WAHM Contest

I was just on one of the forums that I frequent (VANA) and found that one of my bestest friends is in a contest. Click on this link (WAHM Contest) and vote for Jennifer! She definitely deserves to win.

Outsourcing and Virtual Assistants: Small Business Saviors

by Wendy Maynard

Work smarter, not harder
What is one of the best ways to work smarter without working harder? The answer is outsourcing. Whether you need occasional or ongoing assistance, outsourcing can save you money and time. Graphic designers, copywriters, bookkeepers, website programmers, office assistants, and other types of professionals are all readily available.
And, there’s a new way of hiring people – the World Wide Web connects independent professionals and small businesses that don’t need or want full-time help. Try typing “Virtual Assistant” into a search engine. You will find a vast array of online resources. According to the International Virtual Assistants Association,

“A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative, and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis."

This means you can find a virtual assistant for almost any type of work. Are you a plumber who needs accounting? Or a professional speaker who needs help arranging your appointments? Perhaps you would like some help writing proposals, designing a new website, or sending out press releases. You can find someone online for all of these services.
For many “around the office” types of jobs, virtual assistants get paid $20 to $50 an hour. More specialized services such as programming, legal assistance, graphic design, or coaching can cost $75 to $125 an hour. This may sound expensive at first. However, if you are not in need of a person in your office 40 hours every week, it becomes a very cost-effective solution.
While I realize, costs fluctuate widely, let’s look at some sample numbers to compare the typical costs of maintaining an employee versus outsourcing:

Sample costs of a full-time employee Employee Salary: $36,000/ $17.31/hr.·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)
·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800
·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754
·Worker's Comp. (.61%): $220
·Unemployment (State & Fed): $309
·Misc. costs (Vision, Dental, Disability & 401K Matching, Profit Sharing & Stock Options): >$3,000
·Office Space, Equipment, and Software (100 sq. Ft. @ applicable rate): $2500 ($25/sq. ft. is conservative)
·Annual Bonus (1 mo. salary): $3000
·Sick Time (10 days/year): $1385
·Other intangible costs (furniture, testing, training & fees, sick children, etc.): $1200
Total Typical Costs: $53,553/ $25.75/hr. total effective hourly rate at 100% productivity

At a 75% productivity level, this employee’s cost for actual work becomes $34.33/hour and at a 50% productivity level, it’s $51.50/hour. A full-time staff person is very unlikely to be 100% productive because of idle time, errands, tasks, personal matters, and a learning curve for certain functions. This is combined with an employer’s inability to generate work due to distractions, staff meetings, company functions, lack of time to delegate or supervise, and sales fluctuations.
So, depending on the productivity level of a full-time employee, you may be paying up to 3 times his or her actual salary! You do the math! What's the wise choice? Does an in-house employee save money? In most small businesses, this method simply is not the most cost effective.
Entreprenuer, get your life back!
Outsourcing will save you money, time, and energy. Virtual assistants and other out-of-office professionals own their own equipment with the latest software, they pay their own taxes and benefits, they are experts in their field, they don’t require morale building or training, and they aren’t going to bring their personal problems into your work space. Virtual assistants and outsourced professionals offer even more advantages: they are loyal to their client companies and will support your goals – they will help you generate ideas and allow you more time to make your business more profitable.
So, if you have employees that you are happy with, then of course that’s perfect for your business. Don't fix what ain't broke. However, if you find you are paying too much overhead or spending too much time managing, try a virtual assistant. If you need a new type of service, but don't have the in-house expertise, outsourcing is a great option. There’s a world of online help available at your fingertips.

Wendy Maynard, your friendly marketing maven, is the owner of Kinesis (http://www.kinesisinc.com). Kinesis specializes in marketing, graphic and website design, and business writing. You can visit her marketing blog, Kinetic Ideas at: http://www.wendy.kinesisinc.com
Want to harness the power of kinetic marketing? Sign up for Kinesis Quickies, a free bi-monthly marketing e-newsletter: http://www.news.kinesisinc.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Maynard

Bloggin' for VANA

Have you heard the news? Tawnya Sutherland, Founder of VANA, has decided to start a great new contest!

Why is she doing this contest?

