Getting Through a Temporary Setback
You finally figured out what you want to do in life. You’ve realized that you don’t want to work for others anymore, you want to work for you. So you opened your own Virtual Assistant business. You jumped through all the legal hoops to register your business, got your Web site up and running and may have even had a few clients come through your door.
Then life happened.
Whether it was a spouse’s job change, family crisis, health concerns - whatever the case, you need to head back out into the corporate world to find a job. You try to avoid it at all costs by pushing yourself to get more and more clients, but it’s not happening fast enough. Luckily, you are able to find employment but want to make sure it’s as temporary as possible to get back to your business full-time. But how do you keep going with your business when you’re working 40 hours or more a week for someone else and taking care of a family?
It’s doable - very doable in fact. But you need to be prepared for some seriously hard work and long hours.
The first thing you absolutely need to make sure you do is take care of yourself. Yes, you are going to be putting in some very long days and most likely working quite a bit on weekends as well. However, you need to make sure you are still getting some sleep each night and making time for your family. Be aware of how you are feeling each day and take some time for yourself when you begin to feel stressed and overwhelmed. It’s okay to take a day off for yourself now and then to rest and re-energize - it will help keep you healthy and motivated. It’s not easy to work long hours to set up a business when you are sick and not feeling well!
Set up a schedule and daily to-do list for yourself. Include not only the hours you work at your job, but also the times you are going to work on your business and even write in time to spend with family and relaxing. Many VAs’ schedules revolve around their families, which means they work during children’s naps, after everyone is in bed and before everyone else gets up in the morning. Getting yourself organized each day, right down to scheduling what item on your to-do list is completed when, will ensure you are much more productive while you are working on your business.
Also, make sure that you do not quit your job before you are truly ready. Make sure that you have a good-sized safety net in place for just in case (many recommend at least three months’ worth of your current salary) and wait until you have a few definite clients in place to take the leap. After all, you are going back to work because you need the income; you don’t want to find yourself in this situation all over again after another few months. Making sure all your ducks are in a row before you quit will ensure that you do not find yourself struggling and needing to find a new job yet again in the near future.
Most importantly, do not be hard on yourself. You have not failed as a business owner, as it can be sometimes easy to think. It is simply a temporary setback in plans, and it has happened to many VAs and other business owners. There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing to find employment while you are working on your business. Things come up in life that are unavoidable and not finding a way to support your family would be worse than getting a job. The important thing is to make the most out of the opportunities you are given and learn from this experience. You will not only come out stronger, but you will appreciate your future business success that much more.
Into every life a little stress must fall.
As moms, stress creeps into our everyday lives and most of the time we handle it well. However, when the stress reaches higher than normal levels on a regular basis, your health can start to be affected. Most people think of moms as invincible super heroes and moms even label themselves as supermoms. We may think we are invincible but it’s not true. Stress and good health is a recipe for disaster.
Stress is our body’s response to outside stimuli. Sure that sounds innocent enough, but it doesn’t really paint an accurate picture. When you work from home the day to day activities of not only running a business but also a household can take its toll. The sink is full of dishes, the family laundry is piled high, toys are scattered all over the floor, kids need to be fed, have to start dinner and that’s just some of the household duties that moms wake up (and go to bed) to everyday. Add client work in the mix and it’s enough to make any moms blood pressure rise. This is stress.
If you continue this routine for days, weeks or months even something is bound to happen. Stress can make even the sanest person irrational. Stress needs an outlet and if you don’t find an appropriate one, believe me it will find one for you. Usually the first person who makes a comment (probably a harmless one you took the wrong way) to you gets to meet your inner stress monster.
Stress can cause ulcers, migraine headaches, and depression. It can also lead to poor eating habits. Overeating or eating the wrong things can lead to obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. These illnesses can lead to heart disease and stroke. Can you see where I’m going here? Basically, we’re talking about a premature death. Let’s face it, that is not an option. We want to be here for our family which is why we work so hard in the first place. These conditions can be avoided when we take better care of ourselves. Enlist the aid of your spouse, parents, sisters, brothers, and friends. So often we associate asking for help with being weak. When in all reality it takes strength to ask for help and even more strength to accept it.
As moms, we have to protect our health. What that means is giving ourselves permission to be human and not some superhero brandishing magical powers with her own comic book series. Just be mom…the one who works at home and takes care of her family. The wife, mom, sister, aunt, friend who may leave dishes in the sink or have a pile of laundry to do or may order out because the day flew by and she didn’t make anything for dinner. Be THAT mom…you may not be perfect but you’ll be alive and well. You will have conquered your inner stress monster…now that took SUPER POWER!!!
