How to find & hire a VA – Tip #2

February 12, 2010 By marta View Comments

What type of virtual assistant do I need?

This is a question that surprises many people, what do you mean by type? Yes there are types! Not only are there different specialties but there are types and each have their place. It is a question you need to ask in order to find the best fit for you.

1) Task-Oriented: This type of virtual assistant you can send a whole big huge list (okay maybe not a WHOLE big list but you get the idea) of tasks that you need done. The VA will then tackle that list, mark them as done, send you feedback on what they found and you are off to the next round.

What could be on this list?

  • Keyword research
  • Internet search for resources of just the right gift for your client
  • Assemble a list of article marketing sites
  • Update a database…. I could go on but I won’t ;)

2) Big Picture Thinker: This type of VA, is in it with you for the long haul. They get to know you and your business, they share your vision and are dedicated to its mission. You have shared values, work ethics and views on customer service.

They can become a strategic partner:

  • Helping you develop strategy
  • Keeping track of the pieces of the puzzle to launch your next project, website or eBook
  • They know your likes, dislikes and can tailor their work to meet your preferences
  • They can become an integral part of your team.

So which is right for you? In the end only you can answer that question. Remember to think long term, what are your goals in the next 6, 12, 18 months or 5 years? Are there projects you will need help with that you really don’t want to have to learn from the ground up? Is there a specific skill set you are looking for or level of experience and expertise?

If you don’t know… please ask! As a virtual assistant it is just as important to me that we are a good fit as it is too you.

It is possible to find out in the end, that you need 1 of each! It is not always necessary to pay your $40/hour VA to look up gift websites when a $15 or $20/hour VA could do it just as well – not that they couldn’t mind you! There are times when the convenience of working with one VA or VA firm is worth the extra expense, you will have to weigh the cost of convenience against your budget.

What type of VA do you think you need?

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Filed Under: How To Find & Hire A Virtual Assistant, The Blue Jeans VA, Virutal Assistants Tagged With: , , ,

What is a double optin and do I need one?

February 1, 2010 By marta View Comments

To double optin or not to double optin, that is the question. The trouble is… there are great points to both sides of the argument.

The Pros:

  • Extra layer of protection against spam reports, you can show they went through the double optin process
  • Keeps your list clean and removes bad email addresses
  • Creates a more targeted and interested list to market to

The Cons (and it is a biggie):

  • It will slow your list building rate, not every one will want to go through the extra step of the double optin

With that said, I still highly recommend that you use the double optin process to reduce spam reports and creat a higher quality, more target list.

Most of the list services out there, make this a simple process to set up, make sure you find out their double optin vs single optin options before signing up. Know this ahead of time will help you decide which service would work best for you.

I’ll post soon, steps to improve your double optin rates and steps that need to be taken to let your subscribers how it all works.


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Filed Under: List Building, Virutal Assistants Tagged With: , ,

How to find & hire a VA – Tip #1

January 28, 2010 By marta View Comments

Brain dump! Make a List.

You know you need help, you know it is time to start looking for a VA or specialist to outsource. But where to start, what to outsource?

Here is your first tip – make a list of everything!

Administrative:

  • What tasks do you do during your day
  • What takes you longer then it should
  • What do you really not like doing
  • What do you not know how to do

Projects:

  • What has been on your to-do list forever
  • What is on your project wish list

Marketing:

  • Are you being able keep up
  • Is there more you could be doing on Twitter but need help
  • Have you started your Facebook Fan page yet
  • Do you have articles that need to be submitted

Website/Blog:

  • Are your blog posts getting published
  • Do you need to upgrade your WordPress
  • Need to add a new special report optin to you site

Shopping Cart:

  • Do you need to clean up your database
  • Do you need new autoresponders set up

Keep track during your day of what you do, how long it takes and if you like to do it or not.

This is the foundation of your search for a virtual assistant. You need to know first what you need help with before you can decide what type of va you need.


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Filed Under: How To Find & Hire A Virtual Assistant, The Blue Jeans VA, Virutal Assistants Tagged With: , ,

How to leverage your boundaries

January 25, 2010 By marta View Comments

You can start exercising that boundaries muscle and by taking time off but there are times that no matter how important it is you just can’t seem to get there. Or you get there but you work literally the entire day before to get ready to take time off and extra hours the day after to catch up.

