ASH Business Services

We have Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:42:00 +0000

ASH Business Services Blog can now be found here

Finding Local Networking Groups

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:26:00 +0000

In order to promote your business, you need to get out there and be seen and be heard.

Most of my initial clients came from local networking groups that I attended. Every town or city has a few groups that are specific for business networking.

But how do you find them?

One of my favourite websites to check for local groups is Networking Today. As a BONUS, if you sign up to receive updates you will get a Free Report - "44 ways to Stay Connected and be Remembered".

You can also ask friends and family that are business owners to see if they attend any. You might even be able to attend as a guest a couple of times before joining.

What other ways have you found your local networking group.

How To Attract All The Clients You Need

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:20:00 +0000

Fabienne Fredrickson, the Client Attraction Mentor and founder of ClientAttraction.com has a generous offer (well, free offer) that I think you'll really enjoy. She developed a step by step system for attracting clients to your small business - incorporating all the essential elements needed to ensure you have clients attracted to you. Fabienne is known for helping solo-preneuers around the world attract more clients, make more money and have more time off to enjoy it all. Fabienne has a FREE audio CD entitled "How to Attract All the Clients You Need." It retails for $24.95 and she is giving this away for FREE. Thousands of people have listened to it and have had dramatic results in their business as a result.

To get your copy of the free CD, please visit:

http://tinyurl.com/nktsb4

In this FREE audio CD Fabienne covers how she developed the system and reveals her secrets for attracting clients consistely and having your business work for you, as opposed to you always working for the business.

Here's that link again: http://tinyurl.com/nktsb4

Outsource And Be Rich: The Little-Applied Secret ALL Wealth-y Entrepreneurs Use

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:52:00 +0000

The following post ended up in my in-box a few weeks ago, it was such a brilliant article that I wanted to share it with you.

By Fabienne Fredrickson

Let me share a big secret with you that all wealth-y solo-entrepreneurs know: If you want to have an ideal business, work less and make a whole lot more, I can assure you that you CANNOT do it by yourself. You must outsource!

You know how I know this? Because for years, I tried! For years, I tried to do everything in my business by myself, like the good "lone ranger" that I thought I was. You know what? It didn't work. In fact, a few years ago, I remember getting on the phone with my coach and crying for the first 8 minutes of our coaching call. He listened patiently as I sobbed and then said just one thing to me:

"Fabienne, Frank Sinatra didn't move his own pianos."

Silence on the phone. I stopped crying and it was like The Truth had been spoken. It may seem like a "duh" moment to you, but when I heard this for the first time, it felt like the skies had parted and the answer to all my problems were streaming down from the sky. I realized that I had been trying to "move my own piano", instead of focusing on my brilliance and my "genius" work - the stuff that I'm good at and that only *I* can do in my business.

The minute he said those words to me, a surge of energy went up my entire spine. I realized right then and there that I was trying to do the impossible by doing it all myself and that I would never be able to grow my business further if I didn't change the way I did things.

So I changed my whole way of doing business and I started DELEGATING different aspects of my business to others. And I'm deliriously happy to report that my business, my bank account (and my sanity) have never looked better!

Fact is, you cannot do it all on your own either. No matter how much you like to think that you can do it better, faster and more efficiently than anyone else, the fact remains that you will eventually burn out. In his book "No B.S. Business Success", Dan Kennedy talks about the worst number in ANY business is the number 1. Meaning, you never want to be the only one working in your business.

You MUST leverage your time and resources if you are serious about running a successful business, getting clients and finally making a good 1ncome being self-employed. There's just no way around it. And getting it ALL done means you have to eventually start outsourcing and delegating.

Thing is, you can wait like I did until you nearly crumble into a state of near exhaustion where things are falling through the cracks left and right OR you can come from a Full Practice Mentality and start getting assistance NOW, before you ever get to that place.

Proper outsourcing means delegating specific things to someone who's happy to do them for you:

Stuff you're not good at
Stuff you don't know how to do
Stuff you don't have time to do
Anything outside of your brilliance/genius (meaning, everything other than the stuff only you can do in your business)

Delegating allows you to strengthen your strengths, instead of trying to "better" your weaknesses. It means only working on your core competencies and focusing on your brilliance and genius work. In turn, you'll get more done, you'll make more mo-ney, and you'll enjoy more time off for the important things in life (like your family, your friends, you know, the important stuff.)

It's the ULTIMATE leverage!

Now, I have a team of 7 virtual assistants and one in-person assistant helping me on a part-time basis. On top of that, I get help from bookkeepers, attorneys, accountants, fulfillment houses, etc., so I can focus on doing what I do best: speak, write, coach and create products. Oh, and marketing too. Don't forget that. And because of it, I'm personally able to PRODUCE so much more than I've ever been able to.

