor's logo and then you are advising of the event and looking for title sponsors. If you have people who are already interested, then they may want to be a title sponsor and get in on the action before the first wave (then their logo can be on the first wave stuff). I don't know what you have in place already...

Ok, the first wave...a simple, one sheet page outlining what your event is, mall traffice, etc. Selling points...not too much information. You want to include prices, contact info, the website address and the sponsors. People are more likely to sign up for an expo if they know that there will be media sponsors. This is free advertising for them.

Title sponsors pay more for their booths, but they get bigger booths, prime locations and they are featured in all the sales material and the advertising that you are doing. Roughly, booths run about $400...and title sponsors pay $1000-2000. You can play with this as you like...it all depends on how much money you want to make and the level of an expo that you want to create. We charged more for the ones we were doing with the TV station because all of our profit went back into advertising...they were getting more advertising.

Once you send out your first wave, call to follow up. They've seen the information, but it's gotten pushed under a stack of papers on their desk, or the dog ate it...but when you identify with why you are calling or emailing they will recall that you sent information. This is your chance to pitch them again and sign them up.

Your second wave will go out to the first wave people as well as others you've found along the way. This will include the title sponsors. You always want to include "space is limited so sign up today" line on everything...increases the demand effect. The second wave will have a little more detail than the first but will hit the key points...again...follow up with those that you talked to the first time and were on the fence...offer suggestions to them...like "at the event, you should have a door prize drawing" what they don't realize is that by having people enter their business card in a fish bowl for a $15 prize, they automatically have a database to do with what they like. Would they pay $400 for a lead list? Maybe, maybe not. You have to sell them on how this will help them and give them little advice like this along the way.

You will need to come up with a contract for your people to sign stating that they will pay and it's non cancelable...this is your agreement, and you need payment when they sign the contract.

Then it's all planning...sending out a letter to them 2 week prior to the event...reminding them, telling them when set up and tear down is and the specifics...keep in close contact with them...

How that's for starters to chew on...would be more than willing to help you with this, as it is part of my VA services...would be willing to negotiate in order to help a fellow WAHM out...or trade services, but advice is free...=)

hope this helps...let me know if you have questions...

Heather

Virtually This and That!

2005-02-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

Virtually This and That!

Here's another VA I found through my network group at ryze. Great information and articles.

Hope this helps...

I'm a little worn out from fighting all the spyware tonight, but I can say that I can now access MY site, like everyone else was able too...:)

Until next time...

Heather

My approach...not fully hashed out...

2005-02-02T13:28:00.000-05:00

A few people have asked me the steps I've taken and here is my response...it's not totally hashed out, but it's a start. And this is what I am doing, feel free to modify...

If you need something explained in a little more detail, let me know...

H

Here's the approach I took....

I got a business license...and then I started defining on paper what I wanted to do...there are certain things that I'm better at than others. I can DO transcription, but I hate it...so I decided my strengths were sales, marketing and new business development. That's my niche. However, I'm not going to NOT do transcription...work is work.

After that, I needed to come up with a name...that was tough. I suggest a brainstorming session and carrying a notebook with you everywhere. Ideas will come at the oddest times...and getting a name is really hard! Once you think of one, you have to research it to see if it's being used somewhere else, if it's trademarked, can you get a domain name with it?

Once you come up with the name you need a catchy slogan...that's tough too...

Now that I have all that (and while working on that) I am drafting my webpages...on paper...what pages I want, what I want to highlight. I'm also looking at other VA sites for ideas, what I like, what I don't like...

I'm also making sure my home office is set up. I got a second phone line with just voice mail. Then I know that the kids won't answer. I also set up an efax account (a free one) so that I had a free fax number to receive faxes.

When I get all that done, I go buy my domain name. I got mine thru yahoo and it was $5 a year. So now, I need a host and an actual site. Now, I know html and I know programs, but I didn't have the time to put it all together. So I chose internetbasedfamily.com. It was simple and I had a 10 day trial to build it and get it straight before my trial period was up. You don't need logos...you can if you're good at that kind of thing...

So you have all that...

You're open for business...

Now you have to market yourself...I don't recommend going live until you have everything set up. Don't get your business cards until you have a phone, fax and website...and you can get them at vistaprint.com for just shipping...

Now, once you have everything (and save all your receipts because it's all write offs...don't write off your entire internet bill because you use it for home too, write off a percentage of it)

What I'm planning on doing is sending out letters introducing myself in my community. I'll start locally. I've also arranged to trade out services with a marketing company that is putting together a trade show...i get a booth in exchange for helping to organize the event.

This is kinda a rough outline...if you need more hashed out...let me know...

The Barter System

2005-02-01T01:47:00.000-05:00

Hey, it worked way back then, so why not now?

A few days ago, I linked my post on the wahm.com boards about a former co-worker and how he needed me. I proposed to him that I do his work for the real estate expo that he's working on and in return, I get a booth at the expo. It's not such a hard stretch, after all, many real estate agents need assistants. There are some out there that specialize in it!

I am soooooo excited. For numerous, obvious reasons. The exposure for one. I will be able to educate this area on what VAs are, and possibly find out if people know we exist! I'm willing to bet, most of them don't.My boyfriend is so excited for me, but then again, he's been helping me in this little venture. I told him that I was going to raffle off time, such as 2 free hours of my services and he thought I was nuts...well I got news for him...I have a fish bowl and people put their business cards in it, I have an instant database! DUH!! Of course, I don't have to raffle off my time. I could easily give away a gift certificate somewhere, but at least with my time, I can prove to someone what I can do! Then maybe they'll come back!I'm still waiting on my logo. Love my buddy to death, but he's busy and my stuff is not priority! Oh well. The expo isn't until the 16th of April, so I have some time.A list of things that I need for the expo...

one sheeter about VAs and my services
possible FAQ hand out
brochures
business cards
table top display (and unfortunately, this is going to have to be home made as I don't have the money to shell out on a display, but I think I can make it look classy)
I'd like to find a partner to come and sit in the booth with me, so that I can also go out and network and not leave my booth unattended
give aways...and i'll need to look into pens, etc. I like the little neat stuff and if it's got the company name on it and sitting on someone's desk, then I have a better chance of being remembered when they are about to pull their hair out with something...lol

So I know what I need, and I have the time to assemble it all. I have begun keeping track of how much time I am spending on Dave's project to make sure that I have "paid" him $350 (the cost of the booth) by the time April comes around. But he's a smart business man, and I don't think he's the type to get screwed out of money...lol...but he's also a dear friend of mine and I want to make sure he gets the best!

So it looks like things are up and up and I definately haven't lost my marketing touch. Being out of the business for almost a year now started to make me worry a bit, but we'll see...
Thanks for hanging in there with me and there will be more later...

Heather

Update on my successes - WAHM.com Boards

2005-01-29T00:24:00.000-05:00

Update on my successes - WAHM.com Boards

Here's the link to my successes today...

Eventually the link to the Expo that I am talking about is www.rvree.com

The powerpoint one sheet is amazing...I got my BF to help me with the wording. He's amazing with copy and making things flow...and so he and I talked about partnering in this little business venture of mine and he simply stated he had planned on helping me whenever he could as he knew that the money I made from my little venture would be for us and the kids and to go on vacation and be able to fix up the house...he had just assumed it would be to help with the kids and the house so I could work...

I was a little discouraged before all of this happened, however, now that things have taken a turn, whether they pan out or not, I'm ready to jump back in all this and keep going...and hopefully, my former co-worker will accept my offer and let me help him plan, organize and sell this thing. A booth space might not be much, however, I'll be out there and hopefully, if nothing else, educating this area about VAs...what we are, what we do, and that we exist.

Until next time...

H

Virtual Assistance Business - The Legalities of Starting a Virtual Assistance Business

2005-01-25T22:44:00.000-05:00

Virtual Assistance Business - The Legalities of Starting a Virtual Assistance Business

Thanks to Nell, again, here is an informative article on EXACTLY what to do when starting your own business. I wish I would've seen this a month ago. I've pretty much taken care of all of this, other than the filing for a DBA name, which I will do next week. (It's a one time $15 charge here) and getting an EIN number and opening my own business checking account. I'll get to it, just not one of those real important things right now. I'm still in the start up process, but it's on my list of things to do...

Thanks Nell for the wonderful site, chocked full of WONDERFUL information!!!

Until next time...

