Every now and then, in a VA’s life a project appears that is so huge it is staggering, but so exciting that they simply cannot turn it down.  So entered the Journey to Bethlehem into my life.

My local church, in Barrie, Ontario, has taken on a huge task.  We have a large forested piece of land behind the church and we have decided to put it to use this Christmas season.  We are recreating the entire journey that Mary and Joseph made as they trekked to Bethlehem, and ultimately gave birth to Jesus.  It runs from November 28-30 from 6-9pm.  This has been done before, through a church in Staynor, and each year they see approximately 7,000 people in a three evening span.  Yes – I typed 7,000!

Our church has about 100 people in membership.  This event needs 75 actors, plus people to manage parking, great and assemble the guests into groups, lead the tours, man the kitchen (because of course, being a church – there must be food involved) bringing the total volunteer count to about 130.  Talk about a David and Goliath undertaking.  We are even working on having live animals at the manger scene!

Where do I fit in you ask?  (And even if you don’t ask – I’m telling you)  I get to manage the marketing campaign leading up to the event, and then to help coordinate all those volunteers on the event.  Did I mention this is a volunteer role?   So, as the marketing lead, I am launching a huge electronic campaign including blogging (duh), e-blasts, facebook, U-tube, squido, myspace, delicious etc.  I have designed the look and feel for the marketing material and created rack cards to give away at the local Santa Clause parade and posters to go up at all the churches, schools and anywhere else that will hang them proudly.  I am coordinating a radio and television blitz 2 weeks before the event that includes four radio stations, three television appearances and nine newspapers (and counting).    Did I mention that there is absolutely NO BUDGET for it?  Nada.  Not a single penny is allocated for this event.  We are relying completely on God and on the ‘kindness of strangers’ to bring this about. 

This is where you come in.  I am shamelessly using this blog, and my friends and co-workers to help ‘get the word out’.  This is not a ‘churchy’ event.  It is the true story of Christmas, but it is meant to give you a warm, comfortable feeling.  Not a “hit you in the face with a brick” feeling.  So come, bring your friends, kids, neighbours etc.  Sip hot chocolate and relax for an hour.  Sing Christmas carols.  But also – blog about the event.  Tell everyone.  Link to it on facebook, digg the website, do what you feel you want to do and help promote this event.

Journey to Bethlehem
Inniswood Baptist Church, 467 Yonge Street, Barrie

For details visit www.inniswood.com or call 705-725-8257            

FREE ADMISSION

Are you finding that you’re turning new business away or dropping the ball with your current clients? It may be time to think about building a multi-va business. It’s not for everyone but for some, it may be a great way to be able to further grow your budding business.

Some items to consider:

• What are your goals for your business? Do you really want to grow your business to the level where you’ll need a team?
• How much will you offer your team members? Will you have different levels depending on the skills they can bring to your team?
• How/where will you find great team members that’ll be a great match for you and your clients?
• How will they interact with your clients? Or will you grant them any contact privileges?
• How will they keep you in the loop on projects?
• How will you monitor their time and report to your clients?
• How will you share projects with your team? Email, a collaboration site such as Central Desktop or My Client Spot or Basecamp?
• How will you describe your team to your clients and prospects?
• What tasks will you keep yourself and what do you wish to outsource to your team?
• How and when will you pay your team? What details and time keeping will you require them to keep and share?

I hope that provides some food for thought. As I said above, a multi-VA form of business is not for everyone. Besides managing your client projects, you will also need to manage your team and workflow. If you decide it’s for you, do you due diligence and be sure to get Michelle Jamison’s The Virtual Assistant’s Guide to the Multi-VA Business eBook - it’s been my bible! (Plus she includes awesome templates and even a policy and procedure manual that you can customize for your own Multi-VA business!

As a virtual assistant, most of my time is spent alone, in my office, in my home.  I always find it inspiring to book a meeting with a client or attend a networking event outside of my work space.  It is important for us to connect with the outside world on a regular basis.  I am sure many of you have fallen into a rut where you haven’t been outside for days on end!

I am fortunate enough to have clients who require me to work outside of my office on a regular basis.  I help some of my clients with trade shows, running conferences and work in their offices on occasion.  This translates into some much needed away time for me.

We all need live interaction with others to refresh our minds, rejuvenate our spirit and stimulate our creative processes.  It is absolutely essential to experience human contact on a regular basis.

If you are finding that you are lacking in outside communications, be sure to book something right away to get you out and about.  Whether it is an appointment with a client or a manicure…get out there and be sociable!

Monica Martin
1st Priority Virtual Assistants

I had to think the unthinkable last week. What would happen if I had an accident that prevented me from working ever again? I know, not a very nice thought, in fact it’s rather morbid, but as a business owner that solely depends on my ability to work to pay the bills….well it’s a something I had to face and plan for.

It’s not as if I have never thought about the subject, but as quickly as I’ve opened that door, I close it. Not a smart way to handle it, but it has never been a topic I’ve been truly comfortable with. I’ve never been one to dwell on the “unthinkable.” I’d say I’m your typical “take each day as it comes” kinda gal. And I’ve always been fine with that.

