Virtual Assistant Articles Directory - Virtual Assistance Articles | VAnetworking.com

When a new VA is starting out, there is the temptation to accept any job that comes along, just for the sake of having a client and work to do. But things can go awry very, very quickly, if you have no experience in that type of work, and if you don’t know what you’re doing. Some jobs may appear to be easy at the outset, but unless you truly have some idea of what’s involved, probably best to let it pass to someone more experienced. Some of these will include: transcriptions (audio & digital), bookkeeping, website design and maintenance, database design.

Best to start with things you know well and as you build your client relationships, and they ask you to do something you haven’t done before, then it’s worth exploring and learning how to do that thing. The client already knows what you’re capable of and would be more willing to accept that there is some learning time involved, without you feeling uncomfortable and that you are out of your depth.

But don’t worry too much if this does happen - as long as you learn from it. Pick yourself up and start again. Even seasoned VAs have their ‘failure’ stories - I might share mine… one day ;-)

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Kathie M. Thomas, AFAIOP, MVA, ASO is the founder of "A Clayton's Secretary", a Virtual Assistant Network with members in many countries. Dedicated to teaching others about operating business over the Internet, Kathie is a multiple award winner as both a Secretary and Virtual Business Operator, and has over 30 years\' experience in the secretarial/administrative field. She registered her business in March 1994 and is one of the senior VAs who launched the industry globally. http://www.vadirectory.net.

Since the internet is an endless possibility of resources, here a few ways that you can use to help out with your publicity.

1. Article Directories
Submitting multiple articles on article directories is an easy way of getting publicity for your virtual assistance business. You allow your business name to get exposure as well as you can show potential clients what your area of expertise is (for example, my company is all about being proficient.)

There are so many article directory websites out there, so here are a few of my favourites:

- VA Article Directory
- Jogena
- Digital Women
- Business Tool Chest
- Ezine Articles
- And so Many More!

Please contact me for a full list of article sites that I use.

2. Commenting on Blogs
Commenting on a blog website allows you to express your businesses’ views when it comes to what other virtual assistants are posting about. By posting your URL at the bottom of the comment, they might or whoever else sees the comment, will check out your website. By expressing your views, it shows what type of business you run and it will build a reputation for your company.

3. Have a Blogroll on Your Blog
In my own personal experience, having a blogroll is great! I was personally contacted by one of the people I had on my blogroll and it started a business relationship. It’s easy and you can choose the virtual assistants and other companies you want.

4. Knowing How to Network
Networking can be the easiest thing you do and the most beneficial. Networking can be submitting the articles, commenting on blogs, talking on message boards, signing up for forums, and having a blogroll. Since networking is so huge, I just wanted to cover the ways I like the most.

Looking forward to sharing many successes with you!

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Trina Lamarche
Efficient VA

Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Trina Lamarche (Efficient VA) started her virtual career three years ago by helping launch and setup Business Services, ETC, a virtual assistance firm. After two years working for other people, she realized what she really wanted to do; become an owner of her very own virtual assistance business. In the past year, she has been working part-time as a ‘Virtual Assistant’s Assistant’ (a term she coined while working on client work one evening.) Always the overachiever, she decided to open a second virtual assistance company, Efficient Virtual Assistant (EVA), working directly with clients. Contact her at info@efficientva.com.

Time differences……………..One challenge I’ve experienced recently is determining the times in other cities of the world. Each country has various time zones and I’ve learnt that the USA has CST, EST, MST and PST. (Central, Eastern, Mountain and Pacific Standard Time). However, the time zones didn’t mean a lot to me and in arranging a convenient time to participate in a web conference meant trying to understand the time zones or finding out which cities the other participants were in, to determine the time differences, and work out the best time for us all to meet.

When you are conversing with others globally, particularly in email, it is important to recognise that others might not understand your time zones or even the abbreviations for the city or state you are talking about. Special consideration must be given to the thought that readers might misunderstand what was meant by a certain abbreviation or not know what CST actually is and how to translate it to a time they understand.

Enter www.timeanddate.com - with this website you can look up major cities around the world to see what time it is right now in another place, find out about various time zones and use their meeting planner to determine a good time for you and other participants to meet globally. What a timesaver this site is! No longer do you have to do calculations, GMT+ hours, then work out that a certain area is 17 hours behind you or 5 hours ahead, and that would make it….. at 6pm your time.

Timeanddate.com also has a Time Zone Menu, Fixed Time Clock, lists Time Zone abbreviations and gives information about Daylight Saving. There is the facility for customising the world clock to suit your requirements. You can also get a calendar and download countdown timers – a lot of things to explore and look at. But what I like best is that I can look up San Francisco in a couple of clicks and know what time it is there right now, compared to here in Melbourne. No more guestimates. Certainly beats ringing someone in the early hours of the morning because you didn’t know his or her correct time… something that happened to me just recently.

So, now you’ve worked out the time you’re going to meet but how are you going to meet? Well, another great site I’ve discovered is www.voxwire.com. I mentioned Voxwire in last month’s newsletter. It has voice meeting rooms for a very reasonable monthly rental price. There isn’t a need for your guests to purchase a license to meet with you – they can just join you in the meeting room. Add a microphone to your computer and you can speak to the people in the room, or opt to type your messages for them to view online instead. What I particularly like about this facility is the fact that you can place websites, presentation pages, documents, slides, or flash on the internet screen and all your guests or customers can watch the presentation while you narrate and/or respond to questions. You can also produce a printed log of the text activity of the web conference as well.

I just love what can be achieved with today’s technology and it excites me to think that I can chat with my fellow operators around the world.

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Kathie M. Thomas, AFAIOP, MVA, ASO is the founder of "A Clayton's Secretary", a Virtual Assistant Network with members in many countries. Dedicated to teaching others about operating business over the Internet, Kathie is a multiple award winner as both a Secretary and Virtual Business Operator, and has over 30 years\' experience in the secretarial/administrative field. She registered her business in March 1994 and is one of the senior VAs who launched the industry globally. http://www.vadirectory.net.

Do you know where your client is? Keeping track of busy entrepreneurs can sometimes be a job in itself.

Traditional secretaries usually look after their boss' calendar, scheduling and cancelling appointments. What tools, besides a Global Positioning Signal J, can let you know where your client is and what they are doing? This is virtually a breeze with various software programs and Internet services available. Let's take a look at some of the options.

What options are available?

There are several ways to share calendar information with your clients and one of them is to use software programs specifically designed for this that have synchronization features, most of them automatic. Anytime either user makes changes to the calendar this information is sent to the other user and updates the information on their end. Updates are generally sent via email.

Two popular programs are ACT! and Maximizer which both interface with Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft Outlook 2000 also allows you to share calendar information using similar techniques as the software programs above however it is not as powerful.

There are also services available on the Internet which allow you to share information with other users. These sites are password protected and can be accessed by several people. To get the most updated information you must access the web site. It is not automatically loaded onto your computer.

When all else fails you can manually fax calendar sheets back and forth with your client.
How do you share calendars with Outlook?

To the best of my knowledge only the 2000 version has this option. Whoever is sharing their calendar information has to initiate the process. So it your client is sharing her calendar with you then the client will need to do the following.

When you are in Outlook go under "File" then "Share". You will then have an option to share "Calendar", "Tasks", "Contacts", "This Folder". Select "Calendar" and it ask you who you will be sharing the folder with (the person needs to be in the address book) and what permissions the individual will be given. You may have to install the add-in to get this working (it's on your Office CD and they are called netfolders).

Once this has been completed it will send an invitation to the other user who then has to accept or decline. Once accepted the client's computer will begin sending email packets to your computer with all the current calendar information. Depending on how much is there this may take some time and both the sending and receiving computer should continue to send and receive emails so they do not interrupt the process or it will need to be started again.

Once the entire process is complete a new calendar will appear in Outlook with all the client's information. As long as you were given permission to make changes you will be able to schedule or change appointments and the updates will automatically be sent to your clients calendar via email.

This works well if the client is only sharing the information with one person. Sometimes the process will be interrupted and need to be started again. There are bugs in this feature and it is not well supported by Microsoft.
What about ACT! or Maximizer?

These are both very robust programs and in addition to having calendar sharing also provide contact management, report generation, mail merge features, synchronization features, integration with Outlook, Palm pilot synchronization, and many other features and benefits. Maximizer runs about $200 US and ACT! at about $220 US.

I have never used Maximizer and used ACT! years ago. I believe the synchronization of the information is scheduled during the day and does not happen just when you send and receive email. Technical support is available through a knowledge base or purchased packages. Upgrades are available as well.
What Internet services are available?

There are some free services available for sharing calendars online. Yahoo and MSN both have free calendar features and www.calendars.net. Most charge a fee and some to check out are www.intranets.com, www.hotoffice.com, www.scheduleonline.com, www.myevents.com, or www.myappointments.net.