H

Professional Virtual Assistant Certification

2005-01-25T20:28:00.000-05:00

Download Application

home...Interesting...Again, thanks to Nell and her wonderful site, I came across a certification program that is based on ACTUAL work and you don't have to join. It's a simple $30 application fee. I'm sure that I have the experience to qualify. I'm going to do some more research, and of course my website will have to be up and running and I need my business cards. Still some tiny details to work out. It's always the tiny details.

Here's how I feel about certifications...

I think they are great to have, if you can afford them. As my father always calls them, they are resume boosters. However, countless certification, in my opinion make you appear like a professional certification fiend. I think one or two are fine.

My company offers to pay for me to get the CPS or CAP certification through the IAAP. I've thought and thought and though about taking the classes and getting the certifications. I just don't know if that's the route that I want to go. Perhaps it will benefit me in the long run. I mean, if they're paying for it, right? But I still don't know.

I would like to get a VA certification, for the main reason that it's a virtual job. I want people to know that I'm lefit. It's different than applying at a "real" job. Plus, the benefit of being listed in the PVA directory would be nice.

I've looked into the IVVA and the other sites that offer the certifications. It's $79 to join I believe and another $130, or something like that to take the test. That's money, that as a start up business, I just don't have. Plus, you have to be a member for 3 months or so to take the test. They do have a scholarship that they offer, but you have to be a member for 6 months to apply for that, and even then, there's no guarantee that you'll get it. I'm not knocking their site. I fully intend to invest back into my business, and I think it's a wise organization to join. But I need to make some money before I delve into it. Is that right or wrong, I don't know. Maybe I should fork over the money and just join, just to say that I am serious about this and that I want to be a member.

For now though, I'm going to work on getting the certifications at the PVA site. It's a start and it's something and I'll go from there.

Any feed back on the certifications you have would be greatly appreciated.

Until next time...

H

Complying With CAN-SPAM: A 10-Point Checklist for Marketers

2005-01-25T19:26:00.000-05:00

Complying With CAN-SPAM: A 10-Point Checklist for Marketers

Interesting...One of my marketing plans was to look for email addresses of potential and drop them a personal, little note, asking them to look at my website. (In my more professional terms of course). I was wondering with all the anti-spam laws that were out there, what exactly I could and couldn't do. And I'm a HUGE hater of spam, so I certainly don't want to innudate potential clients with it.

This article explains it and outlines it, and I think I'll keep it around for future reference, and also in case anyone else would like to see it!

Until next time...

H

Insider Reports - Marketing Channel

2005-01-25T14:29:00.000-05:00

Insider Reports - Marketing Channel

I came across this site today while taking a break at work. As someone interested in marketing, it offered ideas that I can use, both personally and professionally. I thought perhaps, it might benefit someone else as well.

I didn't get the chance to go through it thoroughly, however a few articles caught my attention, mostly on how to prospect and how to catch someone's attention when sending out mailers.

Hope this helps someone!

Heather

About me...

2005-01-24T22:28:00.000-05:00

I neglected to really introduce myself when I started this whole blog thing...not that anyone really cares, but you might find it interesting! At least, I think I'm interesting...I'll give you the professional and personal side of Heather.

We'll begin with the personal side...

I was born January 9, 1977 in York, Pennsylvania to a nurse and at the time, a ambulance driver. He owned his own patient transfer business, White Rose Patient Transfer, that's still in business today. (Dad sold the business, joined the Army and is now retired and traveling the country with my mother.)

I'm an Army Brat and I've lived all over the United States. I've seen many things and learned about many different places. I've called Virginia "home" since August 1997 when I moved back from Pennsylvania. I finally realized that my heart is here, in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains.

I have two children, Matthew (8) and Samara (5). Here's a recent picture of them... ok, never mind...I can't figure out how to post them. When I have more time and energy I will do so.

I am divorced, been so for 3 years now. I met a wonderful man about a year ago and I couldn't ask for anyone better! He's wonderful to both the kids and I and very supportive of my online ventures. He has two children, Patrick (18) and Regan (4). We see Patrick from time to time, and Regan, every other weekend. She lived in North Carolina with her mom.

I have many hobbies, surfing the net, is one of them. I also like finding new things to do with my time and talents. I enjoy reading and doing puzzles (crossword, logic, etc). I also really enjoy my TV time with my boyfriend. We never miss CSI (any of them), Without a Trace and Medium. (If you haven't seen that one, you're missing out! NBC, 10pm EST on Mondays).

So that's me in a nut shell, personally.

Now let me tell you about professionally.