But I know what you might be thinking. "That's fine for you, Fabienne, but I'm not in a place where I can bring on a whole staff of people." Well, believe me, I know about that because I used to be there too! This wasn't an overnight thing. It's taken me a few years to get to this point. But the good news is, you can start slowly and ramp up from there, like I did.

Here's what I want you to do:

Calculate what you're worth per hour when you're doing your Brilliance/Genius work; that which only you can do
Make a list of all the things you do each day
Attach a dollar value to what you could pay someone to outsource this to

Example: Let's assume you're worth $200 per billable hour. Ideally you should be generating $200 or more for EACH hour you work. However, I'll guess you're doing DOZENS of things each day that someone charges less for (and is happy to do for $15, $25, $45, $75, etc.) These are the things you want to outsource, so you can make $200 every hour you DO work. It's all about working smarter and more efficiently.

To justify this, REPLACE the time you've saved with doing your Brilliance/Genius work and working on your Client Attraction assignments. Why? Because marketing = more clients = more do11ars. Enough said. (That doesn't mean you can go goof off. That's NOT the point, at least not at the beginning.)

Makes sense?

If budget is an issue, just start small. Focus first on tasks that will immediately make you money (stuff you're not doing now, stuff you don't know how to do) and set a maximum hour cap per month. Then, as re-venue comes in, you can grow from there.

Within months of my taking the leap and doing this, outsourcing helped bring in so much mo-re mo-ney, I was able to increase the hours I could delegate and outsource some more and I eventually doubled my revenues in ONE year.

You can too. It's really easy.

Your Assignment:

So, take out a sheet of paper and do the following:

Calculate what you're worth per hour when you're doing your Brilliance/Genius work; that which only you can do
Make a list of all the things you do each day that don't fall within the category of your Brilliance/Genius work
Attach a dollar value to what you could pay someone to outsource this to
Begin to outsource and delegate, little by little

I guarantee that you too will catapult your 1ncome as you focus more and more on business development and Client Attraction, as well as your genius work. You won't believe you ever did it any other way.

Need some resources on how to clear the decks and make Client Attraction a priority by outsourcing? Then get a copy of the Client Attraction Home StudySystem. I've outlined every Client Attraction technique in detail, including outsourcing, and it's all there so you can start using it right away to get similar results. It's all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you're done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. SO easy. That's why my clients have gotten such great results from it. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get yours at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? No problem! But here's what you MUST include:

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System?, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time...guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit http://www.clientattraction.com/.

How often and when do you send out your Ezine? Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Some people think that sending out their Ezine quarterly or once a month is sufficient. They think that they will be bothering people if they send it more often than that. Or that people will unsubscribe, if they send it more often.

Think about it this way, "Will people remember who you are three months from now? Will they remember what services or products you provide? Will you be top-of-mind next time they hear "do you know someone who (fill in the blank)...?"

So how often should you send it out?

Ideally, you should send out your Ezine every week. However, if that is too hard for you to commit to, then the next best thing is every other week. By keeping in touch weekly or bi-weekly, your readers will come to expect receiving an e-mail from you and wonder what happened when it doesn't arrive on the scheduled day. By getting personal and providing excellent content, people will get to know and trust that you are an expert in what you are writing about. And people buy from those they know and trust.

What if people unsubscribe?

If people unsubscribe, chances are they were never going to buy from you in the first place. It's as simple as that. You want to be able to market your products or services to a very specific and targeted marketplace. You are likely to see about 2% of your list unsubscribe every time you send out your Ezine. Don't be offended by the un-subscribers, it could be that they have had a lifestyle change and no longer need to be on your e-mail list. Remember it's not about the size of your list; it's about the quality of your list.
If you are currently only sending out your Ezine quarterly, try switching it to monthly and then within a few months switch it to bi-weekly and then optimally every week. That will be 52 weeks that you will be in touch with your ideal client.

Why should you have an Ezine?

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:46:00 +0000

If you are a solo business owner, your to-do list is probably bursting at the seams. Your days are filled with client work, bookkeeping, networking, and voice-mail and e-mail messages to respond to. So why would you want to add another item to your list such as sending out an Ezine or electronic newsletter?

There are several reasons why I always suggest my clients include an Ezine as part of their marketing strategy:

1. It establishes you as an expert in your field.

You want to be the go-to person that everyone refers to when they have a question about your specific field. By consistently over delivering on information, it gives you credibility.

2. It is an excellent lead generator.

When you regularly and consistently send out an Ezine that is filled with great information you build a strong trusting relationship with your existing and potential clients. When someone ends up on your website, you want to be able to capture their information so that you can continue marketing to them. They say it takes 6 or 7 times of contacts from you before they will buy. Generally people are more likely to buy from some one that they trust versus someone that they have never heard of. If they have ended up on your list, that means that they are already interested, and it is just of a matter of time before they become a client

3. It is an affordable marketing tool.

Programs such as Awebber and Constant Contact are affordable and can be automated to
deliver your Ezine to a target audience at any time of day; even while you sleep. For the same cost every month, you can contact your list as often as you want throughout the month. It is an easy way to promote your existing and upcoming products and services such as workshops, teleseminars, and e-books, just to name a few. There is no need to pay for printing and mailing costs as in traditional newsletters.

