With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, how passionate are you about your business?   Has it become a “bad marriage?”  Is there hope of rekindling the passion you once had when you first started your business?

Almost daily, I hear from business owners who aren’t sure whether or not to “cut their losses” and run or hang in there for the long haul.  Sound familiar?

I liken it to the old adage that the grass is always greener on the other side.  To that, I always like to respond that yes, the grass is sometimes greener on the other side, but it still needs mowing.  In other words, it is still going to take maintenance to make it work.  All relationships including the one between you and your business need maintenance.

Here are the reasons, I believe, that we lose passion for our businesses.  I will elaborate on each one separately:

• You do not charge enough for your services.
• You do not reach out to the business community (online or offline).
• You do not serve the clients that value your services.
• You do not serve the correct industry or target market.
• You do not offer skills or services that you enjoy.
• You do not manage your time until you are overwhelmed.
• You do not believe that you are doing as well as everyone else.

You do not charge enough for our services. While you may be passionate about you business after a while, you are going to get burnt out working too many hours to make enough to live on.  Also, when you do not charge enough, you devalue ourselves and our individual talents and gifts.  When you get to the point that you can no longer pay our bills, you begin to lose hope and no longer want to continue.  Your self-esteem will be at an all-time low.

You know the old saying that money cannot buy love.  True, but it can certainly put you in a good bargaining position.  So get into a good bargaining position, and start charging more.

You do not reach out to the business community (online or offline). Barbara Sher, bestselling author and coach, likes to say that isolation is the killer of dreams.  When feeling alone or isolated, are you “connecting” with your networks about a business issue?  Are you taking advantage of the camaraderie there?

Part of business is connecting and serving.  There are no “lone ranger” corporations or solo-practices either.

You do not serve the clients that value your services. This is a big one.  If a client does not want to pay for your services or place a value on what you offer, find a client who does.  Remember the childhood story about the “ugly duckling” that was really a swan?  Well, you are a swan, and those that don’t value that need to retreat to a different lake or different scenery.

You do not serve the correct industry or target market. This is a huge mistake.  So many times, it’s easier to want to reach the industry with the most money.  However, sometimes with big money comes big headaches.  This may not be a fit for you.  Find ways to serve the market or at least part of the market that you are passionate about.  They will also be blessed and better served by your offers even if you have to serve them in larger numbers (teleseminars and teleconferences).

You do not offer skills and services that you enjoy. Like a new perfume on a romantic night, you can get excited again.  You can get passionate again.  Find a new skill to add to your skills offered list and get excited.  Find new ways to serve the target market, which most excites you.

You do not honor you time until you are overwhelmed. You try to do too much in too short of a period of time.  Just like bills, kids, careers, and commitments take their toll on a marriage – you need a get away.  Why not have a “date night” with your business?  Sign up for a seminar, workshop or Chamber of Commerce event.  Get out of your home office and off of your computer!  Then back refreshed and better organize your day!

You do not believe that you are doing as well as everyone else. Before you begin entertaining an “affair” outside of your business or with another business idea, ask why are those other businesses thriving?  Do they market regularly, do they have a fan page on Facebook, do they regularly post articles online?  Find out what keeps the “romance” burning for their business.

I think you’ll find that once again, you can get passionate about your business.  Once again, find a reason to get out of bed.  Despite what Forrest Gump said about life being like a box of chocolates, and you’ll never know what you’ll get.  You’ll be just as passionate about the chocolate covered caramels as you are about the chocolate covered raspberry creams.  Why?  Because you chose them with a passion.  Your business passion.  You are once more in control.

There is only one you, so why not BE you and offer your own “bouquet” of authenticity to your clients.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Reprinted by permission from WAH Adventures. All rights reserved.  (Please note the instructions for finding the series only apply to this article at WAH Adventures.)

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 7 – What Will You Name Your VA Practice?

If you have been following this series, then you’ll recall that to date we’ve discussed what a VA is and ways to begin planning your business.  If you haven’t been following this series or seem to have forgotten parts of it, you may go to the navigation bar, click on “Virtual Assisting” and follow the drop-down menu to the “Series”.

This topic will be on picking a name for your virtual assistant practice.  While it may seem like an easy task, there is definitely homework to be done.

Why is this?  For one thing, if you’ve ever typed in the words “virtual assistants” into a Google search you’ll probably yield close to 2,510,000 results in about 15 seconds.  This means that the name you choose for your own VA practice may already be in use.

How will you know if your business name is in use?  You’ll have to do your homework, and you’ll probably have to do it in more than one place.

Obviously, the best place to start would be the Internet using Google, Yahoo, Bing or AltaVista.  Now, just because a name does not come up in the search engine results, doesn’t mean your search is finished.  Many times a person will register a business name (fictitious name) with their local county courthouse and then never use the name.  They still legally own the business name, but they have never used it.

With this in mind, you will need to contact your County Clerk’s Office for a list of registered business names or fictitious names.  These are usually maintained in a fictitious names database, and you will have to go in person to have a search done.

If your VA practice plans on becoming an LLC (Limited Liability Company) and putting the LLC at the end of the business name, you will also need to contact your state’s business office.  You want to make sure that you are not using part of another LLC’s name or a part of another legal partnership’s name.

You will want to search the Thomas Registry for any unregistered trademarks if plan on using a trademark. Most VA’s don’t, but if in the future, you would like to add something like “VA and The WordPress Wonder Wiz”™ as part of your title or tagline—do your homework.  It may be the future registered trademark of a software company like WordPress.

Network Solutions is also a helpful online tool that will pull up variations of the business names you type in.  It is something like Godaddy, but you don’t have to pay before using.  Sometimes if your business name is a “little too close” or too similar to another business name, you may be asked (usually by their attorney) to change it.

Now once you have done all of that, how will you know that you have a “good” name?  A name that really does promote your business and describes what you do.

Well, I can tell you four ways to know you do NOT have a good business name:

1. Your target market cannot remember how to spell your business name.
2. Your target market constantly (not just once) struggles to pronounce your business name.
3. Your target market cannot remember what your business does.
4. Your target market continues to confuse your business name with a similar business name.

Another thing to consider is once you get your business name, how will the search engines react to the name?  I’m going to use myself as an example here, so you won’t make the same mistake that I made.

My former business name was Gemstone Business Solutions, because I love gemstones and enjoy designing my own jewelry.  To me, a gemstone was a symbolic of something “well polished and priceless”.  What I was hoping to be for my clients!

However, the search engines didn’t “get” my symbolism.  As a result, most of my search engine results were for people looking to buy or sell their gemstones, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls.  I even received phone calls from people hoping I could offer stone cutting equipment.  See why I became GBS Virtual Office Solutions?

My advice would be to take your time and do your homework both online and offline when it comes to selecting a business name.  The next time someone asks the age-old Shakespearean question, “What’s in a name?”  You can proudly reply, “Good search engine results!”

Leisa Good is the owner, VA, and “Diva of Done”™ at GBS Virtual Office Solutions. She opened her virtual assistant practice part-time in 2006 when it was then named Gemstone Business Solutions. In 2008 her VA practice became full-time, and in 2011 the name was changed to its current name. Recently, she has added VA coaching to her services. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and within walking distance of the famous Shenandoah River.  Leisa’s Blog

Almost daily, I will receive an email from a friend, fellow VA or business owner writing about how they want to move forward with a new project or business but are “just too afraid”.  “Just too afraid” does that describe you?

One of my favorite coaches, Barbara Sher, describes fear as the gatekeeper of our comfort zones.  Fear becomes a sign to our inner being that we are getting ready to try something new or take an unknown risk.  So, if you start to feel afraid, you could actually be doing something very right.

However, I have found that you cannot live life passionately or work passionately in your business without confronting it.  Sometimes fear can protect us from making the wrong decisions.  But sometimes fear can also keep us from achieving higher success levels.

Over the years, as I have worked with clients and other virtual assistants, I have come up with a check list to confront this “killer of dreams” called fear.

When becoming fearful, ask yourself:

• Why am I so afraid of this particular opportunity or business venture?
• What would happen if this turned out to be good opportunity?
• How would my life be different if I succeeded at this?
• Why don’t I just choose to think positive and try to make it work?

You would be surprised how much better you will feel about yourself when confronting these fears.  You will find that your self-confidence will be raised to a new level.

If you do fail, it certainly isn’t the worst thing.  Ask yourself these questions:

• Are there other opportunities similar to this if this doesn’t work out?
• Will I still be at “status quo” or completely ruined for life?
• Will I do better next time or was this not a good choice?
• Will I be able to learn something from this experience and move on?
• Have I learned more about what I really want from life and business?
• Can I tweet about this later on Twitter?

Going forward this week and throughout 2012, I challenge you to take a deep breath and really imagine the possibilities of living fearlessly.

Are you now ready to confront fear with a new boldness?

Reprinted by permission from WAH Adventures.  All rights reserved.

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 6 – What Will You Put in Your VA Marketing Package?

If you have been following this series, then you’ll recall that to date we have discussed what a VA is; how to decide which services to offer; whether or not to become certified; how much equipment is needed; and how to structure your VA practice.  Now the question is, what materials will you put in your VA marketing package?

First of all, what is a marketing package?  A marketing package includes marketing materials for both online and offline marketing that you will want to use to introduce your business to potential clients.

A good marketing package may be mailed to a client via postal mail or emailed as a WinZip file or electronic folder.  A typical offline marketing package may appear to be a glossy pocket folder with your company name and logo and contain a business card, letter of introduction, brochure, flyer, recent press release, and a copy of the last company newsletter.  Large multi-VA practices might even want to include a white paper or recent case study as well as an annual report.

While these marketing packages can be impressive, they can also become expensive.  The cost of designing, printing, and mailing all of these out does not come cheap.

Again, I am going to give you the same advice as I did with your equipment list.  Don’t over do it.  Start small and build.  Please don’t price yourself out of business.

Here is my advice.  All you really need is a web site for online marketing and a business card for offline marketing.  Really.  That is all you really need.  Now, that might not be all you want, but that is all you need.

On your web site, you should have five pages: Home, About Us, Contact Us, Services, and Blog.  You can list your services under Services just like you would in an offline brochure.  You may also introduce your company  with similar language to a sales letter in About Us with contact information appearing under Contact Us.  Put samples of your work under Services or you may want to create a separate Portfolio page.

Just starting out, you won’t have an online newsletter.  You may want to write a press release, and send it to your local newspaper or online to one of the many online press release sites such as PRWeb.  You could even put a copy of your press release saved as a PDF somewhere on your web site.  I would recommend the home page in the left side bar.

Also, if you could barter your services or volunteer your services to collect one or two testimonials to place on your web site–perfect.  This will also boost your credibility.  Place the testimonials in text boxes on your web site or somewhere in the sidebars.  I would recommend doing this on both the home page and in the Portfolio or Services page.

You may also create a signature file in your web site.  This way whenever you reply to an email, your name along with your title and company name will automatically appear in the email.  You can even include your company logo with your email signature file and make it look more like an e-business card.  For offline business cards, Vistaprint has the some of the best prices.

Again, all you really need is a business card and a web site.  Why is this?  The answer is simple, but please don’t misunderstand what I am about to say.  Until you develop an online presence and have accummulated at least six-months’ expertice, you won’t really have much to write about, tweet about or video about.  Therefore, people are less likely to want to hear what you have to say, because they have never heard of you.

However, do not let that discourage you.  Instead use this to become more determined than ever to get out there and get experience and learn this industry!  Look for opportunities to sub-contract under other VAs, volunteer or barter your services.  You can do this!

In future articles, I will be talking to you about how to name your company (if you haven’t already), how to market your services, and how to promote your web site.

As always, feel free to ask questions.

Leisa Good is the owner, VA, and “Diva of Done”™ at GBS Virtual Office Solutions. She opened her virtual assistant practice part-time in 2006 when it was then named Gemstone Business Solutions. In 2008 her VA practice became full-time, and in 2011 the name was changed to its current name. Recently, she has added VA coaching to her services. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and within walking distance of the famous Shenandoah River.  Leisa’s Blog

What will you put in your VA marketing package?

Reprinted by permission from WAH Adventures.  All rights reserved.

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 5 – How Will You Structure Your VA Practice?

If you have been following this series, then you’ll recall that to date we have discussed: what a VA is and does; how to decide which services to offer; whether or not to become certified; and how much equipment is needed.  Now the next question is, how will you structure your VA practice?

The good news is that there are only two “structures” or practice models in which to choose.  There is the solo-VA practice and the multi-VA practice.  While the definitions themselves aren’t difficult to understand, there are pros and cons to both.  However, the practice model you choose will determine how you write your business plan and your contingency plan.

Your practice model will also determine your tax structure as well as what you name your business.  For example, multi-VA practices have been known to use words such as “staffing” or “hub” in the business name.