We wish to spread the word about our network for Virtual Assistants and raise awareness for Virtual Assistants in the public realm. The more news we can get out about VAs, the more we will become a business/household name and the more our services will be in demand.

“I’ve read a ton of Virtual Assistant blogs and I love it when I hear that the Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) is held high amongst its members and posted about often.” Tawnya Sutherland

We were wondering how we would thank people for their loyalty and friendship with us and now we’ve finally thought of a way.

To enter, just fill out the form below telling us the link where you either:

• Blogged about VANA
• Posted an article with VANA in the by-line
• Submitted a Press Release mentioning VANA online

We'll choose winners on the 25th of each month. The lucky winners will then be notified how to receive their month's worth of Bronze Advertising at VANA.

Just go to the Contest Page and fill out the form telling Tawnya where you blogged about VANA. How simple is that?

Virtual Assistants - New Way To Work At Home (on NBC)

I'm not sure if everyone watches TV, so I thought I'd point out the Virtual Assistants are in the news! This is all thanks to Karen Reddick, MVA.

Karen was on the NBC Today Show and presented Virtual Assistants worldwide very professionally.

If you missed Karen on NBC, why not see what you missed here.

Thank you Karen.

Also, take a look at the press release:

NBC Today Show Showcases Colorado Virtual Assistant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karen L. Reddick, MVA
Tel: (720) 870-6435
E-mail: Karen@VandEServices.com
Website: http://www.vandeservices.com
CENTENNIAL, CO (April 2007) – Six years ago if anyone had told Karen Reddick that the growing industry she has been working hard to promote would finally receive its day in the limelight with a segment on the NBC Today Show, she wouldn’t have believed it. It’s a dream come true to see the industry she is passionate about get national attention. Reddick is a Virtual Assistant (VA) who helps small businesses successfully run their businesses virtually from her home office. When an NBC correspondent got wind that there was such a business, they became intrigued and decided to pursue the story. NBC flew to Reddick’s home office in Centennial to film a typical day at the office. They also set up a crew at one of Reddick’s client’s office 850 miles away in the St. Louis area to show how easy and efficient working with a VA can be. The piece is scheduled to air in May.
Reddick, owner of V-And-E Services, is a former executive assistant and originally conceived the idea for her business in October 2001 immediately following 9/11. Starting her new career was her way to put family first and be home for her then pre-teenage daughter. Reddick helps clients by working remotely and uses the latest technology to deliver creative administrative support and technical business services to busy professionals. Projects are often handled over the phone, by fax, e-mail and instant messaging.
Most attractive to her clients is perhaps the fact that Virtual Assistants are responsible for their own taxes, training, healthcare, insurance, and overhead costs that make hiring an in-house employee expensive. Reddick states, “My clients pay only for the time actually spent working on their projects. They don’t pay for my coffee breaks, visits to colleagues or other things that happen in a normal office environment. This is a great benefit for them to pay on an as-needed basis.”
Reddick is also the author of The A-Z Guide: The Best Ways to Work With a Virtual Assistant, which shows businesses exactly what a VA can do for them. In her A-Z Guide, Reddick starts with the letter A and highlights typical services such as administrative assistance, ad campaigns, appointment setting, auto responders; B--bookkeeping, branding, brochures, bulk mailings; C--concierge services, copywriting, contact list management and so on. It clearly helps businesses and virtual assistants see exactly what a VA can do for them and highlights tasks they might not have even considered.
“I think this industry will just continue to grow,” Reddick adds. “This used to seem like a radical concept; and now hopefully with this national recognition it will allow other business owners to realize how using a Virtual Assistant can streamline their administrative tasks and save them time and money.”
As proof that the industry is growing, Diana Ennen of http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com recently landed an interview in Reader’s Digest, where she was able to spread the news of the Virtual Assistant Industry. The article talks about making money while working at home, stating “If you possess word processing, transcription, bookkeeping, public relations, or website design skills, you may want to try employment as a virtual assistant. Ennen is quoted as saying, “There is so much work for VAs that the field is thriving. It is absolutely booming.” And Ennen believes this with all her heart.
Look for this segment airing on NBC sometime in April. Stop by Reddick’s site at: http://www.vandeservices.com for additional information on the VA industry and her services.
About V-And-E-Services: V-And-E-Services specializes in “taking the administrative weight off the shoulders” of the small business owner and/or entrepreneur so they can concentrate on making their business grow. Visit http://www.vandeservices.com for more information. Reddick also offers a weekly newsletter entitled Grammar Tips From The Red Editor, a division of V-And-E-Services. http://www.theredpeneditor.com.

