Virtual Assistant

Sometimes it seems you can’t pick up a magazine or book today or even turn on the?TV without someone talking about the Virtual Assistant Industry.? I couldn’t be happier.? We deserve this.? Virtual assistants have worked long and hard to gain the recognition they are getting today and I know it’s only the beginning.
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I’d love to share?7 reasons why I love being a Virtual Assistant.? I’m also posting it on my blog and would welcome you to post some of the reasons you enjoy being a VA too.?
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1-???? My clients:? I get to work with some amazing clients and help them achieve success.

2-???? Control over my businesss:? I love to know that I have the power to make it grow and am an active part of its success. ?I get to choose the clients I want to work with, the hours I want to work, and most importantly I get to say no as well if something isn’t a good fit.

3-???? The ability to be part of the VA Industry: I’ve been blessed to be part of the VA Industry since its inception.? Every year I get to see it reach more media and get more attention.? It’s wonderful to see and I’m proud to be a a part of it.

4-???? To have the opportunity to use my skills and talents every day:? I love what I do and every day I get to wake up and do it again.? If you talk to most entrepreneurs they will acknowledge passion is one of the most important aspects to success.

5-???? There is always something new.? I’m an A Type Personality so I definitely need a challenge.? I love the thrill of new clients,?regular clients that have become good friends, new challenges, and also having the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s business and success.

6-???? To get to coach others and help them achieve success:? In addition to publicity and marketing, I also do virtual assistant coaching.? I love to be able to take a VA with just a dream and turn it into a successful business.

7-???? I get to write?and being a virtual assistant allows me to do just that.? Whether it’s writing a press release, a media kit,?or a new book, my career choice has allowed me to write.??And I love it!

Owning your own virtual assistant business is simply the BEST.? Stop by my blog and tell me why you enjoy doing it. ‘

Go ahead and tell us why you love being a virtual assistant … Post away!!!

Diana Ennen, www.vitualwordpublishing.com

Summer time is here and with it, lots of?challenges for us MOMS trying to run a successful home-based business.? Here?are some tips you might find helpful ….

We all know how much we love our businesses and what a joy it is to be able to finally say, I own my own business and then to actually start making money doing it.? It’s the best!? However, sometimes it’s just hard to do.? We’ve all been there — The biggest project of your business finally comes your way, and that’s when the entire family comes down with the flu, including you.? You land your dream client, one that you’ve been after for months, if not years, and then your inlaws call and say they are making a surprise visit, they will be there tomorrow.? Or how many times has this happened- you finish a project with the client eagerly waiting and in trying to send them the file, your internet decides to go down.

So what’s a successful entrepreneur to do?? I think one of the most important things to do is just realize, sometimes it’s going to be hard.? And that’s okay.? Often I believe we feel that because we finally own our own business, and we work so hard for it, that we must be positive and happy ALL the time.?? We don’t.? Hopefully the majority of the time you will be, however, when things come up, it’s AOK to say, wow, this is tough and find support.? Have an online or offline buddy that you can go to and talk.? Someone who will say, hey it’s going to be better; someone who knows you and knows just the right thing to say to make it better.

It’s also important to plan ahead.? No, you can’t tell when the kids will get sick.? However, you can plan and have a back-up subcontractor so you can go straight to plan B.? The time to plan for this is before it happens, way before you need it.?

Here are a few tips I hope you find beneficial:

1)????? Find someone now who can help you with your business.? Send them work now so they become familiar with your needs.? Let them know that you will be using them on a sporadic basis.? You’ll probably find that once you see how much help they provide you use them a lot more than you thought, but at least you know you have the support you need.

2)????? Computers – Hands up – who backed up their system last week?? Ouch!!? Think about this, how would you feel if you went to turn on the computer and it was blank, dead, gone.? That can and will happen.? You need to back-up regularly and you need to check those back-ups.? One thing I recently discovered is I backed up regularly to another computer.? However, I didn’t know how to retrieve the documents I backed up.?

3)????? Internet down – Do you have a friend in the neighborhood who also has a computer that you can use.? How about the local library.? Most of the time you can wait it out, however, for many of us if we do legal or medical transcription, it’s crucial to be able to get it there.? I once had an attorney preparing for the trial of the century (at least he thought so).? The case rested on me (at least that’s what he told me), and right when it was time to send him all the pleadings, our phone went dead.? (For all of you wondering, we did pay the bill, it was a technical problem).? I immediately rushed over to my neighbors and was able to send the documents.? My client was none the wiser.?