I am currently the Executive Assistant at a local construction engineering firm and I've been there since June. Prior to that I worked in TV sales and marketing for 6 years. I was the Research Director at UPN Richmond and the Marketing Research Specialist at Newschannel 10 here in Roanoke. I love the TV biz and I miss it from time and time, but it didn't fit with my family life. (In order to grow, you have to move markets and Richmond was about as big as I wanted to get, but the kids hated it. That's why we moved back here.!)

I've done a slew of odd jobs here and there, customer service, data entry, call center, telemarketing, etc. With all of the experience I've gained along the way, I thought it might be best to combine them all into a one stop shop for clients, and here I am.

So there's the professional side of Heather. I could go on and on, but I'm not feeling well tonight and not much into selling myself.

Some time, I'll figure out the picture thing and then you can see pictures of those most important in my life, as well as of me. For the first time in my life, I have pictures that I don't mind posting!

Until next time...

Heather

Professional Resume Writing by Jennifer Anthony

2005-01-24T22:26:00.000-05:00

Professional Resume Writing by Jennifer Anthony

One of the first things I did, before I started this VA venture, was revamp my resume and it happened by accident. Really. I thought I had a GREAT resume. It's always worked, I've always gotten calls and people always asked me for it. Maybe for the corporate world, but not for getting a WAH job for some extra money.

So I posted on wahm.com and asked about my resume and here comes Jennifer! Wow! It's all I can say! She had it revamped in 3 days and took the time to talk to me and learn about what I did and why someone should hire me. I was amazed! So, of course, once I know about something that's awesome, I spread the word.

Not only was Jennifer helpful with my resume, but she's been a wealth of knowledge in other aspects of my little start up venture as well. She's very supportive and another one of those that's not out only for herself!

Check her out! It's worth the investment. I'm proud to show off my new resume!

Until the next time...

A great forum I've found

2005-01-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

MommysPlace.NET Forums - Index

One of the best things about creating my own work from home business has been the people that I have met. Take Nell for example. Her forum site is listed above...

She's one of the best people I've met since starting this little adventure. She's not selfish, and she's not out only for herself. She genuinely wants to help people. I find that so refreshing in this day in age, when people look out for them selves. Shoot, even I'm guilty of it from time to time.

Anyway, about Nell's Forum site...it's free to register and she's got tons of different topics that you can peruse though. There's a section all for VAs and one on starting your own VA business. There are forums about blogs (I'm new to all of this but I love it!) as well as marketing, general chit-chat, etc. I don't feel lost among the members that I have found there and many of them are "friends" from other boards I've found.

One of the many things I've learned from Nell's forum is that I can use this blog to market my business! What a NOVEL idea! Why didn't I think about that? It makes sense! If you're reading this, you know all about where I've been thus far in this little venture. Maybe you're looking start your own VA business as well, and you want to see what someone else is doing...hey! It's okay! Don't think that I haven't checked out the competition to see what they were doing, what I could do better and what I couldn't, because I did! I'm not dumb. So, maybe you just surfed on in and you've seen the not proofread web site that's up there now and are intrigued, and you need something or know of someone who does...so you give me a call...(although don't use the links on the website to email me...they aren't real yet, but they will be...you can reach me here.

I've also decided that as I come across sites that I find helpful in making my business a success, that I will post them here. It's really quite simple if you download the google toolbar and you have a blogger account. Maybe I can be a Nell of the world and help other people.

The only thing I ask, is that if I in any way, shape or form, help you, let me know. Or if there's something that you want to see, let me know. I've got time, ha ha...

It's been a pleasure...

Oh and another thought...I don't know that I've properly introduced myself...I think I'll do that in a later post. It's 10pm and between my real job and this, I've been working all day. I think its time to watch the boob tube before I call it a night!

Until next time...

Heather

We're on our way...

2005-01-23T22:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I created a site tonight. I'm pleased with it, but know that it's only temporary. It will serve it's purpose for right now. I have a 10 day trial and I'm going to ask a few people to look at it and let me know what they think before I purchase it. It was very simple to create and it's reasonable priced, slightly higer than yahoo, however, they had more templates than yahoo. It's Internet Based Family. Like I said, I was impressed.

Once the graphics are done, and that sort of thing, then I will move on to a better site. I may even hire someone to do it, but I need to bring in some money first. I don't know when that will happen.