Obviously, the simplest structure of the two would be the solo-VA practice.  In the common vernacular of the day, you would be considered a freelancer.  As far as the IRS is concerned, you would be considered a sole proprietor.  Your taxes would be filed under your social security number—just as if you were working a regular job.  Even while operating a business under your own name as a freelancer, you would need to apply for a local business license.  While you can use your own personal checking account, the IRS prefers that you open a separate checking account for business.

If you did choose to operate under a business name other than your own name, you would still need to apply for a business license at your local county courthouse.  However, since you are operating under a different name other than your own, this license would allow you to operate under a DBA (Doing Business As) account.  This would be your “fictitious” or business name.  When you open your business checking account at your local bank, you would sign your checks using your full name, writing DBA (doesn’t have to be case sensitive) below your signature, and then your business name below DBA.

Now, to become a multi-VA practice you will need to apply for an EIN or Federal Employer Identification Number.  You will also need to fill out tax forms for each of your “employees” or if they are operating as ICs (Independent Contractors) then you will need to remember to file a 1099 for each employee—regardless of whether they earned over $600 annually.  Legally, you don’t have to send them a 1099 if they made under $600 for the year, but it doesn’t count against you if you do.  Also, you never want to trigger any kind of tax audit.

You will also need to have everyone in your multi-VA practice sign a legally binding contract either identifying himself/herself as either an employee or an independent contractor with terms and conditions spelled out.  My advice on this one: Hire an accountant and an attorney.

While a multi-VA practice may seem like a hassle, the main “pro” is you will make more money.  Not only will you be able to handle more work from more clients, but you will be able to “take a cut” from everyone who works under you.  The main “con” is that you are responsible to the client if anyone makes a mistake or leaves the project.

In a solo-VA practice, you probably won’t be able to handle more than five to ten clients at a time.  Therefore, the “con” is you won’t make as much money.  Then again, you won’t have all of the paperwork or responsibilities as the multi-VA practice.  That said, you probably will want to set up a network of other VAs or freelancers who offer services that you don’t.  This way you will have a good referral network setup either to refer clients or to work jointly with other VAs on given projects.

Can’t decide whether to make your VA practice a solo-VA practice or a multi-VA practice?  Go solo first and learn the ropes.  Even consider sub-contracting your services under other VAs while you learn the industry.  Always remember, it has to feel right to you.  After all, it is your practice.

In upcoming issues, we will be discussing how to choose a business name, financing your VA practice, and transferring from a full-time job into your VA practice.  As always, I am here to answer questions or you can visit my web site.

Leisa Good is the owner, VA, and “Diva of Done”™ at GBS Virtual Office Solutions. She opened her virtual assistant practice part-time in 2006 when it was then named Gemstone Business Solutions. In 2008 her VA practice became full-time, and in 2011 the name was changed to its current name. Recently, she has added VA coaching to her services. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and within walking distance of the famous Shenandoah River.  Leisa’s Blog

Reprinted by permission from WAH Adventures.  All rights reserved.

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 4 – What Equipment Will I Need to Get Started

If you’ve been following this series, then you’ll recall that the last two articles focused on certifications to receive and what services to offer.  Now  it is time to discuss what equipment you will need to open and maintain your virtual assistant practice.

Obviously, some of your equipment will be based on what services you plan to offer.  One of the biggest mistakes that future virtual assistants make  when deciding upon their equipment, is they buy too much.  They overspend.  You don’t need an elaborate list of equipment and software to impress  the client.

The client will probably be more impressed with your ability to curb your spending, look for creative options, and assist them with cutting  their own expenses and wasteful spending.  If the client insists on equipment or software that you don’t have and can’t afford, they can purchase it  for your use.  If they can’t purchase it, then find clients who are willing to use what you have.