4)????? Summertime – MOMS, tell the truth, it’s hard.? In the summer with the kids home from school it’s harder to run a home-based business.? They are bored.? You are busy.? And just because the school bell rang its last toll, the work still comes in. Here too you need to plan ahead.? Two words, Summer Camp!? If you can’t ?do summer camp, then definitely get creative.? Stock up on crafts at the Dollar Store.? Get Paint by Number Books and things that will take time, and be fun.? We have some fun ones at our site at www.virtualwordpublishing.com. ?Also, allow your children to get creative.? Get 3 ring notebooks and allow them to write their own book adventures or design their own magazines.? Scissors, a few old magazines, paste and a little imagination will go a long ways.

5)????? In laws – It’s gonna happen.? If you want to get busy in your business, have company come in town.? Guaranteed, that’s the time that you will be your busiest.? I’ve been in business for 23 years now, and it seems that every time company comes into town, I get hit with a major rush.? And it doesn’t get easier with the more years in business.? But one thing I do is plan ahead.? Because I live in Florida and get lots of company, I can’t take time off every time.? However, what I can do is rotate and take time off with different clients.? That way I’m not working for all my clients during that time.? Also, if you don’t have a separate office, do something, anything to get a computer in a room so you can close the doors and work.? When they see you there, to many it feels you are available.? When you work a 9-5, no one considers you home until 5:30.? However, when you happen to be in the same house, it’s often easy for them to think you can socialize.?

These tips should help you survive and thrive in your business even when times are tough.?

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Diana Ennen, Virtual Word Publishing http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and http://www.virtualassistantstartups.com.??–?Email me for our free?business informational package.?

I was recently quoted in an article for the Associated Press on the economy and how it effects small businesses.?

http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/368241.html

I don’t know of many businesses that it hasn’t effected.?Here’s my quote from the article … ?

“Diana Ennen, owner of Virtual Word Publishing, a publicity firm based in Margate, Fla., said she first started seeing a slowdown in payments about six months ago.

“In the last four months, it’s gotten really bad, and almost at a critical point,” she said.

Ennen’s late payers tend to be people who work as independent contractors for companies which, because of the uncertain economy, suddenly decide to end the relationship. The independent contractor isn’t getting paid anymore, and in turn is having a hard time paying Ennen.

When clients are behind, Ennen said she’s careful about how much new work she’ll do for them.

“I try not to get too far in advance, and I have to see some payment,” she said. “You can’t do a lot of work now and hope the payment will be there.”

I also?mentioned that because I do publicity, I will often help my long term clients by generating publicity campaigns to help them make more money.?

How is the economy?effecting you?? What tips do you have to keep your small business or home-based business afloat???Let’s share some ideas.

Thanks!

Diana Ennen, President

Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com?

Working at home I often think has special meaning to us moms. So many of us started our business to be home with our children.?

I know I did.? 23 years ago.? This year that little one that I couldn’t take to daycare, graduated college.?

As he walked down the aisle and waived to me to after the ceremony, all I could think of was those tears I shed when I dropped him off at daycare.? It was like it was yesterday.? I remember him tagging along with me to drop off work, and getting dressed up for all the holidays.? We dropped off Christmas gifts to clients, and Valentines, and even Easter Baskets.? My clients knew we were a packaged deal, and knew Jeremy’s firsts just like I did.? It was great growing together.?

My daughters came 10 years later.? By that time, my business was already established.? I guess that’s why I feel a more personal connection to my son and my business and why this graduation feels so much like an accomplishment for my business as well.? I can still remember Jeremy jumping up and down when we landed clients.?Even as he grew older he still make it a point to do this.? As a teenager that meant a lot to me.? It was like he still cared.? Of course, it probably had a lot to do with the fact that we’d go celebrate, but the important thing was it was a great way to get him involved.

?On Mother’s Day this year I have so much to be thankful for.? I hope you all do as well and wish you all the BEST and Funnest day ever!

If you have a special Mother’s Day story, please do post it and share with us.? We’d love to hear it.

