Hey Virtual Assistants – take a vacation!

Filed Under Virtual Assistance

Yes, I know you can take your office with you wherever you go. That’s one of the perks of being a Virtual Assistant. But does that mean you have to work 52 weeks a year? I say it’s time for VAs everywhere to grab their boarding passes and yell “Hell no, I will go!”

I just took a two week vacation – unheard of for me. I’ll admit, I did take my computer along to do a daily check of my emails (and to post vacation pics on Facebook) but that was it. No work. For two whole weeks. It was eerie.

At first I had this nervous, unsettled feeling. Like I had forgotten something important at home, but I couldn’t think what it was. After a few days, though, I started to relax and actually enjoy the sunshine and baseball games and not working. At the end of the two weeks, I was almost reluctant to get on the plane that would take me back to the realities of Wisconsin. Not only am I refreshed and rejuvenated about my own business, but I feel excited about helping my clients with their businesses again, too!

Be Prepared

Janet Barclay gives some great advice on how to get ready for your vacation in this blog post.

Cheryl Harless also discusses how to keep your clients happy while you take a break. With a little planning, you can have a great time and come back rarin’ to get back to work!

Come on, VAs. Let’s go on vacation!!

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Introducing: Vanessa Andruz, Virtual Assistant

Filed Under Baby Boomers, Home Office Basics, Vanessa Andruz, Virtual Assistance

I wasn’t sure if this day would ever get here, but it’s finally time to introduce everyone to Vanessa Andruz, Virtual Assistant!

Vanessa was an Executive Assistant at the SafeRight Insurance Company in Washaketa, Wisconsin for over 20 years. She decided that she had enough of “corporate life” and decided to start her own business.

Vanessa asked me to help her create a series of e-books chronicling her amazing journey from employee to successful businesswoman and I am thrilled to do so.

Vanessa, is there anything you’d like to say to other women who are thinking of becoming a Virtual Assistant?

Yes, Melodee, I know that even though we’re going through some difficult economic times at the moment, the Virtual Assistance industry is a viable business path and it’s growing every day. I’m so glad I started my business, and I hope that these e-books will prove to be a resource for all of you who are thinking of starting your own.

Can you tell us a bit about the first two e-books that are now available?

I’d love to! The first book in “The Adventures of Vanessa Andruz, Virtual Assistant” series is called Vanessa Has a Dream. It tells what happened one winter day which started me on my wonderful entrepreneurial adventure. I’m not advising anyone else do what I did that day, but sometimes you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do! You know what I mean?

Actually, I think I do. What about the second e-book?

The second e-book is called Vanessa Becomes a Virtual Assistant. This is where I describe how I named my company – which my mother actually helped me with, if you can believe it! – and about the legal structure I chose. I also discuss how to research licensing and zoning issues for creating a home-based business.

That sounds very helpful. What type of information will be in the rest of the series?

It’s going to be so great! I’ll describe how I chose my niche market, how I’m marketing my business, tips on networking, and a bunch of other interesting stuff!

How can people download these e-books?

All they have to do is go to my website and select the e-book that they would like to download. The first e-book is FREE! And the second is only $4.95, which I think is an economical way to learn about the legalities of setting up a business.

I think so too. Is there anything else you’d like people to know?

Oh, yes! I almost forgot to say that each e-book has a number of Internet links to some practical and constructive information. The links go to websites and e-books that I used to research each leg of my journey and I’m sure they will be helpful to everyone.

Thanks for stopping by, Vanessa. I’m looking forward to assisting you with the rest of the series.

Thank you, Melodee, for helping me to write the e-books. And I have to thank Rachel Rasmussen of Rescue Desk for her wonderful research assistance, and Dixie Lang of Dalton Unlimited for her amazing editing. I couldn’t have done this without you all. Bye!

I hope you enjoy the series and that it’s useful to you. Vanessa and I would love to hear your comments and suggestions.

