Happy New Year! Do you know your goals?

Most people have New Year’s Resolutions. Not me. I have goals!

My wedding anniversary is New Year’s Day. I will be married four years when the clock strikes midnight. I’ve known my husband Randy a total of 12 years. He’s an amazing guy, and he has the patience of a monk to deal with me. Those of you that have built your VA or Internet Marketing business this past year and have had any success know what a drain both the hours and the effort are on both you and your support system.

Randy quit his job two months ago because I couldn’t take care of both the babies and the business with any kind of integrity (or sanity) simultaneously. Instead of throwing his testosterone around and hemming and hawing about how important his job was, he researched and interviewed and got a job at the local Starbucks.

His 20 hour a week position as "barista" provides our family with:

  • Extra time for us to grow the business
  • Time to spend together and with the children
  • Health insurance
  • Stock options (with matching *swoon*)
  • A 40% employee discount
  • A free pound of coffee a week
  • Randy can use his business degree knowledge in growing a business instead of working 80 hours a week for someone else and having to follow their rules and not being allowed to use his natural talent because it wasn’t an "in the box" approach.

This is what we call a "win win" situation. He has the background and education and resume for a management position, but he told them he just wanted to be a barista. He chose the most effective job, which for the family is the most lucrative. (Randy would like to eventually own a Starbucks. I told him that would be fine as long as I get free coffee.)

Do you have your 2007 goals written down? Do you even know what they are?

Knowing your goals is very important. Without knowing where you’re going…how will you know how to map a path to get there? You can’t. You can flail blindly, hoping the next thing you do will fit into your business model is not a solid strategy for success.

How do you know when something will get accomplished? You make it happen. There are people in this world that things just seem to "go right" for. There are others that seem to have the "bad luck" and things always get in the way of success. Want to know a secret? It has little to do with the universe "giving" or "taking" things….it has to do with you and how you see your life. Are you a person that makes things happen or are you a person that things happen to?

I’ve been both of these people. Surrounded by the drama, not knowing what tomorrow would bring I shrugged my shoulders and threw up my hands, exclaiming, "Well it’s not MY fault!" when someone questioned why I missed an appointment, stood up a date, or missed any of a number of deadlines.

I woke up one morning and realized I could not stand to be that person anymore. I looked to the heavens (I know this is cheezy, but stay with me..it’s a true story…) and said, "God, do what you need to but from here on out I’m taking control of this life."

It started to rain. Really hard, out of nowhere, buckets of rain.

While I don’t think I’m particularly important enough that me talking directly to God caused a thunderstorm, I chose to think of it as cleansing the drama from my life. From that day on, I have taken control of my life. Everything. Even the unpredictible, because by being accountable for every action I found my life looked WAY closer to the life of someone I would look at and envy in my past. You know, the put together chick with the matching shoes and purse, walking with purpose…and smiling. That was my dream.

I still don’t have matching bags and shoes. I’m not perfect in any way, but you will be hard pressed to find someone that works harder and longer to make sure there’s a lack of drama and an abundance of…well…abundance!

Many people have told me I should see "The Secret" – but I’ve had a great education in both metaphysics and the law of attraction from before my college years (just don’t ask me which college, there have been five). It started with a love of Quantum Physics after reading The Search for Schroedinger’s Cat. That book changed my life.

If the universe we have so much faith in…if the world we think is stable and steady…really isn’t…well that just opens up so much to the unknown. That means that really, how do we know when someone says "anything is possible" that they’re really telling the absolute truth? I recently saw the movie What the Bleep do we Know, and it’s a great (VERY basic) primer on Quantum Physics.

You see, religious or scientific, it’s all the same thing.

You cannot be successful with metaphysics unless you put into it the action of quantum physics.

If you prefer a religious explaination: God helps those that help themselves.

So my New Years resolution to everyone, VA and IM alike, is TAKE CONTROL and realize that you are the center of your universe. You control your life. There is hope every minute of every day that you can stand up and say "The choice for me is drama free!" Then, and this is the important bit, TAKE ACTION and make your life the one you wanted to have back when you still thought about your future in years, not in months or weeks.

Did you want to be a pilot? Then get your butt to work and make enough money for lessons! That’s what Matt Bacak did. Now he goes to conventions in HIS plane. If that’s not inspiring…I don’t know what is.

Did you want to be a dancer? Get working! I’m getting a gym membership next year for the first time in my life. I’ve never been able to afford it before. I have two kids, two dogs, a husband and a house. Oh, and no credit card debt. Why? Because I’ve been doing whatever it takes to get the job done!

