Melissa GWVA

The chats are Eastern Time Zone. I will actually be on the East Coast for the next few weeks, so I might actually make the Friday morning chats for a change. EDT is normally 6 hours ahead of me, so the chat is usually much too early...or late, depending on my point of view at the time. Hope to see you there!

Welcome, Admin Guru! Glad to have you here. How numbers come up on caller ID may vary depending on your phone service provider. When I forward my home phone to my cell phone, the original caller's info shows up on my caller ID. My home service is Time Warner (digital phone) and my cell is Verizon. You might want to have her try forwarding to your number and calling from another line, so that you'll know what to expect on your caller ID when you start taking calls. Best Wishes!

Welcome Ursula! You'll find tons of info and advice from the folks here at VAN. Take a look through the archives - this could take awhile and may be a little overwhelming, so block some time - and ask questions. Great to have you here. Best Wishes!

Welcome Shevada! Glad to have you here. You've found a great place for information and sharing. Best Wishes!

Andrea, Hello and Welcome to VAN! You'll find lots of info and support here. I recommend combing through the forum archives - I've learned tons just reading through older posts. Also, don't hesitate to ask questions. Everyone here is super helpful and friendly. As for advice on getting clients, I'm new too so I can't really help much there. But the buzz I've been hearing is network, network, network! Online and locally at Chamber of Commerce and small business gatherings. Get your name in front of as many folks as possible. Choose a niche/target market and get the word out about your company. Good luck with your business!

Candy, I got my email this morning. Actually it's the only email I've takent the time to read so far. (Hey, it's still only 8:20am here!) Great info in there on tracking biz finances, especially for us newbies. And I love the 401-Keg plan...I've decided that's going to be my new investment starting this year. I've been through your newsletter archives and found tons of info. If anyone hasn't looked at Candy's newsletters, I highly recommend it. You rock, Candy!

I agree that using "assistants" implies there are multiple VAs in your business. I chose "assistance" in my biz name for this very reason. From everything I've gathered on this forum (Thank you everyone!!), you don't want to give the impression that your business is made up of multiple VAs unless it is. The same concept applies to using "we" vs "I" on your website/marketing materials. I really like VASBO - it looks professional and invites people to ask what it stands for. Great Job! Best Wishes.

Naomi, that's great! I really like the way it reads.

Jennifer, You're blog looks great - very professional. Kudos to you; I am not yet ready to start a blog myself. Best Wishes!

Thanks Karri! You always have something great to share with us!

I have been looking over the chat with Dale, and he does have some great info in there. Also, in choosing your niche, look at your prior experience to see what you are really good at. Combine that with the things you love to do, and go from there. Best Wishes!

From my personal experience, I would pay off the debts first. This will keep you from incurring more interest debt. Also, once you have the cards paid off, it frees up the money you're paying each month which can then be used toward your education. Just my two cents. Good luck, whichever route you choose!

Suzi - thank goodness for the stations that show the reruns of L&O and CSI every night. I keep them on in the background, especially while my husband is away. Back on topic now...I have decided on small insurance agencies as my niche market. Most of my experience is in the insurance field, so I figure this is a good target market for me. Does anyone else work with agents? I know there was always an abundance of admin work that needed to be done for the agencies, and some of it is very specific to the insurance industry.

Jennifer, Wow, this is something I hadn't even thought of before. Wouldn't that be an interesting VA partnership? Of course, I know they have good reason to keep it all in-house. But being a "forensics nut," it would be right up your alley. If it ever opens up to VAs, you could start "Law and Order - VA." Ok I did not get enough sleep last night. Neat idea though.

Yvonne, I also agree that introducing the OIVAC is a good idea. It will help your audience see that VAs are an internationally recognized group of hard working people. Remind them that IVAD is 19 May. Caroline also made a good point about adding a "How does it work?" segment to your presentation. I included this in my pitch presentation speech especially for those who are not familiar with the VA industry. This is a wonderful opportunity for you. Congrats and best wishes!!