So why is it that you don't have an Ezine yet?

Is your Ezine list big enough?

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:39:00 +0000

One of the reasons or excuses that I have heard business owners use about what has stopped them from starting an Ezine is... "I'm waiting until my list is big enough."

So ideally how big should your Ezine list be?

Believe it or not, if you have two people on your list, you should go for it. I'm sure those two people, know two people who know two people and so on and so on... you remember the commercial.

But if you are still not convinced, here are some other ways to grow your list:

Sign-up form on your Website or Blog - make sure its on every page
Submit articles to Article Submission Websites
Speaking engagements
Sign up box on your Social networking Sites
Tele-seminars
Host a Workshop
Give away a Free Download
Joint Ventures
Comment on other's blog post and leave a link back to your own site
Sign up form at Tradeshows

Remember, Rome was not built in a day, so neither will your Ezine list. But you can set the foundation brick by brick and let it grow.

To Niche or Not to Niche?

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Recently, after reading Janet Barclay's Blog Post about Niching, I seriously started thinking about my own business. Although I have been successful in consistently attracting a number of quality clients into my business, I have never been clear about who "my ideal client is".

Over the past two years since ASH Business Services was launched ,I have done whatever it takes to guarantee that my clients receive the best possible service. Our tasks have varied from appointment scheduling to designing newsletters and Ezines to organizing home offices and streamlining business processes. They were all fun and challenging in their own way; however, I know I have reached a point where I need to focus.

My ah-ha moment came from Fabienne Fredrickson of Client Atrraction.

She was promoting the Client Attraction Marketing & Mindset Breakthroughs Workshop and my gut told me that I needed to look further into this. I have been a follower of Fabienne's work for the past year or so, and I like her style and her positive approach to business. So I went ahead and invested in my business and in myself.

My copy arrived yesterday, and I have no doubt that ASH Business Services will never be the same again.

For those of you who have gone through the same challenge how did you get through the process? What was your ah-ha moment?

Do you have an E-zine?

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:35:00 +0000

One of the first questions that I ask a new or potential client is "Do you have an e-zine? And if not, why not?"

As my existing clients have come to learn, I LOVE E-zines!! I strongly belive in the power that it has in building your business in a cost-effective way !!

So what is an E-zine? Well, an e-zine has come to be known as many things... E-Newsletter, E-magazine, or simply put E-zine. Call it what you want, as far as I am concerned, they all stand for the same thing: An electronic communication used to educate and inform subscribers (your e-mail list) about a specific subject. I like to call this awesome marketing tool an E-ZINE.

How do you start an E-Zine?

There are a few different e-mail marketing systems out there that you can use depending on your needs. I would suggest firstly assessing your needs, what you want to achieve with your E-zine and also look at future needs. Do you want sell products? Do you just want an automated list minder? Do you want to do Surveys?

Some of the programs that I use frequently for clients are:

Sign up for either these program's Free Trial and see which is better suited for your business. If you have any questions... just let me know.

Happy Canada Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:03:00 +0000

Happy Canada Day! Today is a Federal Statutory holiday here in Canada. Most businesses are closed. It is supposed to be a day to relax, celebrate and reconnect with family and friends.

Unfortunately, many home-based entrepreneurs look at holidays as a day to "catch up on work", or "get a couple of more things done". They forget the reason they might have gotten into business in the first place was to have more freedom. Have you ever wondered how busy and successful entrepreneurs get it all done?

Here's their secret: they have created systems, built a team and delegated effectively. Funny thing is that they probably have not even met many of their team members. Virtual Assistants specialize in a variety of services (administrative, bookkeeping, graphic design), to help you get it all done.

With the power of the Internet, you don't have to go it alone. What would you rather be doing right now, and what can you delegate to someone else?

Me... I'm off to a picnic today with my family!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:38:00 +0000

Today is Administrative Professionals Day formerly known as Secretary's day. It is observed annually on the Wednesday of the last full week of April.

It was initially organized by the National Secretaries Association (now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals) along with public relations executive named Harry Klemfuss. It was established as an effort to recognize secretaries for their contributions in the workplace, and to attract more people to the administrative careers.

Here's some trivia that you might not have known:

National Secretaries Day was first held on Wednesday, June 4, 1952 as part of an appreciation week called National Secretaries Week which was held June 1-7, 1952.

The observance of the week was moved in 1955 to the last full week in April.

In 1981 the name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day.

In 2000 it was changed again to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with the expanding responsibilities and wide-ranging job titles of administrative support staff.

It is celebrated worldwide.

