Texas Virtual Assistant Svcs Web Blog

Sometimes you just have to say no.. or give a referral!

2007-06-03T14:08:00.000-04:00

When you first start your Virtual Assistance business you are constantly looking build your client base. You perfect your website, you learn your 30 second elevator speech to market your services, you find your niche for your services.

Now that I'm in my sixth year of business things have changed a bit. I have perfected my marketing and have found my niche. My website brings new prospects to me regularly.

The Good news is.....After six years my client base has filled up and I have regular recurring client work each month. I have wonderful clients. They are easy to work with and we have developed routines over the years.

The Bad news is.....my client base is full but I still get regular requests from prospective clients who need my help. I hate to say no. It has been one of the hardest things to learn. But I learned over the last year or so that I must do so or jeopardize my ability to deliver on-time for my clients.

The Solution is....Referrals! When a prospective new client contacts me I listen to their needs and decide if they will make a 'good' client for a VA. ( Not everyone that calls is good client material ) I then do one of two things....
1. Refer to one of my sub-contractors if the services requested are a good match.
2. Refer to the http://www.ivaa.org/ RFP system. This is where a client posts their project description to be sent out to all IVAA members who are a good skill match.

Subcontractors.....are Virtual Assistants that I have working agreements with to handle work that I don't have time to do or that I don't have the skills to do well.
I either refer a client to them completely for a one time referral fee or I just send them projects to do for me on behalf of my clients and I handle the client interaction and billing.

By using referrals I am able to:

continue assisting business owners that request my services
help other VAs build their business
maintain my client load at a manageable level

TVAS in the Press

2006-07-19T12:52:00.000-04:00

I was interviewed by writer Jacqueline Bodnar for an article that was to appear in the Nov 2005 issue of Houston Woman Magazine.

Could you be a work at home mom?
By: Jacqueline Bodnar

Research conducted by the The Motherhood Project suggests that 30 percent of mothers would like to be able to work from home. Their research showed that a majority of mothers do prefer to be employed, but they would like to have positions that are not so demanding of their time. You may just be one of those women that are toying with the idea of working from home. To make the decision whether or not to start a home business you need to know what’s involved.

The Benefits“I had two small children and like many moms did not want them in daycare, but I also wanted to bring in additional income,” says Rhonda Behnken, owner of Texas Virtual Assistant Services. She used her 12 years of office administration experience to start her own Web site design and administrative services business from her home. She explains that by doing this she is also able to keep up the skills and experience that she accumulated in her career and at the same time stay home with her children. “Working from home means that I can schedule my work day around my children’s school activities, stay home with a sick child or spend time with my husband who works odd shifts,” says Behnken.
“It’s such a confidence booster,” says Liz Folger, author of The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide to Making Money from Home (Three Rivers Press, 2000). She explains that so many women feel better about themselves because they are doing something to use their skills and contribute to household finances. Folger also believes that the flexibility is a big benefit to working from home.
The Challenges
Getting to spend the day with the kids, having a flexible schedule and making money all at the same time sounds great. But there’s no doubt about it, working from home is also hard work. The day is not all fun and games and work doesn’t simply fall in your lap.
“The first challenge is to get clients,” says Behnken. Once you have started a business you need to have good marketing skills in order to make any money. It also takes time to build up a client base and for most, to earn a decent wage. To be successful you need to set short and long term business goals and have a detailed plan of how to reach them.
Another challenge for some is finding the time to work. Having set work hours sounds great and would be ideal. However, if you have little ones at home that may not be possible. Just as you go to take a business call your toddler may through a tantrum. Work at home moms become masters at multitasking. For some, the biggest challenge is in deciding what type of business to start. The best thing to do is analyze your current skills and interests, then figure out a way to make money doing it from home.
Research and Planning
If you are considering working from home read everything you can on the subject. Do an analysis of what kind of money you need to make and goals to get there. Find other women that are working from home so you can ask how they got started and the realities of what their day is like.
One of the most important things about being a work at home mom is having a good support system. “Part of the challenge is just not finding the support they need,” says Folger. This happens because many women have spouses that are unsupportive of the decision to work at home or don’t want to invest any money in starting the business. “That support is so important and if you can’t get it at home, find a friend or go online,” says Folger.

