I love how easily I can stay on top of my business using just my iPhone!

Do you have an iPhone yet?…

The concepts of primacy and recency dictate that in any encounter we tend to remember what happened first and what happened most recently. Exceptions abound, but the law of primacy reminds us that first impressions matter — in life and in the customer experience.

While optimizing the customer experience should generally be approached holistically — with a view towards making sure the…

"Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgment of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties." -- Sarah Ban Breathnach

When I was working with a client the other day, they mentioned to me that they feel that all business owners should have a Virtual Assistant.  He said "I can't believe that other business associates of mine do not have a VA."…

Before any business owner begins a relationship with an expert in any area, they want to know ‘what’s in it for them?’ When a Virtual Assistants understands specific things about her target market – attracting and connecting with new clients comes very easy.

By reviewing websites, reading articles (online, in magazines etc.), subscribing to ezines, participating in online groups, and just researching in general, a Virtual…

The New Year parties are the special celebrations where one can meet his friends and enjoy himself by leaving the dull and boring routine of the office work. But when you are invited to such parties you find it hard to spare time for these parties. Even if you manage to attend some of them, you always remain worried and thinking about your business tasks which you could have accomplished during that time.

What Stops You from…

Life on both a personal and professional level is going to throw you plenty of lemons. How you handle those situations will make or break your business. As we discussed earlier, if you look at each challenge you are faced with, in both your personal and professional lives, as an opportunity to grow and learn, all your lemons will become lemonade in a very short time.

Don’t give in to those challenges that can’t be solved. What does that mean? Well, have you ever heard the…

I know some of you are not going to believe this, but for the first seven years I was in business, I got up every morning and put on business attire whether I had a meeting outside the office, or not. This may seem silly, but I believe it allowed me to walk the walk. If I wanted to be a business owner, an entrepreneur, I needed to look like one.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I work from home and many times am in my jammies or just jeans and a t-shirt, but that’s…

I’ve been supporting two blogs (one for my VA practice and one for my coaching business) for well over a year and have collected and written hundreds of articles. I repurpose them in several ways. Posting them to article marketing sites, and using them when being asked to write articles for other blogs or eZines.

While I probably do get some return on their use…access to new prospective clients, it’s not like getting cash just for sharing them. When I was putting together my…

I’ve been supporting two blogs (one for my VA practice and one for my coaching business) for well over a year and have collected and written hundreds of articles. I repurpose them in several ways. Posting them to article marketing sites, and using them when being asked to write articles for other blogs or eZines.…

This to me is HUGE. So many of the VAs I work with who don’t stay in business, or whose business stagnates, are those with low self-esteem, or negative attitudes. Remember earlier when we discussed surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people? You have to be positive and supportive, too.

When I started, I didn’t have extremely low self-esteem, but I still had some issues that I needed to work on. In many ways I believe some of this is unique to women. Don’t get me…

This is a biggie! The definition of entrepreneur is: “One who organizes and assumes the risk of a business or enterprise.” – and the buck stops there. You are totally responsible for every facet of your business. It’s all on your shoulders. Any mistakes that are made – your mistakes. Any successes or achievement, yours. But having a true entrepreneur’s mindset is something you will be developing over the life of your business.

I think having a constant and consistent thirst…

Many small businesses start by offering to be the ‘lowest priced’ service provider. What could possibly be wrong with this thinking? Won’t you get all the clients you ever want or need? Won’t they be loyal to you as long as you keep your prices low?…

We’ve already discussed the risks of starting your own business, but another thing that many times may hold you back from true success are your beliefs. If you believe that you can only make a meager living in this business, then you most likely will.

When I first started my business it was meant to be for ‘fun money’ – my husband and I enjoyed traveling so the money I made in my home-based business was earmarked for future travel. That worked beautifully for almost five…

For some years now I’ve used sub-contractors off and on for overflow work, until about four years ago when I started using them more regularly. I still didn’t consider myself a ‘multi-VA practice’, until I recently reinvented myself and manage my team a bit differently.

There are still many aspects of what I believe a Multi-VA practice should be that I may still need to incorporate into my business, or do I?

Join me for an in-depth interview with experienced…

The most successful entrepreneurs know that their success is in no small way a result of being able to solve the problems of their clientele. I remember a sales manager a long ago telling me that every discontented client created two opportunities for me. It created an opportunity for me to solve a problem that could benefit countless others, and it created an opportunity for me to develop a deeper…

Having your own business is the ultimate in power. You totally control your lifestyle when you’re an entrepreneur. It’s your call. You found the power within yourself to get this far – you know you have superior skills; you know you have value; you know you can eventually spend more time with family and friends once you establish a prosperous business; and you know that one of the benefits of your power as an entrepreneur will allow you to choose where you live and how you live. Your…

I think we’ll all agree that Word-of-Mouth and Referral marketing is the most cost-effective way to grow our businesses. It certainly costs me much less to grow my business letting my clients and networking buddies promote me and refer me to pre-qualified leads. And, there’s usually no competition!

We also know that building client relationships is the best way to keep the good clients we do have, and prevents them from considering someone else.

This month, my…

Starting your own business is taking a big risk. The easiest way to manage your risk is by seeking information and looking at the business by analyzing the pros and cons. Keep your expectations high while putting systems in place to guard against the cons.…