Oh, and do me a favor? Don’t say anything to Vanessa about her being a fictional character -  she’s a bit touchy about that.

Thanks! :-)

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Be a Better Virtual Assistant by Exercising

Filed Under Melodee's Musings, Virtual Assistance

No, I don’t mean by exercising your right to vote, or exercising your faith, or even exercising your dog. I mean exercising your body!

When you do aerobic exercise, you shove oxygen up into your brain. Oxygen that it needs to create new memories. It also helps you be happier and more relaxed. Amazing stuff, exercise!

I know if I don’t exercise, in a few days my brain starts to get that fuzzy, “where am I and why am I here?” feeling. I’m actually more tired if I don’t exercise, which seems backwards, but it’s true!

I find that my best ideas happen while I’m exercising, too. Maybe it’s because I’m not sitting at my desk trying to force myself to be creative. (Creativity apparently doesn’t like to be pressured.) When I’m doing an exercise video that I’ve done many times before, my mind gets to wander around in those musty, unused parts of my brain. (I must have lots of those.) I pick an untapped fact here, a long-lost memory there, and put them together. Voila! A new idea! Possibly even a solution to a client’s problem. Now that could be worth something :-)

Give exercise a try. Let me know if it makes a difference for you and your business.

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I Love Having a Virtual Assistant!

Filed Under Virtual Assistance

Yes, I know, I AM a Virtual Assistant. But that doesn’t mean that I have the time, expertise, or inclination to do everything myself. Just like my clients, I need to choose those tasks that I enjoy, know I can do well and have the time for, and then allow someone else do the rest for me.

And don’t think hiring a VA was easy for me! As most VAs I know, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. AND maybe I do enjoy being in control of just about everything (I can imagine my son nodding his head).

To be honest, it took me months to even realize that hiring a VA was an option! I’m so used to just doing what needs to be done…Damn the torpedos! Full steam ahead! But once I started writing my e-book series on becoming a VA, I realized that I needed help or it would never get done.

So, with the help of Rachel Rasmussen of Rescue Desk Virtual Assistant Services, I will be launching the first two e-books in the series in January. It will be unlike any other “How to Become a VA” series that you’ve ever seen and I’m extremely excited about bringing it to you. I’ll keep you updated on the release date!

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Virtual Assistance: Economic Aid for Businesses

Filed Under Virtual Assistance, Wisconsin VA Network

The economy is in a bit of a “slump” at the moment, to say the least. Small businesses and entrepreneurs need to make sure that every penny they are spending will give them the best return possible. There’s a hiring freeze, but the work still needs to get done. What’s the answer? Virtual Assistance!

A Virtual Assistant is a knowledgeable professional who is there when you need her. You don’t have to find her a desk, buy her a computer, give her benefits, or pay her taxes. Just let her know what you need, give her enough lead time to do the work, and be prepared to be thrilled with the results!

Nicole Turner of 80/20 Virtual Services wrote an interesting article entitled Hiring a Virtual Assistant is Smart Economics in a Scary Economy about the benefits of hiring a VA today.

And Cathy Stucker, the Idea Lady, gives some excellent tips for business owners in her blog post, Prospering in a Tough Economy.

The economy will turn around, hopefully sooner rather than later. Discover what a Virtual Assistant can do to help you get your business through this rough patch. You can start by checking out the VA Directory at the Wisconsin VA Network website. Good luck!

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How Many Reasons Are There to Hire a Virtual Assistant?

Filed Under Virtual Assistance

Are you wondering how you’re going to keep your business growing and thriving during this economic “downturn”? There’s a lot to do, and not enough hours in the day for you to do them all yourself. That is where a professional, knowledgeable Virtual Assistant comes in.

I could list reasons why you should hire a VA, but other VAs have already done that so I’ll let them tell you:

Well, there’s about 26 reasons to hire a VA right there! Stop trying to do everything yourself and talk to a Virtual Assistant about the areas of your business where you need help. What will your reason be for hiring a VA?