These services are not stored on your computer but on a secure web site so you need to be online to access the latest and greatest. No synchronization or specialty software is needed and the technical support is usually better than what comes with a software package.
Which one should I use?

This depends entirely on what your client is looking for, or what they want to use, how many people need to share the information, what other features are wanted i.e. contact databases etc., what software you may already have and if a financial investment is even a possibility. All of them will work it just depends on what the whole picture looks like as to what is the best solution for you and that particular client.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

There are many complications to being a small business owner and Virtual Assistant (VA) but none so pressing as the need for health, dental and life insurance. Many VA's obtain coverage through the employment of their spouse. However, there are just as many small business owners who are not married, whose spouse is also self employed or not offered benefits through their employer.

Another option for a VA is to partner with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). PEO's, also known as employee leasing companies, handle the human resources functions of companies of any size but they focus primarily on small and medium sized businesses. Some of the human resources functions handled by a typical PEO are:

* Payroll
* Direct Deposit
* Worker's Compensation Insurance
* Health Insurance
* Dental Insurance
* Life Insurance
* Retirement Plans
* Tax Deposits and Reporting
* Regulatory Compliance

A PEO groups together businesses of all sizes in order to get the best rates for benefits and to reduce human resources costs to a minimum. In order to work with a PEO you will be asked to fill out an application and provide a set-up fee ranging from $50.00 to $300.00 depending upon the size of your business. Monthly fees will be determined by the PEO and are usually based on the number of payroll checks issued during each month and the number of employees. Your company will be billed, at least monthly, for the cost of fees, benefits, taxes, etc. not paid by employees.

After signing a contract with a PEO your employees will need to fill out employment and tax forms that will then be forwarded to the PEO. The PEO then becomes the employer of record for the employees and from then on handles all payroll and benefit tasks. Timesheets, benefit enrollments and changes will all be submitted to your PEO and you will receive regularly scheduled management reports. At the end of a calendar year the PEO will provide all employees with a W-2.

Some PEO's work with companies in every state and others are state specific. To search for a state specific PEO visit http://www.peo-quote.com

A PEO may not be the perfect solution for every Virtual Assistant but it is an option for individuals and companies who are willing to outsource human resource functions to obtain much needed benefits, improve employee retention and save time that can be better used to growing the business.

(c) 2007, Davis Virtual Assistance. Please feel free to reprint this article intact with the byline and all links made live.

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Bonnie Jo Davis is an experienced Virtual Assistant, author and article marketing expert. You can learn more about her by visiting http://www.davisvirtualassistance.com

So you have started your business (or going to) and want to have a website to advertise your business. You have defined your objective, know what type of audience you are after and have an idea for what you want to accomplish. Where do you go from there? Here is a step by step guide to creating a website for a virtual assistant business.
Step 1 - Outline - Take a paper out and make an outline of what you want on your website. Don’t format farther than an outline. This will help pre-plan the project. Look at what you came up with, move it around, delete sections, etc. Listed below is a sample outline that includes pages you may want to include on your website. Some VAs don’t want a quote form, some may not want a static price list. There are great sites on the internet that are basically online business cards, as well as great sites with a vast amount of information. It is up to you.

A sample outline:

* Home Page
* What is a VA?
* How do you do your services/How a VA works
* Benefits of a hiring a VA
* Link to Industry Articles
* List of Services (do you want a different page for different services such as web design, administrative duties, event planning, etc)
* Price list/Rates
* How payments are handled
* Feedback form for quote
* Testimonials/References
* Client List
* About us
* Technology/Equipment
* Certifications
* Resumé
* Press Releases/Media
* Contact Information
* More information form
* Links

Step 2 - Layout - Start thinking of your layout. The outline may have your basic layout but there are other considerations. What elements will you want on every page. Which areas make sense to put on your navigation bar and which should be sub-categories.

A few highly recommended items you may want on every page:

A Quality Logo - Depending on your graphic abilities you may want to pay to have one created – two resources are: The Logo Creator and Logoworks - Get a great logo in 72 hours!

A Copyright Message - Keep your content protected. This will usually go on every page at the bottom.

Navigational Bar - Link back and forth to all the pages in your website.

Step 3 – The “Feeling” of the website - Decide if you want a corporate look, do you want a warm and fuzzy feeling website, high tech? One consideration in deciding your look maybe your niche market or maybe just personal preference.

Depending on your style you may want to include graphics that keep to your style. Always keep in mind the size of your files, the smaller the better.
Microsoft Clipart gallery is the most common. Here are some links to some galleries where you can pay for quality clipart Corbis BizPresenter – PhotoSpin - Photos.com

Step 4 – Layout / Design - Take a look at your outline, the elements you want on any page, what your navigational bar may include, a concept of the graphics and logo. Using a note pad start laying out your website. Try several different layouts till you find the layout that appeals to you. It is almost time to start actually constructing the website.
Step 5 – Domain name - You have your company name but is the domain name available. Think about what you want your url to look like. It will depend on if you choose to host your site with a free service or with a web site host. To play with different combinations of urls and see what is available you can type in ideas at http://www.internic.com/whois.html.

Step 6 - Hosting your website - Time to make some of the hard decisions in building your website, the financial decisions. There are places you can create a quality website for free. The down-side to those programs is they usually include pop up ads, many times you can’t have a unique url and to upload and update your website you have to may have to upload file by file (each page, each graphic file, etc) and if you ever upgrade it tends to become more expensive than other web hosting packages currently advertised. The up-upside to the free services is they are free, many have pre-made templates and you can get a website up very fast. Here are some free services: Angelfire iVillage Netfirms.com.

It is all a matter of personal opinion and finances, but the most professional looking sites are the ones where you have your own domain name, www.yourname.com and can set up your email to you@yourcompany.com. There are many inexpensive plans out there that will include a domain name for free for the first year and have options the free programs charge extra for. As the competition grows and the technology advances the cost of your own domain and website is getting lower and lower. Here are some of the plans offered as of the writing of this article:

Globat – For as low as $7.95 a month (when billed yearly) includes registering your domain name, 300 MB Web Space, 30 GB Data Transfer, YourName.Com, 24/7 FTP Access, Flash, PHP4, PERL5, Frontpage 2002 Support, your own cgi-bin, 300 POP3 mail Accounts, Web-based email (You@yourdomain.com), Real Time Tech Support, 24/7 Signature support, Web Control Panel

Infinology – This company offers an outstanding package for $6.95 a month (when billed yearly). Voted #1 by Cnet, 9000 MB Disk Storage Space, 50,000 MB Data Transfer, YourName.Com, 24/7 FTP Access, Flash, PHP 3 & 4, PERL Support, Frontpage 1998 2000 & 2002 Support, Web Control Panel, Webalizer and more.

Jumpline – Costs a bit more per month. $11.95 for a 2 year commitment, no set up fee, $20 for your domain name. 7,500 MB of bandwidth per month 200 MB disk space 100 email accounts (POP3) Website Manager, Microsoft FrontPage® 2000 support 24/7 technical support, PERL 5.005_03, PHP 4, Cisco enterprise routers, Dell PowerEdge Servers, 99.9% Server Uptime, Email forwarding (Aliases), 50 autoresponders, Web-based email (NeoMail), Email forwarding.

Now the basic design has been laid out, you have decided on a service to host the website, decided on your url, it is time to build the website.

Step 7 - HTML Editor - Unless you want to learn HTML and various scripting you need a good HTML editor. There are many good HTML editors out and many are free. With Internet Explorer you get Frontpage Express and Netscape has Composer. Purchased programs have the most features, options and are easy to use and update. Two popular programs are Microsoft Frontpage and Dreamweaver.

Once the html editor has been chosen, familiarize yourself with how it works. Take the tutorial and get a feel for what you can do with the program. Start off as you would with any word processor or desktop publishing software and what you can do with the program works. How to lay your information.

Step 8 - Content of Website - Once you have become familiar with the html editing program and have created your basic look/layout. (background, where your nav bar will be, where your main text layout will go) you can start putting your information in from your outline. Let's take the outline in Step 1 and use that for the basis of an example VA website. Every website will have its unique feel and information depending on your business needs and your personal preferences. Take a look at other VA website to get ideas, but please do not plagiarize or steal content. Not only is it morally wrong, it is illegal.

HomePage - Should have your logo, navigational bar to other pages, copyright info and content you have come up with.

What is a VA? - What benefits will you give your clients? Why should they hire a virtual assistant?

How do you do your services/How a VA works? How do you handle communications?

Benefits of a hiring a VA

Link to Industry Articles There are many links you can use as a resource for hiring a VA, what a VA is etc. For a list of articles you can check AdminProf.com's VA Articles.

List of Services (do you want a different page for different services such as web design, administrative duties, event planning, etc)

Price list/Rates Some Virtual Assistants prefer not to list their prices so list them. It is up to the individual to list or not.

