Member since: Mar 08, 2008
Last activity: Dec 30, 2008
Ha! I didn't know about shutdown day or naked gardening day. If I was to go 24 hours without the PC, actually I would garden! (It's something I do when my mind has turned to mush.)... I could go 24 hours without my PC, but not to sure about celebrating the other holiday!
Love this topic!
Understanding your motivation I think is the key behind any business wanting to thrive. Without it, on those days of disappointments (we all have them), how else are we to pull ourselves up and keep trying?
For me it was my daughter. In 2007 she was diagnosed with autism. With that came a series of decisions we needed to make as a family. Contentiously I knew - in order to be the activist I needed to be and ensure she was in the right services going forward, I needed flexiblity in my life. Late nights at the office was no longer working for me.
When I thought about what i could do - with my experience of being an executive assistant and my "side hobby" of web design, being a virtual assistant was a perfect match.
I know my social life is taking a back seat. Not to mention my sleep on some nights... which isn't the best place to be in but working on it!
As a mother of a child with autism, just knowing I can be there to support her when she needs it, or follow up with doctors/teachers to ensure everyone is on the same page is priceless. Just as much as I want success in my life - I want the same for my daughter regardless of her condition.
Oh gosh... time off, what's that?
No seriously, outside of growing my business here's some things I like to do / currently do.
With all the mayham of owning your own business, I would agree... you have to stop and enjoy yourself once in awhile.....
Hi all..
You all have many good points regarding the pros and cons regarding virtual assistances. I think what it comes down to is (1) your comfort level (2) your budget.
Understand, to hire an experienced executive assistant will cost you. Not only in taxes/insurance as Hilliary mentioned but also the "down time" between projects. With a VA you only pay for the time you actually use.
Also with a VA since they are versed in the web, the majority of the times they will have more understanding about online marketing/networking then regular assistances. We use the web to market ourselves. Therefore VAs can be a valuable resource for you to have the ability to reach a larger marketplace.
However, I understand it's scary for most clients to work with someone they never met. So why not find a local VA in your area? As with my local clients, you can meet face to face or schedule weekly meetings to give them a "task list". Or have them meet work occasionally in the office if they are willing. You can gain the benefits of both worlds (in house-virtual) and have the security of knowing who you are working with.
It's a tough decision....but if your willing, can be a very rewarding experience.
Kindest regards, Kimberly Gopher Girl Virtual Assistance
Great topic!
For me, I actually operate two different blogs. One is for targeting business owners (http://shortcuts.gophergirl.net) and the other target's families. (http://going-nuts.net) Both blogs link back to a static website where clients can read more about my services.
The thing I've realized is this method makes it very easy for me to add many different articles and link them back to my website. Since I have ideas both for families and business owners, it seemed to make sense to have a blog for each. I think it would have been too conveluded to include it on 1 blog. Not all business owners have children. Not all families own businesses. However, what i've found is people that read my family blog might be a business owner and are interested in learning more about my services.
Down the road if I want to branch out to women's issues, gardening or another topic that is related to me personally.... I add another targeted blog and link back to my static business websites. It keeps my blog writing organized but at the same time I'm able to tap into different people with the same likes/interests.
But more importantly regardless of what type of blog you write make sure you write with content in mind. What I've found is if I write useful articles like how to's - it seems to generate the most traffic. (vs articles that are just my opinion)
So far it works for me.... hope it helps! Kindest regards, Kimberly
ahhh... too bad. I moved from washington a few years ago. Your business looks like a blast.
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