Sidebar(s):
Watch out for work at home schemes!
The Federal Trade Commission reports that ads for work at home schemes are plentiful. They report that the most common ones are for medical billing, envelope stuffing and assembly or craft work. Always exercise caution when answering ads for working from home. Ask lots of questions and be very cautious about putting out large amounts of money in start up costs. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

##
Jacqueline Bodnar 5330 E. Charleston #116 Las Vegas, NV 89142
Tel: (702) 338-3105 – Fax (702) 437-7943
Website: www.jacquelinebodnar.com

Tips on Making Over A Home Office

2006-07-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

(NewsUSA) - Most people have some type of a home office. Whether it's used for work, managing household finances or helping the kids with homework, there is usually a room designated for a computer, printer, filing cabinet and other office supplies.

If you haven't spent much time planning your home office, you may wind up with a cramped, cluttered, uncomfortable space that simply doesn't inspire productivity. Genevieve Gorder of TLC's "Trading Spaces" has a few tips for getting your home office in workable condition:

* Start from scratch. Clear out your entire office and paint it a fresh color that inspires you or makes you feel focused. Stay away from reds and blues; choose energizing greens, comforting golds or pale yellows. Color is a bold and inexpensive way to transform a room.

* Organize. When it comes to organizing, think modular, so you can move pieces around to suit your various needs and create more desk space. Determine which items you will need easy access to and arrange them accordingly. Bins and boxes are great for storing the things you're not using all the time and give the room a clean and organized look.

* Declutter your desktop. This applies to your virtual desktop as well as your physical one. A recent survey by Harris Interactive revealed that 61 percent of PC owners are more likely to store their music, photos and other personal files on their computer rather than anywhere else in their house. However, it can be frustrating if the information you need isn't easy to locate because you've forgotten the file name or the folder where it's stored.

Software is available to help you search, organize and store digital photos, music, financial files and more. For example, a technology called Windows Desktop Search searches your personal computer the way a search engine searches the Internet, finding files and documents anywhere on your PC, within several different applications, based on a simple word or phrase. It also provides advanced Web browsing features and automatic form fill. It is available as a free download at http://desktop.msn.com.

* Install soothing lighting. Stay away from harsh, fluorescent lights. Lamps and dimmer switches help create a comfortable, inviting work space.

* Choose comfortable furniture. Consider an ergonomic chair that won't strain your back over the course of a busy day.

Virtual-Small Business Directory Classifieds

2006-04-10T20:07:00.000-04:00

Attention Virtual Assistants!

A new souce of advertising is available for Small & Home Based Business Owners & Virtual Assistants. The Small Business Directory offers listing packages for small businesses to advertise their services with an annual subscription at very affordable rates.

4 Annual Listing Levels:

Free! - Company Name, Address, Phone Number
Bronze - Free features, Plus: Fax Number, Website Link, Description (1,000 character) $25 per year
Silver - Bronze Features, Plus: Mobile #, IM Name, E-mail Contact Form, Google Map, Description ( 2,000 character) , Your Logo, Side Banner Ad, 5 Products/Services with images, Image Gallery with 2 Photos, Document Gallery with 3 documents. $45 per year
Gold - Silver Features, Plus: Description ( 3,000 character), Top Banner Ad, 15 Products/Services with images, Image Gallery with 5 Photos, Document Gallery with 5 documents. $75 per year

Increase your website exposure and expand your business.
Join Today! Small Business Directory

Houston Virtual Assistant Connections Luncheon - Wednesday, July 12, 2006

2006-07-08T10:42:00.000-04:00

The International Virtual Assistants Association http://www.ivaa.org announces a VA Connection luncheon scheduled for Wednesday, July 12, 2006 at the Zios Italian Kitchen / 20380 Hwy 59 N. Humble, TX 77338 (FM1960 Cross Street) at 12:00 PM.