Why Should You Set Goals?
Wonder why some people could not even achieve an inch of what they dream of becoming? Blame it on pure dreaming and lack of setting goals for achieving their dreams.
Setting goals is a very significant part of success and positive accomplishments. It is like scaling a 20 feet building and marking early on what feet you would like to reach at this specific period.
People who set goals literally create a map of their target achievements in life, marking where they should begin, where to pause, where to delve a bit, and where and when to stop. Once this map is created, it allows the map drawer to check where he is in the scheme of things and whether or not he is making some achievements that will take him closer to his/her goals.
By setting goals, people will know how they are doing and what they should be doing to achieve their targets or dreams in life. They will know if they can relax or if they have to double their efforts when they are falling short of what is expected of them.
Goal setting means a person is proactive in dealing with challenges that may affect his/her plans. Being proactive means one is able to outline possible difficulties that may occur as well as the solutions to these difficulties. By doing this, a person is not easily scared or defeated when challenges occur because he has already prepared for them. He knows they can happen and he has prepared a solution or strategy when that time comes.
Setting goals will enable people to track their progress in whatever endeavor they have set out to do. It will help people become more confident in themselves and more motivated to achieve their plans.
However, goal setting is not enough, as this should be accompanied by a positive outlook and self-discipline. A person may have a blueprint of where he wants to go, but if he does not have the necessary discipline to carry out the plan, then nothing will come out of it.
To be successful in goal setting, the goals that one has set for himself should be realistic and based on his/her capabilities, as well as selected and important external factors. Being too ambitious in setting up goals can make the goals unrealistic and difficult to achieve. However, do not also set goals that are too low because this might discourage one’s vision instead of achieving it.
It is also necessary that the person setting the blueprint for his/her direction should also include a time frame within which the goal will be achieved. This way, he is able to determine if he has to fast track his/her strategies or to slow down a bit. Goal setting will also help a person check if he is performing within his/her plans or if he is doing things towards the achievement of his/her plans.
Once you have achieved something, even a little of what you hoped to achieve, then you should always give yourself a pat in the back to keep you motivated. But do not be too complacent with any little achievement, as this may cause you to backslide.
Setting goals can be used in any aspect of one’s life - from one’s personal or family life, to his/her career and finances. Goal setting can be as simple as setting a target weight when you wish to lose pounds or something big, like earning your first million.
When setting goals, it is always important to set standards that would suit your present situation, your capabilities, and other factors that may influence the achievement of your goal.
Your Elevator Speech
You’re driving down the road. You’ve been talking to yourself all the way. You’ve been telling yourself you can do this. You keep running your “elevator speech” through your head. You keep saying “I can talk to these people. I can explain my business if they ask me what I do. I can walk up to people and introduce myself.”
Then, you get to your destination. You’re pumped and ready to go! You walk in the room and there’s 50 other people there. You either freeze and wait to see if someone comes up to you, look around to see if you know someone so you’re a little more comfortable, or you give up and leave. Why?
Don’t you chit-chat with people when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store? Do you “pipe in” a conversation at a store if you know you have the answer to what someone is asking? Why, then, can’t we talk to 50 other people about our business? Is it because it’s 50 people we don’t know or because we’re just not sure what we should say?
Put a smile on your face and feel confident. You are good at what you do and your business is worthwhile. Be excited about that! Don’t be afraid. If you show your afraid or have a problem explaining what your Virtual Assistant business is about, it will show. Clients aren’t going to come knocking on your door or calling you if you show you’re afraid and can’t explain your business to them. They want to give their business to people that are confident so feel confident.
When they ask you about your business, explain to them what you can do….PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, Websites, SEO, newsletters, article submissions, press release submissions, article and/or press release writing, logo’s, cold-calling, etc. Whatever it is, tell them. Hold your head up high when you tell them too. Don’t mumble.
Just remember that it’s up to you. If you think positive and show them you can assist their business, they will call. They will beat down your door to be your next client. They will, in turn, recommend you to others. If you fumble with your words or freeze at the door, how are they going to know you and your business? How are you going to gain those clients?
It’s your decision. It’s your destiny. It’s your choice as to which fork in the road you’re going to take.
THE BAND WAGON JUST GOT FULLER
It did!
As a small business owner, entrepreneur, et al, you’re like a lot us—looking for ways to market your business and, in the process, gain new prospects and customers.