How payments are handled Some items to take into consideration, will you take credit cards, PayPal, accept checks? What are your terms net10, net 30, payable upon receipt

Feedback form for quote

Testimonials/References

Client List

About us - You may want to include a short bio paragraph about your work history, why you started your business, or some personal information on your skills. You can list the following on the page or link them to two more pages:
Portfolio of Work - Do you have websites you have created, link them here, do you have any graphics or samples of your work. You can have a page to show some samples of projects clients have asked you to do. Ask permission from any company before posting any jpg or graphic of a job done.
Certification - Do you have certifications, Brainbench certificates
Resumé - Some VAs post their resumé on their website, one reminder if you do, take off your personal home address and phone number.

Technology/Equipment - List what software and equipment you know and own.

Press Releases/Media - Have any press release? Have you been mention in the medial.

Contact Information - Name, phone, fax, address, email.

Links - Exchanging links with other websites increases your placement on some search engines.

Step 9 - Keywords, Meta Tags - Meta tags are key words to help the search engines find your website. They are placed in the header, in the actual html coding. The meta tags must come in between <head.> </head> in your html code.

<META NAME="keywords" content="keyword 1, keyword 2, keyword 3, etc."> Examples of key words maybe, temp, secretary, office assistant, home office, pa, outsourcing, personal assistant, virtual assistant, affordable, office services, word, excel, macros, spreadsheet, powerpoint, presentation, office administration, proofreader, your city, your specialties, wordprocessing, office support.....

<META NAME="description" content="This would be your description of what is on your page. Should be one or two short sentence description..">

Step 10 – Uploading your website to the new space - Many programs have built in ftp programs. You type in your url address, logon name and password and it will automatically ftp the site. For those who don’t have that option or the web space doesn’t provide the server side features for these programs you can use Cuteftp or WSftp.

Step 11 - Finishing touches - .Your site is done, and uploaded - Before you announce it, double check your spelling and grammar, make sure your graphics are working, and there are no dead links. Netmechanic has some free features to test your site such as Fix HTML Code Errors including spelling errors and broken links, search engine optimization, they have GifBot where it reduces the sizes of your graphics and many more resources on promoting your new website.

Step 12 - Submitting to search engines. Here are some steps and tips to get your site submitted and some tips to help your websites placement.

Hand submit your site to the search engines. Many search engines look for different elements in determining your placement. Research what you need to do to optimize each search engine. Elements to optimizing where you are place are:

Title Tag - The Title tag is the text you see at the top of your browser when you open a web page. It is in the header and placed in between <TITLE> your description </TITLE> The tag should be no longer than 80 characters. It can help placement in search engines if you can use some of your key meta words in the title.

Meta Tags - Keywords should be in the header, do not use the same word more than once but you can and should use plurals (secretary, sectaries) and you can use phrases, virtual assistants, virtual office, but don't use the word more the 3 times in the completed meta tag. Use words that accurately describe your business. Put the most important words at the beginning of the list. Are any of the words easily misspelled virtual , vitural? Make sure you use important key words in your meta description.

Body of Page Text - Make sure your key words are included in the top half of the body of your main text for website. Do not hide text in same color content

Alt Image Tags - Name your images, in Frontpage and Dreamweaver there are places to type the title of the image, if you use a different program or able to do it manually by html write up put it in the html like this <IMG SRC="AdminProfLogo.gif" width="100" height="100" alt="AdminProf.com information for Virtual Assistants">

Problems: A site that uses frames, dynamic urls, sites that use Flash, and javascript navigations. Text that is camouflaged. (you have a white background and type white text to achieve more keywords and phrases for your placement.)

For more on search engines and placement here are a few links to places that will give you more detail and list many search engines out today.

* Search Engines.com
* All Search Engines
* Search Engine Guide

Step 13 - Maintenance - Periodically check for broken links, keep your information up to day, announce new promotional campaigns. The hard part is done, but keeping the site current and up to date should be an on going project.

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DeskDemon.com

 

The business of being in business. What do you need to know?

The learning curve for starting a business can be pretty steep. Various levels of governments have various requirements and in addition different locations have different requirements so there is no standard answer for everyone. In some cases you will be paying and in some cases charging taxes. We can give you some of the basic information however do yourself a favour and do the research to get the right information for you.

Do I have to charge federal taxes?

To the best of my knowledge currently you do not have to charge federal taxes in the US. For information visit this website.

However in Canada you are required to charge GST (Goods and Services Tax) on your services. You have to pay GST once your gross earnings reach $30,000 however you can voluntarily register for and charge GST prior to that. For more information visit this website.
What about provincial/state taxes?

In the US this may vary from state to state so you will need to check whether taxes need to be charged on services. To find out what the situation is in your area visit this website.

In Canada you are not required to charge PST on services however if you are selling products then you are required to charge sales tax. For more information go to this website.
What about outside North America?

The Internet is always a great resource. Most government agencies have web sites available.

* For the UK go to this website.
* For Australia go to this website.
* For Ireland go to this website.
* For New Zealand go to this website.

How do I handle my income taxes?

Once again this depends on where you live and also how you have structured your business i.e. sole-proprietor, LLC, incorporated.

* In Canada if you are self-employed and set up as a sole-proprietor you claim your business as part of your personal taxes. Find out more here.
* In the US click here.

Anything else I need to find out about?

Your local, provincial/state or federal agencies may require additional licenses. Check to see whether you need to register your business (normally you would) and if you need any specific business licenses to operate specifically from your home.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

Let's get connected and talk about telephones. Phones literally connect us to the outside world. And if connection is the wellspring of relationships, how well are you connected?

As someone who spent 18 years working for the phone company I could probably tell you a thing or two about how they work. As a VA I can also tell you they are critical to what we do.

Since the phone is one of the main ways of communicating in your business it is important you put some thought into how to make the best use of this tool. Today's technology allows for lots of options to choose from.

What do I need to know about setting up my business phone?

Ideally you should have a separate line for your business and answer it accordingly. There is nothing worse than calling a business and having 5-year-old Sally say "Hello who's this please?" It's cute but unprofessional. If you cannot afford a separate line when starting out have a smart ring or distinctive ring feature added to your home phone. This is a separate phone number that rings differently on your phone. You can then educate family members and you will know which calls need to be answered in a business-like manner. Check with your local carrier.

I would also highly recommend, at some point, investing in a headset. I spent 3 years holding my phone in the crick of my neck, sometimes for hours, and suffered because of it. You want to be able to be on the phone and type at the same time. Another option is a speakerphone however sometimes the quality is not the greatest.
What features should I consider?

Voice mail, call display, call waiting, call waiting display and 3-way calling.

Let's talk a little about these features. Voice mail is professional and reliable and has features and options to help you manage your messages. I personally change my daily (or try to!) indicating my schedule for the day. That way people have an idea of when they may hear back from me. When I am away for a few days I put an extended absence greeting on which forces callers to listen to my message before they leave me one, they cannot skip past my message.

Call display should not be used as an avoidance system but as a tool to help you manage interruptions and maintain focus during certain times of the day. Call waiting should be used with discretion and call waiting display will help with the management of call display. The 3-way calling feature is helpful when you need to pull another individual into a call. It can also support reducing long distance expenses with team members.
How do I manage long distance costs?

There are lots of different options available with long distance carriers outside of your local provider. You will need to do some research on who would be the best for you based on the time of day, how long the calls are, where you are calling from and where you are calling to. Some companies require they are your only long distance provider to get certain rates, others have a pre-dial code such as 1010, some will have a lower rate but a connection fee attached so be sure you have all the information before using a service.

A couple of recommendations are Excel Communications (contact sales rep Kathryn Gray at 250-227-9331 or coach@netidea.com) Wintel at 1-877-904-0077 or www.wintel.ca, YAK Communications at www.yak.com or USA Datanet at 1-877-499-2368 or www.usadatenet.com. If you have any other recommendations send them along and I will share them with the group.

Another option for long distance is prepaid calling cards. These are especially handy when travelling out of town. Once again you need to look into the different options available and find one that works for you. This web site has links to all the top sites www.prepaidcards.com.
What is a bridge line?

A bridge line is basically the same as having a conference call where several to over 100 individuals can connect on the same line. It allows for group learning, sharing and brainstorming to take place without location restrictions.

There are different sizes of bridges the smaller ones having about a 30-person capacity to the large super bridges that can handle upwards of 200 participants. Some require a PIN number to access, others do not, some have entry and exit tones, some you can only access at the scheduled time and some have additional features such as lecture mode or self-mute. To date the bridges are all US phone numbers.
How do I get access to a bridge line?

There are free services available at www.teleconnection.com or www.mrconference.com however you do get what you pay for so buyer beware ;-) For the occasional bridge rental you can contact Telebridge Conferencing at www.telebridge.com or Telephone Bridge Services at www.telephonebridgeservices.com for short or long-term accounts. Check out Eagle Teleconferencing at www.eagleconf.com for monthly or yearly accounts.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

Testimonials provide credibility to your business. Are you maximizing your credibility?