The term Administrative Professional encompasses a number of titles such as...

administrative coordinator

executive secretary

secretary

office manager

administrative coordinator

administrative assistant

executive assistant

And, can we also include the title "Virtual Assistant" too? After all, the only difference is that most VA's provide administrative assistance from their own home offices.

Today, don't forget to appreciate your Administrative staff . It's amazing how far a kind word or gesture can go. And if you are still looking for ideas then check out my previous post.

Oh and show your appreciation to your Virtual Assistant too! (hint, hint)

Appreciate Your Administrative Assistant This Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:31:00 +0000

This year Administrative Professionals Week is April 19-25 with Administrative Professionals Day on Wednesday, April 22.

The following are some ways to show your Administrative Assistant what a difference they make in your workplace;:

Take her (or him) out for a long lunch at a nice restaurant;

Arrange for a morning at a local spa;

A plaque for her/his years of valued work;

A gift certificate to their favourite boutique;

Buy the latest book from their favourite author;

Reimburse them for a course that they have taken to further their career;

Buy an expensive pen/pencil set and have it personalized with their name;

Get him/her a new ergonomic chair;

Order a gift basket from their favourite shop;

And most importantly, arrange to have a large bouquet of flowers delivered!

What ever you do, make sure you let your Administrative Assistant know how appreciated they are this week.

Daily Disciplines for Effortless Success

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:52:00 +0000

This is anothe one of my favourite newsletter articles that I had to share.... enjoy!

Daily Disciplines for Effortless Success
by Jack Canfield

Hand’s down, one of the most popular questions I’m asked by students is this… “Jack, what are your most important daily actions that you correlate with your success.”

In fact, Oprah Winfrey asked me a similar question just days before appearing on her show. She asked me to come up with some easy-to-apply steps for her viewers to start applying The Law of Attraction in their lives.

One of the basic first steps is to determine, write down and talk about what you do want, not what you don’t want. Be as specific as possible. Once you have clarified what you want, do the following each and every day.

1. Morning Intention, Visualization and Releasing

As soon as you wake up in the morning, take about 5 minutes to focus your mind on your desires, goals and intentions. Start by sitting in a comfortable position, closing your eyes and visualizing your desires and goals as already being fulfilled. Spend 30 seconds to a minute on each of your core desires and goals. You can also take a few moments to visualize your day going exactly as you would like it to.

When you do this, you will often find negative limiting beliefs that are the result of negative programming from your childhood will come up. You may hear thoughts like “I could never afford that,”“there’s no way I’ll ever get that,” or “who am I kidding?” coming up. If you do, use one of the many releasing techniques that are available (see the list below) to release the negative thought. Don’t fight or argue with the thought; just release it.

Remember to also spend several moments feeling the feelings you would feel if you had already manifested your desire in your life. The intensity of the feeling is what fuels the intensity of the attraction.

If you're interested in learning a powerful releasing technique, check out the new documentary movie about the emotional freedom technique (EFT) I use, Try it On Everything; I highly recommend it.

2. Use External Images to Keep you Focused on Your Desires and Goals

Keep yourself focused on what you want to manifest by surrounding yourself with visual images of the things and experiences you want to create in your life. There are many tools you can use for this, including creating a Vision Book from our Dream Big Collection

Cut out pictures of the things you wish to own (like your ideal car or home) and pictures that represent the experiences you want to have (like the perfect relationship, your ideal job, perfect health, being at your ideal weight, more joy, inner peace or balance in your life) to remind yourself of how you want it to be. Put them somewhere where you will see them every day—on the mirror, the refrigerator, or in your Vision Book.

For even greater impact, combine your pictures with words that reflect your desired outcome, such as abundance, romance, fun, vitality, etc. I think you get the picture.When you look at any of these pictures, do what Bob Doyle, who is featured in The Secret teaches— think the thought, “THIS IS MINE NOW! THIS IS WHO I AM!”

3. Think a Better Feeling Thought

Start paying attention to the many times during the day that you have emotional responses (to other people, experiences, or your own thoughts) that are not in alignment with having or producing your desires. Pay special attention to when you feel disappointment, resentment, frustration or anger about your experiences and circumstances.

Remember, it’s your feelings (which are created by your thoughts, opinions, and beliefs) that are creating your current circumstances. You must make a shift by changing your thoughts to ones that make you feel better (i.e., raise your vibration). Remember that you must become a vibrational match for the things and experiences that you want to attract into your life.
It is especially important to focus your thoughts and behaviors on things that cause you to feel joy. Focus your thoughts on thoughts that bring you joy (your lover, your best friend, your grandchildren, your favorite vacation spot) and your actions on doing the things you love to do (pet your cat, work in your garden, listen to your favorite music).

4. Have an Attitude of Gratitude

It is critical to take time each and every day to focus on what you are grateful for! Some people
do this in the morning before or after they visualize their desires; others prefer to do it in the evening. Focus on all of the things in your life (most of which you take for granted) that you are grateful for—your health, your children, your job, the nice weather, electricity, running water, a nice stereo system, your flower garden, your pets, your friends).