The latest “fad,” a good one at that, is to “use video” to promote your business. After all, the “spiders” like Google love to feast on them and are inclined to place video highly in their analytics rankings.
So with that incentive alone, you decide to “jump on the bandwagon,” too.
But wait just a minute!
Because marketing with video has become the new “Rubik’s Cube,” or the new “Cabbage Patch” doll, or the new “t-shirt that says ‘I Google myself regularly,’” if you actually do intend to get on the bandwagon, there are a few things to consider.
What is your plan? (It seems everything leads back to a plan.)
Getting your video ready and “taking it to market” is one of the latest Internet trends. Many entrepreneurs, marketers, and even large business owners will focus on the “how-tos;” the how-to of what to say, the how-to of how-to upload the video, or the how-to of where to place your upload.
The important thing is to not just toss some video shots together; the end product will be disappointing to your visitors and to you. Just like your Web site, your video presentation is a reflection of you and how you do business. Thus, it’s better to take your time to produce quality work. Someone has already been first, so now it really doesn’t matter if you come later with better.
Like putting together any worthwhile efforts, you first come up with a list of things to do when producing a video. However, there are also several things to NOT do in your video marketing. And they are the focus of this piece. Such as:
Forget about “safety in numbers” this one time
If you want to attain the most success with your video efforts, you have to go it alone. Sometimes when a person is going to be in a photo or a video, they may be camera shy or feel “more is better;” suddenly, they want someone in the show with them. This is a really HUGE error! The point of your video is to acquaint your visitors and customers with YOU, perhaps your product or service, and with what you represent. Your brand! In fact, in the video you become your brand.
So when your pals are in your video, they are distracting and take the viewer’s eyes away from your product or service, your message, and you. And unintentionally, they may show you up!
In essence, then, your fireworks just fizzled!
It’s time for your commercial
Have you ever wondered why or how sponsors of TV shows pack so much information about their product into 30 seconds of more often than not annoyance? It’s because they realize they have so little time to grab the viewers’ attention before they’re off to the kitchen or otherwise taking a break. Or worse, changing the channel!
Internet frequenters are somewhat infamous for running away from Web sites
How often have you gone to a Web site then quickly scooted away because the page loaded slowly? Your distraction meter kicked in and impatience got the best of you? This seems to happen more and more as Internet surfers tend to lose their tolerance to wait, or they’ve found other diversions that steer them away from what they thought they wanted in the first place.
This means you’ve got to have a video or graphics and audio that will capture your visitors’ attention. NOW! But it’s not good enough to just grab them; you’ve got to have something to keep them there long enough that they realize what you have is something they can’t live without.
You need a P-O-W!
So that as your video begins the first words out of their mouth or the first visual they see must be something concise and compelling. You know, what’s it in it for them?
Do you know the “who” for your marketing
Since you have a target market, it’s best to market your video to that particular audience. Of course, others will navigate to your site and may even stay to view your video. Or maybe not! Those who stay will be interested in learning about your product or service. How you dress, your narrative, your language, how you present yourself in the video should all be geared to the audience you want to pull towards you, the niche you’ve identified for your service.
You can be a star
With a little bit of practice, this reminder and the “how not tos” outlined here will be enough incentive and encouragement for you to be the star of the show as you were really meant to be.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!! Business Ownership is a True Ride!!
One of the biggest lessons I have learned as not only a Virtual Assistant, but as a business owner, is that you can absolutely never plan as a business owner. I know that sounds absurd coming from someone who plans, plans, plans and who preaches being organized, utilizing effective time management and scheduling. However, I have learned a valuable lesson over the last few weeks … expect the unexpected.
How many of us haven’t become a “rider” in the roller coaster of business ownership? Even though I try to plan as best I can, it seems that life likes to throw little hills and valleys in my business. Just when you think you will have some extra time to work on a “secret” project that you have a great idea for, your business seems to begin the steep climb and the client work seems to come from no where. Don’t get me wrong I am absolutely not complaining, but it makes a person wonder how to effectively ride out this coaster and get the most from the ride.
I am a true idea person and every time I turn around another idea comes into my mind. I do take the time to write all these ideas down, but finding the time to implement them can sometimes be the challenge. As a business owner, the client’s needs must come first – because let’s face it without them we wouldn’t have a business nor an income, and for me my family time is just as if not more important than the success of my business. This busyness leaves little time to implement my ideas without sacrificing sleep or family time. So what is one to do?
I finally realized that I can implement these ideas without having to sacrifice my client work or my family or my sleep to get there. I just have to realize that not all my ideas have to happen now. So for those of you out there struggling to find balance remember you are not alone … you just need to learn to expect the unexpected!! Once you embrace this and decide to enjoy your roller coaster ride the ride seems a little less bumpy!!
