Virtual Zen

A Good Vacation? Depends on how you look at it.

A few days ago I returned from a fun, but not-so-refreshing vacation along the coast of Maine. Unlike many people who go on vacation, I choose to spend my vacations WITH extended family since they all live in Maine and I in PA, and wouldn't see any of them otherwise.

The cottage we rented was too small for any of my immediate family to spread out, and only had one TV (gasp!).  We all had to fight for a turn with our favorite channel (I don't much care for TV so I mostly  played the role of referee). With a 15-year old, a 6-year old, and a 50-year old (Oh ya, that one is my husband), you can imagine that the tastes are quite varied. But who watches TV on vacation anyway, right? If you have ever traveled to the coast of Maine in August, you know that the weather can be the biggest unknown. You could experience a sweltering rain forest atmosphere or the climate of Antarctica. This year we were blessed with Antarctica. Did we get to the beach or the pool? No. Did I get to wear either of the cute bathing suits I bought for the trip? No. In fact, I hardly wore any of my cute "summer" outfits and ended up buying a new pair of jeans while on a shopping excursion to Freeport just to stay warm (I also picked up a couple pair of terrific boots - gotta love those outlets!). Did the cold keep away the mosquitoes? No - my son's body is covered with the same strange welts he comes home with every year (he has an allergic reaction to mosquitoes and they just love to bite him!). Did I get away from preparing meals, washing dishes and making beds? No (thus the joys of staying in a cottage). Did I eat Lobster? No - but that's only because I hate the stuff (I know: strange for a girl born in Maine). Did I get a chance to read any of the books or magazines I brought along? No.

So did I have a nice vacation? Believe it or not, YES!  I had the  opportunity to share in my brother and sister-in-law's 25th anniversary party; see friends and relatives I hadn't seen in years;  enjoy my other brother's amazing cooking (he's an executive chef), even sit down to dinner with him at his restaurant and get totally spoiled; re-connect with an old high school friend; do a little antiquing; and best of all, see my Mom & Dad (who I'm still trying to convince that they should move closer to me in PA and get away from the Arctic climate and Killer Mosquitoes). Was the 16+ hours of time in a car worth it?  Yes!  Will we go back again anytime soon?  Yes - we're already planning on making the excursion again for Thanksgiving. We'll be treated to a wonderful meal prepared by my Mom and chef-brother and NOT me. We won't, however, be staying in the tiny cabin with only one TV again -- if you can imagine how cold Maine can be in August, just imagine what it's like in November!

A VA Viewpoint on The 4-Hour Workweek

You've probably heard the buzz about Timothy Ferriss' new book, The 4-Hour Workweek (how could you avoid it - it's everywhere!). In it, this serial entrepreneur, global vagabond, and member of the NR (New Rich) tells you how to outsource your life and let go of traditional business beliefs to live the life you want. While I don't have any desire to become a globe trotter at this time, I was intrigued by the concept, and wanted to get a glimpse inside Ferriss' entrepreneurial mindset.

I expected to read about taking extreme measures to create extreme lives.  I expected advice on finding inexpensive ways to outsource your work (and life). What I didn't expect, is just how much I would enjoy this book! It's a fun read, loaded with personality and interesting stories. I also didn't expect how packed it would be with resource material for small business owners and those who support them. It includes world travel information and tips, as well as resources to find virtual office systems, fulfillment centers, sales/call centers, credit card processors, media buying agencies and more!

Ferriss devotes an entire chapter on working with VAs (which he considers indispensable to achieve the NR lifestyle). He even gives some good advice as to how to work with a VA (such as "eliminate before you delegate")  Of course I don't necessarily agree with his choice of VA; he prefers working with virtual staffing agencies vs. independent VA partners, and he likes to utilize inexpensive VAs from countries such as India or China. He notes that you can work with a VA from one of those countries for $4-$15 per hour as compared to $25-$100 per hour for a VA in Canada or the US. Still, he points out;

"The important metric is cost per completed task, not cost per hour.  The biggest challenge with overseas help will be the language barrier, which often quadruples back-and-forth discussion and the ultimate cost".

Despite his support of inexpensive, overseas help, the first resource Ferriss gives for finding a quality VA is AssistU (kudos to AssistU for the plug!). The point he makes, is that you have to make the right choice based on what you need for your business; there's no "one-size-fits-all" solution when it comes to working with a VA.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to take control of their business life. Whether you want to become a world-traveling member of the NR, or just someone who loves learning new tips and tricks for running a better business or striving toward a fulfilling, work-life balance.  I dog-eared so many pages of helpful resources - this book has earned a place on my reference shelf.  As a bonus, anyone who buys the book also gets the "key" to unlock additional information on the companion website.  I already downloaded a script for negotiating discounted advertising rates, and information on product licensing (good stuff!). 

Do You Know Who You Need on Your Virtual Team?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a teleseminar presented by the AWE (Association of Web Entrepreneurs) featuring Melanie Benson Strick. The call focused on steps that entrepreneurs can take to grow their businesses by leveraging the power of a Virtual Team. (Strick offers a series of products to help successful business owners create their teams.) I found the teleseminar very informative, but the point that really jumped out at me and I wanted to share here, is that many business owners know they need a team but don't know who they need.  They hire a VA and think their problems are solved. Chances are, they aren't. They over-delegate to their VA , treat her as an employee, and burn her out.

What is a Virtual Team?
A Virtual Team is actually a group of independent contractors. Your VA is your assistant: your right hand (and maybe your left). She or he is an independent business-owner who works remotely, providing administrative support and proactive management solutions. You partner with a VA as a contractor - you don't "hire" a VA.

Next, you need your Independent Contractors to support specific tasks (such as writers, web gurus, book keepers, etc).