Yet, this shifted during a meeting with my insurance agent and I had no choice but to answer the question “What do you have planned if an unforeseen accident prevented you from working?”

Well, geezz… I don’t know (can we change the subject?). The wheel in my mind began spinning and all those scenarios began playing in my mind and honestly —I didn’t have an answer. I had no clue what would happen to my business, my home, my life, if I could no longer work. I hadn’t prepared for that. I mean, I have life insurance, so my family will have no worries when I drop dead…but be alive and not able to work…is that even possible for me…I’m sure that will never happen!

In a very tactful manner, my insurance agent assured me, that yes, although I may believe that I’m exempt from this possibility …Not so, this could very well happen to me as it happens to thousands of small business owners every year. Every year business owners are faced with unexpected life altering moments. Not only being faced with the impact an accident will have on them physically and the time and focus it will take them to get better, but how that accident will impact their business, their livelihood.

Talk about a slap to the face! I was not at all prepared to hear that!

A huge reality check for me and a question I now have to have an answer to. So I’m taking the steps now to put in place a plan. A plan that will take care of my business, my home, my family if the unthinkable happens. Between critical illness insurance and disability insurance I have a lot to think about but the good thing is….I’m actually thinking about it. Not simply closing the door.

The fact is as service providers, we depend on ourselves to get the work done. Our livelihood depends on us being fit to do the job.

So, as uncomfortable the thought is — if the unthinkable happens –do you have a plan?

Michelle Jamison - MJVA

by Danielle Guerin, IMVA. mentor and author

Many VAs offer a free consultation while others prefer to dive in to the work right away. After all, time is money, right? Well, I think taking the time to do a consultation with a potential client is worth it. Here are my top 5 reasons to offer a consultation at the beginning of the relationship with a client.

1. Getting to know the potential client and their needs . Although I provide a thorough questionnaire for the client to fill, a conversation helps complete and fill the gaps in the written information.

2. Introduce the client to the VA’s business standards and procedures. The client needs to know what your turn-around time is, what type of communication you favor (email or phone) and when they can reach you. For example, my schedule is slightly different from other VAs. I also reserve interruption-free periods in my schedule. My clients are informed of those times at the beginning of the relationship.

3. Deciding if the client and the VA are a good match. It’s happened lately. I didn’t do a consultation and started a project for a client who wasn’t a good match for me. Our communication styles were completely opposite and I would have known if I had taken the time to do the consultation. This resulted in frustration on my part and disappointment on the client’s part. I could have referred him to another VA who likes to work with the Driver type.

Don’t worry about sending the client somewhere else if he’s not a match for your business.

4. Establishing ground rules . The client has expectations and the consultation is the perfect moment to clarify them with the client.

5. Planning the next step . Once we’ve gone through steps one to four and decided the client is a match for our VA business, we can make our recommendations and plan the next step or the first project once the contract is signed.

Usually, a consultation will take 30 to 45 minutes and will save you time in the long run.

Ever heard of Dale Carnegie? Most people have. It’s amazing the impact this man had on the world of communication and public speaking in the 1930’s. He has written countless books and is probably best known for “How to Win Friends and Influence People”; however, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” is a keeper.

Venturing into the world of entrepreneurism certainly took me for a “worrying”loop, what about you? If you were anything like me, job security worked great but did not fit into my family needs. Starting my own business was never in the cards but seemed like the answer to offer flexibility for my family. However, that decision did not come lightly without its fair share of worry.

Enter Dale Carnegie – not literally.

Published in 1947 the principles in this book applied as well then as they do today. Written as a textbook for a class he was teaching he explains why he wrote the book and more importantly, outlines 9 suggestions on how to get the most of the book.

Here’s a tidbit of the some of the content:

1. Seven Ways to Cultivate a Mental Attitude that will Bring you Peace and Happiness

2. How to keep From Worrying about Criticism

3. 6 Ways to Prevent Fatigue and Worry and Keep your Energy and Spirits High

Success Principles from the author:

•    See the funny side of life
•    Do the very best you can
•    Count your blessing – not your troubles
•    Forget yourself by becoming interested in others. Every day do a good deed that will put a smile of joy on someone’s face.

In short, think about adding this book to your library. It’s well worth the read. Check it out at Amazon.ca.

Theresa Scholes, B.Com. Certified Virtual Assistant and Owner of “Click Virtual Assistance”, helps busy entrepreneurs manage the administrative and marketing demands of their small business ventures. Theresa works closely with coaches, consultants and solo professionals to manage the e-commerce, marketing and administrative aspects of their business allowing them time to focus on what they do best. www.clickva.com.

By Janet Barclay, MVA

The Big Moo is a collection of business ideas edited by Seth Godin that is just perfect for busy people who don’t think they have time to read! It’s small enough to fit in your purse or briefcase, and since the chapters are only two to three pages long, you can easily pick it up and read a chapter or two while you’re waiting in line at the bank, or waiting for someone to show up for a meeting. Best of all, the chapters are just long enough to stimulate your imagination, without taxing your brain with a lot of information that is difficult to absorb.