That is what has happened to me, more than once! That is when I realized, that this virtual assistant, needed a virtual assistant! Yep even VA’s need VA’s. One of the best decisions I made was to start outsourcing and get a bookkeeper, oh yeah, that was fun! The next team member I brought on was someone to help with newsletters, both for my clients and for me. Oh yeah, that was even more fun!

Consider it this way, outsourcing to a virtual assistant is really all about exercising that boundaries muscle. You are leveraging your boundaries. You betcha, you can leverage a boundary.

How to leverage a boundary:

1) Outsource what you are not good at: Put a boundary on what you do not know how to do or have time to learn and get your focus back on your strengths. By biz coach, Justin over at LukasCoaching.com and I talk about this quite a bit. Your day to day activities should be 80% in your strengths, the other 10% working on the weak areas.

2) Outsource what is not revenue generating for you: If it is not one of your strengths or it does not generate revenue for you, it is actually costing you time and money. Neither one is good and together a bad combo to deal with.

3) Outsource what has been on the back burner for too long: If you are like most entrepreneurs your project list and wish list is a mile long and you can’t seem to get to it. Even though you know it would help your business and move it forward. Getting it off the back burner and front and center for your VA is leveraging a boundary and putting plans into action.

Learning to leverage your boundaries is another area that will take some practice. Outsourcing is not easy at first, it is hard to relinquish control – good ole’ entrepreneuritis (I have to do it all myself syndrome).

But guess what… relinquishing control and outsourcing, empowers your team to get the job done, leverages your boundaries and moves your business forward while still are taking time off, not bad!

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Filed Under: Outsourcing, The Blue Jeans VA, Virutal Assistants Tagged With: , , , , ,

Small business owners and boundaries – How

January 22, 2010 By marta View Comments

So, how do you start putting boundaries in place?

This is a muscle that has to grow and be strengthened – so just as in lifting weights, start small!

Can you block off a few hours during one morning a week to get stuff done around the house? Block off the weekend to spend time with the kids. Or even block time off every few weeks to get caught up on running the business!

Here is what I would recommend and how I have started to put boundaries in place for me.

1) Calendar: Pull it out and put in appointments for the next 3 months. That includes vacations, doctor appointments, kids soccer games, birthday’s… any time where you need to, or want to be available. This is a simple small way to start practicing with boundaries.

These are important enough to be written on your calendar so they are important enough to honor and make sure that you keep that appointment.

If three months was easy and felt good, go wild and fill out another 3 months!

2) Take time off: Gasp – take time off, shut down email, phone AND the computer! Yep that’s right. For some just taking off a few hours one morning a week is a huge accomplishment and about all they can handle. Great! Start somewhere.

3) Take more time off: Bigger Gasp – you mean take more then a few hours away from the office?! Absolutely! Now that you have practiced taking a few hours, TAKE A WHOLE DAY. I know feels strange doesn’t it?

Here are just a few of the benefits:

  • Increased productivity
  • Increased creativity
  • Clearer head
  • Less stress
  • Better health
  • ….I could go on

The benefits of exercising the boundaries muscle and getting into the habit of actually stepping away from the desk and the business are unbelievable. I’m just beginning to see the potential myself.

I started with taking Sunday off, that day I’m not allowed to work. Next step was reducing my Saturday hours and I do pretty good on this one… mostly. Third step was blocking off 1 day per month to get away from email and client work to concentrate on my biz and tackle personal projects with looming deadlines.

I’m addicted now and plan to continue to exercise my boundaries muscle and start taking more time off,  start getting back to my hobbies, playing with my dog and being available to my family without stressing out – what a novel idea!

The word boundaries sounds so confining and stifling but guess what, it really is just the opposite for many, it has been for me. Putting boundaries between your personal and professional life is actually quite liberating!


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Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, The Blue Jeans VA Tagged With: , , ,

Small business owners and boundaries – Why

January 19, 2010 By marta View Comments

Yep, boundaries. That is something  I have been thinking about and just recently read a blog post by a colleague that got me thinking.

As a small business owner it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day details and forget to come up for air.  Then there is technology. Technology that allows just about anyone to find you anywhere, anytime…. personally I love technology, but to a point.

