I bit the APPLE

I am the owner of a virtual business – SetUFree Virtual Services.  In order to provide quality service, I must possess the skill and equipment to deliver.  Well, I have the skills but my equipment did not reflect the cutting edge quality I nor my company represent.  This began my search for a better, high performance machine…this is why i bit the Apple – I bought a Mac!

I’ve been a p/c user for years; so I expected to continue in that path.  I surveyed friends – virtual and non-virtual – and did my due diligence about p/c’s and Mac’s.  I enjoy providing administrative support virtually but I’m a technophobe – I comfortably reside in the realm of end-user bliss – so an all-in-one computer with minimal moving parts was ideal for me.

Entering the Apple store was like an epiphany – helpful, patient and knowledgeable customer service personnel as well as high-tech all-in-one computers – wow!  I purchased a 27 inch iMac with wireless keyboard and mouse.  With one credit card swipe I moved from the Dark Ages to the world of the Jetsons.  I am officially a MacVA!

Of course, I’m experiencing some growing pains, but that’s a small price to pay to be on the cutting edge of technology.  My new purchase opens the door to learn more skills – video editing – and offer more services.  I’m happy I bit the Apple!

Wear Red Day

February is designated as American Heart Month.  Today is “Wear Red Day” in recognition of this month’s observance.  Heart health is important to everyone and holds a special significance for me.  My mom had single by-pass surgery over 10 years ago.  The surgery saved her life and has afforded her a better quality of life.  I can never re-pay the gift given to me – a healthier mom – but I try to do my part.  I give blood 2-3x a year; I monitor my mom’s blood pressure and ensure that she maintains her medical regimen – diet and medication.

Please take a few minutes to consider your heart health as well as that of your loved ones.  Check out http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000 for more heart healthy info.

Life of a Solo-Preneur

This week (February 1st to 7th) is designated as “Solo Diners Eat out Week”.  Personally, I don’t have a problem dining alone.  It is a conscious decision that gives me an opportunity to allow my thoughts to drift, take in the atmosphere and not have to concentrate on engaging my dining partners.

The life of a solo-preneur is full of conscious decisions also – we decide who we want to work with, we decide our hours of operations, we decide our service menu and area(s) of expertise.

So solo-dining or solo-preneur – the choice is ours!

Social Media Education

Social media is here to stay.  A blogger wrote “if you aren’t part of a social network – the world isn’t passing you by – it has passed you by!”.

If you are new to social media or still considering joining the masses; here’s a cheat sheet of common terms used in the social media arena:

Blogs: short for “web logs” – allows companies and individuals to interact with consumers, target audience and friends.  The preferred platform is Wordpress.  Blogs can be targeted – photography, basket weaving, golf or general interest.  It’s a forum to illicit communication and provides information.

Feeds or RSS Feeds: these programs are used by social networking sites – as well as blogs – to allow subscribers to receive updates without visiting the actual site.  The feeds are aggregated to a site of your choice – Google Reader, Yahoo Reader or a similar aggregator – to allow for 1 stop reading.

Micro-blogging: social networking or marketing using a maximum of 140 characters.  The most popular platform for this type of interaction is Twitter.

Podcast: audio or video content that subscribers can receive automatically – similar to RSS fees.  A popular platform to access podcast is via iTunes.

Trackback: linking a blog to another related blog post or comment on another blog site.  This is mutually beneficial to both blogs as readers can reference both posts and drive traffic to both sites.

Viral Marketing: the wide-spread awareness of a product or service via social media platforms.

Widgets: code embedded in a site that performs a specific function.  Widgets are commonly used on Wordpress sites.  Some functions are opt-in boxes, donation buttons, Facebook or Twitter buttons.

This is a short list of some popular social networking terms – the list grows daily – I hope you find it helpful as you navigate the various social media platforms.

Divide the Weight!

Today’s is “Women’s Healthy Weight Day” – part of Healthy Weight Week.  I’m recommitted to a healthier me.  Today I’ll be going to the gym – 3rd time this week (whoohoo!).  Small consistent changes allow me to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Women are nurturers – but we tend to nurture ourselves last.  I’m not advocated self-centeredness – just encouraging self-preservation.  A healthy you = a happier you.  Don’t you think?

Healthy You = Healthy Business

This is “Healthy Weight Week” (January 17th – 23rd).  For the New Year, lots of people – myself included – have decided to make healthier choices – loose weight, exercise, eat right, get enough rest – the list goes on.  I’ve recommitted myself to these principles because a healthier me = a healthier business.