Expect Success in Your Home-Based Business

By: Diana Ennen

That’s right! Don’t sit back and hope that clients will come your way and that this business might work for you. Expect it! Go in with a winning attitude. An attitude that no matter what obstacles come your way, no matter what challenges arise, you will meet them. Not only will you meet them, you will face them and grow in strength by overcoming, and rising above them. Expect Success!

Let's look at where you are in your business. Some of you are seasoned work-at-home moms with thriving practices, while others have just entered into the arena. You want what those pros have. Well -- don't just want it—Except it. Make this your motto. Start each new project, or each new marketing venture, with this new attitude, and with this new motto—Expect Success. Before long, it becomes second nature to you. You start automatically assuming the outcome will be successful.

Now, in starting a business there are some steps you have to take. You'll find the first one is the big one. It's the Attitude Step. You need to make the transformation from "employee" or "stay-at-home mom” to successful entrepreneur. The mind-set changes right from there. Expect Success!

Next we're on to some of the business basics. A successful entrepreneur professionally chooses the name that best suits their business. To do this, they visualize that name on their business cards, on their signature line, on the bottom of the letter, with the name President directly right above it. Expect Success! Now, more motivated than ever, our successful entrepreneur needs to choose that all important domain name and get ideas for a website. They research the net for days, weeks, writing down all the fine qualities they see in other web sites. Never copying! Merely researching, constantly thinking of ways to be different and unique makes it work. How they can combine their own strengths and skills to fit into their business, which will then be listed on THEIR WEB SITE. They read. They write. They Dream!

At this point they start seeing that "Yes, it will happen." In their research they have found the organizations, associations and listserves that the other entrepreneurs in their field are active on. They have seen the common denominators of those that are successful. They too get involved. They look for additional training courses, if needed, and sign up for the ones they know will help them meet their goals. They develop their marketing plan and design their promotional materials. They read everything they can on starting a business. They have a plan, and they EXPECT SUCCESS!! They now see that the future of their business is just within their reach. They share with others their excitement, and then they await the time they can finally say, “I'm ready!” EXPECT SUCCESS, and it can be yours.

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Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA, Words From Home, Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business & the Home Office Recovery Plan. She specializes in publicity and book marketing and is president of Virtual Word Publishing http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and http://www.Publicity-VA.com

The Virtual Alternative - Why A Virtual Assistant And Not An Employee?

By Yvonne Weld
A Virtual Assistant is a business owner who provides administrative support and specialized services to assist businesses and executives with their overflow. A Virtual Assistant can handle any task that is usually handled by an in house employee, but unlike an employee, a Virtual Assistant shares your goals to succeed in business; they only succeed if you succeed. But why would you want to work with a Virtual Assistant instead of having the physical presence of an employee?

No Hidden Costs
A Virtual Assistant takes care of all the usual employee related costs including such things as wage related costs, vacation pay, sick days, statutory holidays and benefits. Not only that, when you hire a Virtual Assistant, you are no longer required to pay overhead costs associated with an employee such as providing a computer and the associated software programs or even a desk. With an employee, these costs can add up to 50%-100% over the hourly rate of pay you are paying your employee. With a Virtual Assistant, what you see is what you pay; if the Virtual Assistant charges $35 per hour this is the price you pay.

No Time Commitments
Virtual Assistants can provide you with services on an as-needed basis. If you only require 1 or 2 hours of service this month, that is all you pay for. Where would you find an employee who is willing to work for just 1 to 2 hours per month? In most areas, labour laws require you to pay your employee(s) in 3 to 4 hour blocks of time. So even if you could find someone willing to work for just 1 day per month, you may have to find enough work to keep them busy for those hours or pay them even though they are not being utilized.

