How a Virtual Assistant Can Help You Grow Your Business

Virtual assistant for small businessYou may be Working Naked, but you still wear several hats from marketing director to business manager to publicist, among other jobs. While some of us (myself included) think we can do everything ourselves, others who know they can’t, and are ready to grow their businesses, hire virtual assistants.

Several small business owners who work with virtual assistants shared what their virtual assistants do for them. In some cases virtual assistants seemed to be even more valuable than their spouses.

“My virtual assistant handles all my website design and maintenance. I’ve gone from four published books to eight. She has also saved my neck during a couple of major e-mail crises, performed troubleshooting of all sorts of stuff, and researched the best option for me on various technologies and platforms. She lives about 5000 miles away from me in Alaska and we’ve never met.”
—Shel Horowitz, ethical marketing expert

”My virtual assistant has always been based in Copenhagen. I have used my virtual personal assistant for over a year and find that it is the only way to maintain efficiency and excellent service levels than any other method. She schedules all of my global meetings, does all of our invoicing and travel arrangements- getting me to and from clients in the US to Europe.
—Jennifer Hicks, founder of ink Communications and co-founder of bGrand

“My virtual assistant does many of the things I am not qualified to do: She created a web site for me and maintains it by adding new materials, links, resources etc. She does this also for an existing site I have. My virtual assistant pushes me and encourages me. We’re a team that just happens to sit in two different states.”
—Jane Cranston, ExecutiveCoachNY

“Over the years, my virtual assistant has done a variety of tasks for me including formatting/updating documents, creation of Powerpoint presentations, flyer development, database management, email marketing, and website design/update. Over the years she has also helped me to automate as much as possible so I’ve actually used her less as time has gone on.”
—Jackie Nagel, President of Synnovatia

How has a virtual assistant helped you?

What Makes You an Entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurs come in all shapes, sizes and ages. What links most entrepreneurs is their desire to call the shots and stop answering to others. This infographic, originally posted on Bit Rebels (my favorite technology/geek site), illustrates 9 signs you might be an Entrepreneur.  How many characteristics describe you?

 characteristics-of-an-entrepreneur-infographic

Is Your Home Office Still Working For You?

home office workingSome days you may look forward to working in your home office, while other days you may go straight to a nearby coffee shop to work. If you’re spending more time working away from your home office, than in it, it may be time to make a few home office changes.

Consider whether your home office still inspires you to work.

Whether you’ve had a home office for many years or you’re ready to set up a home office for the first time, start by asking yourself a few questions: Is there enough light? Is your home office in a high-traffic area?  Is the space too isolated to let you accomplish anything? It’s important to find the right place for your home office so you actually enjoy working there. If you’re tired of your current office and want to try to work in another part of your home, do a 30-day trial. If after that time you still like the new space, move everything from your old home office into your new office.

Move your furniture around.

Consider moving your desk from against the wall to floating in the room. Maybe I’ve seen too many horror movies, but I never feel comfortable having my back to the door. You’ll feel less isolated and may even enjoy a view of the outside if you look into the room instead of stare at a wall all day. Moving your furniture around can change your outlook (literally).

Add a bookcase.

Out of the last 10 home offices I’ve seen, half of them didn’t have a bookcase. What’s the problem with that? Without a bookcase or shelves, there’s no place to store books, reference materials and even knick knacks that can add a little something to any home office. Not only can a bookcase be functional, it can serve as an interesting design element within your home office, or as a divider in a large room.

Keep your family in mind.

You may want to keep your family out of your home office while you work, and if so, you’re not alone. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your family in mind while you’re working. Hang a bulletin board near your desk and add family photos, or keep family photos on nearby shelves.

Your home office should be a place you enjoy spending time. Until you take the time to consider whether or not your current set-up is working, you may not realize what a difference a little change can make.

