Holistic Business

OK, I should have an excuse or a reason for not blogging. Sorry, don’t have it, won’t expend the energy to make something up.

So - what’s the deal? I’m really not sure. It certainly is not a lack of something to say, I’ve always got tons to say. I guess it boils down to not following my own advice. My clients and I talk about blogging - about how they ought to be doing it. I rave about all the things it will do for them: help their potential clients get to know them in a personal way, drive up their ranking, expose themselves to a larger audience, etc. One thing I do warn them about though is that once you start - you need to keep up with it. Nothing worse than getting people to look forward to what you have to say and then having the same old post up there for weeks on end.

Hmmmmm. Seeing my picture in that frame.

I’ve been hanging my head in shame over at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, where there is a blogroll post. I’ve avoided it like I’ve avoided my blog.

TODAY IS A NEW DAY!

I’m going on vacation next week and have vowed to myself that I will come back more organized in my own business and take the 20-30 minutes it takes to post here and keep with it. I have the time.

Time - what a hot topic. My belief has always been that you have the time for what is important. It’s just a matter of knowing that and accepting that whatever you find you don’t have the time for is something you really don’t like doing. Maybe you just plain old don’t like it, maybe you don’t feel as though you excel at it. But we all need to “own” those feelings and deal with them.

So - do I not like blogging? No, I really do. Do I not excel at it? No, I generally like what I’ve written, it comes from my gut and is shot right off the top of my head. That’s my personality and I’m cool with it. I’m not blogging for a six-figure income, more for fun and conversation.

So - why have I been such a bad blogger?

Habit. I think that’s what it boils down to. I need to get into a routine where I do this every day. Or almost everyday. AND STICK WITH IT.

OK, feeling better now. I can go over to the VACOC and put my blog link up on the blogroll and pick my head up a little higher - LOL!

Namaste ~ ~ ~

The ultimate guide to producitivity meme was started by Ben Yoskovitz and I first read about it on Dawud Miracle’s blog.

Now I’ve been tagged by Jenn Givler.

The question is:

So what’s your secret to being productive?

Well, I have to say, at the time I read Dawud’s post, I was stuggling myself with productivity and staying focused. After having it rattle around in my brain for the last few weeks, just this week (and it’s only Wednesday morning as I’m writing this), I began to try out Dawud’s tip - and I’m lovin it!

I work in 50 minute increments. Then for 10 minutes - I leave my office. I spend 10 minutes doing something else. Not laundry, not dishes, not picking up the various things that get left all over the house. I go outside and look at my flowers, I pet and play with the dog, I sit on the porch and work on a crossword puzzle - but I do something I find relaxing.

After those 10 minutes - it’s right back to the office.

I always took short breaks before throughout the day, but having a schedule for them really seems to help. No more looking up and realizing 3 hours have gone by and my eyes feel like onions. I return after those 10 minutes anxious to pick back up where I left off.

At first I thought that was too often and was going to cause me to lose concentration. Now, it’s only been 2 days that I’ve done this, but so far it seems to have added time to my day.

Thanks Dawud - I’ll have to head over to your blog and thank you too!

One of my own tips is to always have a pad of paper and pencil nearby. I get struck with ideas when I’m involved in a relaxing activity and don’t seem to remember things as well as I used to. This time of year I like to garden. I find it very soothing to get my hands in the dirt. As I relax, I tend to get inspired. And I don’t remember things as well as I used to (did I say that already?). It drives me nuts to be doing something and have an idea that has me all excited and then an hour later be pacing back and forth in my office asking “Now - what in the world was it that I wanted to do/email/research?”

OK - my turn to do some tagging. Vickie Turley, Danielle Keister, and Shann Vander Leek - you’ve been tagged!

I’m doing the same thing I did the last time I was tagged. I’ve tagged two people I know quite well, and one who does not know me. Shann and I have never had a conversation, written or otherwise, but I do enjoy her blog and figured this would be a good opportunity to let her know and to say thank you for the Inspiration Widget! For those of you on a Mac, you know what a widget is. Well, Shann had a True Balance Life Coaching widget designed with inspirational quotes. I love it - thanks Shann! You can read about it and get the link for download here.

Well, here are the “rules” of this project from Ben’s Instigator Blog:

1. Write a post on your best productivity tips. Challenge yourself by picking your single best productivity tip (although this isn’t a requirement; you can give us more if you want!)
2. Include links to other people that have written posts, or include their tips in your post with proper attribution.
   