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Infomania: A Relapse

Filed Under Virtual Assistance

And I was doing so well…getting rid of RSS feeds that I wasn’t reading and zapping those Google alerts that no longer interest me.

Unfortunately, I have had a major relapse over the past couple of weeks.

Now, I’m not going to say that it was the fault of my fellow Informaniac, Janet Barclay – I’m going to let you decide for yourself:

I’m sure you’ll agree that Janet is an Informaniac Junkie enabler and should be punished. I think I’ll sign her up for the 100 free e-books (tee, hee). (Don’t tell her – let it be a surprise :-) )

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New Online Marketing E-book Release

Filed Under Books R Me, Virtual Assistance

Rita Cartwright of RJ’s Word Processing Services has released a great new e-book called “Online Marketing Tools for Today’s Small Business”. I enjoyed my copy so much that I’ve decided to host Rita’s Virtual Book Tour here on October 28th!

Entrepreneurs and small business owners in any industry can use this e-book as a reference guide. Whenever you need fresh online marketing ideas or need online marketing information, you can refer back to this e-book. Nowadays, we are so overwhelmed with information, Rita wanted to simplify the search for online marketing techniques by organizing some of that information together into one location, her e-book. Pick up your copy today at the low price of $3.98.

Rita’s background in marketing and experience in conducting her business online qualify her to write an e-book on the topic of various marketing tools and strategies. Having to operate on a shoestring marketing budget, provided her with necessary knowledge and skills, which were required in order to implement these same strategies into her online marketing plan. For more information on RJ’s Word Processing Services and Rita, please click here.

Rita J. Cartwright is a Virtual Assistant and owner of RJ’s Word Processing Services and has been in business since 2002. In 1998, she received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marketing from Arizona State University with a minor in Spanish. She is also a member of Virtual Assistant Networking Association and Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. In order to offer her clients quality service, Rita continues to enhance her skills through various teleseminars and webinars, as well as network online and offline with fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Stop back on October 28th to see my interview with Rita. NOTICE: Rita will be randomly selecting a participant at each of her tour spots to receive a free copy of her e-book! To qualify, you’ll need to post a comment or question on this blog on October 28th. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by :-)

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Infomaniac Update

Filed Under Virtual Assistance

It’s been tough trying to keep up with Janet Barclay and her Information Diet, but I have managed to curb my intense desire to information gather, at least over the past couple of weeks.

First, I had so much work two weeks ago that I didn’t have TIME to read all my RSS feeds, Google alerts, e-zines, and emails from a nice guy in Nigeria who wants to give me $12 million. It would be great if that could be a weekly occurrence, but unfortunately, I’m not usually THAT busy :-)

Last week I was on vacation without Internet access. Now that REALLY slowed down my infomaniac impulses! I had to settle for flipping through the stack of magazines that I had brought with me, and reading the ebooks that I had downloaded previously and stored on my hard drive. (Thank God I had thought ahead!)

While on vacation, I did have time to think about how much time I did waste on aimless browsing and unfocused research. So I created a list of changes that I’m going to implement this week. That includes:

The hard part is fighting the temptation to add more alerts and feeds and what-evers once I have the old ones cleaned out. OK – now that I think of it – that would be impossible. They don’t call it Infomaniac “addiction” for nothing. I guess I’ll try to schedule time every 6 months to do an information search and purge, and hope for the best.

What is your favorite recovery program for Infomaniac addiction?

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Virtual Assistant Vacation

Filed Under Virtual Assistance

I’m not a good vacation-taker.

I was on vacation this past week. I stayed at my brother’s summer trailer at Crystal Lake. No Internet access and poor cell phone reception. The perfect vacation for a Virtual Assistant who spends her life online, right? You would think so…

Here was my week:

I probably won’t be on vacation again until next spring when we go to Brewers Spring Training, visit my brother, and then my son and his wife. Fortunately, there will be WiFi all along the way, and I’ll be able to take my laptop (and my work) with me :-)

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