No matter what your situation, there are always things to be grateful for. The more you focus on what you are grateful for, the more things and experiences you will attract to be grateful for. You may wish to carry a “gratitude rock” like the one Lee Brower talks about in “The Secret”, or log your findings in a Gratitude Journal.

5. Take Action

There are two kinds of actions you can take. Obvious actions are things like, if you want a better car, going to test drive all of the models you are interested in and choosing the exact car you want to have, and saving 10% of your income in a “car account.” If you want to be a doctor, apply to medical school.

There is also what I call “inspired actions.” Once you begin to do the things described above, the universe will start responding by sending people, resources and opportunities you need to manifest your desired result. You are going to find that you have inspired ideas; you must act on them. You must follow those gentle proddings from the universe. Often these intuitive impulses will have no seeming connection to achieving your goal, but if you follow them, they will lead you down a path of wonderful fulfillment.

Here’s a quick way to know if the actions you’re taking are taking you closer to the fulfillment of your dreams and desires.

If you are feeling joy while you are doing them, then you are on the right path. Remember, joy is your internal guidance system, just like the GPS system in a car, telling you are taking the right actions. Follow your joy.

6. Acknowledge That it's Working

If you start to see something change for the better, acknowledge that it is happening. Appreciate it. When you find the perfect parking space, acknowledge it. When you get the table you want in the restaurant, acknowledge it. When you receive unexpected income, acknowledge it. When you meet someone who can help you achieve your goal, acknowledge that Law of Attraction is working. The more you acknowledge that it’s working, the more it will work. It’s that simple.
If you are attracting things into your life that you don’t want, remember that the Law of Attraction is still working. Instead of thinking or saying, “It’s not working,” ask your self, “What am I focusing on, thinking about, talking about, feeling or doing that is bringing this into my life?”
If you want to know what you are thinking about, notice the results you are producing in your life. To change those results, you will first have to change your vibration by changing your thoughts and feelings.

When you make a commitment to take these actions each day, you’ll start to move forward, with confidence, in the direction of your dreams. Believe that they are not only possible, but that they are already in progress.
I'll be back in two weeks with another edition of Success Strategies. Until then, see if you can discover ways to immediately implement what you discovered from today's message into your life.

© 2009 Jack Canfield

Are you "stuck" in this area? Send me your most pressing question about this topic, then join me for our monthly "Ask Jack Canfield" Tele-Clinic on April 1st! http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=72254&AdID=360561
* * *

If you missed previous issues of Success Strategies, I keep an archive of past issues you can always refer to.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.jackcanfield.com/

The Art of Follow-up

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:04:00 +0000

I recenlty purchased The ART of Follow up by Jamie Lee Mann.

In her book Jamie provides great tips and techniques to turn potentials into clients.
She offers templates for written contact and as well as scripts for the telephone. Of course it's all customizable.

The book is currently on sale, so if you're a Virtual Assistant and have been meaning to buy this book. Right now is the right time!

Welcome to Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:33:00 +0000

I can hardly believe that today is the first day of SPRING!!

Although, I don't think Winter is not done with us just yet, just looking at the calendar makes me smile. All of the magazines are talking about Spring fashions, and gardening. The gardening magazines are talking about the best seeds and best times to plant them, and when you can expect the seed to flower.

The same is true for "planting seeds" in your business. Each seed can be related to a new marketing activity. When implementing a new marketing activity, you have to gauge which one is the best for your particular business and when is the best time to launch it, and when you can expect to see a return on invest.

This week I had College Pro Painter come by and give be a quote to paint the exterior of my home's windows. This particular manager did it right in my opinion. He sent his crew out into an older neighborhood just after dinner knocking on doors on a warm pre-Spring evening. They collected information to call back to set an appointment for a formal quote. The very next day they called to set an appointment, and when he shpwed up... he was on time. He gave me a detailed quote of all the work expected to be done, number of painters, and price (including a discount for early booking). This particular Franchise Manager, planted his seed and nourished it with great business practices and now he can watch the seeds flourish.

So I am wondering... do you have Spring time seeds that you will be implementing in your business? Do you have a clear plan of how you will plant it and nourish it until it flourishes?
I have a few that I have been dying to try. I'll keep you posted!

Is MOMPRENEUR looking for you?

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:50:00 +0000

I am subscribed to several e-zines that provide great information on how to build my business and my client's businesses.

One of my favourites is MOMPRENEUR. I recently received the following in my inbox, and I'd like to share it with you, in case you are not subscribed to the e-zine and would like to get more information. It's a great opportunity for a mompreneur that wants to get involved.

This was taken directly from the e-zine, I hope they don't mind.

Eco Mom?