Unlocking the Best Guest Posts

Best guest postsI like to think I know everything, but I know I don’t. That’s why I ask home-based business owners from different fields to share their expertise on Working Naked. Over the past several years I’ve had an impressive group of guest bloggers contribute. In case you’ve missed any of them, here are a few guest posts from the past.‏

Knowing What You Could Earn May Bring You Home

By Steve Anderson

Working from home was a dream long before it became a reality, and that’s because I needed plenty of time to convince myself that leaving the corporate office was not some crazy dream.

How to Protect Your Small Business

By DeAnn Flores Chase

As a small business lawyer, I work with entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals on a daily basis. For new business owners, I advise that an entity be formed from the start. For existing business owners, I advise that an entity be formed as soon as possible.

6 Tips for Staying Safe While Searching for Virtual Jobs

By Sara Sutton Fell

Almost 3 million Americans work from home (or telecommute) full-time, and another 15 to 20 million work from home at least one to two days each week, so it’s no surprise that interest in telecommuting jobs is growing. And with that growth comes an increasing number of work-from-home job scams prowling the Internet every day. It’s estimated that only one out of every 60-70 work-from-home jobs is legitimate and the remaining listings are scams.

Need More Home Office Space? Look Up

bookcaseWhen you work from home, it’s not the size of the space that matters…it’s how you use that space. The last three home offices I designed were small, but functional. Instead of focusing on the lack of floor space, we made the most of the vertical space.

Whether you’re setting up a home office for the first time or redesigning your current office space, think vertically and put your walls and corners to work.

Start with shelves.

Add shelves above or next to your desk to gain more storage space and to reduce desktop clutter. You can use open shelves or a hutch that sits on your desk. A tall, four-shelf bookcase — ideally with adjustable shelves – can hold dozens of books and reference materials. If you have a hutch, you’ll need to place your desk against a wall. The only exception is when you want to divide a larger room and use it for two different purposes.

Don’t waste corners.

The L-shaped arrangement is my favorite because the two work surfaces are at a right angle. Also, the L-shape makes it easy to use the corner that normally is wasted space. A corner is the ideal place for a copier or printer because it’s out of the way, but within reach.

Make furniture do double-duty.

Several years ago, I set up my home office in a spare bedroom. I used an antique dresser to hold my all-in-one machine and reference books on top. Inside, I stored office supplies. One of my clients uses her dining room as a home office during the day and stores all of her equipment and supplies in a large sideboard. When she entertains, no one knows that along one wall is a fully functioning home office. Look at the furniture you have in your home and consider whether you can use it for storage in your home office.

3 Steps to Help You Overcome Overwhelm

overcoming overwhelmGuest Post by Cathy Alessandra

Are you ready to exit overwhelm? I know I am! I have been so busy with two companies, mergers and my kids, that I have been totally overwhelmed. And I know many of you are feeling the same.

Life is often overwhelming when you are a mompreneur and we are often fighting “SuperMom Fatigue.” Our multiple roles as an entrepreneur, mom, caretaker, philanthropist, partner, friend, taxi driver, cook, maid and volunteer are all screaming for our attention. There are three steps for exiting overwhelm:

Step 1: Set boundaries.

As a mompreneur, especially if you are a home-based mompreneur, it can be very difficult. When I began my first company and worked from home, I didn’t really act as if I had a business…that I was the CEO of my company. I was available when anyone called — to volunteer on the playground, have lunch with a friend, or help plan the fundraiser. I needed to set the same boundaries as a mom who worked outside the home: office hours; days available; not answering the home phone line whenever it rang; participating in what I wanted to, when I wanted to; and only making exceptions when I wanted to.

Step 2: Consider commitments versus obligations and choose them wisely.

Learning to say no to some things allows you to say yes to things you feel passionate about. In the past, I have had a difficult time saying no. But I am spending more time making those decisions — contemplating my commitments and obligations. I commit to things I feel passionate about, things I enjoy doing and feel good, things I can share with my kids. I am learning to say no to the obligatory commitments — the ones that I am doing for someone else, that I am pressured into and that don’t feel right.

Step 3: Find your rhythm.