Finally, there are Virtual Employees: people you employ to work for you from their homes. You are responsible for their salaries, taxes, benefits, etc. You pay your employees specific salaries regardless of their activities (unlike VAs who only get paid while on task).

Each of these team members plays a specific role. For a team to be effective, the business owner needs to understand up front, exactly what areas he needs support in, and what each person will handle. A clearly defined and cohesive Virtual Team is the key to growing your business far beyond where you could take it on your own!

If you're considering partnering with a VA and would like to learn more about what to expect, check out this FAQ.

The Ultimate Search Engine?

If you were to define what features the ultimate search engine would have, what would they be? Would the SE be able to learn language to interpret your questions, and then provide actual answers to them? Would it learn from your past queries to search on your behalf and be personalized to your viewpoint? Would it be able to search audio and video files as easily as it does text? According to a recent article in Information Week; Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, MSN, and dozens of others, are racing to develop the next generation of search engine to help users get more accurate information, quicker.

The Future Search Engine?
In "The Ultimate Answer Machine", J. Nichols Hoover states,

"Search results will be more accurate and automatically summarized, with relevance determined by individual preferences.  New methods of presentation such as clustering, tag clouds, graphical scales that widen or narrow searches based on parameters, and automated categorization will make it easier to navigate results.  And search engines will be enhanced by human intelligence and the wisdom of crowds through tagging, social bookmarking and shared searches."

It's a little unnerving to think that soon my search engine will know exactly what I want, maybe even before I do, and search on my behalf. Still, as someone who spends a lot of time doing internet research, I can definitely see where improved searching capabilities will make my job easier.

Search Engine Tips You Can Use Now?
Even without these new and improved search engines, there are ways to maximize your search results and narrow the information you get back.  Some of these tips can be found here. Also, not getting what you want out of your search engine?  There are a lot to choose from; check out the list at Search Engine Watch for a breakdown of the variety of search engines out there. I'm basically a "Google Girl", but it's good to know that there are options available to suit everyone's needs.

Fortune Cookie Logic

It used to be, that fortune cookies actually included fortunes (you know, "soon you'll meet a tall dark stranger"). I rarely find these any more. The other day, however, we had Chinese food and I thought the fortune cookies offered some good inspirational quotes.  I thought I'd share -- enjoy!

"A leader is powerful to the degree he empowers others."

"An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision."

"Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly."

Are You a Workaholic?

I have known a lot of people I considered to be workaholics, but until this morning, I never realized that there are actually Workaholics Anonymous groups that help people overcome their addiction to working. This morning, the Today Show discussed the physical and emotional toll overworking can take on a person. Is your job killing you? Do you need more work-life balance? Things to think about as we gear up for another busy work week.

Are you a workaholic?  Are you living to work instead of working to live? Click here and take a quiz to find out.

Virtual Assistance - In the News!

Recently, ABC News posted a very interesting article on working virtually titled, "Virtually There: Small Businesses Look Far Away for Help".  Thanks to my fellow VA, Joanne, it was brought to my attention this morning. As today's business climate continues to evolve, so does the administrative profession. As people take their small businesses to the internet, and run them out of their homes, there is growing need for highly skilled individuals to help the business owners achieve their goals. For the most part, I really liked this article and thought it characterized the VA profession well. It states:

"This is a phenomenon," said Steven Gordon, a professor of information technology at Babson College in Waltham, Mass. "The advances we have seen in technology in the last five years are making this a very viable option and it is only going to keep growing."

Virtual assistants are especially appealing to small-business owners dealing with financial constraints. Beverly Williams, author of "The 30 Second Commute," says she sees more and more home-based businesses relying on VAs."

It concludes:

"The bottom line from all those business owners who use VAs is universal: The help is affordable, flexible and professional and helps them grow their businesses and make more money.

"I guess the short answer is my VAs are time machines," said Brad Farris, a small-business adviser from Chicago. "I buy time for me to work with my clients by having them work for me. If I was doing all this work, I would never have time to see the number of clients that I am able to see and I wouldn't be able to achieve the income that I now can."

Sounds great (and accurate), but here's the rub.  The piece of the article that bothers me is when the author, Rodney Schussler, lumps all people who work virtually into one group and calls them "Virtual Assistants." He comments that most VAs specialize in one area such as accounting, law, or writing. According to original VA definition crafted by Stacy Brice (who is considered to have formalized the profession), VAs provide off-site, administrative support across the board, in long-term, collaborative relationships with their clients. Not just in ONE area, and not just piecework/project work. While it's true that many VAs do focus on particular market niches such as working with authors and professional coaches, they offer a complete range of services to their clients within those niches. Danielle Keister, the founder of the Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce (VACOC), supports this "true" definition of virtual assistance. When asked to comment on this article she states,

"This is a PROFESSION, and we are independent professionals who specialize in delivering administrative expertise. For the life of me, I don't understand why any VA organization would try to lump anyone and everyone who just happens to work from home into one category and call that Virtual Assistance is absolutely beyond me. It creates a diluted brand, it causes confusion in the marketplace, among VAs, and in our marketing."

I think it's great that a news organization such as ABC, recognizes the phenomenon of virtual assistance and the tremendous benefits that VAs offer to small businesses. But I also think it's important that business owners understand their needs before they look for a VA to make sure they are getting the level of professionalism and skills they seek in an assistant.  If all they need is help with writing, they should look for a virtual copy writer; if they just need book keeping services, they should look for a virtual book keeper ... well, you get the point.

Where can you find a great VA? There is, of course, MY website (shameless plug); but on a grander scale, look into AssistU's referral service, as well as the VACOC, for highly trained and skilled VAs. All of the VAs you'll find there are independent business owners with the knowledge and talent to help your business become even more successful