Are you a Mom with a business that is focused on social change or eco friendly products and services? Than we are looking for you. For our next issue, we are celebrating World Earth Day by featuring eco friendly businesses and products. If you have a recommendation or you are the owner of an eco friendly business, email us today!

Are You A Writer?

We are looking for some new features to add to the magazine. If you specialize in Human Resources, Private Investment in Small Business, Financial Management of Small Businesses or something equally as interesting, please let us know. We are looking for some fantastic specialists to continue to build the great quality of content in our magazine!

So there you go! If you fall into either one of those categories contact MOMPRENEUR directly for more information. I also encourage to get on their mailing list!

Writing Resumes

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:27:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks I have had several clients ask me to help with updating their resumes. I've always helped family members and friends with writing their resumes, it was something I enjoyed doing. In a previous position I worked closely with the V.P. of Human resources. But now resume writing has become a part of my virtual assistant business. In order to provide exceptional service to my clients, I have educated myself further on resume writing. I'd love to share some facts with you, and if you choose to update your own.

These days potential employers can afford to be picky when choosing a potential candidate from the numerous resumes that they receive. As a candidate you want to make sure that your resume stands out from the crowd and will win you the interview.

There are three basic types of resumes:

Chronological - This one is by far the most popular format. You place your information in reverse order. Employers prefer this type as they can quickly see what jobs you have held, duration and duties you were responsible for.

Functional - This format focus on skills, credentials and accomplishments achieved with all the jobs held and not where and when you worked. It is most often used with people looking to change careers or have gaps in their work history.

Combination - Just like it's name, it is a combination of the above two formats. You list your relevant skills first, followed by employment history and education. It is most commonly used to highlight skills that are relevant to the job that you are applying for.

No matter what kind of resume format you prefer, remember to be consistent, proofread and have a second or even third pair eyes look over your resume before forwarding to a potential employer. Print your resume on high quality white paper. Keep your resume to a maximum of two pages. Verify that your contact information is correct! Be sure to have an objective for each position that you are applying for. Make sure that it looks good; I personally like 12 point Arial font with lots of white space and properly aligned. And include a cover letter.

Don't forget that you can always have a virtual assistant to be your second pair of eyes and review and edit your resume before you send it out to a potential employer.

Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:45:00 +0000

These days, there are so many ways to network for business. Over the past several years since I started my virtual assistant business, I've joined several referral based networking groups. If you are looking for one to join, check out Networking Today where you will find many membership and non-membership based networking groups. Through my own networking efforts, I've learned that effective business networking is about connecting individuals through trust and relationship building. You want these individuals to be your walking and talking marketing campaign.

So how do you go about building these networking relationships?

Be interested in helping the other person. Ask leading questions such as, "what is your biggest struggle in your business?", and think of someone in your referral circle that might be able to help. Be genuine.

Have a clear message. Next time someone asks who your ideal referral is, be able to answer clearly and concisely, include as much detail as you can.

Follow through quickly on referrals. If you are given a referral, follow-up as soon as possible, if you don't you risk your referrer thinking you don't appreciate the referral.

Follow up with people you meet. Send a quick e-mail stating that you enjoyed meeting them and ask if they have time for a coffee to share ideas.
Toot your own horn. When introducing your business, share what you have been up to with your business.

Find a group that suits you. There are many types of groups, and not everyone is suited for your business. Be sure to visit several and find the right fit for you. Most member-type groups allow you to visit twice before you need to join.

What are your networking tips? What have you found that has helped in your business? I'd love to know...

Marketer's Mojo Virtual Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:30:00 +0000

There is an exciting Virtual Conference happening February 16th-19th that I have to let you know about.

A fellow VA, Angela Wills of MarketersMojo.com, is hosting a conference for entrepreneurs who love what they do. She is featuring 22 speakers who will be talking about how they've built the business they LOVE and how you can do it too!

The Marketer's Mojo Virtual Conference is being offered for an unbelievably low fee!! If you can't make a call, no worries, you will get a free mp3 copy of every call that you can listen to on your computer, online or even load into your ipod!

So what are you waiting for? Sign up here for the conference!

Oh and by the way you can also promote Angela Wills' products and services to earn commissions!

E-zines - Capturing your Readers Attention

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:19:00 +0000

I don't know about you but I subscribe to quite a few e-zines. Over the last little awhile I've noticed that some of these that end up in my inbox are deleted within seconds of me opening it. Here are my reasons and some advice for anyone that is publishing an e-zine.