How Self-Esteem Impacts Our Confidence Levels
Our belief in self has a profound effect on our confidence and on the quality of both our lives and business. Today our focus is on business. If person A believes that he lacks the basic skills to solve problems, ex. marketing, networking, sales, etc. then he may lose heart and give up. In contrast, person B, who may have less ability yet strong self belief, stands a much better chance of being successful. This is because his belief in self gives him the confidence to try and try harder again.
Think back to high school or college. Have you ever wondered why only a few students in a class asked questions? Could it be because the remaining students understood all of the critical points made during the lecture? Or is it because they lack the confidence to ask a question? More often than not, it is the fear that stops students from asking questions. In other words, they lack self-confidence. The only way this confidence can improve is when they start believing in themselves.
This is why belief in self is so important, especially in business. It gives an individual the confidence they need to shoot for the stars. It overwhelms negative thoughts, and drives away the fear of failure. It is the best antidote against lashing out at yourself, which can turn several talented persons into under-achievers. It gives business owners the confidence that they have nothing to loose. On the contrary, they realize that they have everything to gain by asking a question, even if it happens to be a silly one.
Abraham Lincoln is a fine example of a man who believed in himself. He lost every election until he went to the Senate and stood for the post of the President. He did not allow his failures in professional and personal life to erode his self-belief. Had he done so, the history of the US would have been different.
Belief in self gives us the confidence to accept failure. It teaches us the importance of positive thinking. Those who have high self-esteem don’t talk about failures; instead, they try to find out why they did not succeed. They look for lessons that can be learnt from their experience. This is not a simple issue of semantics. It is the power of positive thinking, and it is available to only those who have self-esteem.
Once again it is self-esteem that gives us the confidence to enter a new group, and become a part of it. Those who lack self-esteem are very reluctant to approach a new group. They don’t want to expose themselves to the ridicule of being seen as shy, nervous or ignorant. They would instead prefer to stay in their corners.
In fact, lack of self-esteem stands out like a sore thumb at parties, meetings, conferences and social or official functions. Individuals with low self-esteem avoid introducing themselves to others. They prefer to stay in the shadows, away from the sights of others. However, their colleagues who enjoy high self-esteem dominate the discussions. They are sought after by others for information. They are also invited to other meetings and parties — all because their self-esteem gives them the confidence to open up before a group of strangers. It is the same student syndrome that is reflected in an individual’s working life too.
Lack of self-esteem is one of the greatest myths of introversion. Typically the business owner will blame their introverted personality on the fact that they just “can’t get out there.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. Introversion is just that, a personality trait. It is not the deciding factor in who we are and what we offer the world. If this describes you, then you most definitely need a self-confidence boost.
Nothing will change in your business life until you have self-respect, and the self-belief that you are as good as others. You must realize that you are not the only one who has strong and weak points; others too suffer from the same defects. The only difference is that the others project their strong points whereas you may project your weak points. All that you need to do is refocus your priorities. If you do this, you will find the elusive self-confidence.
Are you struggling with self-confidence or introversion issues in your VA business? Is your business where you always dreamt it would be? If your VA business is suffering in any way, we are here to help you make it into the “im-possible” dream. The Virtual Assistant Revolution is just that a REVOLUTION. We want to help you change the way you think about yourself and your business. Our goal is to show you that there is more to the current state of your VA business. If you want to introduce a new product, gain the skills to offer a new service or if you want that six-figure VA business, it’s yours for the taking and we want to give you the tools to make it happen.
You Can’t Fit A Square Peg into A Round Hole
No truer words have been spoken, especially when it comes to choosing the right clients. When you own your own business, you have the option to choose with whom you would like to work. I think it’s one of the best perks that comes with being an entrepreneur.
During the lifetime of your business you will meet all kinds of interesting people. Some of them you will like some you won’t. When meeting or speaking with a potential client, it is important that you interview them as much as they are interviewing you. Are you listening to what they are saying and what they are not saying? What is your gut telling you?
Now in a perfect world, you will meet, fall in love and work happily ever after together, but our world is far from perfect. There will be a time when you meet a potential client that you just don’t think will be a good fit for your business. Or maybe a current client that you thought would be a great fit but it’s just not working out. What do you do?
While it may be tempting to see dollar signs, keep in mind that is only a part of the picture and very small part at that. By taking this client on even though you have reservations and your instincts are telling you otherwise, it can and probably will cost you more in the long run. When I say more, I am speaking not only about money but about time, energy and frustration not to mention the countless hours you may need in therapy.