Diana Ennen, Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com

Our segment on the benefits of working at home aired on CBS 4 News.? We are thrilled.? That’s my daughter, Amanda and Amber, and I have to admit, having a camera crew in your house — Rocks!? We had a blast.? Of course, to celebrate we went out to lunch that day and … shopping! It’s moments like these that make it all so worthwhile.

Plus, I think the topic is so important.? How many parents have to take their kids to work when they are sick, just because they can’t stay home.? That’s definitely one of the main advantages we work at home moms have.? My daughter will often tell me that’s one of the best things.?? It looks like even the political candidates will get involved with this new law.

I’m so thrilled too that they mentioned virtual assistant.? Once again, we got in got virtual assistants in the news.? Yeah!!?Thanks!? Diana Ennen – Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com

??http://cbs4.com/local/Diana.Ennen.sick.2.701349.html

Once again today I was reminded of the importance of setting up your business practices and sticking to them.? When you start your virtual assistant business, or any small?business, you need a solid plan of action and a solid business plan for how you will run your business.? This is important, not only in the beginning stages of business, but each and every year as your business grows it is just as important, if not more important-you have more at stake.

?Here are some tips:

1)? Set your policies and stick to them.? For example, I always ALWAYS get my retainer paid in advance.? Well, except for earlier this year when a client seemed so so good and I wanted them so so bad and well, the check was definitely in the mail, it just never arrived.? I’ve been in business almost 24 years.? I coach VAs regularly and tell them NOT to do this, but guess what.? I did it, and learned the hard way.? The only good thing about it, great material for my new book.? (Now that’s looking on the bright side!).

?2)? Set your prices and stick to them.? I always ALWAYS do this.? Except for earlier this year?when I decided to lower my prices just this once.?Just this one exception.? Needlesstosay, I’ve regretted it since I did it.? What I find is it’s not necessarily the money, but more the confidence.? Now when I quote I find myself second guessing myself, whereas before that didn’t happen.?

3)? Set your hours and stick to it.? Yes, I could easily work 24/7, weekends, etc.? I love to work.? I thrive on it.? But I need to learn to turn it off.? Especially this week when the kids are home for Spring Break.? It’s tough when you see the family going out to the movies, shopping, having all this fun and there you are at your computer, working!!? Now, with a few adjustments I find that I too can join them.? I just need to work my plan.? You truly can do it all.? You just need to schedule it better.? Thank goodness for my timer and my Daytimer and to do list.? Hopefully I’m getting everything I need done and still having a blast.? That’s what it’s all about.

I hope you find these beneficial.? Do you have any tips on working your business the right way.? I’ve love to hear them.

?Diana Ennen, Virtual Word Publishing

Can you imagine my surprise last week when I’m watching the Today Show and Money 911 is on.? Then they start talking about ways to make extra money and valid “good” work at home opportunities.? They then proceeded to list some top ones and right there on top was “Virtual Assistant.”? Yahoo!? I about spilled my cheerios!

The word is really getting out there about us.? And that is so beneficial for all us virtual assistants, whether we are in business now or trying to start a business.? Everytime the media says our name, that helps our Industry.? I just wonder how many people went right to Google and typed in “Virtual Assistant” that day.? Hopefully when they did your company came up.? That’s why we always encourage you to send out those articles and press releases and do a good job on your SEO to get your name recognized.?

On the forum, I always talk about how to take news media and turn it?into press.??So I thought I’d share how I took this media and?my co-author and I turned it into a press release.?

Also, I’d love to hear what PR you are doing now?? Share with us a comment.?? Thanks!? — Diana Ennen/VirtualWordPublishing.com