Format your newsletter directly to the recipient. Do not start your newsletter with Dear sir/madam, Dear %$firstname$%. (I received the latter one from a successful internet marketer.) No matter how incredible the content is, you've just lost your readers attention.
Update your reader about what is going on with your life, get personal. Your reader wants to know that there is a human being sending out the e-zine, so let them know about your last trip, or what cute thing your little one did. Although, this may seem unprofessional, it captures your readers attention, and they will more than likely keep reading along to the important stuff.
Include subscription management somewhere on your e-zine. I've noticed a several e-zines that don't include a link to unsubscribe from newsletter.
If you receive an Unsubscribe, then unsubscribe them. Twice now that I have had to e-mail the person in order to be removed from their subscription list. Now, if I receive an e-mail from them, it's deleted automatically.
Be consistent with sending e-zine. I've signed up for e-zines that I sometimes receive two in a week, and then nothing for two months. Stay top of mind and if you set a submission date, stick to it, so your reader knows when to expect it and can look forward to it.

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm ranting, but it's something that I've noticed about newsletters and I'm now implementing with E-zine clients. My clients are noticing a higher e-zine opening ratio since we've implemented these simple ideas.

I'd love to hear other ideas...

New Year's Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:12:00 +0000

Happy New Year!!

This my first Blog post for 2009, and probably the first time that I've actually sat in my office for more than a few minutes in the past few weeks. I decided (at last minute) to do "minimal work" in the two weeks that the kids were home for the holidays . By minimal work, I mean that I only took care of daily client tasks and checked e-mail quickly and then raced back out to spend quality time with my family.

I have to admit that the one thing that I've struggled with since starting my company has been finding balance in my day. Many things have passed by the way side as my business and my three children have grown. I've found that I haven't read as many books as I used to or taken the time to scrapbook (one of my favourite past times). When my baby was younger (he's 2 1/2 now), I usually worked when he napped. Now, I usually work into the wee hours of the night because I've been chasing my energetic, trying-to-give-up-naps son around the house all day. I must admit that I've had help periodically from grandma and a part-time caregiver when I've been really busy with a new projects. But as soon as the busyness in my day subsides, I'm back at it again, and tell myself "I can do it all."

My New Year's Goals is to find balance in my day.

I've started by enrolling my son two days a week at a wonderful daycare centre. He starts week of January 12th. I have signed a contract with them, so now I know I can't change my mind at last minute and not send him there, because I'm still committed to paying for the day. I know he will have a great time there and I'll be able to get two days that I don't have to work late because he has not napped.
I've neglected my gym membership and ignored the monthly fees coming out of my account. After dropping my son off at daycare, I've scheduled into my day one hour at the gym. My plan is to leave the house dressed for the gym. No more excuses!
I'm planning family vacations for the year. We're planning out this years vacations for the weeks that the girls are not in school, so that I don't feel "guilty" of working when they are home from school.
I will schedule one evening at month for scrapbooking with friends or by myself. I'm being proactive a sending out the invitation to the gals... it's what I do... I love planning events.
I will plan one individual activity a week with each of my children. I've scheduled and paid for a Parent & Tot Gymnastic weekly class for the next 14 weeks with my son. I will also do more crafts with my daughters such as crocheting and knitting, or even just going for a walk with the dog.

My goal for ASH Business Services for 2009 is to be more focused and spend quality time on my business.

I will write a blog entry at least once a week. I know I can find at least one quality item to write about once a week.
I will resume my monthly newsletter.
I will only taken on projects that I love. I will use my network of fellow VAs and delegate the work that I do not enjoy doing, so that I open the doors for more opportunities.
I will attend one networking meeting a week. My clients have all come from referrals and in 2009 I plan to grow my business with referrals.
I will schedule my day, so that I'm not getting caught up on daily time wasters, such as checking e-mail frequently. I will log off from my e-mail and only check in at scheduled times during the day.

These are MY goals for 2009. Of course they are very specific to me and my life, as of course they should be. Have you written out your personal and professional goals for 2009? Do you have an action plan for each goal?

Analyse This

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:55:00 +0000

I was reading the posts on Twitter and I noticed that Kimberly LeRiche had Tweeted the following "Try this: http://www.typealyzer.com/. it's like Meyer's Briggs for your blog. It will analyze your blog for your personality type".

So I was intrigued and decided to check it out for myself.

This is the analysis for my Blog.

"The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time."

So... what do I think?

I am full of energy, talk alot, and like joking around. I have a positive outlook on life

I disagree with the "engaging in physical out-door activities"... it's too cold out this time of year.

I agree that I am "happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus."

I would agree that I'm active and play-full type and can't sit still and remain inactive for any period of time. After all I have three active children and a successful business.

I would also disagree that I am impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. Or am I?

The last point started me thinking... What impulsive things have I done in the last little while that I have not followed through on?

Well, it's going to be a long night as I ponder that last question, but I encourage you to check out that website and then analyse their analysis of your blog.

How can A VA help you through the holidays?

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:31:00 +0000

I was recently interviewed by a colleague of the Virtual Assistant Forums, Darlene Victoria of D. Victoria Virtual Assistance for a podcast for a Virtual Perception.

It was a lot of fun to talk to Darlene about "How a Virtual Assistant can help you through the Holidays.