Testimonials are a powerful tool. Potential clients who don’t know anything about you may be wary of a ‘sales pitch’. Hearing from clients who have used your services provides proof of your ability to do what you say. It has a greater impact when coming from less biased source. Let’s discuss how to utilize client testimonials.

When should I ask for a testimonial?

The best time to ask a client for a testimonial is upon successful completion of a project that has made an impact on their business. Ideally you will have developed somewhat of a relationship with them at this time and had the opportunity to provide several different services they can speak to i.e. not just project work. Obviously asking for a testimonial when something has not gone well is not a good time to ask.
What can I do to ensure they follow up on a request for a testimonial?

Make it as easy as possible for them. Simply asking a client for a testimonial is less likely to provide good results than to craft some simple questions for them to answer. This also allows you to somewhat direct what the testimonial will cover. Create 2 to 3 questions you would like them to answer. Ask them to answer the questions and return to you to edit and you will forward to them the final draft for approval. Do the majority of the work for them.
Can you give examples of questions I could use?

You want the questions to show the impact working with you has had on them and their business. Some examples are:

* What was your business like before hiring a VA?
* How did your business change after hiring a VA?
* What is your business like now?
* Why did you decide to hire a VA?
* What has your experience working with a VA been like?
* Would you recommend hiring a VA to others and why?

How long should a testimonial be?

A small paragraph 5 or 6 sentences long at most, 3 or 4 sentences is ideal. You want it to be succinct and to the point without losing the reader’s interest. Page long testimonials lose their impact however can be cut down using pull quotes i.e. Working with a VA increases my earning power…I have more time for clients…my bottom line has increased.
Should I include the client name or other information?

In my opinion a testimonial without a name attached to it is just words with no validity. Always get the client’s permission to use their name or initials. If you can also include the company name or client’s position or job title along with their location that is ideal. These things can show diversity of client base, a niche or international clientele.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VA\'s as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

I have talked about this numerous times, whether it is with potential clients, clients or other virtual assistants. There are so many advantages of switching over your current website to a blog. Here a few reasons why you should switch over today.

Updates: to update a website, you need an application like Macromedia Dreamweaver. To do more advanced website changes, you will need to hire a programmer if you don’t have those skills. With a Wordpress blog, it’s as easy as going to a tab called “Presentation” and updating the necessary information. When I first started using Wordpress, I thought the layout was easy and everything was right there for me. It was easy to add categories, posts, and pages. It even gives you the option of writing your posts by a design view or entering the code for each post, as well as with pages.

Customization: to customize your blog it’s as easy as uploading a template in some cases. The Wordpress blog allows you to change almost the whole template with the exception of keeping the same look. If you know HTML, there is a lot you can do with the customization process. You can add JavaScript to the sidebars and header, you can change the look of the sidebars, and you can change the font colours throughout the website and so much more.

Traffic: When I tell people about my Wordpress blog, they sometimes ask how traffic statistics are. Well, for an example, I’ve had over 3,000 people visit my other website, Virtual Assistant’s Assistant, since the launch in May 18, 2007. That’s two months! I couldn’t believe it!

Ratings: Your rating in Alexa and Google are increased when you transfer to a blog as well. I remember when I launched my business; I was on page 18 or something crazy when I typed in “virtual assistant.” That has drastically increased! Since the blog sites are easier for the search engine bots to read, your websites rating increases that much more!

Feed Reader: By having a RSS feed, a lot more people can access your website. They can set-up your website in their FeedDemon account, which people will receive automatic updates on your blog. They can even comment on your posts!

There are so many ways that a blog website will help you increase traffic to your website and allow for easier and less time spent updating your website.

Looking forward to sharing many successes with you!

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Trina Lamarche
Efficient VA

Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Trina Lamarche (Efficient VA) started her virtual career three years ago by helping launch and setup Business Services, ETC, a virtual assistance firm. After two years working for other people, she realized what she really wanted to do; become an owner of her very own virtual assistance business. In the past year, she has been working part-time as a ‘Virtual Assistant’s Assistant’ (a term she coined while working on client work one evening.) Always the overachiever, she decided to open a second virtual assistance company, Efficient Virtual Assistant (EVA), working directly with clients. Contact her at info@efficientva.com.

Average elevator ride – 30 to 60 seconds. How well are you articulating what you do?

Because the VA profession is still in its infancy a lot of people have never heard the term or understand what it means and how it works. Learning how to articulate what you do that invites further conversation and exploration is important to developing potential clients and building your business. Let’s explore the use of an “elevator speech”.

What is an “elevator speech”?

An elevator speech, also known as an elevator pitch, is a succinct and engaging presentation designed to produce action from the listener. It is called an elevator speech because the time is limited to the length of the average elevator ride – 30 to 60 seconds. Interestingly the same length as the average commercial. It all boils down to first impressions and engaging a potential client.

What do I talk about in my elevator speech?

Your pitch is the tool you use to make an initial connection between you and a potential client, therefore they need to be able to directly relate it to their own situation. It should include, what you do, who you do it for and the benefits they receive in a very succinct and concise manner.

Why can’t I just say I’m a VA?

Simply stating you are a VA is an option and may likely bring positive results. However, you will get a better response from individuals who may be afraid or intimidated by the fact that they don’t know what it is, and do not want to feel stupid or embarrassed, if you use an elevator speech. If you just say you are a VA, these individuals will likely either end the conversation or change it to a direction they are more comfortable with. Remember you want to connect with the potential client and their situation.
How can I be sure my elevator speech is effective?

In order for your elevator speech to be effective it must not only be succinct but also roll off your tongue and sound very natural, not rehearsed! In order to accomplish this you need to practice saying it out loud, not just reading it to yourself. A good way to fine-tune it is to say it front of the mirror, practice with family and friends or leave it on your voice mail. Does it flow? Do you sound confident? Does it need to be changed? Practice it until you get it right.

Can you give me an example of an elevator speech?

Here are a couple of examples:

* I’m a Virtual Assistant and I develop collaborative relationships with entrepreneurs supporting them in the administration, growth and success of their businesses.

* I’m a Virtual Assistant providing strategic administrative and collaborative support for business owners who want time to focus on the growth and success of their businesses.

Remember that it’s what you do, who you do it for and the benefits they receive.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VA\'s as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

Over the last five years of being part of the working class, I have noticed some key points to being efficient. You can implement these factors in your virtual assistance business.

1. Time Management
This is one of the biggest factors to being efficient. You can be well organized by keeping a schedule in your business and personal life. Even by having a calendar on the wall and writing your appointments or important phone calls is a good way of keeping organized.

2. Setting Priorities
Knowing what’s most important on your to-do list is an easy way of getting all of the tasks you need done completed in a timely manner. This might even allow you to do all the other smaller tasks on your list that you were putting off. Setting and keeping priorities, whether it be by client or task, is going to improve your relationships with your clients and then your clients will know what to expect when it comes to the completion of their work.

3. Learning to Breathe!
This might sound funny but it will save you from “blowing up” at one of your clients! Learning to breathe and not get frustrated with the business decisions you need to make is key to being efficient. Sometimes it’s best just to walk away from your desk and take a walk when you’re feeling frustrated. Frustration is not going to help you or your business.

4. Keeping a To-Do List
This goes along with being aware of your time and keeping your priorities. Keeping a to-do list is one of the best things I could have done to improve my business. I have a Hilroy notebook all the time and as I get new tasks, I write them down. As I think of new ways to improve my business, I write those down as well. It’s so easy and cheap to do and it will save you so much time. You won’t have to try to think back at everything you’ve done, all you have to do is simply look in your book and there it is.

As many of you know, there are tons of ways of being efficient in your virtual assistance business and personal life. Finding the right way for you makes all the difference in the world. It took me three years to find the best way! Being aware of these small things will help to improve your business and keep you on track to being efficient.

Looking forward to sharing many successes with you!

Trina Lamarche
Efficient VA

Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Trina Lamarche (Efficient VA) started her virtual career three years ago by helping launch and setup Business Services, ETC, a virtual assistance firm. After two years working for other people, she realized what she really wanted to do; become an owner of her very own virtual assistance business. In the past year, she has been working part-time as a ‘Virtual Assistant’s Assistant’ (a term she coined while working on client work one evening.) Always the overachiever, she decided to open a second virtual assistance company, Efficient Virtual Assistant (EVA), working directly with clients. Contact her at info@efficientva.com.

The answer is in the question. What question do you need to ask to get the answer?

I am currently running a training course and over the past couple of classes what has popped out from the materials for me is the importance of asking questions, the right questions. It made me think of one of my very first clients who was writing a book on asking the right questions. Questioning is a valuable skill for a VA. What questions do you have in your toolbox?

Why is asking questions so important?