December 30, 2006 | Filed Under The Everything Basket | 1 Comment 

An Admin of a Different Color (like that horse in the Wizard of Oz….)

Many of you already know that I’m not big on that whole “administrative” thing. I have many years of experience as a secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant and office manager…but just because I can use and make some nifty things in the Microsoft Office Suite of programs, it doesn’t make me an expert. There are many facets and layers to that program that I just do not feel the need to learn. Knowing how to apply styles to a document is not going to make me wake up tomorrow feeling fulfilled.
 
This is why I have others do it for me. I’ve seen people talk about doing all the administrative work but having a partner for web design or programming…but I’m not seeing anything about virtual assistants that aren’t so hot at the administration.
 
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do administrative work for my clients every day. I’m referring to the MS Office suite of programs that most people picture when someone says they do “administrative work”. You know–that really intricate stuff that you really have to log serious hours working on a program to achieve proficiency at. I mean, there are so many layers of STUFF you can do with Word and Excel and the other programs in the Office Suite…it really boggles the mind and the experts in these programs should be treated as such.
 
I think there are some people who just have a gene that makes them think that what I consider the utter tedium of knowing too much about MS Word gets them all excited. This is also one of the main reasons I don’t advertise customer service assistance. Herds of people do not interest me. When people talk to a customer service representative, it seems most people bring that weird crowd/herd mentality right along with them on the phone. That sprinkle of anonymity makes some people mean. Being called “you people” has, on me, the same effect that calling an adolescent boy “chicken” can in some circumstances. My individualism and personal identity are quite important to me, as such, when I am made invisible by a phrase like “you people” I react by doling out quick, swift verbal retribution. I don’t yell, I’m not rude, I just say that my name is Jennifer and I would appreciate being recognized as a human being, and not a faceless, emotionless entity.
 
Really, for the reactions I get to that simple sentence, I might be better off just yelling and being rude. People generally react very badly, and no one comes out the other end satisfied. As much as I’d like to be able to “grin and bear it” there’s just no place for it in my makeup. I didn’t get the “fake it and be someone else to make the customer happy” chromosome. My respect for people that can perform customer service tasks is very high. I don’t know how they do it.
 
There are not many virtual assistants I find online that specialize in customer service. Well, they might but just aren’t listing it on their website…but I’m not so sure about that. I’ve heard many virtual assistants say outright, “I hate doing phone work, talking to people is not fun for me.”
 
Didn’t you know that every virtual assistant is striving for a balance? Not just a work/life balance and not just an entrepreneur/family balance…but a work/fun balance as well? If not, you might want to think on that before starting your search for a virtual assistant.
 
I mean, isn’t that why you’re an internet marketer? So you can make money and have an absolute blast at the same time? There is no rule that says hard work can’t be fun.
 
I live in the “and” world. Hard work and fun. Deadlines and enjoyment. Money and a good time.
 
If you’re still in the “or” world, you may want to do a little soul searching on that as well.

December 12, 2006 | Filed Under Work/Life Balance | Leave a Comment 

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

As I know I’ve mentioned in the past, I only work with clients I feel a distinct resonance with. The personality of another is the number one factor in determining if my business relationship with that person is going to be rewarding.
 
Sadly, there are other factors, and sometimes just wanting it isn’t enough. I think, perhaps, there are some people that have wonderful personalities, but for whatever reason, are not good to work with.
 
The three things I strive for every day are:
-          Fulfillment
-          Kindness
-          Appreciation
 
The first on the list is the number one priority. Knowing myself better than even I’d like to, I know that in order to have a fulfilling day, I have to be learning something or doing something I find really interesting.
 
The second part of the equation is that I need to be addressed and treated the way I would address and treat someone that is working for me. I have a few subcontractors I work with and I am always aware of treating others with dignity and respect. We are all human, just trying to get through the day and find our own slice of happiness. To demean or even unconsciously use words that make another person feel…less than they did when they began the conversation or started reading is just…unacceptable.
 
Last, I need to know I’ve done something for someone that they are thrilled with. This is not overly difficult to achieve, and I generally surpass expectations…but sometimes I don’t. When that happens I do my best to make it up to the client and fix anything that’s wrong as soon as it’s brought to my attention.
 
So when it happens that a client manages to repeatedly not fulfill any of the three above requirements for a perfect day…it comes time to analyze and make some tough decisions. Do you let the client go? Do you let a project go and leave the door open for a future relationship? Do you hang on and pray things get better with more time?
 