Here is the podcast!!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Why I became a Virtual Assistant

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:45:00 +0000

My colleague Janet Barclay recently blogged about why she became a virtual assistant and since it's Canada Career Week, it inspired me to do the same .

Here's my story of how I started my virtual assistant business.

I first started working virtually back in 1999 when I was the Co-operative Marketing Coordinator for a large Canadian Mutual Fund Company. I had the perfect set-up! All of my clients were spread out across Canada, and I don't think I've ever met any of them. We communicated by fax, telephone and computer. So it didn't really matter where my physical office was. I could work from anywhere. I usually worked three days from home, and commuted into Toronto twice a week. On the days that I was home I didn't have to be up and out the door by 7:00 a.m. with two children under age of three to drop off at daycare. I didn't have to have wake up the girls from their sleep, change and feed them and bring them out into the harsh Canadian winters. I didn't have to run across a full parking lot to catch the crowded Go Train into work, and sit there for 45 minutes (one way) with nothing to do but read or sleep. It was the perfect set-up.

Then September 11 hit and it made me look at the world and my life differently. I looked at my young family, and realized that before I knew it, they would be all grown up. I didn't want to miss another minute with them. So my husband and I started researching whether we could afford for me to stay home with the girls until they were at least in school full time. So a few months later we made the change, and I quit my job, and stayed home with the girls. For extra income I watched a couple of other older children after school. I was still able to spend time with my girls, and make a couple of extra dollars. Perfect!

Before you know it though, the girls were in school full time and again I started researching my options. The year was 2004 and I had read somewhere about something called a "virtual assistant". In speaking with a former colleague I mentioned that I had been researching "virtual assistance" and explained to him what it was and how I had been a virtual assistant in my last job. Well, I guess it sparked something in my former colleague's mind, because right there and then, he officially became my first client. I began to set-up his appointments, building extensive Excel spreadsheets, contacting his clients, co-ordinating his sales staff's calendars, and so much more. I officially started as a virtual assistant, with one client!

A few months later we moved to another city about 2 hours away, and I thought that it was time to go back to work in the corporate world. What I quickly realized was that I missed being home and setting my own hours. I missed not having to explain or ask permission if one of my children needed to be picked up from school. Shortly thereafter we found out we were expecting baby number three. I ended up having to leave my "corporate job" due to complications in my pregnancy. Luckily I was able to get apply for maternity leave. Here in Canada you get a full years pay if you have put in enough hours into your employer. Once my beautiful healthy son was born, I knew that I didn't want to have any one else raising him.

So during my maternity leave I again researched the term virtual assistant. During my research I came across the SEB program. I contacted the local office and they gave me all the information that I needed in order to apply to the program. I found out that in order to be accepted into the program, I had to put together a a business proposal to prove viability for my business. Luckily there had been three other local VA's that had already proved viability for their business at this particular Small Business Centre, so I think it essentially made my life easier. The advisors at the centre understood the term Virtual Assistant and knew that it was business that could work, if I put the effort in. Which of course I was determined to to prove that I could do. Over the next several months, with the help of the London Small Business Centre I put together my business plan, and launched my business. I contacted former colleagues, friends and family and let everyone know what I was up to. I joined referral based networking groups and attended networking events. Within a few weeks I was able to sign several clients. My son was barely one year old by this point, so I worked when he was sleeping. Those were long nights but I knew that I needed to build my business and yet be home for my still young family.

My business is now at the point where existing clients are referring my services to their contacts. I've had to occasionally sub-contract work to other VA's when I've been super busy or need to take a computer-free holiday.

It's still a fine balance, of growing my business and being home for my family, but I know that in less than two years my son will be in school, and I'll have 8 hours of "free time" on my hands. I'm not sure what the future brings, but I can just imagine the possibilities.

What's your story? Why are you where you are in your career?

Are you Twittering?

noreply@blogger.com (Bette Creek) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:24:00 +0000

So these days the question that everyone wants to know is ... Are you on Twitter?

So what is Twitter? It is a social networking site that allows you to post messages of up to 140 characters. It is a great place for networking and marketing.

You can follow people and search for your niche market, and hopefully they will follow you back. You can always check Friendorfollow to see if you are following anyone that is following you back.

You can even keep track of who was following you and when they stopped by signing up for Qwitter. Although yesterday I posed the question to my followers, "if you see someone has stopped following you what would you do?" All of the responses were "Nothing, just let them go."
By updating your status regularly, you can let everyone know what you are up to. You can also "cross post” by typing a single status message and have it show up in other social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin, etc. You can use places like Ping.fm to do this for you and save time. You can also schedule Tweets if you are going to be away from your computer with Tweetlater.

You can keep track of conversations that mention you, your products, your company on Tweetbeep, even if they use a shortened URL.

And there is so much more.

If you are not Twittering yet, what are you waiting for?

Feel free to follow me. If you are having any trouble getting set-up, just let me know.

Tweet you later.