Reservations should be made by contacting Rhonda Behnken at (281) 381-6508 or email at rhonda@txvirtualassistant.com

VA Connections are networking luncheons for virtual assistants or aspiring virtual assistants. There is no fee to attend the meeting however attendees pay for their own lunch and gratuity.

Virtual Assistant Luncheon Friday April 21st

2006-04-10T16:15:00.000-04:00

Our quarterly Houston IVAA VA Connections luncheon is scheduled for Friday April 21st at 12:00 Noon.
We'll be giving out some goodies and we need a count on who will and who can't make our luncheon.So please everyone, take a moment to RSVP so we have an accurate head count. The luncheon will be held at the Zio's Italian Kitchen in Humble located on the US 59 Northbound feeder just north of the FM1960 exit.

This luncheon will bring together VA's from the Houston Metro Area. All VAs are welcome. This is not a formal, structured meeting. We will not have any presentations, demonstrations, or sales pitches. We're getting together to socialize, exchange stories, ideas and to have some fun.

While hosted and promoted by the International Virtual Assistants Association (www.IVAA.org), you do not have to be an IVAA member to join us. Come one, come all!

There is no charge to attend but you are responsible for the price of your meal and gratuity. If you know of anyone who is curious about the VA profession, ask them to come along. This is a great opportunity to get to know the VAs that you've only known virtually. These quarterly luncheons are a great way to communicate with your peers who share a common goal.

I look forward to seeing you there!

P.S. - Next meeting on July 12th.

RSVP to rhonda@txvirtualassistant.com

VAC Luncheon (Virtual Assistant Connection)

2006-04-10T16:13:00.000-04:00

A VAC (Virtual Assistant Connection) is an opportunity to meet face-to-face with other VAs in your area. Veteran, new, emerging and those considering a career in virtual assistance meet to break bread and discuss the virtual assistant life.

IVAA members host these events, which usually occur quarterly. Working remotely has great benefits, but it can be a bit lonely at times. The annual summit is the perfect opportunity to connect with peers, but what do you do the rest of the year? Go to a VAC, of course! You will meet VAs in your area and build a network of friends who share your passion. Many have “been there – done that.” -- and here’s the best part -- they’re willing to share their knowledge because they know they will learn something new as well.There is no charge to attend other that the cost of your own meal or beverage. Is there a VAC in your future?

How Did I get Started as a VA?

2005-07-02T16:19:00.000-04:00

I am often asked, "how do I become a VA?". When I decided to start my own business in 2001 as an Virtual Assistant I spent hours, days, weeks doing research, reading and creating marketing materials. My family thought I was obsessed! There was no course to take, so I took the skills I had developed over the years as an office administrator and put them to use for myself. If you find yourself at your day job saying "I could do this at home!" - or you are actually are doing some of your work from home already, then you might be VA material.

Now consider your financial situation: do you need to replace a full time salary? In my opinion, if you must have the equivalent of a top salary you may find it difficult to do so as a VA. In my case, I was already a stay at home mom when I began my VA practice. It was never my goal to replace my full-time income level, but rather supplement our house hold finances and give me more financial independence. I now make a very nice income, but it is not the same as my former full time salary. The trade off for money is the flexibility and freedom to schedule your day as you see fit and be able to take care of your family.

I searched online for 'work from home' (this was before the term 'virtual assistant' was widely know) and found tons of scams and then finally a legitimate VA organization. I joined a networking group which provided great advice and a chance to communicate with other VAs, both experienced and newbies. I advise you do the same.

Take the time to educate yourself about how to run a business, how to market yourself and about the technical requirements to operate out of your home. Take a look at my office setup on my website for an example of the software and hardware you might need.

A big part of becoming a Virtual Assistant is knowing how to find information on your own. You need to be able to do research both online and offline for resources and information. A VA must be 'self-sufficient' because you will not have an office support staff to depend on. Starting and running a business from your home takes a tremendous amount of time and energy. You should do the research first, then make an informed decision whether or not being a VA is right for you.