The book’s preface has the delightful title of “Remarkabilize It” - a good sign that what follows will be playful, as well as informative and inspiring. Here’s an excerpt:

Wanting growth and attaining growth… are two different things. Most organizations are paralyzed, stuck in a rut, staring at the growth paradox. On one hand, they understand all the good things that will come with growth. On the other, they’re afraid, petrified that growth means change, change means risk, and risk could mean death. Nobody wants to screw up and ruin a good thing, so the organization just sits there, motionless.

As this is just as true for the part-time entrepreneur dreaming of giving up his or her day job as it is for major corporations, there is something here for everyone. Throughout the book are real life examples from a wide range of industries, including medicine, technology, and even entertainment.

If you’re looking for a reference book to guide you through the development of a business strategy or marketing plan, this is not the book you want. But if you want a quick and easy read to get you thinking about creative ways to run and market your business, you really can’t go wrong with The Big Moo.

The Big Moo is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. In keeping with the book’s emphasis on demonstrating commitment to worthy causes, all royalties will be donated to charity, so why not order an extra copy for a friend or two?

About the Author

As a Master Virtual Assistant and the Founder of Organized Assistant, Janet Barclay offers Wordpress blog customization as well as other administrative and website services to small business clients. Learn more about Janet and her business by visiting her website http://www.organizedassistant.com and her blog http://www.janetbarclay.com.

Your reasons for becoming an entrepreneur is unique to your own personal situation.  For me, I decided to start my own business because I wanted to be home to have more autonomy when it came to my workload.  I just recently had a baby and wanted to be able to spend time with the baby (and my two other children) but also be able to keep myself busy during downtime.

So I decided to build upon the strengths that I already possessed and started VAMDs.  As with any small business the work trickled in and then started gaining rapidly.  Soon, every moment that I wasn’t spending with the kids I was doing work and finding myself up until all ours of the morning trying to make sure that deadlines were kept.  I guess it goes without saying what started to happen, the ball started to drop and my clients were starting to wonder if my quality of work was starting to slip.

In actual fact, it wasn’t my quality of work it was me starting to loose track of my clients assignments because I was taking on more than chew.  I was trying to balance my workload all while taking on more assignments believing that I could handle it and not considering the fact that not only was I doing my client’s injustice but I was slowly buring myself out.

It was at that point that I knew I had to start fresh, so I cleared up all my projects that were time sensitive and advised my clients that I was going to concentrate on current projects and unfortunately would not be able to assist with any new tasks until further notice.  My clients were very understanding and as much as it felt like I was disappointing clients I knew that this is what I needed to do in order to provide the type of service that my clients were expecting.

To read the rest of this post, please follow this link …

Michelle Douglas - VAMD

By: Alicia M Forest , MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach

Many small business owners have a difficult time asking for business.
It’s not that we don’t want the business, but wouldn’t it be so nice if people just handed over their money for our product or service rather than our actually having to ask them for it?

And this is one of the most common ways that small businesses stay really, really small, and sometimes peeter out altogether. They don’t ask for the business, or they don’t ask for it often enough to create a successful and sustainable business.

Here are 5 easy ways that you can ask for the business that if you implement on a consistent basis will guarantee that your business - and your bottom line - will grow.

1. Ask what they want…
The #1 way to grow a profitable business is to offer what your targt market wants. And the best way to find that out is to ASK them.

At least once a year, survey your target market, asking them specifically what their biggest challenges are and what products and services they are most interested in. Periodically ask your current clients and customers the same question.

Use their responses to develop your offerings and you’ll practically guarantee yourself a source of steady income.

2. Ask for the sale…

Once you’ve create the product or service that your target market has told you it wants, you have to put it out there and ASK for the sale.

Don’t just stick it on your website and hope people will see it. Put together a promotion plan for each product or service you put out, including email promotions, using your online networks, utilizing your affiliates, and even consider pay-per-click advertising.

Then periodically ASK for the sale again. Plan a year’s worth of regular promotions for each of your offerings and you’ll increase your income.

3. Ask for the order…

A simple but oft-missed tip: Make sure that on your sales page for your product or service, you ASK for the order.

Just flat-out ASKing for the order can increase your sales dramatically.

Aside: Have you ever been on a website ready to buy something but you couldn’t find the order link and ended up clicking away in frustration to go find what you wanted somewhere else?

Don’t do that to your customer. Make your order link or buy button very obvious!

4. Ask for the referral…

Another way to build your business is to routinely ASK your current clients and customers to refer others to you. You can do this via a simple email that you send out periodically. You could also offer an affiliate program to entice people to refer your products and services to others for a small commission.

5. Ask for the recommendation…

Make a request of a colleague whose offerings complement yours to recommend you and your offerings to their list. Because the people on your colleague’s list already know, like and trust him/her, they are much more likely to follow his/her recommendation.

Now you have 5 simple ways to grow your business that you can put into practice today.
————————

Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach™ and creator of 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success System™, teaches coaches, consultants, self-employed professionals and online entrepreneurs how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.clientabundance.com

Post submitted by Leslie Adams