Experience/Expertise
Most Virtual Assistants specialize in a niche area where they have experience and/or expertise. This allows you, as a business owner, to work with a highly skilled and experienced person no matter the task at hand. As a business owner you could easily utilize the services of several VAs, each with their own specialty. You could have one VA handling your bookkeeping, one maintaining your Web site and another still planning your corporate events and meetings.

No Wasted Time
Productivity inefficiencies are a huge concern for employers these days. Many employees, when asked, admit to wasting their employer’s time on such things as personal matters, surfing the Internet and socializing with other employees. With a Virtual Assistant you only pay for the time they are actually working on your job. When they are talking to their mother on the telephone, surfing the Internet or socializing, it is on their time and not yours. Many Virtual Assistants take this one step further and dedicate blocks of time completely to your job and will not even answer phone calls or emails during that dedicated time. When they are working on your project it has their complete and absolute attention until the task is completed.

Fellow Business Owner
Perhaps the most important consideration when comparing Virtual Assistants to employees is that unlike an employee, a Virtual Assistant is also a business owner like you. Both you and your Virtual Assistant are interested in achieving success because as your partner they only succeed if you succeed. VAs, more than employees, understand what it takes to run a successful business.

Remember, however the biggest advantage to working with a Virtual Assistant is that you are not limited by the talent pool within your geographical area. Thanks to technological advances, your Virtual Assistant can be the person that best fits your needs and personality, regardless of whether they are in the next state or province, on the other side of the country or even in a completely different country than you are.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Yvonne Weld is the owner of Canadian based ABLE Virtual Assistant Services specializing in providing administrative and bookkeeping support to busy entrepreneurs. She is also the author of The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business which provides a step-by-step guide to documenting your business. For your free audio teleclass on the areas you should consider when documenting your business and for more information about The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business, visit the Web site at http://www.thrivingbusinessmanual.com.

Yvonne Weld is the owner of Canadian based ABLE Virtual Assistant Services and the author of "The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business". For more information visit http://www.thrivingbusinessmanual.com

Reader's Digest - May 2007 Issue

I'm really excited that the Reader's Digest has spotlighted the VA industry. It's nice to see Virtual Assistants and the industry is becoming more recognized.

Lend Assistance

If you've got word processing, transcription, bookkeeping, public relations or website design skills, you may want to try life as a virtual assistant. That broad title refers to people with expertise in a range of services, including administrative support and legal and medical transcription, says Diana Ennen, co-author of Virtual Assistant -- The Series. "There is so much work for VAs," Ennen says. "The field is thriving, absolutely booming."

Though some work might require daytime hours, much of it can be done at night or on the weekend. Hourly rates range from $35 for basic transcribing to up to $100 for Web design.

Online forums and websites can be good places to gather how-to information from experienced assistants. Try the Virtual Assistant Networking Association (vanetworking.com), the International Association of Virtual Office Assistants (iavoa.com) or the International Virtual Assistants Association (ivaa.org).

Do you get butterflies when you go to networking events?

You're driving down the road. You've been talking to yourself all the way. You've been telling yourself you can do this. You keep running your "elevator speech" through your head. You keep saying "I can talk to these people. I can explain my business if they ask me what I do. I can walk up to people and introduce myself."

Then, you get to your destination. You're pumped and ready to go! You walk in the room and there's 50 other people there. You either freeze and wait to see if someone comes up to you, look around to see if you know someone so you're a little more comfortable, or you give up and leave. Why?

Don't you chit-chat with people when you're waiting in line at the grocery store? Do you "pipe in" a conversation at a store if you know you have the answer to what someone is asking? Why, then, can't we talk to 50 other people about our business? Is it because it's 50 people we don't know or because we're just not sure what we should say?

Put a smile on your face and feel confident. You are good at what you do and your business is worthwhile. Be excited about that! Don't be afraid. If you show your afraid or have a problem explaining what your Virtual Assistant business is about, it will show. Clients aren't going to come knocking on your door or calling you if you show you're afraid and can't explain your business to them. They want to give their business to people that are confident so feel confident.

When they ask you about your business, explain to them what you can do....PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, Websites, SEO, newsletters, article submissions, press release submissions, article and/or press release writing, logo's, cold-calling, etc. Whatever it is, tell them. Hold your head up high when you tell them too. Don't mumble.