Here are some tips:

Read books available either in the library, at half-price book stores or for purchase on the subjects of "starting a home business", "starting a home-based secretarial service business", and "how to become a virtual assistant".
Do internet searches on the same subjects. Read, Read, Read!
Visit websites about small businesses such as the Small Business Administration, http://www.sba.gov/ and the IRS, http://www.irs.gov/ for information about taxes and a home based business. Yes, you will have to pay your own taxes.....
Visit the websites for the VA networking groups and/or VA Training such as: http://www.ivaa.org/, http://www.iavoa.com/, http://www.staffcentrix.com/, http://www.assistu.com/, www.virtualassistanceu.com. Find more by searching for "virtual assistant".
There are now services available to assist you in becoming a VA such as: training or certification courses, coaching or mentoring. Do your internet research to find these.
Look for VA networking meetings in your local area. I host a quarterly luncheon open to anyone who is interested in being a VA, sponsored by the IVAA (see my website for dates & details). If you are in my area plan to join us. If you are not local then check the IVAA site for a VAC luncheon in your area.
Consider what type of service you want to offer? Consider how you will market your services: print brochures, business cards, website, mailings, newspaper ads? Will you create these yourself or will you have to hire someone to do it? Who will be your target client or market area?
Consider what rate you will have to charge and the number of hours per month you will have to bill at that rate to get the income you desire.
Consider your health insurance needs: are you covered by your spouse? If so , great! Or, will you have to purchase insurance privately? This single factor is often a huge stumbling block for emerging VAs.
In your search for work remember this very important tip: You should never have to 'pay' for work! Any offer that requires you to pay a fee to get started IS A SCAM! There are a lot of scams out there for people looking for work at home, be careful. When you get started always require either a deposit and/or a signed contract.
Get away from the employee mentality. Start to think like a business owner! Do not send out resumes, you are not looking for employment. Don't list jobs that do not pertain your services. Don't list your past employers. Your are looking for Clients! When you send out information about your services that you offer, be clear that you are offering your services as in independent contractor, not looking for a job. Format your background and skills into a flyer or marketing message.
Finally, ask yourself: "Am I an expert at the service I will be offering?" If you cannot answer YES - then stop and reconsider. The VA market is competitive and I feel very strongly that you should be an absolute guru at whatever service you sell to clients.

If you have skills that are in demand and you're an independent worker, then do your research. Once you have educated yourself on the topics I have listed above, then you will have learned how become a VA. I spent about 6 months in 'start-up' mode. There is no quick and easy answer, by doing this research you will have the information you need to make an informed decision and you will learn as you go.

When I'm asked how I got started, this is the answer: "lots of hard work, research and time".

Best wishes,

Rhonda Behnken - CIW, VA
Texas Virtual Assistant Services
"Website & Administrative Services"
E-Mail - rhonda@txvirtualassistant.com
Phone/FAX: (281) 354-7495 Cellular: (281) 381-6508

Â©2004. All rights reserved. No portions of this article may be reproduced without written permission from author.

Top 5 SEO Design Tips

2006-01-13T11:53:00.000-04:00

Top 5 SEO Tips

Tip # 1 Graphic Abuse

So, you have a beautiful site with lots of great pictures and flash elements – but no one can find your site. All of your navigation menus are based on images that look so good - but your website statistics show that the search engines never go past your home page.

Don’t over do use of images and flash elements. A little goes a long way. Remember: search engines cannot read graphics or Flash text! You must incorporate text based content and links that a search engine can follow to find all of your pages and content.

If your site design and navigation is based on flash or graphics, create a static text and HTML Site Map that contains links to every page on your site. The link to the Site Map should appear on each page in text link format.

Tip # 2 Meta What?

There is a section (hidden from the viewer) on every web page that provides information about your site to the search engines. This section in located in the head of the HTML page and contains Meta tags.

The <Title> Meta tag is the most important of all. This is the text that appears at the top of your browser window. The Title tag should contain the name of the site and the page and a few select keywords. This tag usually shows up in the results of a search on a search engine.

The <Description> Meta tag is also very important. This is a small paragraph that should describe the site or page and the content found on that page. It should be in proper sentences and be ‘keyword’ rich. Be very specific and do not use marketing phrases like ‘best widget ever’ or ‘free offer’. Abusing this meta tag can get you banned from search engines like Google. This tag usually shows up in the results of a search on a search engine.

The <Keyword> Meta tag is not used as much as it once was by the search engines because it was abused so much by marketers. We still include a list of 10-20 specific keywords that you think a potential customer would use to locate your type of business or product. Remember to include location keywords like your city and state. The keywords in this tag should appear in the text on the webpage. This tag does not appear in searches on search engines.

Tip # 3 Tricky tricks will get you banned.

You may be tempted or be encouraged by unethical SEO companies to use SEO techniques that are considered ‘black hat’. These dishonest techniques are called: keyword stuffing, invisible text, tiny text, misleading land pages, link farms, etc.

Avoid these or eventually you will pay the price by having search engines ban your site from their indexes. Better to use tried and true methods that are honest and do not attempt to deceive. Build a quality site with quality information about your services or products that visitors can use. Be informative and helpful, give visitors and search engines a reason to explore your site.

Tip # 4 Proofread and Test – then do it again.

Something as simple as a typo in a URL on your page, broken links to pages that no longer exist, etc can hurt your page ranking. Proofread for spelling errors and double check that all of your pages load properly and every link works.

Tip # 5 Submit your Site!

Amazingly this step is often overlooked or the site owner just does not know how to accomplish it. You can build a great site, but the search engines will not come unless you submit your site URL to their index. Each search engine has an 'submit your site' page. You should also try to get listed in local directories or on partner websites. Quality reciprocal links will improve your site ranking.

Final Thoughts

These are all basic SEO techniques I use daily to achieve natural search engine ranking results for my clients. Of course there are services offered by search engine companies that you can use for a fee to market your site with Paid Submissions, Ad Words and pay per click programs.

The techniques I have described above are all for free search engine submissions but should also be applied prior to implementing any paid submission marketing campaign.

Some of these tips require basic HTML skills and design software. If you need help implementing these tips on your site, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards,

Rhonda Behnken, CIW™
Certified Webmaster & Business Support
www.txvirtualassistant.com
Special Hosting Offer - $7.77/month!

IVAA to sponsor National Real Estate On-Line Convention & Expo

2006-01-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

IVAA to sponsor National Real Estate On-Line Convention & Expo
February 20-26, 2006 Live On-Line!

The International Virtual Assistants Association is proud to be sponsoring the Fifth Annual National Real Estate On-Line Convention and Exposition. The event is expected to attract over 50,000 real estate professionals over the seven days of the event (February 20-26, 2006). Their Association members may register now without cost and attend this premier networking event from the comfort of their home or office.

This year's speakers include a major keynote address by Allan Dalton, President and Chief Executive Officer of REALTOR.com®, plus over 30 Nationally recognized real estate trainers, authors and industry experts in three educational tracks: Top Real Estate Trainers; Top Agent Tips and Tricks; and Top Industry Prognosticators. Network in Chat Forums and check out the latest business building products and services at the 300+ booths in the Exposition.
A complimentary pass and information is at: http://www.REcyber.com/preconvention/.

Knowing that this is a great niche for many of our members, IVAA felt this was a wonderful way to connect with potential clients who may be looking for your services, as well as, allow you to promote this event to your REALTOR® clients, helping you to build stronger partnerships/relationships with them.

We hope that you will support IVAA in its efforts to increase our exposure and your business, by alerting your real estate professional clients and prospects to this incredible FREE event.

Cordially,Jeannine Clontz
International Virtual Assistants Association
(877) 440-2750
www.ivaa.org
IVAA Summit 2006 - Stay tuned for more details!

What's New in 2006?