   Note: I’m not asking that you link to everyone in the group writing project meme; pick the ones you want to connect with. You certainly can link to everyone, but it’s not a requirement. I like leaving more decision making power in your hands so this isn’t just a link grab, but you’re thinking about what your audience & community wants to read about.

   A link back to this post is appreciated though, to help spread the word!

3. If you use Technorati Tags then tag your post “ultimate guide to productivity”.
4. Tag others in your post to spread the meme. Tag as many people as you like!
5. If you link back to Instigator Blog and email me I’ll make sure to include at least 2 links back to you. But this isn’t a requirement, it just helps me keep track of what’s going on.

Technorati Tags: ultimate guide to producitivity, Ben Yoskovitz, Dawud Miracle, Jenn Givler, Vickie Turley, Danielle Keister, Shann Vander Leek, True Balance Life Coaching

There is an interesting blog tag game going around now “Where do you hang out online?”

I’ve been tagged by Yara Nielsenshultz of Red Pepper Writing. I’ve only just met Yara (turns out we have more than 1 mutual friend in this virtual world), but I’ve got to say I love her writing. Thanks Yara! Oh, you can read Yara’s blog here.

Anyway, the basic rules of this game are as follows:

• Tell who tagged you (and by all means include their links),
• Write a description of where you spend your time online (include links), and
• Tag some more people.

I spend a lot of my online time at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. Not only is it the best online resource for VAs, but for anyone interested in working with a VA they’ve got a ton of information and a directory. FYI - it’s not easy to get listed in the directory, so you’ll only find the top-notch professionals there.

My new favorite place to hangout is turning out to be Holistic Business Networking. This is a networking forum that I recently started and my main goal is building bridges between practitioners and business experts. Of course, it is specifically for those in - or those that work with - holistic businesses. If you fit that description - come on over and join - it’s free!

I recently discovered Lime.com. There is so much information there that I’m taking it in little pieces. If you are interested in healthy living, organics, green and sustainable practices - you’ve got to check it out. I actually plan on blogging about it in more detail in the future.

OK - got to do some tagging of my own.

Jenn Givler, J. Givler Coaching - I also spend time at Jenn’s online group Powerful Entrepreneur. Sorry Jenn - I’ve been reading, just haven’t had the time to post recently!!

LauraLee Sparks, The Simple Solution - LauraLee is a fellow Virtual Assistant and a real gem. Love ya LL!

I’m also going way, way out on a limb and tagging someone I don’t know. Or, I guess I should really say he does not know me!

Dawud Miracle - Healthy Web Design. Dawud and I have a client in common and I’m seeing his name more and more as the designer on some great sites (Mark Silver, Judy Murdoch, and my client Matt Hugg). His blog is awesome. ALL BLOGGERS need to especially read his post about the nofollow campaign. I’m going to install the plugin as soon as I’m done with this post (oh, and after I email Dawud to introduce myself and let him know I’ve tagged him, I sure hope his reaction is not a groan to be heard ’round the world).

So - hope all I’ve tagged have the same fun with this as I have and hopefully I’ve shared some resources here that you find useful.

Namaste ~ ~ ~

Technorati Tags: Yara Nielsenshultz, Red Pepper Writing, Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, Holistic Business Networking, Lime.com, healthy living, organics, green and sustainable practices, Jenn Givler, J. Givler Coaching, LauraLee Sparks, The Simple Solution, Dawud Miracle, Healthy Web Design

OK - this blog is not for Virtual Assistants, but it is about (among other things) educating the business community about what Virtual Assistance is - and what it is not. Unfortunately, I see a lot of press that is not portraying it correctly and further adds to the confusion. So, here I go.

As I’ve mentioned before, I set Google alerts for a bunch of things and I get notice when something shows up in the news or a blog post about Virtual Assistance.

So, this morning I was perusing the web and came across a blog of a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) that really does not get it. Now, I’m not saying that because she is a WAHM, but I’m really not sure why professional women would want to project the “infant at my breast while I’m working on your latest marketing campaign.” One thing has nothing to do with the other. But that’s another day and another blog.

Anyway, she seems to “help” other WAHMs by posting “jobs” she comes across on Craig’s list and various other job posting sites. Well, sure enough - there’s one for a Virtual Assistant.

I go on to read it and see if the person that posted it even has a clue.

Nope - sounds like he’s looking for a $10/hour personal assistant (at least in the beginning).

I read the list of things he wants communicated to him - like a resume. Sorry - we don’t do resumes - we’re professional business owners. Next time you have a pipe burst go ahead and ask your plumber for a resume and watch all your furniture float out the door while he or she is laughing their ass off.