Below is a basic list of equipment you will need for your virtual assistant practice.  You probably already have most of it:

• Personal computer or laptop with at least a 1 GHz Pentium P4 processor and a minimum of 1GB or RAM with sound card speakers
• Updated browser of your choice (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari are the most common)
• Printer compatible with PC (one with a scanner and copier is best)
• Wireless, DSL or Cable Modem connection to the Internet (Comcast, Cox, Verizon)
• Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 – (Mac users will want OS X or what is recommended)
• Email account (recommend having one other than a gmail account)
• Eternal hard drive backup or an online backup (Carbonite.com)
• Anti-virus software (Avast, Norton)
• Anti-malware prevention software (Malwarebytes)
• Gmail account to use Google Docs and manage mutiple projects and clients
• Dropbox.com (free account) to share larger documents
• Cell phone or free Skype.com account (landlines are also welcome)
• Paper, pens, and a few office supplies

Please note that there are other service providers other than the ones listed above in parenthesis.  I didn’t want to overwhelm you with choices, but you can also check with other friends or online workers to see what they are using.

Fax machines and all other equipment are optional.  Also make sure that you have a comfortable chair and are in an area of the house where you can actually work without distractions.

Accounting software, graphic software, and everything else can be added later.  This is unless you plan on offering accounting and or graphics as your primary services.

In future articles, we’ll also discuss marketing materials.  However, I will go ahead and inform you that you can survive and thrive with a simple web site, business cards, and three FREE social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook).

As you can see, it really doesn’t take an excessive amount of equipment to get started in your virtual assistant practice.  The good news is that most if not all of these items will become tax write-offs for your business.

In summary, my advice is to start small, make a profit, and continue to invest in your equipment, your training, and your marketing.  A low overhead will cause a lot less stress for both you and your future virtual assistant practice.  Nothing is worse than to try to concentrate on growing a business with several maxed-out credit cards constantly on your mind.

Good luck, and I am always available for questions.

Happy New Year!  Happy 2012!

As the two faces of the Roman god, Janus, look both to the future with one face and to the past with the other face—let us do the same.  My challenge to your business is to have three things that you leave behind and three things that you do to plan your business success.

Things to leave behind are projects or work that you are not passionate about.  There are just too many other opportunities to find work that is a “fit” for you.  You rob the world of your unique talents and skills when you chose the wrong work.  If you struggle with procrastination, this is probably why.

Another item to leave behind are clients that drain your energy and do not respect you or do not pay well.  Time to get your energy back and your wealth back too.

Lastly, stop wallowing in mistakes and failures.  Use them to learn what NOT to do next time or what to do differently.

Now for the things that you need to “take with you” in 2012 are setting realistic goals for your business, re-evaluating last year’s marketing plans, and striving for a better work/life balance.

What are realistic goals?  They are the ones which you have to stretch a little to reach, but they are reachable and measurable.  They can be broken down into smaller goals.  Most of us know deep down what is realistic and not realistic.

Also, don’t forget to see where you are in your business’ marketing.  The only time you ever stop marketing is when you don’t want any more clients.  So, look at what worked and what didn’t work.

And finally, the one all of us freelancer, self-employed types struggle with is work/life balance.  Have at least one day off a week.  Get away from your computer!  You’ll be amazed at how good and refreshed you will feel.

Again, Happy New Year!

Are there other things you’d like to leave behind in 2012?  Are there other things you’d like to achieve in 2010?

You know a good VA can always help you achieve those realistic goals, marketing goals, and perfect work/life balance.  Consider adding one to your success equation for 2012.  We at this blog and GBS Virtual Office Solutions stand ready to help.

As you probably know by now, I am also a featured writer at WAH Adventures.  And if you don’t know about WAH Adventures and all of its great work-at-home resources then I would invite you to definitely go, visit, and sign up.  Don’t forget to sign up for the holiday giveaway.

Without any further ado, here is my third article:

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 3 – Do I Need to Become Certified?

For those of you who may not know, I am also a featured writer at WAH Adventures.  And if you don’t know about WAH Adventures and all of its great work-at-home resources then I would invite you to definitely go, visit, and sign up.  Tell the owner, Miranda Grimm, hi for me.

Without any further ado, here is my second article:

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 2 – Knowing What Services to Offer

I know I have been very bad lately about keeping up my blog.  My bad.  There have been a lot of changes in my business and life which I will be filling you in on.

One of the biggest honors was being asked to write a column on virtual assistance for WAH Adventures.  I’ve known the owner Miranda Grimm, and she is one of the most talented, caring people that I have ever met.

She does such a great job providing work-at-home leads for freelancers as well as those seeking to work for work-at-home companies that provide benefits.  If you haven’t heard of the WAH Adventures blog, then you are missing out on a lot of good leads and resources for working at home.

So, without further ado, here is my first article:

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 1 – Getting Started