This week, April 18th to 24th, is National Volunteer week. People volunteer for various reasons, some may be – hands-on learning experience, filling a temporary need or for the give back/pay forward feeling.

Are you contemplating a major life change like opening a business? Perhaps you are considering becoming a virtual service provider…you may be wondering – “how can I apply my skills to this new venture?” Test the waters by volunteering. Volunteering is a win/win situation – you gain hands on experience, increased confidence and other warm and fuzzy intangible feels while providing a needed service or task to a cause, organization or individual.

I volunteer virtually and on-site – it’s time-consuming but extremely gratifying. So I’m encouraging you to seek out a need, identify a cause, offer yourself in the form of volunteerism – it pays!

You can try these sites for opportunities: volunteermatch.org or Volunteers of America or countless others.

If you decide to volunteer – please tell me about it! I’m looking forward to your comments.

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.