When you have to let a client go or turn down a potential client, don’t necessarily see it as a loss but rather an opportunity. An opportunity to perhaps match up that client or potential client with someone who is better suited for their needs. Isn’t that one of the things we do as Virtual Assistants? Help our clients? Even if it means helping them find someone else, it still says something great about who you are and what you do. It says that you weren’t attached to the outcome, you weren’t in for the money, you weren’t trying to make it fit by squeezing a square peg into a round hole.
You were in fact looking out for your business and in turn looking out for theirs. At the end of the day I don’t know any business owner who couldn’t be proud of that!
Be Creative and Ingenious
“Are there still original ideas in the world?”
“They beat me to that bright idea; what else can I do?”
“I’ve failed many times before that I can’t think of anything else to solve this problem anymore.”
These statements reflect the thought of an individual who has given up on creativity. Sadly, a lot of people share this way of thinking. They never viewed creativity as a very useful tool to improve or improvise in life in all its diversity.
A situation that requires a solution can be approached in a variety of ways. There isn’t a single way fix to a problem. Being creative opens new horizons and can deliver many benefits. Creativity can sometimes be mistakenly interpreted as an obstinate attitude. Some people think that insisting on doing things in a different way is a sign of stubbornness.
Never hold back a good idea. Everyone is free to interpret his own unique way. Any interpretation by itself is creativity at work. A person who enjoys creative thinking can easily come up with innovative solutions for situations that require a quick fix.
For instance, your car got stalled on a deserted highway due to a leaky rubber hose on the cooling system. Tough luck! Of all places, it had to happen in the remotest places.
If you have some chewing gum in your pocket, it just might be a handy fix. Start chewing the gum and patch it on the leak. To keep the gum in place, tie it with a piece of rag. This quick fix might do the trick so you can drive several miles without an overheated engine, until you get to a service station to have the leaky hose replaced.
There used to be a television series entitled “MacGyver.” The main character is an extremely creative and crafty guy. Whenever he finds himself in a tight fix, he tries to find a way out of it with his quick fixes utilizing available materials around him.
In a way, creativity is a never-ending learning process. From learning, you gain untold benefits, which you can use in real life situations.
Being creative might require you to think out-of-the-box, venturing your mind into the uncommon. You can never be sure of your ideas until you try them. As long as there is no perceived danger involved, it is always worth a try.
Inventions are products of creative minds. The field of science, in whatever branch you may touch on, is invention itself. Without creative minds, science would have been a forlorn field of knowledge.
It must be noted that most adaptations to improve or improvise are aimed at improving current conditions. Upon analyzing honest applications of creativity, the ultimate intention is to achieve good for all and the will to build lasting peace. After all, this intention is what counts most.
Erich Fromm spelled it out clearly, “The conditions for creativity are: to be puzzled, to concentrate, to accept conflict and tension, to be born everyday, and to feel a sense of self.”
Organizing
Before you read any further, look around your office/desk. Now STOP! Is your desktop clean? Do you have files or papers in your “inbox”? Where’s your calendar? Have you looked to see what you need to accomplish today, tomorrow, or next week? Do you have calls you need to make or meetings you need to attend (either virtual or onsite)?
Before you can actually begin to work, you need to get organized. It may be difficult at first, but once you’re even partially organized, you feel better about your work.
First off, you may be busy but you need to figure out a day to just do nothing but clean. It may not take you a whole day, but you should still block off the entire day. If you get things cleaned up in less time, GREAT! You’ll at least know what you need to do after your area is clean.
Now, say tomorrow is the day you’ve chosen to clean and organize. Start with the desk. Take a look at everything on your desk and start putting it away where it goes. If there’s papers laying around, put them in a pile. Once you’ve completely cleaned off your desk, file those papers. Put them where they go. Now you should be feeling better already!
Next step…get a piece of paper out. If you use a Franklin Covey planner or something similar, get it out. If you use an online calendar, pull it up. Write down (or type) everything you need to do and then start prioritizing it and putting it in the appropriate date that you need to do it. If you have little reminders of birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, etc. lying around, write/type them in your calendar. Write/type any VA meetings you have or Websites you need to visit (the VA Revolution should probably be at the top of that list).
Another thing that you might start using to keep you better organized is Highrise. I’ve been using it more and more! I’ve been finding it very helpful for client notes and things.
Wow! You’re on your way to feeling better about your office, your work assignments and are ready to roll!
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