The answers to these questions vary depending on the situation, but all of them have pros and cons that have to be carefully weighed before one does something that can’t be taken back.
 
It reminds me of the only blind date I ever went on. I remember thinking for the three days prior to the date, “I hope he likes me, I hope he likes me, I hope he likes me”. It wasn’t until I was about five minutes from the restaurant that it even dawned on me to think, “What if I don’t like him?” How odd, that we assume that the other person is always the one to be entertained, to be cared about…before our own needs.
 
As solopreneurs, we have to make sure we aren’t getting and keeping clients based solely on the “I hope he likes me” scenario. Don’t get me wrong, no one is perfect, and we all make mistakes (myself included). This does not mean we shouldn’t examine what mistake we have made and how to fix it.
 
My mother always said, “Don’t chase…ever…because if you chase a boy and you catch him you’ll always wonder whether he’d be with you if you hadn’t made such an effort. You’ll also have to keep up the chasing for the entirety of the relationship for fear that letting down your guard will be the loss of the relationship.” She was right. Don’t chase. Market all you want, sell yourself well, but never forget that it’s not up to you to convince someone to work with you. The most you can do is hope to help the potential client understand the value you provide and show them what makes you unique.
 
The decision, ultimately, is up to them to decide if you could be beneficial to their business or not. Once they decide you will benefit them, it’s up to them to show you why they will be a good match for your business over your competitors. If you are giving value, you will find more than enough qualified candidates that you don’t have to keep up that level of effort and tightrope-walking with every interaction and every conversation fearing it may be the last.

December 11, 2006 | Filed Under The Everything Basket | Leave a Comment 

Virtual Assistants Have Mulitple Clients

I do my level best to make every one of my clients feel that they are my one and only.

Taking phone calls, completing projects as soon as possible and not sounding rushed during correspondence all contribute to the illusion that I only have one client at a time.

So what’s a VA to do when one of her clients decides to change times and not hold meetings when scheduled, leaving me to juggle other clients and try not to make them feel neglected? I’m not sure what the answer is, but I would like to come up with something that is a great solution for everyone.

I think that becoming a true "team player" means that you have to deal with the repercussions of that illusion once it’s been created. I never want my clients to feel they can’t call me because I might be too busy for them. I never want my clients to think that  I am too busy to help them or that I will be inconvenienced if they have something they need done. That’s just bad business.

The joy and curse of owning a business. No one is accountable for anything my company does but me. It’s still far more a joy than a curse, though, and I think that’s all that really matters.

I’d rather be accountable for my own actions than the actions of another any day of the week. I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses and try to be as honest about both as possible.

 

December 5, 2006 | Filed Under The Everything Basket | Leave a Comment 

On Virtual Deadlines

It’s December.

Well, it magically turned into December about 21 minutes ago from where I’m sitting, and that reminds me a deadline is approaching. The "get the holiday cards out" and "go shopping" deadlines are the top two on my list. I’ve never been good with cards or gifts or things when I had too much time to prepare, I am usually more of a birthday shopper because no one expects birthday gifts after their 30th birthday…unless they have a party then they usually expect a good bottle of liquor.

But I find myself this December under a work deadline. A pretty hefty work deadline too. It seems that for the first time since the business began I cannot run it alone. My husband, myself and the subcontractors on my team are all working dillegently and I have a real fear in my heart that I will not make the deadline.

As far as I know my client’s deadline is not his client’s deadline is not the deadline I have for my subcontractors. It seems we all have a tendancy to push our deadlines a little in order to prepare for the random, unpredictable glitches that can happen when working from a virtual environment. Everything from a storm (which we are having right now) to a baby falling and crying for twenty minutes (one of my subcontractors had that happen yesterday) to taking a break and falling asleep in a chair. There are so many things that can go wrong, and we all try to be responsible business owners and take those unexpected events into account when managing our projects and our time.

Very rarely do my clients know if I’m under a deadline. I do my best as part of my business to make things seem easy. My clients know I work hard, I don’t have to remind them by regaling them with stories of projects past. No need to try and make them understand the angst I have at having too much to do without the information I need to do it. That doesn’t get the project done, and wastes valuable time that I could be using to work.

Because this is a business. As a business owner it’s not about me or my needs or my preferences or how my day is going. It’s about the client. The client’s wants, the client’s needs.

I’m okay with that. In fact, I enjoy the status quo my company has right now. Maybe it’s the last of the leftover turkey, but I’m feeling particularly thankful today!

December 1, 2006 | Filed Under The Everything Basket | Leave a Comment