2006-01-07T20:04:00.000-04:00

I had the strangest Holiday Season this year... and if business during the Holidays can be any indication of what is to come in the New Year - WOW!

Normally my Virtual Assistant & Web Design business is pretty quiet during the holidays, my clients take time off so I get some quiet time too. Not so this year. Picture this... the day before Thanksgiving I'm in the kitchen up to my elbows in raw Turkey :) The phone rings and it is a new business prospect who wants to start right away on a large website project. So, I close a deal with my hands full of turkey goo. This trend continued all that week with a new client each day, some small projects, some very large. I start to panic because I have not finished my Christmas shopping yet, where has the time gone?!

I will celebrate my 5th Year In Business in 2006. That seems to be a big milestone for small businesses and I am glad that I won't be a statistic that does not make it that far. Business is booming! That is good and bad. I have come to a point in my business that I must make some changes in both my personal life and the way I do business in order to accomodate all the new clients.

I have had to give up one of my volunteer positions since it takes so many hours to fulfill, hours that I have been dividing between my business clients, my family and me!
I am finally beginning to subcontract out work to help me meet deadlines and bring in more work. This is a big step for me since I am a control freak and want things done my way :)
I am going to take the time to go to the gym and keep fit! I learned that no matter how busy my business is I must still do this one thing for myself.

I'm really looking forward to 2006.

Happy New Year!

Great new website features

2005-10-16T12:29:00.000-04:00

I'm now offering some great new website add-ons.

Portals/CMS - Group Sites with membership management.
Classfied Ads
Real Estate classifieds.
Blogs
Forums/Discussion Boards
Image Galleries

And of course shopping carts.

Contact me today to get started!

PC Security

2005-10-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

I noticed that Microsoft came out with a big security update for windows last week.
Please take the time to backup your important files, then install the updates for your system. ( in the start menu, click All Programs, then select the Windows Update icon at the top of the list )

The easiest way to keep uptodate is to set your computer to automatically download the updates. Go to the Control Panel and select the Automatic Updates icon. There you can choose your update settings.

While you're at it, make sure your anti-virus/anti-spyware is uptodate as well! If you don't have one, I recommend Zone Alarm Pro for firewall/anti-spyware.

Welcome to Houston IVAA!

2005-10-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

During the week of October 17th Houston will be hosting the IVAA Summit. Virtual Assistants from all over the country and even internationally will be here to attend the annual conference.

I am really looking forward to reconnecting with VAs that I met 2 years ago in Orlando and meeting newcomers as well. The Summit features speakers and breakout sessions on topics designed to help VAs build their business and work more efficiently.

Many of us who work virutally never meet our clients or other VAs whom we may colloborate with. The Summit recharges my business batteries and helps me regain my professional edge.

Welcome Ya'll!

Independence Day

2005-07-02T16:52:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

On this day that we celebrate the birth of a free nation I am reminded of how grateful I am that I have the Freedom to be self-employed and doing what I enjoy.

Cheers!

Rhonda Behnken, CIW
Texas Virtual Assistant Services

How do I change my email password in Outlook?

2005-06-27T20:30:00.000-04:00

Update Outlook with your new e-mail account password.

If your Internet service provider (ISP) has given you a new password for an existing e-mail account, you must update Microsoft Outlook with the new password. On the Tools menu, click E-mail accounts. Select View or changes existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next. Select the POP3, IMAP, or HTTP e-mail account that you want to update with a new password, and then click Change. In the Password box, type your new password, and then click Next. Click Finish. Note Your e-mail account password is separate from the password used to dial your ISP.

TVAS Web Blog Creation

2005-06-27T18:47:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

I finally started a blog, we will see how much time I can give it. I will try to post tips for my clients and updates on services. It is summer time and HOT! I am still just as busy as earlier this year with no let up in site. In years past things would slow down in the summertime but business has picked up steadily.

Let me know if you have particular topic or question about being a VA, computer troubleshooting or web sites.

More soon....

Rhonda Behnken
WebMaster & Virtual Assistant