I love the song Life is a Highway by Rascal Flats. Life is a highway and I am in the drivers seat and living it by making choices. And if you are going the same direction with me, then hop on and hold on because it is exciting. But if it is going to cause me total overwhelm, then I am taking the next exit and getting off the highway! When you remove the things that cause the overwhelm and discord, you can hear the harmony in the distance.

Being in overwhelm serves no one — and certainly not you! In fact, I believe it does more harm than good to your relationships, your stress level, your body, and your mind. Take a step back for a moment and see where you can exit. I challenge you to set some boundaries. Think about your commitments versus obligations. Learn to say no so you are ready for your YES opportunities!

Cathy is the CEO of Alessandra Media Group LLC and has published the successful niche magazine, What’s Up For Kids™ (circulation: 20,000), serving families in Los Angeles for over 17 years.  In 2011, she took her expertise in publishing, marketing and business to launch Today’s Innovative Woman™ (circulation: 10,000), creating a niche publication serving smart, savvy women business owners. Cathy also hosts the weekly radio show, Innovative Women in Business, interviewing successful women entrepreneurs.

How to Become an Expert: 3 Easy Steps

how to become an expertIf you’re a physician, attorney, architect or other professional who has to pass a test to be certified, you’re considered an expert. If you’re not in a field with a standardized test to prove you’re an expert, you’ll need to prove your expertise in other ways.

After all, when the media, prospects or clients need insight or services from an expert in your field, you want to be the first one they call. So how do you make that happen? There are several ways.

1. Write, Write, Write.

Contribute articles to trade publications and websites that focus on your expertise. The more often your articles are published with your byline and a link to your site — consider the link your “payment” for the article — the more you’ll become a household name within your industry. Websites are begging for guest posts. Contact your favorite sites to find out their submission guidelines.

2. Create e-books, webinars and e-booklets in your field.

When someone is looking for an expert and does an online search, your name should show up on the first page of results. A good way to do that is by creating products and promoting them. Although it’s easier than ever to publish e-books or print books, being an author still provides credibility. Offering webinars is another way to increase your visibility, authority and bottom line. The more you promote your products, the more credibility you’ll gain.

3. Keep your name in front of the media.

A good way to get to the top of media contact lists is by distributing news releases with helpful information. One of the sites I’ve used for submitting news releases is PR Newswire. By providing advice, tips and strategies to help viewers, listeners, and readers, you’ll prove you know what you’re talking about. Don’t send fluff news releases. If there’s a major news event and you can offer insight, contact the media. You’ll make writers’ and producers’ lives easier by being an easy-to-find expert.

How have you established yourself as an expert?

Boost Your Business With E-Booklets

making money with e-bookletsLet’s say you’re an expert on SEO or public relations. Why not write a downloadable or electronically delivered tips e-booklet about it and make some dough along with it?

Long before any of us figured out what an easy and practical way e-booklets are to make money, Paulette Ensign, the Booklet Queen, was writing, selling and profiting from book sales. She’s sold well over a million copies of a tips booklet called “110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life.”

Ensign’s reasoning is simple: Everyone has something they want the world to know about. You can write a full-length e-book, but who has the time? Instead write one or a series of e-booklets that you can eventually turn into an e-book. That makes sense and eventually cents. Ensign offers 15 questions to instantly help you write a downloadable tips e-booklet.

1. What is the single most compelling subject from your experience or knowledge that you want the world to know about? If there are several topics, consider which one you are most passionate about.

2. Can you identify the single most outstanding thing you want people to know? Think about whether it is a new skill, perspective, attitude, or expansion of general knowledge.

3. Why do you want to write an e-booklet? It may be an altruistic gesture to spread the word about something. It might be a marketing tool for a business or a book you have or want to have. The e-booklet can be a profit center for you. It could also be both a marketing tool and a profit center.

4. How would you divide your subject into segments? Look at the possibility of those segments becoming additional e-booklets to develop into a series, or as mini-chapters of one e-booklet.

5. What are you often surprised by that people do not know about your subject area? There could be something that seems so “common sense” to you, while being highly helpful or enlightening to others.