Asking questions is important for several reasons. First of all it shows people you are interested in what they have to say and secondly because of what the answers can reveal to you. The most powerful thing asking questions can elicit is potential opportunities, both with potential and existing clients. These opportunities can support the development of a new client relationship, take an existing relationship to the next level or open the door to new clients.

What types of questions should I ask?

Be sure that you ask both open and closed questions, starting with closed questions first. Closed questions can be answered with either a single word, a short phrase or with a yes or no.

Closed questions give you facts, are quick and easy to answer and keep control of the conversation with the questioner. As opening questions in a conversation, as it makes it easy for the other person to answer, and doesn't force them to reveal too much about themselves. For example: How long have you been in business? Do you have a web site? Have you ever worked with a VA before?

Open questions receive a longer answer and ask the respondent to think and reflect. They will give you opinions and feelings and hand control of the conversation to the respondent. They are used as a follow on from closed questions, to develop a conversation and open up someone who is rather quiet. Use them to find out more about a person, their wants, needs, problems, and so on and to get people to realize the extent of their problems (to which, of course, you have the solution). For example: What would need to happen for you to consider hiring a VA? Describe what that relationship would look like. What is most important to you about your business?

When should I be asking questions?

You should be asking questions anytime you meet potential clients, when developing a new or existing client relationship, for obtaining service feedback, when requesting testimonials, and in your marketing materials.

How can I use questions to obtain testimonials?

Make it easy for your clients to provide you with testimonials. Asking questions facilitates this in addition to allowing you to somewhat tailor what the testimonial says. Ask the client if they would be willing to provide a testimonial and then create three questions for them to answer.

For instance if you wanted a general testimonial you could ask: What challenges were you facing in your business? What made you decide to hire a VA? What difference has working with a VA made?

If you wanted a testimonial on a specific issue you could ask: Describe a specific challenge you were facing. How did your VA support you in overcoming this challenge? What was the result of the support?

How can I use questions in my marketing materials?

Questions can be a powerful way of connecting with the issues or challenges of potential clients. It is a way of relating to them and getting them to connect you with the solution to their problems. When creating your marketing materials you want to put yourself in your potential client's shoes and ask yourself what question if asked of you would make you move forward. For example: Not enough time to focus on what you do best? Looking for support to grow your business? What would you do if you had more time?

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VA\'s as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

Bill Gate's empire leaves little doubt of the power of Word. How are you getting the Word out?

I began working on computers before Bill Gates was around and sometimes take for granted the knowledge I have of software programs. I am also aware that even after years of using Microsoft's Word there are still tips and tricks for me to learn. In this edition of the Ask the Master newsletter let's explore the world of Word with some of the most frequently requested how to's and misuses of this powerful software. For some of you this may be a no brainer but possibly a good reminder! If any of you have additional questions let me know and I may be able to do another edition on the subject.

What is one of the features least often used?

I think it would be using the "Show/Hide" formatting marks feature. This tool shows tabs, spaces and paragraph marks. A lot of people find these distracting which I did also when I first starting using them, however, they ensure accurate spacing by showing any additional spaces, tabs or carriage returns.

To turn this feature on go to the "Tools" menu click "Options" then the "View" tab. Under "Formatting marks" select the check boxes next to the characters you want to display or click "All".
What is a common misused feature?

Tabs. People are still using the "Tab" key and hitting it a number of times to position text where they want it on the same line. This can create havoc in your formatting if you change the margins on your page or change the type or size of your font among other scenarios. You are also restricted by the margin settings you have which are usually every 1/2".

I recommend 'setting' your tabs. To do this you need to be in either "Normal" or "Print layout" view and have your horizontal "Ruler" set to view. Highlight the line(s) you wish to set the tab(s) on. On the far left of the ruler you will see a character that looks like a capital L. You can click on this icon to change from a left tab to a center, right, decimal or bar tab. Once you have the type of tab you want you simply click on the horizontal ruler where you want the tab to be. You are now just one stroke of the tab key away from getting where you want your next text to go. You can set more than one and more than one style of tab on a line.

What is the feature every VA should know how to use?

Track changes. When editing a document on behalf of a client you can track the changes you make so they know what they were and can either accept, reject or update the changes you made. It is also a valuable tool when more than one person will be editing a document.

To turn on this feature go to "Tools" then "Track Changes" and "Highlight Changes". Click the "Track changes while editing" and you then have the options of "Highlight changes on screen" and "Highlight changes in printed document". Whenever you make a change to the document it will cross out deleted text and add new in a set colour (found under "Tools", "Options", "Track Changes").

When you are receiving a document that has tracked changes you can compare the two documents before reviewing the changes ("Tools", "Track Changes", "Compare") or begin to directly review the changes. To do this go to "Tools", "Track Changes" then "Accept or Reject Changes". If you are not the last person to review the document remember not to accept any changes.
What is the easiest way to move text into a table format?

Convert tables. This feature allows you to easily convert text into tables and tables into text with the simple click of the mouse. Highlight either the table or the text, depending on which direction you are going, then go to "Table", "Convert" and select the appropriate direction. If you are converting a table to text you will then have the option to "Separate text with" paragraph marks, tabs, commas or another alternative.

When converted text to a table you will need to indicate the "Number of columns" (the "Number of rows" is determined by the number of rows of text you are converting), the "AutoFit behavior" ("Fixed column width, AutoFit to contents, AutoFit to window) and "Separate text at" (paragraph marks, tabs, commas or another alternative).
How do you make those cute little happy faces?

AutoCorrect. This feature, found under "Tools", allows you to "AutoCorrect", "AutoFormat As You Type", set "AutoText" and "AutoFormat". This is where the settings are that makes the colon, dash, bracket into a smiley face and capitols are added to the beginning of sentences.

Further exploration of this area will reveal correcting accidental usage of Caps lock, automatic numbered or bulleted lists, capitalizing first letter of a sentence or days of the week, the changing of a number, a slash and another number into a formatted fraction, text that is completed when you begin typing some standard word combinations and more. A tip when you are using complex styles is to turn off these features.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

If a picture is worth a thousand words how many pictures are you painting?

The word on the street is Word is the most popular word processor. That's a mouthful of words! Knowing how to utilize this program will give you an edge in your business. Last month we looked at some of the features of this software but there is more to explore. Join me while we examine what Word can do for you and your business. As I mentioned last month this may be a no brainer for some of you but possibly a good reminder. Enjoy!

How can I change the header or footer information from one page to another?

Sometimes you may want your header or footer information to be different especially on titles pages or tables of content. To do this, on the previous page to where you want the change to occur, go to "Insert" then "Break" and select a "Next page" break under the "Section break types". Then on the page you want the header/footer info to be different make sure the "Same as previous" feature is turned off and you can then make your changes. You can do this for every page if you wish.
How do I make a copyright or trademark sign?

Word will make these for you along with checkboxes, arrows, diamonds, stars, crosses, envelopes, mailboxes, hearts and an enormous selection of other symbols. To do this go to "Insert" then "Symbol". There will be a "Font" selection option with a drop down box next to it were you can browse the many different offerings. Some of my favourite ones are under "Webdings" and "Wingdings". Tip: Once you find something you like make note of what font it is under because you may have a hard time finding it again!

How do I make a typed web site address into a direct link to the site?

You can also do this with email addresses. To do this highlight the text you want linked and go to "Insert" then "Hyperlink". Select the type of link you want to create, to an existing file or web page, to a place in the document you are working on (fabulous for Table of Contents) or an email address. The "Text to display" will show the text you highlighted to be linked and then you can either type in the file name, web page or email address, depending on what you are linking, or browse for it on your computer using the buttons on the right hand side. Once you have completed the information click "Okay". Please note that these links do not transfer into PDF documents.
My tables are very dull, how can I jazz them up?

Tables can be very boring to look at and sometimes even hard to read if they are left plain. One thing that makes a big difference is filling the cells with various shades of gray. When you are doing this do not make it too dark using a maximum of 30% gray. A good contrasting match is 20% or any combination that has a different of 10%. Another great way to make tables with lots of rows of information easier to read is to alternate shading and no shading of rows. This makes it easy to follow horizontally across the information.

To shade or fill the background of your cells highlight the ones you want to format and go to "Format", "Borders and Shading" then click on the "Shading" tab. You can then select the "Fill" you want to use on the cell or row you have selected.
Can I protect a personal document from being accessed on my computer?

Yes you can protect either personal documents or ones with confidential information such as credit card info or home addresses from anyone who may have access to your computer in addition to yourself. You can also protect the tracked changes you have made, any comments you may have inserted into the document or form templates you have created. A password option is also available for further protection.

Go to "Tools", "Protect Document" then select the option you want and fill in the password if desired.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

But you do. We’ll help you! Let this season be one of joy and peace. A time to laugh with friends and share precious moments with family. A time to visit with clients and show your appreciation. You can sing those carols, shop with ease, and most importantly relax. Sound too good to be true. Well, try a few of these holiday time management tips and see if they work for you.

