Articles of Interest

WORKING WITH A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT - Increase your Bottom Line with a VA
By Kathy Colaiacovo www.ivaa.org

The overall benefit of working with a Virtual Assistant is the time you get back in your day. And time is the #1 resource you have to bring to your business, along with your expertise. The more time you have, the more time you can dedicate to your revenue generating tasks/work - after all, this is where you make your money.

You don’t bring in revenue from making sure your newsletter went out, your blog was published, you have social media updates being posted, or ensuring your information was mailed out to the person asking about your services. Yes, all these tasks are vital to running your business but they can be done by someone other than you and, in many cases, more efficiently by that person as well. By hiring a Virtual Assistant to take care this work, you can be spending your time on your specialty and making more money!

Are you ready to earn more money? Take the VA Challenge.
I challenge you to keep track of how you spend your time over the next two weeks. Make note of all the tasks you do that take time away from working directly on your business. After two weeks, sort and organize the types of tasks and add up the total time spent on each. This will tell you if you need help.

Then, look at that total of time and think about what you could have done if you had not spent it all on administrative tasks. Would you have been able to craft a new program, spend time talking with potential clients and making a sale? Would you have been out earning more income?

If the answer is yes, then you are ready for a Virtual Assistant and so is your business. We will give you back time so you can make more money and enjoy the time doing what you want to.

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7 Key Habits of Super Networkers

By Lewis Howes

The ability to network successfully can be one of the greatest assets in business. It allows some people to find incredible opportunities, while others just watch from the sidelines.

Effective networking isn't a result of luck -- it requires hard work and persistence. What does it take to be a super networker? Here are seven of the most important habits to develop:

1. Ask insightful questions.
Before attending networking events, get the names of the people who are expected to attend and search social media sites like LinkedIn to figure out which topics they're probably most interested in. For people who are already in your network, don't assume you know everything they're up to. Find out what they're currently working on -- or perhaps struggling with. This attention to detail can go a long way at your next one-on-one lunch or dinner meeting.

2. Add value.
One of the most powerful networking practices is to provide immediate value to a new connection. This means the moment you identify a way to help someone, take action. If, for instance, you know someone in your network who can help a new connection with a problem, drop what you're doing and introduce the two individuals.

3. Learn their 'story.'
Ask successful entrepreneurs to tell you how they got where they are. Most people think of this as an exercise in rapport building, but hearing these stories can tell you a lot about a person's approach to business. The more you understand your networking partner's mentality, the better you can add and extract value from your relationship.

For example, some entrepreneurs pride themselves on working 16-hour days and doing whatever it takes, while others focus on being strategic and waiting for the right opportunities to open up. These are clues that can not only allow you to see what people value, but also what working with them might be like.

4. Share a memorable fact.
When someone asks, "What do you do?" don't give a canned elevator speech about your company and career. Mention something personal that defines who you really are. Maybe you have a passion for playing an instrument or an obsession with collecting antiques. These are also "things you do," so make it a point to share them. Such personal details can help lighten the mood and get people talking.

5. Keep a list.
What's your routine after attending a networking event or meal? If your answer is, "I go home," you're probably going to miss out on opportunities. Write down important topics that came up at the event. This habit can help prevent opportunities from falling through the cracks and give you something to reference in conversation the next time you meet. You can also develop a reputation as someone who's on top of things.

6. Make small promises and keep them.
No matter how small a promise you make -- such as sending an email or returning a phone call -- delivering on that promise reflects on your character. By following through on your word, you start building a reputation for trustworthiness, which is exactly how every great networker wants to be perceived.

7. Reward your 'power' contacts.
Keep a list of your top five to 10 networking partners and do something each week to add value to one person's life or business. You might send them a book or set up a lunch to introduce them to one of your other contacts. This habit can help you be proactive about staying in touch with your most powerful contacts. Just as with fitness or investing, the most successful people are the ones who choose to be consistent in their actions.

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5 Life-Changing Sayings About Success (And How to Use Them in Your Life)

by Henri Junttila 

When I was a kid, I thought success was something it wasn’t.

I thought it meant having a lot of money, fame, and nice cars. But success is none of those things.

Real success is being fulfilled and enjoying your life. This is something I’ve been fortunate enough to realize in the short time I’ve been on this blue planet of ours.

Before you start going after success, know what success means to you. Don’t chase after false symbols of success, because they’ll only disappoint you.

I’ve always been a big fan of quotes, so I’ve gathered together five powerful sayings about success that will inject motivation straight into you veins.

1. “Identify your problems but give your power and energy to solutions.” Tony Robbins

Everyone has problems. Your business has problems. Your life has problems.

It’s good to identify them, but don’t dwell on them. It’s easy to get stuck in thoughts of worry, fear and anxiety, but they don’t do you any good.

Focus on what you can take action on now, and forget the rest.

2. ” If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary.” Jim Rohn

Going after your dreams takes courage. You have to be willing the comfort of your current life to live an extraordinary life.

Life is uncertain. You cannot know that the comfort you enjoy today will last. You might as well leap into uncertainty and make the best of it.

Take smart risks and enjoy success.

3. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” John Wooden

Play the hand life gives you.

You cannot control life, so why even try? All it’s going to do is cause suffering, because you’re resisting what is.

When you learn to make the best of what you have, everything changes. Things may not go the way you want them to. They may go even better, if you let them.

4. “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” John Wayne

No one is fearless.

We’re human beings. We experience a spectrum of emotion from fear to bliss.

The dreams you should go after should both excite you and scare you. Let the fear be there, and take action anyway.

Saddle up and take action.

5. “Failure defeats losers, failure inspires winners.” Robert T. Kiyosaki

Failure is a stepping stone to success.

When I was building my online business, I spent 2-3 years failing. But I didn’t give up, and because I didn’t give up, I’m here today, making a living doing what I love.

Fail fast, learn from your failures, and keep moving forward. That’s how you’ll succeed, and that’s how you’ll build the life you truly want.

Wrap Up

Anyone can become successful.

The secret is to not give up.

Be flexible. Know what you want. But always keep going.

That is how you succeed.

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Maximize Meeting Productivity! by ASAPorg.com Staff

For many of us, the words “business meeting” conjure up a block (or blocks) of wasted time that keeps us from making the most of our day. This does not have to be the case. Take a look at the following seven ways to minimize meeting frustration and maximize productivity.

• Always start (and end) on time. Don’t stop to recap discussions for latecomers. When they realize that proceedings will start without them, they’re unlikely to be tardy again.
• Always have an agenda, one that includes the meeting purpose, action items, and a time limit for each item. During your meeting, try to stick as closely as possible to the timeframe you’ve laid out. (And make sure to circulate your agenda in advance, along with any other documents that may be necessary for the meeting.)
• Have participants research the topics under discussion before the meeting. You can even have them draft preliminary decisions and circulate those in advance. That way, your meeting can focus on resolutions, rather than having to start from scratch on every topic.
• Encourage everyone to air an opinion, especially wallflowers. You never know what gem a quiet person might contribute. By the same token, tactfully shut down anyone dominating a discussion, as well as any long discussions of side issues. You can always set up a separate meeting for tangential subjects.
• Don’t criticize anyone during a meeting—embarrassing folks in front of coworkers is hugely de-motivating. Save criticism for private talks. Do, however, make every effort to give attendees credit for work well done. Unlike public criticism, public praise is very motivating.
• