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Yep – I’m a Joiner!
Podcasting – Yet another thing I’ve decided to master.
I’ve been researching and trying out various methods to deliver great content lately. Also, that whole "podcasting" thing is really intriguing and I wanted to see if I could learn how to do it in (you guessed it) 24 hours or less.
While this still needs a bit of tweaking, the podcast is ready to go. You can play the file in a popup by clicking the popup link or you can play the file by clicking on the "mp3" button. Either way you’ll hear the same message.
In order to perform a more seamless integration, I’ve made this one short and sweet. Please email any questions you’d like to hear answered or any topics you’d like to hear a podcast on so I know that what I’m doing is being looked forward to in some small way.
VA Conference ‘06 (Dallas, TX)
This is me.
(Update. I have pics of other people but don’t feel like getting permission from all of them to post their pics in my blog. I really was at a conference, there really were about 70 other people there. Choose to believe me or not, but regardless, be impressed I put a picture of myself in a *shudder* cowboy hat on my blog. That’s gutsy!)
I decided that being a walking billboard at a conference was the way to go! The hat is courtesy of VAU - a fantastic school for VAs to learn the craft and how to be effective and successful (as well as have really happy clients!) I’ll be teaching classes for them beginning in January. I think it will be a really great experience, and I’ve always had a knack for explaining things to others in an easy to understand manner. When I remember to leave the 20 point Scrabble words at home, that is.)
The hoodie is from VA Networking. They are the premier BBS-Style Networking forum on the ‘net – boasting over 3000+ VAs. The purpose of the site is to share information and resources. This is where VAs go to get answers, find subcontractors, and help one another with almost anything they need. From starting a business, to naming a business, to getting clients, to firing clients…they have it all. You can also submit an RFP (request for proposal) and you’ll get a ton of responses from VAs eager and willing to interview/work with you.
I learned herds and piles of fantastic stuff at the VA Conference and I met a lot of people that I feel will help me bring my business to the next level.
Let me rephrase.
I met a LOT of people I can subcontract minor things out to, which will help my business grow. I met two or three people that I can really learn things from in terms of where I need to be and how to run my business as a growth enterprise instead of a time-draning "me only" enterprise.
The way for my clients to be truly successful is for me to be truly successful, and while I’m closer than you might think, I’m a perfectionist and I’m quite driven…as such…success is only achieved when things are just the way I want them. If they aren’t right, it’s not success. This works great for me, because I’m constantly striving for new things. I don’t think I’ll ever consider myself successful – no matter how many people know me at a conference, and no matter how well received I am as an expert in my niche. Luckily, I don’t need to consider myself "successful" to be happy, so it’s a great goal (or stick and carrot) to keep me going. You’ll never have to worry about me becoming complacent.
A lot of fun was had at the conference as well. I shared a room with another VA and our porch was the "party area" where a lot of people congregated after dinner to hash out our business issues, get tips from others, and in my case brag horribly about what wonderful clients I have.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a name dropping session, so if you’re reading this and you’re my client – sorry no one knows specifically that you are wonderful…we are all big into confidentiality and since we work with different niche markets they probably wouldn’t have known who you were regardless. But hey, YOU know I think you’re wonderful, right?
There was an issue when a Mary Kay conference came in on Saturday and stole some things from the vendor’s area, some food from our snack area, and generally were just in very poor taste and quite unpleasant. I mean, how can you be wearing ten pounds of makeup, speak with a southern accent and still not know how to say "please" "thank you" or "excuse me"? I hate to see what kind of customer service they provide to their customers.
VAs are a very polite crowd. We are serious about our business and serious about our playtime, but we know which is which and you won’t catch us acting foolish in the middle of the time dedicated for learning and work.
On the whole, we were very respectful to our speakers. Thank you Jeff Crilley and Bryan Dodge (check out that URL, he got to the ‘net early, no?) for doing what you do to the best of your ability.
Happy Boss’ Day | Small Business Week
Well, I’ve gotten a little more than a little busy.
Yesterday was one of those days where I worked from the time I woke up until the time I dropped into bed at 1am. I usually love days like that, and yesterday was no exception.
I enjoy working.
Today is the last full day of true work I can get in before I leave for the VA Conference in
I’ll be making posts from the conference, but have yet to decide if I’ll bring my video camera along to take shots of everyone. I’ll probably just take some pictures instead. That’s always a nice, easy compromise. Even though I’m a “go for the gold” kind of woman, even I realize one only needs so much electronic equipment at a conference you’re supposed to be learning at. Besides, I have to be on the lookout for other people and their video cameras in case I decide to wear a lampshade on my head.
- Finish an AdWords campaign
- Update a client’s blog to the newest version of the Semiologic Pro Theme for WordPress
- Brainstorm ideas for ebooks
- Compile a list of vanity domains for an AdWords campaign
- List of potential marketing partners for the Virtual Assistant Networking forum
Doesn’t seem like a lot, does it? It’s manageable, but only if I say fare-thee-well to you and get on task.
To the VAs:
See you in
To the non-VAs:
YES! There are enough of us to fill a hotel. There are also many, many more who couldn’t make it.
Don’t have a VA?
You have a whole pool of desirable candidates to choose from…why don’t you have a VA yet?
Have a VA:
See, you’ve made the right decision! We have educational and networking events that constantly make us better informed about our industry as well as what our peers have to offer our businesses.
To my adored, wonderful clients (that’s all of them, in case you’re curious):
Don’t worry, I’ll have the laptop! The entire hotel is a “go” for wireless and I’ll have my IM programs installed for texting as well as my Skype and cell phone for getting in touch. If you call and I don’t answer, I’m in a seminar and will call as soon as possible. If it’s an emergency send a text message to my cell phone with a 911 – I’ll drop what I’m doing and call.
Sadie Networking
This is my daughter, Sadie, at a local event in our town. She networks like a pro at 19 months old!
Top two reasons you’re not hiring a Virtual Assistant
Reasons of resistance, in my opinion and experience, are twofold:
- The potential client does not understand what a Virtual Assistant can do for them. While this problem can be alleviated by a simple question and answer session and a list, the potential VA has to get to the place where they can have that conversation with the potential client.
- People think if they don’t do everything themselves, they’re “weak”. This is by far the more important reason. It comes from years of being told, “Take care of your own problems.” “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” “God helps those who help themselves.” etc. This can not only be unhealthy for the business, but potentially deadly, as the stress incurred from all the self-enforced pressure can easily cause a heart attack or some other stress-related malady.
The two problems above were gleaned from 92 questions via SurveyMonkey (check it out at www.surveymonkey.com – it’s a great resource) that were pared down to 15 (many were similar) for a teleseminar I did with one of my clients.
Virtual Assistance – Inc. or LLC?
My husband has this cute little piece of paper from this place he calls a “degree.” While I think a business degree is about as common as dirt, his schooling sometimes reveals some pretty amazing things.
Every so often people talk about S-Corps and LLCs and I ask him every time, “Honey…are you sure I’m okay as a sole prop? Should I incorporate or go LLC?” Since I can’t just take a picture and show you all the look on his face….I give you his opinion on the subject…(which, in no way is to be construed or taken as legal advice, please consult your lawyer about any questions pertaining to an LLC or Corporation…thank you….) Oh, and this opinion is specific to the US and the state of Illinois. Your mileage may vary…or not…
The #1 thing you will get sued for (if you get sued) is negligence. If you are your company and vice versa…no corporate veil is going to stop you from getting sued for negligence.
As the owner of a business no amount of corporate protection will help you against something you have personally done.
The best you can really do is to have errors & omissions insurance, a general liability policy and great client relationships.
EXAMPLE: You have organized your practice as an LLC in which you are the only person working for the company. You have hired a sub-contractor to do some work. They made a mistake (were negligent) on a very important document that cost your client money. The client decides s/he wants to take legal action due to this. When s/he decides to sue s/he will most likely sue the following entities:
- The LLC
- You personally
- The sub-contractor personally
If, in litigation, negligence is proven, damages are to be paid by *all parties* found guilty in the suit. So, where does this leave you as the business owner? You will owe for yourself personally AND you will owe what the LLC has to pay. You’re going to have to sue the sub-contractor to get the money back that you owe the client that won the lawsuit!
In my opinion, what forming a corporate veil does is open you up to being sued MULITPLE times instead of once…because there are more entities to sue.
At this point, many lawyers will tell you to just have your LLC go “bankrupt” and start a new one to relieve the damages awarded to the client. The problem? This does not get rid of the damages awarded to the client that they sued you for personally. It also means more lawyer fees to bankrupt your LLC and create another one. It’s also just really shady business practice 
If you are not sub-contracting, and a client sues you for negligence…your client can be awarded damages from both you and the LLC/Corporation. This also means you either pay double, or close the LLC and open a new one (still owing the money that was awarded to the client on a personal level)
Many also say an LLC is essential for tax purposes; however you must take into consideration you will still need the same sort of insurance for liability as you would as a sole proprietor and you may be subject to double taxation rules depending on how you have your business organized.
Did I mention this opinion is not in any way to be taken as advice for your particular company or situation? Good. What this is intended to do is make you, as a business owner, think about liability and what you have to lose. A false sense of security from having some letters at the end of your business name should not help you sleep better at night. The relationship you have with your clients and your insurance are the things you should be using to snuggle up with as you drift off into dreamland.
No one should take any kind of legal advice from a blog or a networking forum. The responses and questions are intended to make you think, nothing more. Please, PLEASE seek professional (not Uncle Vinny who helped open that casino in ‘63, either!) help when it comes to your company.
Is it possible to get a quality, cost effective virtual assistant?
My knee-jerk reaction to this question is, “Of course! All Virtual Assistants are cost effective!”
But let me go a little deeper than that.
First you have to decide what quality means to you. Do you mean fast turn around time? Do you mean a short learning-curve? Do you mean perfection in all things? What do you want your virtual assistant to do for your company? Is it something relatively easy like data entry or customer service functions? Is it something more complicated like web pages and brainstorming sessions?
All of the above questions are vitally important to determining what you want and in what way you perceive quality. Only then can you move on to the next all-important question.
What is cost-effective for your company? It is possible to acquire a virtual assistant at a rate of $25/hr or lower if you sign on with a retainer agreement. Depending on the answer to the previous question, this may be enough for you. If you desire speed in your virtual assistant, four hours a month may be all you need. Think about how much you can get done in four hours and how much more you could be doing if you have that four hours free. The VA you want to work with may not have a 4-hour a month retainer plan, but you can always ask.
If you’re a more visual person, here is a picture that illustrates the point of this post perfectly.
- If you want Speed and Cost taken into consideration, you will sacrifice Quality
- If you take Quality and Cost into consideration, you will sacrifice Speed
- If you take Quality and Speed into consideration, you will sacrifice Cost