Just remember that it's up to you. If you think positive and show them you can assist their business, they will call. They will beat down your door to be your next client. They will, in turn, recommend you to others. If you fumble with your words or freeze at the door, how are they going to know you and your business? How are you going to gain those clients?

It's your decision. It's your destiny. It's your choice as to which fork in the road you're going to take.

Confidence In Yourself

If you are in the process of just starting your Virtual Assistant business, have been in your business for a while, are changing your business in some way or another, are making the choice to go back and work for someone else, or are going to go back to school...read the Motivational Quote.

Motivational Quote: "If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President Jimmy Carter and was First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981. (8/18/27-)

Whatever it is that you want to do, you have to have the confidence in your abilities and then do it.

We're all afraid to take that first ride on a bicycle with no training wheels, but we do it. As a child, we know fear but have that "we know no fear" attitude. Our parents assisted us by building up our confidence levels high enough to get on that bike and follow through. We showed our parents, our family, our friends, and ourselves that we could get on that bike and ride like the wind.

That's the same thing for our business. The only thing is, we aren't children. We have a different kind of mindset. As adults, we become afraid to try new and different things. Most of us have that "I'll try but I don't see it really working out" kind of attitude. We're not as carefree as we were when we were children. But, if you want to succeed, have the mentality of a child. Have that "we know no fear" attitude and you will soon see that you can accomplish the things you set out to. You just have to have that confidence and follow through.

Let's talk about subcontracting...or actually...Let's talk about Teams

Some of the Rev members have been talking about subcontracting. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition describes subcontract as "A contract that assigns some of the obligations of a prior contract to another party."

In subcontracting something out, you are essentially building a team. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition describes team as "A group organized to work together."

In building your team, what are some things that you need to think about?

You first need to figure out what the outcome of your team is going to be. In building a team of VAs, undoubtedly, the desired outcome is to fulfill client projects successfully and in the timeframe the client requests. How do you make sure that your team is going to meet that required outcome? You need to select your team by reading what they post in various forums, on their web site, by emailing them and reading their responses, by reading ("listening") to what they say via IM's, etc. to make sure they have the knowledge you're looking for in a team member. You have to feel comfortable that the team you choose is willing to commit and has the knowledge needed for the projects your client has.

Make sure to always communicate. It doesn't matter whether it be something trivial or not. Make sure you communicate as a team. If you receive an email from the client and they're making suggestions for the project, make sure that the other members of your team receive the same email or that you communicate to your team what the client is looking for. You can then get together and discuss. It will make the project run more smoothly if all parties concerned are aware of what's going on so that the project can be finished properly. Just remember to include your whole team involved in the project.

Encourage participation among team members. If the client is looking for something, let your team know about it. Putting your minds together, you can come up with the perfect solution most of the time.

Building a team can be very satisfying and rewarding to all concerned. Can you imagine having the perfect team of VAs and what it could mean to your businesses?

The VAtalkShow!

Have you heard the news? Tawnya Sutherland, found of VANA, has come up with another awesome idea for Virtual Assistants. Starting in April, VANA will be sponsoring The VAtalkShow.
I'm really looking forward to this as I'm sure Virtual Assistants everywhere area.

Work/Life Balance

In thinking through what this weeks message should be, something was brought to mind that all VAs go through --- work/life balance.

It's hard for Virtual Assistants to stop their work because it's right there in the home. You feel you're "with your family" because you're in the same house. Why should they get upset that you aren't sitting right next to them watching TV or outside playing with them? You're there. They can come into the office anytime they want to talk to you.

As business owners, we need to set time aside for our family and ourselves.

Now, how do you figure out how much time you're working and how much time you're spending with your family/yourself? Get a small notebook. Keep track of the time you spend in your office or working and right it down. Right down how much time you spend with your family each day. Keep this going for one month solid - that includes the weekends for us that can't keep away from the computer ;). At the end of the month, calculate your hours. If you aren't spending at least 60-70 hours per month with your family, you're spending too much time working. If you calculate it out, that's approximately 2 - 2 1/2 hours per day. That's really not a lot of time to spend with the people that are the reason why you're working.

If you're not spending at least that much time with them, you need to be rethinking things a little. If you're spending that much or more, you've definitely figured out how to balance work/life.