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Virtual Assistant Tops Today Show’s Work At Home Business List?O’Fallon, IL – March, 2008 When a Kansas City woman sought advice from The Today Show on supplementing her household income with a part-time job, Today’s Money 911 reporter Jean Chatzky topped her recommended work at home list with Virtual Assistant. Who would have thought? Finally, Virtual Assistants are gaining the respect they deserve.?Virtual assistants around the globe who have repeatedly promoted the industry as individuals and as groups are beginning to see an impact on their efforts. Virtual assistants have been talked about, written about, interviewed by, and seen in the likes of Entrepreneur, USA Today, Time, The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Reader’s Digest, CNN News, and more. “We’ve come a long way from the deer in the headlights, wrinkled forehead look once received when offering up ‘I’m a virtual assistant,’ after being asked our profession,” states Kelly Poelker, Director of Academy of Virtual Professionals and co-author of the Virtual Assistant – The Series books. “Each and every article and interview put us one step closer to educating as many people as we can on what a virtual assistant is, and how a business can benefit from our services.” It’s an exciting time to start a virtual assistant business, but there are still a number of people just discovering the profession as a result of the growing media coverage.?“I couldn’t tell you the number of people who comment they have been doing this for years and just didn’t know it had a name,” shares Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing. Poelker and Ennen would know, too. They have helped thousands of virtual assistants get a foothold in the industry with their Virtual Assistant – The Series books, mentoring, and coaching. Over the years they’ve seen a constant increase in the number of colleges adding a virtual assistant program or course to their curriculum. For example, Red Deer College in Canada has been utilizing the book for many years. The authors state they are seeing about a 5-10% growth in the number of U.S. colleges adding VA programs each year. Most recently, Poelker founded Academy of Virtual Professionals, an online training center dedicated to educating virtual professionals whose signature course is a 16-week program based on the publications.?Poelker and Ennen are available for media interviews. To learn more about how to add Virtual Assistant – The Series to your college curriculum, to obtain a review copy or free sample chapter send an email to authors@va-theseries.com. For more information on upcoming classes at Academy of Virtual Professionals, go to http://www/AcademyVP.com. ?

Everywhere you turn these days, you see the word, “virtual assistants.”? Isn’t that awesome! Years ago, everyone wondered what a VA was. Now most businesses have one, two or three working for them.? And their businesses have never been better!

Recent press includes my article in Reader’s Digest, and then Karen Reddick is soon to be featured on a segment on NBC, and even newsletters are telling of the benefits of hiring a VA.? Just this week, the Publicity Hound’s newsletter talked about working with a VA.

So,?now you know that it’s a REAL home-based business and you see so many talking about it, you’re probably wondering how do I start, or how?do I?grow my business.? Ta DA … That’s what I’m here for.??I will be posting articles, tips, ideas, you name it on how you can succeed as a VA.? Now, you?have to help too.? Post and ask questions.??Tell me about your?experiences.? Let this be interactive.??Tell me how I can help you succeed.?

?Let’s grow together!?

Heres’ an article I think you’ll find beneficial.? Lots more to come!

Publicity and Marketing – The Perfect Niche for Successful Virtual Assistants

We all realize how Virtual Assistants have revolutionized the way we work today.? Most businesses now count on their Virtual Assistant the same as they used to count on their secretaries, only so much more.? VAs are a prized and respected part of their client’s team, and unlike secretaries, who often were taken for granted, Virtual Assistants are praised for their professionalism and skills.? Most businesses today can’t imagine where they would be without their VA.? And as the potential for success in a virtual assistant business continues to explode, so does the need for good Virtual Assistants.

Today’s Virtual Assistants need to take pride in their business and also to learn as much as they can about their niche, which is the specialty they have chosen to specialize in. One niche that I highly recommend is to offer publicity and marketing services to clients.? This is an area that is growing in leaps and bounds as more and more authors, businesses, and other professionals realize the need to market their business to get good publicity.? A business can expand tremendously when hiring a Virtual Assistant to help them spread the word about their products or services.? Also, authors today aren’t aware that once they write a book, that’s when the real work begins.? They need to get the word out about their book in order for it to be successful.? That’s where a good Publicity VA comes in.

Publicity and marketing is thrilling to say the least.? There’s such a great rush when your client gets recognized in national magazines, or a TV station wants to do a segment on them and you helped them achieve this success.? Or better yet, when your efforts start resulting in substantial increased sales for them.? Clients will not only keep using your services, but also tell others about this new positive addition they have to their business. And best yet, you too get to feel that satisfaction as you are helping them achieve their goals.