1. Plan ahead: Who says you have to buy the holiday meal the week before. Each time you go to the grocery store, pick up those extra cans of cranberry sauce or Jell-O and jot it down on a list. With your business, buy those 2008 calendars, Daytime Planner refills, client gifts, etc. Keep a list and as you get things, mark it off.

2. Gift Certificates: This is magic to the ears of relatives who don’t know what to buy family members and for us with clients who we aren’t sure what to buy. Not only are they well received, but instead of paying $5.00 or more S&H, you pay 41 cents. Best yet, you don’t have to worry about the cut-off date for getting it there on time for those out-of-state packages.

3. Organize: It’s crucial. You don’t have the time to be looking for things. If possible before the holidays, spend a day or two and totally organize your home and office. What a tremendous feeling to go into the holidays feeling on top of things. If that’s not possible, grab every spare minute you can, whether talking on the phone or waking up early.

For your holiday wrap, scissors, tape, find a place for it and be sure to put it back each time. Your holiday catalogs arrive daily; you are going to need a place for them as well. Find the best place now and then always put them there.

For business, start the New Year out right. Clean out those files and file the important papers away. Get the trash can out and with lots of courage, toss out those things that aren’t important. Be brave! If you haven’t used it in a couple of months, chances are you won’t miss it. Do it!! Go ahead and while you are at it, set up your files for 2008.

4. Schedule Your Time Well: It’s a glorious time of year. Church and kids plays, office parties, holiday shopping, friends, family, etc., etc., etc. Yes, it’s overwhelming, but with the right scheduling, it can be tremendous fun. Write everything down. A calendar on the wall with family events is a must. You don’t want to miss a thing. Get the haircuts, the holiday dresses/suits, and the family portrait now. Also, now is not the time to add on any extras. If it can wait until after the first of the year, let it. (Oh, and don’t forget to arrange for those
babysitters.)

For business, this can be an extremely busy time of year for many.
Clients need to finish up yearly tasks and might be sending you a lot of work. For the seasonal clients, it’s even busier. Stay focused. Don’t let your mind constantly drift to the night’s activities. Use your Daytimer and schedule your day precisely. Use e-mail instead of the phone whenever possible. Concentrate! You can do it!

5. Delegate Tasks: Your time is valuable. Is there someone else who can do the job for you? Let them. You might find they actually enjoy helping and often can use the money.

6. Break Tasks Down: For those of us in business, many tasks are doubled. You have your gift giving, sending out cards, etc. Do a certain amount each night. You’ll enjoy it more and won’t rush to complete the task.

Group your errands, both business and pleasure. Make every trip count.
You’d be amazed at how much time you can save by planning ahead. When you think, gosh that would be perfect for so and so buy it. Why wait and have to come back and worse yet, have to think about where you saw it.

7. Learn to Say No: This is a good business and personal practice all the time, but around the holidays it’s essential. This year, think of you and your family first. What would bring them the greatest joy? Do you really need to do it?

8. Avoid the Rushes: We work from home. We don’t have to be at the post office or bank at noon or after hours. Go at 10:30 a.m.

9. Avoid Guilt: It’s outta there! No, your house isn’t the cleanest. So what! So you didn’t finish all the marketing you wanted. Big Deal! What you have is more precious. If you can enjoy this holiday, even for yourself, isn’t it worth it! Aren’t you worth it! Plus, how much better will you be as a mom and businesswoman.

10. And Finally ENJOY!! Not just that one night or several days, but the whole holiday season. Too many plan for the main event, the holiday itself, but instead, this year enjoy the journey getting there too.

Tis The Season To Be Jolly –
Fa La La La La –
I FOUND THE TIME!!

Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant
- The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Workbook and Corel Word Perfect Virtual Assistant Solution Pack. This year she celebrated her 23rd year in business as President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com. She has been featured in numerous books and magazines including Readers Digest, Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, Home Business Journal, Woman's World, etc. One of her true passions is helping others start their own business and she remains extremely active online mentoring and providing expert advice on business start-ups.

The virtual assistant industry is a booming one. However, if you are just starting out, you might be experiencing some concerns. Perhaps you are having a hard time getting new clients or maybe the long hours were not something you bargained for. Has the start-up process been slower than you thought it might be? There are many concerns that anyone new to the virtual assistant industry might have.

However, making your business a success must involve some really hard work on your part. Below are the top ten tips to making your virtual assistant business a success.

1. Manage Your Time - If you find that you are working extremely long hours, you will want to take some time management steps. Set specific hours and stick to those hours, plan your day in advance with a planner, and know what you are doing from month to month with a calendar.

2 . Have a Positive Outlook - Negative thinking can be one of the major factors in failure. When you want clients to partner with you as a virtual assistant, you need to have a positive outlook on your success. Actually see the success, and it will happen.

3. Network - There are numerous places that allow you to network with other VA's. When you join a networking group, you will find support, knowledge, advice, and even recommendations for work.

4. Website - Your website is a crucial element to the success of your business. It should be attractive, informative, and functional. Without a well thought out and designed website, you will find that your business is lacking in perhaps its most crucial area.

5. Web Content - Articles can be your best friend in getting the traffic and the business you are looking for. A well-written article does many things for your business. It can instill trust in your clients, show expertise and knowledge, and with keywords, bring traffic and potential clients directly to your website.

6. Invest - No business can function without some sort of financial investment. You want to make sure that you have the right equipment for any service you offer.

7. Advertise - Advertisements are another form of financial investment. With a catchy and well designed advertisement, you will attract clients interested in partnering with a virtual assistant. Advertisements can be placed in a variety of ways including in local and national press, professional journals and on the internet.

8. Outsourcing - Even if you are not well equipped for a certain skill, you can outsource to provide your clients with the most extensive list of services. Many other VA's may be willing to partner with you to provide services that you cannot, and vice versa.

9. Dedication - You have to have dedication to make any business work. Remember why you chose this business as your career and focus on your original goals. Your dedication will prove to clients that you are serious about succeeding.

10. Commitment  - You have to make a commitment to both your business and your clients. Keep to the deadlines you have set with clients for returning their work, and most importantly, make sure you are available to your clients when you say you will be.

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Author: Helen Byrne, a UK based VA and owner of Virtualoso - Office Solutions Online. To promote virtual assistance in the UK, Helen recently created www.PA-as-you-go.com as a basic introduction to the business.

You currently have 10 clients you are managing work for. Requests are scheduled into your day timer to complete but they are scattered throughout various days and/or weeks or months. How can you easily keep track of everything related to an individual client? Let's take a look

Reporting To Clients

As a VA one of our roles is to support our clients in having more time to do what they do best. Delegation without follow up is ineffective. When tasks are delegated to you by a client it is your responsibility to track and report the status of each item. So in addition to your time manager where you schedule all client tasks you need a tool to do this.

I called my tool a Hot List. Each client had a hot list and every time something was delegated to me in addition to schedule time to complete it in my time manager I also added it to my hot list. I then used the list to update my clients at our weekly meetings.

Creating Your Hot List

Each hot list contained sections divided into: priorities for this week, priorities for next week, and priorities for the next 3 upcoming months i.e. March, April and May. Items rotate through the different sections as time progresses as well as which months are priorities.

Next to each item that is being worked on, usually only priorities for this week, report the status of each item. For instance completed, ongoing, waiting for reply, in progress, in discussion etc. Document whatever information you need to inform the client of the status. For example:

* Input teleclass schedule and assign faculty as required – ongoing
* Updating course material title pages to reflect current numbering – in progress (files now received)
* Testing new resource area –final testing, problems reported to web site company
* Capturing student drops from courses – waiting for web site company to complete
* Implementation of system prerequisites – additional testing required and review proposed changes with staff members
* Updating materials to match textbook – in discussion
* Call to discuss bridge line changes – scheduled call next week with John Doe and Jane Smart
* Finalized and added additional syllabus to 200 series courses - completed

Tracking Team Members

In addition to tracking items you are working on for your client you may also need to track tasks delegated to other team members. Keep separate sections for these areas as well. For example; assistant VA, bookkeeper, webmaster, marketing specialist etc. Any service you are not performing should be tracked on behalf of your client.

Be sure if you are working with team members that they are clear about what is expected of them. Be sure they know the time frames for completion and that they need to update you on the status in order for you to report it back to the client.

As a VA when we do as much as possible for our clients it creates a win/win situation!

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

I had an interesting chat with a public speaker client of mine recently. She is planning to get some typed transcriptions done of a series of teleseminars and had been told at a public speakers’ networking event about cheap transcriptionists to get the work done. So, although I do a lot of Virtual Assistant work for her, and she knows I have a team of virtual assistants behind me, she won’t be bringing this particular job to us.

