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How’s Business?

One of the things I get asked in almost all social situations is ‘How’s business?’ My family and friends know that I run my own business so it always seems to come up. I don’t know whether they are really curious as to what is going on with my work, or if it’s just a knee-jerk question, but it is very common. My colleagues, on the other hand, often seem to ask the same thing – and I KNOW they are really wondering how things are going! 🙂 Having VA buddies is fabulous, because they really do GET what my business is about. And that’s when the conversation flies! So I ask you – how’s business? What do you have… Read More »How’s Business?

Drive Your Business Like You Drive Your Car

I have been teaching my son to drive recently. If you remember back when you were learning, you may recall that it’s hard to watch the road and look around at anything else at the same time. If you look at something to the right of the road, your steering wheel turns in that direction. If you look at an oncoming car, your steering wheel turns in that direction. My driving instructor told me that’s normal, that whatever you look at you will drive towards. That’s true. And she also said that with practice that you get used to separating the action of looking and moving. And you do. The same can be said for your business. When you first… Read More »Drive Your Business Like You Drive Your Car

How to Manage Your Stress Level

Being a solopreneur can take its toll on your body, and your mind. There is always an incomplete list of things that need doing. There are always better ways to do the things you do daily. There are always other people who seem to be doing things better than you are doing them. Or at least it feels that way sometimes. When you get up in the morning, are you still excited to get your day started? If you are, that’s amazing. Hold on to that feeling! (I’ll get back to you in a minute!) If you are not, you are among a very large group of people feeling the same way. (No kidding, you are not alone!) So what… Read More »How to Manage Your Stress Level

What Is Your Biggest Problem in Your VA Business?

What is your biggest problem? I recently had a conversation with a VA who was just getting started in her business, and her question list was very, very long. That’s not a bad thing, but here is what happens … OVERWHELM. She was overwhelmed by the things she thought she needed to do. She was overwhelmed by the things she wanted to do. She was overwhelmed by the things that she didn’t even realize she should be doing. She was kind of a mess. She felt overwhelmed, and confused, and lost. The first thing I tell people when they start to tell me their huge list of things they have on their mind is to slow down. Like stop, completely.… Read More »What Is Your Biggest Problem in Your VA Business?

3 Tips to Keep VAs Focused and Productive

I have seen it happen a million times. You are trucking along, and things are going well. Business is booming and you have a full day of great tasks and the daily grind doesn’t seem like such a grind. But then, somewhere, somehow, things get out of hand. Maybe you have a client doing a product launch, or entering their busiest time of the year. Maybe it’s summertime and your family life is adding pressure with their demands. Maybe you are stepping up your own marketing and trying to fit it in to your daily routine. Whatever the reason, you wake up in the morning tired, you run all day long, and you drop into bed at night knowing that… Read More »3 Tips to Keep VAs Focused and Productive

A Networking Mistake You Need to Fix, Now

I was recently at a networking event and I noticed that there are really good networkers, and not so good networkers. Which group do you think you are in? When I meet people for the first time I go on a fact-finding mission. I ask them questions to learn more about them, their business, their attitudes, their everything! Do you? If you don’t engage people in conversation by asking them questions about themselves, that is a networking mistake that you need to fix. Like right now. 🙂 Connecting with people online or in person takes time – your valuable time – so you want to make it count. If you meet people and talk only about yourself, you will not… Read More »A Networking Mistake You Need to Fix, Now

You Are Better Than You Think You Are

Stop what you are doing and just breathe. If you are reading this, you are probably in front of your computer, or your phone … online. The busy-ness of the days flies by with all of the technology in our faces and in our minds. We strive to keep up and we often run from task to task without really realizing that we are likely in need of a break. So I want you to stop right now. Breathe. And regroup. Think about what you have going on around you – in your business, I mean. How many clients do you have? What type of networking are you doing? How is your marketing going? Do you feel like you are… Read More »You Are Better Than You Think You Are

How To Respond to an RFP for a Virtual Assistant

Recently I put out a job request  and every time I do, I am reminded that not everyone knows exactly how to respond to a one. Or to an official Request for Proposal. Today we are going to cover just how to do it properly. When someone sends out a job request of any kind, they are usually looking for specific skills. Now sometimes they send out a laundry list of skills with the hope that one person can do it all. But most of the time they will realize that they need more than one person. If the potential client is smart, they will tell people to respond with whatever skills they have so that they then the client… Read More »How To Respond to an RFP for a Virtual Assistant