One of my most successful tips is learning how to effectively use any publicity that a client receives.?? When clients get national attention in a magazine, newspaper, or TV Segment, or even on a popular website, it’s important to make sure that everyone is aware of this. A press release should immediately go out to announce their accomplishment.? This release should be added to their website and also should go to all their local papers, radio stations, and TV networks.? Media loves to highlight a success story of their locals, so make sure you get this out there as soon as you can.? And you don’t have to wait for the publicity to happen.? If your client lands a major TV segment, you can start sending this press out beforehand in order to get more media for when the event happens. You just want to make sure that the client is fairly confident the segment will air.? Also, don’t worry if the segment gets bumped back, that often happens as breaking news takes priority.? This can almost be a blessing, as then you get to do more publicity before the airdate.

It’s also important to follow-up with the reporters and let them know how much you appreciate the acceptance of your quotes for an article.? When you go the extra step to show them your appreciation, they remember you when the next article comes up and they need help with more expert advice.? Many reporters work for multiple magazines so one good ally can lead to lots of media exposure.? Always keep your PR hat on.? Learn to take any situation and turn it into good press for your clients and your business as well. Stay on top of current events and see if you have anything to offer. Whenever a story hits the press that any of my clients would have a connection to, I’ll send it right away.? Having press releases already prepared for clients on their business is always a great help.? How do you know about these events?? Sign up for Google Alerts under the topics of interest and then whenever a story is written,? you can follow-up with your press release or article to the reporter.? It works!?? I also use ProfNet from PRNewswire, which allows me to get daily leads from major news outlets.? You can also consider PRLeads.?

It’s also important to learn how to write a good press release and article and also where to send those.? Make sure that your press releases and articles are newsworthy and also something that interests the readers.? When I write a release, I always think would I read this release?? Would it interest me?? If not, I doubt your target audience would be reading it either.? Plus, be careful to sound too promotional.? You can easily get your message across without sounding like an ad.

Publicity is a great niche for VAs.? I hope you have found these tips beneficial.

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by Diana Ennen, www.virtualwordpublishing.com

In reading all the other blogs here, I realize so many write on what’s happening in their entrepreneurial journey.? I realized how refreshing it is to read, just to see how others are doing.? So I decided to give it a go.

We’ve had an incredibly exciting few weeks.??As many of you know, I am so passionate about working at home and all that you can achieve and I love sharing it with others.? Yesterday I was at my daughter’s school and one of the moms was saying how she dreamed one day of working at home instead of being at secretary at …. and then went into a 10 minute speel on how she hated working there.? She wasn’t talking to me, so I felt odd going up to her and saying, I can help.? You absolutely can work at home with your secretarial skills. Here’s how.? It just reminded me how much I wished everyone knew about our board here!

Jill and I this week did our first live Radio Show.? It was awesome.? I must admit, it’s so different going live.? http://live.cwahm.com, but I’m sure each week we will get better and better.? We hope to have a lot of the mompreneurs as guests.

I sent a lead to a local TV station about the “bad” flu season and how working at home is an advantage because we don’t have to send our kids to school if they are sick.? Hopefully, fingers crossed, they are going to come out next week and tape me and my kids.? That would ROCK!

And probably the biggest news is that Jill and I heard back from?a Christian book publisher on our book, Home-Based Blessings, and their interest in it.??It’s just thrilling the journey?of writing a book and I’ve learned that I enjoy all these moments to the fullest.??

How are you doing in your entrepreneur journey?? Post a comment and let us know.

Thanks

Diana Ennen, Your Virtual Assistant Mom

www.virtualwordpublishing.com

Hi

With the mompreneurs getting some AMAZING PR lately, I thought I’d share some tips on how to write an effective press release or better known as?news release.? Whenever you get any media attention, it’s what you do once you have it that makes it count.? Only a fraction of people will see the TV segment, magazine or newspapers article, however, when you write a press release on it and submit it out, then everyone knows.? Plus, shout out the good news.? Tell your local media, groups you belong to, post it on your blog, website, newsletters, etc.?

To help, I have created a video on how to write a press release.? Now this is?my?”FIRST!” in a series of how to videos and it’s pretty rough, but it has some great tips in there I feel.???

http://www.ennenenterprises.com/blog/?

Also, I have a new PR informational package I’d be happy to email you with how to information on writing a press release, sites to submit to, and press release samples.? Email me at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com.

Good luck with your press!

Diana Ennen, Your Virtual Assistant Mom

www.virtualwordpublishing.com?