6. Does your information need to be presented sequentially or can it be random? Notice if specific entries stand alone or if they need whatever came before to cause the entry to make sense to the reader.

7. What do you want people to do and not to do, be or not be as a result of your e-booklet? Think about how this information will benefit the reader.

8. Who, aside from the reader, can benefit from this material? There may be manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors whose business activities can profit by distributing your contents. Those will be large-quantity buyers of your e-booklet.

9. Is there jargon or language that is peculiar to your topic? Consider how you will monitor and treat that in your content.

10. What surprised you most when you learned about your topic? That is probably useful to pass along to your readers in some way.

11. Which resources are needed to implement any of your suggestions? Look for the easiest ways to accomplish what you are recommending to your reader.

12. What is it that people need to know about you? Tell what gives you the credentials to write about this topic.

13. What other products and/or services would also make sense to develop to assist the reader in this topic? Decide whether it is important for those to be products and services of your own, of someone else’s, or both.

14. How would short anecdotes be useful in supporting your materials? The anecdotes could get in the way or enhance your content.

15. Do your tips need visual support with graphics to allow them to be more fully understood? Decide which type of illustrations or photographs you want to use.

How to Fine-Tune Your Home Office

home office design ideas

source: Pottery Barn

A good friend of mine spent more money than she cares to admit on furniture and accessories for her new home office. For the first few months she loved it and couldn’t wait to take the 10-second commute to her home office to get to work every day. Then everything changed. She realized she was wasting time looking for supplies, her files were out of reach, and she started to feel claustrophobic.

On the surface a home office may seem picture-perfect, but what it has in style, it may lack in function. You don’t have to spend a fortune to turn your home office into a well-designed, functional space.

Think compact, yet not too confined.

Create a work area with everything including your desk, credenza, file cabinet, and supplies within reach. This will keep you from wasting time jumping from one area to another to grab what you need. Several years ago when I worked with the winner of the “Most Disorganized Home Office” contest, we turned her enormous attic home office into a cozy, workable space. By the end of our organizing and design session, we had set up her home office near two windows, and left the rest of the space open.

Limit the number of accessories.

Think of your desk as valuable real estate that you don’t want to clutter with unnecessary items and instead want to leave open for work. Keep in mind that design magazines “stage” their photos. They add more accessories than normal, place furniture in awkward places because it photographs better, and, in some cases, create a room that no one could comfortably live or work in. The photos look amazing, but if you take the time to look at a home office photo you may see a rigid chair instead of an adjustable one, and plants and knick knacks on the desk instead of accessories.

Go for less.

Your home office should be comfortable, yet functional, stylish, yet not overstuffed with excess accessories. The rule of thumb is less is more. Buy what you need for your office, but make sure you can find what you need when you need it.

Whether you redesign your home office or start from scratch, buy what works and buy what fits the way you work. At the same time, remember that you don’t have to sacrifice style and design to achieve function. The two can work hand in hand.

All Dressed Up: Boardroom and Bedroom

inspirational quotes

For years I’ve said that the worst place for a home office is in a bedroom. The main reason is that it’s too hard to get away from work when your desk is only a few feet away from your bed. Ally Loprete’s home office changed my mind.

Her 10’ x 20’ office, in the back part of her bedroom, is separated from her bed by a large headboard/shelving unit. Not having a clear view of a home office can make it easier to keep business and personal life separate.

As a business coach for work-at-home parents, Ally is a master at inspiring her clients to stay focused on their goals. She follows her own advice by hanging motivational quotes above her desk. Her office also includes vision boards and a bulletin board filled with family photos.

desktop

While Ally’s bedroom serves double-duty as a home office, her home office serves double-duty as an art studio for her son. Rather than plaster his masterpieces all over the wall, she uses clothespins to attach them to a long string that hangs along one side of the space.

artwork on string

Between coaching others, hosting a radio show, and being a mom, Ally juggles many roles. It’s a good thing her home office does the same.