As a solo-preneur, I am the driving force of my business – so my good health will ensure the good health of my business.  Good business health can be measured by consistent blogging, engaging in social media platforms, sharing valuable content as well as having a great web presence (this is a short list – there are many other factors).  To achieve my healthy weight goal (I won’t share the numbers – too embarrassing), I need to make daily, conscious decisions in-line with my desired outcome.  The same is true for my business – each day I make a conscious effort to accomplish a pre-determined goal – write a blog post, update my FB status, research my niche market – that keeps me in-line with my desired outcome – a healthier business!

Do you have health goals for yourself and your business?

The Weight of Credibility

I was recently summoned for jury duty.  Part of me wanted to just do it and get it over with; the other part of me feared a long, drawn out trial with possibility of being sequestered (an experience I did not want to repeat).  I reported to court as requested, really demanded, and was chosen to participate in a robbery trial.  We were assured it would be a short trial, 2-3 days, and it was.  When we, the jury, gathered to deliberate, one of the issues discussed was the credibility of the witness.  Did we believe her?  A weighty decision given that none of us knew her previously.  We had to base our decision on the brief interaction in the court room.  That made me think – how is credibility assessed?

As a business owner, especially in the virtual world, your word is your bond – “under promise and over deliver”.  The highest form of praise and acknowledgement is a word-of-mouth referral.  A personal testimony to your credibility!  A simple concept but a major tenet of any business.

My credibility sustains not only my business – executing projects in a timely-fashion to the satisfaction of the client – but all aspects of my life – promises made to family and friends.  Once lost or even slightly tainted, this intangible attribute is hard to restore.

Safeguard your credibility – it speaks volumes about you when you can’t speak for yourself.

Sign on the Dotted Line

To be successful in business, you need to sell a product and/or service.  Some virtual assistants (VAs) do both; currently, I only sell services.  To that end, I actively seek clients in need of my services, word processing, project coordination, social media maintenance.  The vetting process between VA and client differs with each person and situation.

I met a potential client at a Chamber function.  I educated him about the VA industry and my business.  He expressed interest in my services and I found him to be sincere and a good fit for me (the interview process is a two-way street).  We discussed his goals, my ability to assist and of course, my rates.  The deal was almost done – just one crucial piece of documentation was required – a signed contract.  That’s when – POOF! – he was gone.  Was it something I said?  Or perhaps didn’t say?  Does he have commitment issues?

I try to glean some gem from every experience I have to enable me to refine my technique or approach for the next encounter.  It’s definitely a growing process with highs and lows!  As I replay this scenario in my mind, I can’t think of anything I would change, except perhaps the amount of time invested.  I’ll be better prepared for the next client encounter – experience is the best teacher.

Have you had a similar occurrence?  Would you like to share?

Volunteering

I like to help – hence being a Virtual Assistant (VA) is a great fit for me.  While getting paid for services rendered is necessary from an economic standpoint – sometimes you do things simply for the feel-good factor.

Volunteerism is an opportunity to assist a community, a cause or a movement.  The payment is the feel-good factor in helping a community, cause or movement.  In the VA community, 2 of the professional organizations I belong to are sustained by the VAs willing to volunteer their time and knowledge to assist other VAs.  The payment is paying it forward – the feel-good factor.

I volunteer – virtually and physically.  My virtual volunteer position is as a VA for a non-profit organization in California.  Yes, I get the feel-good factor from this opportunity, but I also increase my confidence and expand my skills with each project – a win/win situation.  My other volunteer position is with a food pantry for a church.  My personal belief is that everyone should have something to eat – regardless of socio-economic status.  I try to attend 2-3 Saturday’s a month.  I enjoy helping!

Do you volunteer your time?  What are some of the activities you participate in?  Can you relate to the feel-good factor?

Vision Board

I have a great coach – she’s been in the Virtual Assistant industry for close to 20 years.  Our sessions are always educational – sometimes a little painful if I’ve been slacking (lol) – but definitely informative.  She told me to create a Vision Board – a physical representation of my long term goals; something that will inspire me and help me over the bumps and bruises of building a business.

My vision board consists of various pictures and scenes from the web that capture my wishes and plans for the future.  I have a map of the Caribbean Sea and the various islands – moving to a warmer climate is a priority; I also have 2 doves in a heart (I’ll keep you guessing about that one) and I have 3-5 headline captions of my ultimate business goal – to become an event planner extraordinaire! This is how I choice to create my vision board – this is no right/wrong way – just your personal preference.

I must say that this exercise was not as easy as I expected.  I had to stop internalizing my hopes, dreams, and desires and physically display them – not a comfortable situation for me.  But pushing through that discomfort enabled me to focus on the ultimate goal and work towards it.

Do you have a vision board or goal board?  Does it help you to stay focused?  How did you feel during the process?

Comments are welcomed!