I was horrified that she didn’t even ask for advice first before making her decision and she told me she knew I would be. Transcription (audio and digital) is specialised work and unless you’re familiar with it, you can run into all sorts of trouble. For starters, one hour of recording does not equal one hour of typing - no matter what anyone might say or think (See When Is An Hour Not An Hour? article). Unless the speaker is speaking as slowly as the VA types, but we all know that’s not the reality. Wikipedia suggests that the speed of speech can be between 150-175 wpm for a book on tape and that conversations between two people can often be 200wpm or higher. The majority of VAs type less than 100wpm so there is the need to constantly pause the recording, catch up with the typing, sometimes rewind to catch a phrase or a word that wasn’t clear, and then get going again. After the recording is typed it then needs to be read through, often with the recording playing again, to ensure it’s all been captured, and then after that properly formatted and tidied up. So, as you can see, it’s not a simple job of just typing for one hour and the job’s done. And I know with the teleseminars, because there are usually two people (an interviewer and interviewee) involved, it means that it is in conversation mode (200wpm) and not ‘presentation’ mode which is usually a slower speed of speech.

One of the rates I viewed after the speaker referred me to a site she’d been told about, indicated a charge of $40 per audio hour. One hour of recording can take between 3-6 hours to type. That means the transcriptionist is charging between $13.33 and $6.66 per typed hour for the work they’re producing. If they can literally type word for word at the speed of the recording then they must be a very fast typist, and if that’s the case, they are grossly undervaluing what they do. But I fear it might actually mean that the work being done is very basic, not formatted and the client is going to get what she’s paid for. A non-professional job that has probably taken the transcriptionist some time to do for little return. I guess that means I will still get some of the work - I’ll be tidying up the job and formatting it for the speaker’s use!

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Kathie M. Thomas, AFAIOP, MVA, ASO is the founder of \"A Clayton\'s Secretary\", a Virtual Assistant Network with members in many countries. Dedicated to teaching others about operating business over the Internet, Kathie is a multiple award winner as both a Secretary and Virtual Business Operator, and has over 30 years\' experience in the secretarial/administrative field. She registered her business in March 1994 and is one of the senior VAs who launched the industry globally. http://www.vadirectory.net.

Business has finally started to pick up. Things are not steady, but instead you find at times that you have too many orders to fill or too many projects to complete. You can’t afford a steady employee, or even a part time employee (or you don’t want the hassle of IRS), but you don’t want to continue working from 6 am-10pm at those busy times. What do you do?

As a small business owner, I have found the best solution is to have some reliable well trained subcontractors on your “team.” When I first opened my Virtual Assistance business, I had 3 well qualified people approach me that they were interested in work, if I ever had enough. I had them sign a contract, provide me with their tax information, and told them IF I ever had work for them, I would be in touch. Since, I have used them several times, which has helped my business to grow. Here are some tips to help you get started using a subcontractor:

v Find subcontractors BEFORE you need them. Don’t wait until you get that first project or order, and then you are scrambling to find someone to help you, because chances are if you find someone, they won’t be the quality you desire.

v Check references. Just because they are subcontractors, doesn’t mean you should trust they will do quality work. They are representing your business, and you need to ensure that you aren’t going to spend more time cleaning up their messes, then you would if you had just done the project yourself.

v Get all your paperwork in place BEFORE you need them, and let them know you will be in touch when you have work. This way you are not scrambling to get paperwork back, the project out, etc.

v Have a contract, and make sure there is a no compete clause in it. Sometimes it is necessary for you to give out your clientele information to your subcontractor, and it is necessary for them to contact your clientele, depending on the work. Make sure they are always representing your company and understand they may NOT discuss future projects with the client and their company.

v Agree up front on the pay, and get it in writing. Also determine how and when you will pay them. I have heard various discussions on paying your subcontractor immediately or waiting for client payment. I think this depends on your company and what you can do. I have subcontracted my services out, and have worked for people who pay upfront, and people who pay when they get paid. In both cases, I had a written agreement, and was comfortable with the agreements. Decide what you can do, and find subcontractors who are quality and agree to your terms.

v Always be clear on the amount you will pay them. You do not have to share how much the client is paying you and how much you are making off of it. Be fair to yourself and the contractor. You put time & money into landing the client, overseeing the project, and getting payment from the client. You need to ensure you are compensated for that time, money, and effort. Also, realize the subcontractor is doing the work, saving you a great deal of time, and using their own time, so be fair to them and pay them well. If someone is not paid well, they probably won’t do the quality you want, and they won’t work from you again. Deciding what to pay is your own decision.

v Have in writing exactly what you expect from your subcontractor. If they will be doing the same thing every time, make sure they have a copy at all times, and you have a copy signed on file. If they will be doing different things with each project, then for EACH project, give specific details and have them sign a copy for your records. This way if there is dispute on how the project was completed, you have the paper that was signed.

Working with a subcontractor can be a wonderful, profitable experience for you. You can continue to grow your business, and take on projects you would not otherwise be able to do. Additionally, you are not required to give them work and if they don’t do a quality job for you, you don’t have to give them anymore work. Just remember to respect your subcontractor and treat them with dignity. They are not someone to be looked down on, but someone who is saving you time and money. They deserve to be treated with respect.

This article is only a general outline of working with a subcontractor, and is not meant to be the only information you use in decision making. I did a ton of research on contracts and the uses of subcontractors so that I was comfortable in my role as the “supervisor” and knew what to expect. I have had only wonderful experiences and am sure you will also.

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Patty Benton is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Web Design, www.moretime4u.org, which provides affordable administrative and web design support to coaches, small businesses, religious organizations, and realtors. Additionally, Patty is a coach for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual assistance industry that is affordable to all, and she has also written an e-book that takes virtual assistants through the process of setting up their business. Visit her coaching site at www.virtualvacoach.com for program details and great business resources. She has also partnered to establish the ministry Acknowledging Christ Together at Work www.actatwork.com. If you would like to receive Patty's articles and other tips in your mailbox every month, you can sign up at www.mortime4u.org/home.html.

If you're a virtual assistant who has a website to help sell your business services, then that's what you should be pitching on your website: Your VA business services. Yet the websites of many virtual assistants do so much more than just pitch their VA services. And that's a mistake. Virtual assistants who try to do everything, be everything and sell everything with their website will chase prospective clients away. In fact, you may not just be chasing prospective clients away but you also may be leading them away.
To make your website more effective you need to know exactly why you have it.

WHY DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE

Are you trying to attract clients?
If that's the number one purpose of your website, then everything on your website should play a role in selling your services to prospective clients.
And that includes your navigation structure. Many of your prospective clients may purposely come to your website. Or they may inadvertently stumble across your website. No matter which road that prospective client took to get to your website, you need to show him or her which direction to go from there. Lead prospects through your site. Do this by starting with a great headline suggesting how a person will benefit from your services. End their "guided" trip with a call to action statement such as to contact you for a free consultation and quote.

Are you trying to educate people about virtual assistants?
Some virtual assistant websites prominently display a text-book definition about what is a virtual assistant. In reality, most prospective clients want to know how you as a virtual assistant can benefit them. And it's best to tell them in the most simple terms possible. Focus less on the formal definition of a VA and focus more on the benefits of using a virtual assistant. Show prospective clients bullet lists of benefits to them for using your services and bullet lists of your services offered . Don't show a two paragraph definition explaining what is a virtual assistant---unless the purpose of your website is not a sales tool but rather an educational tool.
You can define a virtual assistant. Just do it in one sentence. Or better yet work that one sentence definition into a sentence that discusses benefits to the client.

Are you trying to help other virtual assistants enter the business?
If you're displaying information about how to become a VA, then the purpose of your website should be to sell VA coaching or training services. But if you are a VA trying to attract business clients, then you're wasting sales copy space by also trying to educate your VA peers and prospective VAs. Your job is to try to sell your VA services to get business clients. If you want to teach or coach other VAs then you should set up a separate website for that niche purpose. Or participate in VA forums on other websites serving this purpose. Don't put links to this type of information that may lead your prospective clients astray of the reason why they came to your site.

Are you trying to make money off of products not directly associated with you and your business?
If you're running Google AdSense on your VA business website, stop. You don't want to distract prospective clients with ads to other businesses, perhaps even competing VA businesses. Unless you're making hundreds of dollars weekly from those pay per click ads, you're doing yourself a disservice. You're leading your prospective clients right out of your website. The same goes for affiliate product ad banners and text ads. Do you want clients to click out of your site? Are you substantially adding to your bottom line by having clients click away from your site? If you're trying to increase client activity for your business, you're working against yourself by giving prospects an almost immediate reason to leave your website. Let him get to know you before you send him to your competition and you'll have a fighting chance to get his business, perhaps long-term.

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM
Don't make a prospective client who is interested in using the services of a virtual assistant have to hunt through your website to learn about your services. Your prospective client doesn't need to be excessively educated on the formalities of what is a virtual assistant. He doesn't need to know how to get into the VA business himself. He's not there to browse the ads for complementary products. If he came to your website, the chances are he is purposely searching for a virtual assistant to hire, now or in the future.

