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ARE YOU PREPARED TO SUCCEED?

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Success is planned. Ask any successful person – they have planned their way to it. You plan to succeed, or you fail to plan. As a small or medium sized business you need to be constantly aware of the bottom line. Are you overpaying for products, services and people? Do you have a plan? Or are you simply “going for it?”

  1. You need to determine your action plan and then break it down by both actions and by time frames. That will give you a level of measurability. Don’t be afraid to dream BIG.
  2. Start with the end in mind. Think about teams that work seamlessly together – like a NASCAR® pit crew for example. They look at the end of the race first and work the plan backwards. They plan where each pit stop and where each tire change must be in order to win the race. So they start with the end in mind. If your goal is to make a million dollars this year, you need to be at $250,000 by the end of March, $500,000 by the end of June, and $750,000 by the end of September in order to win the year at $1,000,000. So think like a NASCAR® pit crew – look at the end first and work backwards.
  3. Ask for help – seek it out! Ask your friends or colleagues. You might be surprised by how willing people are to share their experience and talents. Google it! Look for networking groups/sites on the internet and find the discussion boards and start asking your questions. There is an incredible wealth of information right at your fingertips. Once you get started, stick to it, stretch your imagination – don’t limit yourself or your options.
  4. Track your progress. Ignorance is not bliss. You can’t get yourself back on track if you don’t know whether or not you’ve fallen off. What if you don’t have all the hours in the day to do take care of the tasks needed? Are you going to accept that as an excuse or are you going to do something about it? You know what I’m going to say next, right? Of course, if you don’t already have one, HIRE A VIRTUAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT!
  5. If you already have a virtual administrative assistant, are you maximizing her time and resources? If not, why not? Are you aware of all of her skills? Have you asked her how much time she has to offer you? Talk to her. Virtual administrative assistants care deeply about the growth of your business. Your success is their success. Find out how your virtual administrative assistant can help you meet your goals. Share with her your plans and visions. Tap into her resources and if you need more assistance, don’t be shy about asking her to add more members of her team to your account!

What are your measurable steps? How do you know if you are on track for success? We would love to hear from you, including feedback about this blog. Don’t be shy – leave us an email message. We will be happy to answer your questions or learn from you. Have a great week!!!

OVERVIEW OF A VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS

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The Virtual Professional (VP), sometimes known as Virtual Assistant (VA), industry is growing fast. It’s an excellent way for those who want to run their own business to get started. This type of business lends itself to low startup costs and can be started on a part-time basis. It is also an area with a good deal of growth potential.

Pros of a Virtual Assistant Home Business:

  • You can begin with very limited funds.
  • You can use the same skills you have used in the past for prior employers, later expanding or specialize in your niche area.
  • The Virtual Professional industry is growing rapidly and demand is expected to remain strong.
  • Income potential is strong. Typical virtual assistants charge from about $35 to $75 per hour, depending on the type of services offered and/or the skill level of the virtual professional.
  • You have control over which hours you work and how many hours you work each week.

Cons of a Virtual Assistant Home Business:

  • Finding initial clients can be challenging, as with any business. However, this can be overcome by using creative marketing techniques, joining a VA group and/or networking. Tell everyone you come in contact with what you do and ask them to spread the word.
  • As your business grows, it’s likely that your equipment needs and expenses may also grow.
  • Like any home business, you are responsible for paying your own taxes, securing your own health insurance, etc.

What You Need to Get Started as a Virtual Assistant:

  • A professional website which showcases your services and talents.
  • A good idea of who you want your potential clients to be. How to reach them and what their needs are. Since the industry is relatively new, many of your prospects won’t know what a virtual professional or assistant is, or how you might be able to help them.
  • Business cards. If your VP business has a professionally designed logo, you should include it in the design of your card. This is particularly true if you use the logo on your website or other promotional materials such as a brochure or letterhead. Using your logo on your business card ensures that your business uniformly presents its brand to all your clients. Most virtual professionals offer a wide array of services too numerous to list on a small space such as a business card; including your website address is a good way to ensure that potential clients can access much more information about you easily and quickly. The back of your business card is a good place to put a bulleted list of your VA services that would otherwise not fit onto the limited space on the front of the card.

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