The only thing that I don't have is my resume up there, and I think that I should have it up there. I just can't figure out how to do that. I have the facade that we are staffed and in reality, it's just me. So I don't know...I think I need to get that partner thing going, but I'm just not sure about it.

But the temporary site is up...it's www.valleyva.net. Let me know what you think of it...

H

Moving forward, I have a name!

2005-01-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

I have a name! It keeps coming back to me, so I think I'll keep it. Valley Virtual Assistants.

I wanted to shorten it and make it VVA.com or something, but all of those are taken, so I'm looking into purchasing ValleyVA.net. .com is taken by the Shenandoah Valley. But I just feel that for people to type in www.valleyvirtualassistants.com would be too much.

I've contacted Q to see if he would create my logo for me and in return, I would offer his freelance services on my website for payment. We'll see what he says. He's so good at what he does, and I know that he will do a good job. I CAN create the logo, but I'm not real fast on the computer with those programs and I know he can do so much better and in less time.

So, once I have the logo, I can get the business cards printed and begin the website. I need to be launched by February 15th. I know that I can do it. I have a fax and phone line, and the web pages drafted out. It's all coming together.

I have decided, that although I CAN do certain tasks, I don't like to do them, and there for will sub it out to someone else. Transcription being the biggest one. I HATE it. It's too much trouble.

So, once I get my website up, I am going to ask for resumes and then create a pool. I think I might post on the WAHM boards to see if there is anyone who would like to go in on the business venture with me as a partner, but not really a partner. I don't know. I'll need to put some more thought into that. I need a pool of qualified applicants so that I can determine who can do what, when I can't.

Maybe I'll get started on trying to make a logo tonight and see what I can come up with. I don't know. And then put some thought into the partner idea.

I've got to create some income and the freelance jobs are hard to come by. I'm going to go and look for website hosting places and I think I found on that's only $12.95 a month, which is doable. I think. I have some more sites to look at before I make it all final.

Until the next update...this is Valley Virtual Assistants.

H

Still at a standstill...

2005-01-21T18:37:00.000-05:00

Still at a stand still, as I'm working on this job I picked up.

Earlier in the week, I asked former bosses and co-workers to write me a letter of recommendation so that I had snippets for my website. I got one today and it was very nice.

I'm still brainstorming names, so if anyone can think of one, please let me know. I need to set aside some time and really brainstorm or write ones down that come to me when I'm not focused on the business.

Not much to report. I did apply for two data entry positions and an online investigative research position. I also replied to an add about being a moderator for a parenting board for babyzone.com. Someone on www.wahm.com was asking for marketing help and willing to pay, however when he responded, it seems like he wants me to do all the selling and he collect the money. I could be wrong about that, so I will respond and see exactly what he wants to do.

And of course, once my mind gets going, I keep thinking of other things I could do. An ezine, another wahm site, the list goes on and on. I do love to write and research the internet, but I don't know what my niche would be, so I let them go. Maybe if I do get the opportunity to wah, I can work and flesh those ideas out a little bit more.

For now, I must get back to my boating transcription. It's not my favorite work, but it's extra money.

Until the next update...
H

My personal progress...

2005-01-20T16:54:00.000-05:00

I've decided to give this blog thing a whirl and keep track of my research, and progress at starting my own VA business. Hopefully, if someone finds it and keeps track of it, maybe I can help someone else.

I have been researching for almost a month on the subject and picking the brains of anyone I can find to determine if I can make a go of it. I finally decided last week that I could.

So now I set my plan in action. I belong to a forum on www.wahm.com and decided to participate in the Thing Big Challenge. Therefore, I have until February 15th to accomplish my goal.

Now I will state this. On the boards, my goal was to find a way to make an extra $400 a month working from home. It's now been changed to kicking my business off. I'm not planning on making that much in the first few months. However, I'm off to a good start with some free lance work I picked up from www.contractedwork.com. I'm halfway to my $400 goal for January.

So bare with me. And if you follow my business until we kick it off, I thank you. Hopefully, you're reading this because you have an interest in being a VA or maybe you already are on. Maybe one day I can call on you for your services because I'm overloaded. I'll get to that point someday I hope. For now, it' all about getting me off the ground and marketing my self...

The next goal I have set for myself is to come up with a name and a slogan. I want to have this by Wednesday, January 26th. If you have any ideas, please let me know!