There comes a time when you have to put your foot down and tell yourself, hey it is okay to take some time off! I’m finding the more I give myself permission to do that, the more I get done and the the chance to get re-energized for the next project.

Why boundaries:

1) Give your brain a break: That is one of the things I think is hardest for entrepreneurs – turning off the brain and let it start to quiet down. Allowing the flurry of ideas slow down so you are not constantly thinking and analyzing at 1000 miles per hour (no wonder so many of us get insomnia!)

2) Get a fresh perspective: When you start putting boundaries in place you start to see your business, and your role in it,  from a different point of view. You start seeing the big picture again and get reconnected with your goals and vision for your business.

3) Enjoy your family: Putting boundaries on your time at work (whether that is a home office our you leave the house to get to the office) allows you to relax, get some down time with the family and have some fun. When you are fully present with your family (and friends too!) and not constantly consumed with business, your connections with them grow and deepen.

There is nothing so frustrating like waiting for someone to FINALLY get off the computer so you can go run those errands you have been putting off, go to that family outing you have been planning, go play at the beach, play a game with the kids….. sound familiar!

If you notice the boundaries I am talking about here are self-imposed, boundaries that you need to place on yourself. This can be oh so hard to do, but sharing from personal experience is oh so rewarding!

What areas do you need to start putting boundaries in your business life?

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Filed Under: Creativity, Entrepreneurship, The Blue Jeans VA Tagged With: , , , ,

Some days you just need to go with the flow

January 12, 2010 By marta View Comments

Have you ever had that day (or days) where no matter how hard you push forward you can’t get there? Your mind is distracted, running in a 1000 directions at once, your eyes keep falling shut and nothing is getting done.

Usually I push through it, know that eventually I’ll break through that wall and come out the otherside, today… not so much. I’m honoring what my body and brain re trying to tell me and know that in order to give my clients my best today that I need to go with the flow.

So what do you do on days like these?

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Filed Under: Creativity, The Blue Jeans VA, Virutal Assistants Tagged With: ,

Goodbye 2009, hello 2010!

December 31, 2009 By marta View Comments

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Sorry to have disappeared from the blog….

October 22, 2009 By marta View Comments

…..but I’m back now!

As  I have indicated before, 2009 has been a journey, a year of discovery. Frustrating, rewarding, struggle and excitement – sometimes all in the same day!

I stopped writing because well, no time, life and business got incredibly busy and in the end I was confused on what to write about. Even though I was getting clearer about my business and where is it heading I was confused about my focus and what to write about.

Happily, I can report that it is getting clearer and that there are some scary exciting changes ahead. Can’t say too much yet but it feels as though a corner has been turned, the clouds are clearing and I can now start to set goals and put plans into action.

During this journey of the last few months, I have had quite a few aha moments which has let me know that I do have something to say and that it is time to start writing again.

Working in a mastermind/coaching program like the Fast Track Program from Melanie Benson Strick & Success Connections has been a turning point for me. One of the tools they utilize in the program is one of the best info products I have purchased to date, it is called The Ultimate Success Generator. If you are looking for clarity in your business and where it is headed, I personally think this is one of the best places to get started.

Creating a new plan, a new direction is not easy and if you get the help you need, not always cheap either. These decisions are hard but coming out the other side I have realized that it really and truly is an investment and is helping me get “there” faster then I ever could have on my own.

Finding support, understanding and the occasional kick in the rump is important especially for those of us who work from home and do not have that day to day interaction. This is especially true for those of us who are extremely creative and get overwhelmed with all of the resources and ideas that come to us everyday.

So there you go, a eensy teensy weensy hint at some of the things I have been discovering this year and where my business focus is starting to be. As I learn more and have a few more concrete plans in place I’ll be sharing more.

It’s good to be back and it is good to be writing again ;)

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Filed Under: The Blue Jeans VA Tagged With: , , , , ,

Getting started in online video

October 22, 2009 By marta View Comments

I’m having fun with a service called Animoto, especially for those of us who do not like to get in front of the camera. Yup, working my way up to that one ;) . For now having fun creating videos for The Blue Jeans VA and for my clients. I look forward to sharing more.

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Filed Under: Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Online Shopping Cart, Outsourcing, Project Management, Small Business, The Blue Jeans VA, Virutal Assistants, social media Tagged With: , , ,
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