Make it easy on him to
---navigate through your website information in an easy and logical manner.
---discover the benefits of using your virtual assistant services.
---learn about your basic services, general rates and how to contact you.

Take anything off of your website that is not relevant to the reason you as a virtual assistant have a website. Your benefit: More prospective clients contacting you.

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Karen Fritscher-Porter publishes http://www.GetYourAssistant.com - a global directory of virtual assistants for hire to small businesses and home-based businesses. If you're a virtual assistant, learn how to boost your income, not your hours. Subscribe to the 100% free VA Marketing Tips Toolkit Series at http://www.getyourassistant.com/va-marketing-newsletter.htm. Plus list your VA business free for three-months in the GetYourAssistant.com global VA directory at http://www.getyourassistant.com/more-business.htm.

Virtual Assistants, working from home, know how important time management is in running a successful business. Often they need help with daily operational procedures and learning how to make the most of their time. Here are some tips to help you run you','Organize your email in color!

If you use Outlook or even Outlook Express, use color to organize your email. I have a visual personality so sorting by color organizes me quicker and without much thought involved on my part so it works for me. Maybe it will for you too!

I have all my clients email headers in red, my personal email from friends in green, family gets blue, e-lists get purple and the vendor email is brown. This way I can easily scan priority email every morning. It also makes the spam stick out since I leave this black and can scan through it easier to click and delete.

So how do I color my headers in my email box? The first thing you need to do is to select a message from the person you want all messages color highlighted.

Next you're looking for the Organize button located on the Standard toolbar. (You can also find Organize in the Tools menu). The Organize feature will open at the top of your mailbox.

On the left you should find the "Using Colors" option. Click it. The statement in this feature is simple enough.

By default it is trying to color messages "from" someone and the senders name from the highlighted message is already filled in, so... all you have to do is to pick a color from the drop down list at the end.

Click the Apply Color button and never overlook an email from that person again.

Another tip from Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com is:
Get into the habit of scheduling a certain time of day to read your e-mails. Don’t keep your e-mail box open and check constantly throughout the day. When you do, your Outlook owns you. You will find you will accomplish so much more when you do this. A simple just send a quick e-mail can turn into valuable work time being wasted. Let your clients know when you routinely answer your mail and then they will be used to hearing back from you at that time.

For those work-at-home moms, time is of the essence. As successful virtual assistants, we know that we can better do our work for our clients globally if we successfully handle all aspects of our business in the most time effective manner.

Stop by our forum at VAnetworking.com for additional tips on how to start your business and keep it running more successfully. We are of group of over 9,000+ aspiring and successful virtual assistants who strive for excellence in all we do.

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Article from the reservoirs of the largest online social network for Virtual Assistants located http://www.VAnetworking.com. Tawnya Sutherland the founder and author of The VBSS System, a Virtual Business Startup System, is a Certified Internet Marketing Specialist sharing her online marketing experience at this VA community to help aspiring and successful VAs turn clicks into cash at their websites.

If communication is key, what message are you sending?

Communicating can be a challenge at the best of times and in a virtual world there can be a whole other set of things to be aware of. Without always the benefit of having eye contact, body language and even tone and inflection when using email, you need to be aware of how you are coming across. In this edition we will explore virtual communication.

What can I do to improve communication with a client?

One of the first things you can do to improve communication with your client is to have regular contact with them, ideally no less then every other week. This allows you to get to know their communication style and adjust your style to fit theirs. If they are not detailed oriented then just give them the bottom line in a very succinct manner, if they want to know all the details have that prepared for them, regardless of your preferred communication style.
What do I need to pay attention to when communicating with a client?

As you get to know the client better you will be able to pick up on their energy levels. Follow the lead of your client. If they are fractured, overwhelmed or irritable then take that into consideration when communicating. If you have something negative to communicate to them take steps to offer alternate solutions or find a silver lining if possible. If they are relaxed or at ease take those opportunities to get to know them on a more personal level.

Listen for what is not being communicated by paying attention to the tone of their voice. Do they get excited when they speak of something? Can you hear passion around a particular issue? Do you hear frustration when you talk about a certain item? Look for ways to support them based on what is not being said.
What challenges do emails represent?

Email represents even more communication challenges as the tone can be interpreted. I have seen individuals, including myself, become upset by an email when the originator did not write it with the same underlying tone. I did a wonderful exercise around this with my coach where he read the same email once with the tone I interpreted and again with the opposite tone it may have been written in. It is very easily misunderstood.

So what can you do about this? Take you time in responding! While you may compose an initial response, do not send it until you have had a chance to mull over what was said and are responding not reacting! You can't take an email back once it has been sent.
What else can I do to support communicating via email?

Because of the lack of tone represented in emails you can use both punctuation and emoticons to convey your message. If you are confused use a couple of question marks, excited use exclamation marks, no edge to what you are saying use a smiley face, joking around send a winking face. All of these tools can support you in conveying the tone of your message and reduces the chance of it being misinterpreted.
What is a hard communicating skill to learn?

Learning to speak your truth and be okay with saying no can sometimes be one of the toughest skills for a VA to learn. Most of us have come from an environment where we didn't have a say it what we did. Having a say is one of the greatest joys of owning your own business and because you get to create something that works for you it is okay to say no to a client request or be honest about how you feel about things. Not every request is for you and not every client will be for you. Stretch this muscle as you develop your client relationships through communicating what is true for you.

 

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

Do you lay out the welcome mat for your new clients? Begin laying the foundation for your relationship.

Bringing on a new client you can be both nervous and excited. Since in most cases you will not know your client or their business very well the more information you can gather about them will support you in getting to know them and where to start working with them, especially if they are not clear about this. Begin laying the bricks for a strong start to your foundation.

What do I need to bring on a new client?

Create a welcome package to send out to new clients. Include forms to gather information you will need about them and documents they will need to understand your relationship. Keep in mind that the reason they are usually coming to you is because they are extremely busy or overwhelmed so you do not want to add to this by sending a large or involved package. Communicate you will be doing this, how they can expect to receive it and what you need for them to do with the information. This process should be documented as part of your internal business procedures.

What information should I be gathering about them?

First of all you want to have all their contact information, correct spelling of name, address, phone, fax, email, web site, cell phone. Also request any additional information you may want such as birthday or how they heard about your services.

You then want to gather information about their computer system. Are they using a PC or Mac? What software do they use? What is their operating system?

You also want to ask them for any current marketing materials they are using for their company, flyers or brochures, and company logos and letterhead. Find out what their mission or vision statements are if they have them.

What information should I be giving them about my company and myself?

The main thing you want to provide them with is an agreement or terms and conditions for working with you. While you most likely will have discussed some of this verbally you want to have it documented for future reference. You want to be sure you are both clear on the following:

* Confidentiality
* Pricing and payment policy
* Reimbursement of expenses
* Copyright and ownership rights

If you have not already done so you may want to also include a bio or profile about yourself.

If a client is not clear, how can I gain clarity around where to start or what services they may need?

Create a questionnaire designed to ask specific questions about where there may be a gap for you to fill. Find out what they like doing the least in the administration of their business, something they continually procrastinate on, tasks that consistently are not getting done, ideas they have always wanted to implement, goals they are not being reached, standards that are not being met, processes or procedures that are not clear.

In addition take a look at the information they provide you about their company. Do they have a professional image? Is their consistency in that image? Is there anything missing that would improve their image?

Is there anything else I should include?

Most definitely! Be sure that at the front of the package is a letter welcoming them as a client. Congratulate them on taking that step to hire you and grow their business. Let them know you are excited about working with them and look forward to a successful relationship.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VA\'s as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

If something disastrous were to happen to you tomorrow, what plans do you have in place to make sure your Virtual Assistant business continues to operate? The motto “Be Prepared” may be used by the Boy Scouts, but it is just as important in our daily lives as it is in our businesses. Should a disaster occur, by creating contingency plans for your business, you eliminate the worry and stress caused by trying to come up with a solution in the thick of the situation.

Before a Virtual Assistant can truly figure out how they would handle an obstacle thrown in their path, it is important to take a step back and think about what possible disasters could occur. This is a very unsettling task for many Virtual Assistants, but for those who have taken the time to map out how an emergency would be handled; the success rate of overcoming that emergency relatively unscathed is much higher. The biggest hurdle for most in writing contingency plans is determining which areas are most important. Perhaps rather than trying to look at the whole picture and trying to think about every conceivable “what if”, the best way to handle this almost impossible task may be to break it down into 4 main considerations – political, economical, sociological and technological.

Consideration #1 – Political Considerations
Political considerations include such things as legislation and how these changes might affect your VA business as well as the businesses of your target market. For example, what impact would there be on your business if tomorr