But - that’s not the only thing he wants. He also wants a picture.

YES - A PICTURE!!!! My eyes are popping out of my head and my jaw has dropped to the floor as I re-read this part.

Now - AHA! - I realize he’s looking for very personal assistance.

But - what got my goat the most was that this “helpful” mommy that wants other mommies to make money from home either never bothered to read the whole thing - or thought that was reasonable - AND HE’S CALLED THE POSITION A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT!!!! I’ve heard “it” called a lot of things before, but this is a first (if “it” is a part of the job I’m definitely not charging enough money).

So, well . . . just a multitude of things that fired me up from this one google alert. I didn’t even need coffee - lol!

For any Virtual Assistants that are reading this - please, please, please - do whatever you can to help educate the market place about what we do. I think a lot of people are misinformed about this and it’s partially because there is so much crap out there that muddies the water.

And - if you think you are in the market for a Virtual Assistant - please, please, please don’t ask for a resume (or a picture)! Or, if you do - certainly don’t partner with someone who obliges - because you won’t be getting what you need!!!

Technorati Tags: Virtual Assistance, WAHM, Virtual Assistant

I have the privilege of viewing Virtual Assistants’ Web sites through my volunteering as a member of the steering committee of the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce and also find myself perusing blog entries, Web sites, and press releases of those in my target market - Holistic Business Owners and Holistic Service Providers.

What I find is quite surprising.

I’ve been on so many Web sites and have no idea where in the world the practices are located. Now, I realize when you operate virtually as a Coach, Intuit, Spiritual Communicator, or Virtual Assistant- that is not a huge concern as you can service your clients from anywhere. But - I still want to know who and where someone is that I may be considering working with. I don’t think I’m alone in this. “Way back when” (LOL!) our advertising was done in the yellow pages - we shared at least an area and phone number. Now, a lot of times - the only option to reach out to someone is through a contact form. How extremely impersonal! That turns me right off. What is the harm is saying you are in Maine or Texas? Or leaving an email address - not just a contact form if we want a consultation? Maybe someone just wants to say “Hey - I see what you are trying to do and convey to people and I think it’s great?”

Also, many do not include a link or information about their business on their blog. Which is surprising and quite frankly - bad business. If your blog is an extension of your practice - why in the world would you not make it easy for readers to link to your business? Here’s mine: A Capital Solution. I link to it in almost every blog post and have a link in the sidebar. I welcome anyone to contact me or leave a comment to a post.

That’s the other thing, many don’t allow for comments on their blog - at all. I allow comments, although I do need to approve them. That is not because I want to censor and keep out anyone who may have a differing opinion - I just don’t want spamming or MLM crud. In fact - I love well articulated disagreeing. I think it brings out a lot of information and makes us all use our brains a bit more.

In addition - many do not really even give a name or anything that tells me “who” they are and “what” they do.

There is a blog that I could love. The person has - I think - a lot of good information for those in the Massage, Yoga, and Chiropractic fields - but I don’t link to it because: I have NO IDEA who this person is or what their reason is for offering the information. I’m not sure of the accuracy of what is posted because of this lack of background. Oh, and you can’t comment to posts. There is no link to a business Web site. I do think I once found an email link - but that was after searching and using all my backdoor methods to identify the owner. The killer part of all this is - that they really seem to sound like they know what they are talking about and the information may be very useful - but I can not support it because I can not “talk” to the person!!!!

I love passing hints and information along to those who can use it - but I need some level of comfort in what is being said and by whom. I won’t just repeat what I read somewhere without knowing the source well enough to know their information is good or being able to confirm it myself. I just won’t do it.

I just can’t wrap my brain around this.

I thought blogging was all about sharing and voicing your opinions. And, if you grew your business or found others to network with in the process - all the better!

So, am I to assume, when you hide your identity or make it so that we need to be super-sleuths to uncover it - that you are not willing to stand behind your convictions and enter into a friendly online diatribe with others who have a vested interest in what you are writing about?

If that’s the case - keep a personal journal! A written diary that you keep tucked under your mattress so that no one needs to read it or react to it. That way - you’re still getting your ideas and rants off your chest but not pretending that you want feedback. Geez - it’s not an ego thing, or it shouldn’t be. It should be about sharing ideas and growing and learning from what others have to say.

So - ask yourself - are you hiding? And if so - is it on purpose or by accident?

Technorati Tags: Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, Holistic Business Owner, Holistic Service Provider, Coach, Intuit, Spiritual Communicator, Massage, Yoga, Chiropractic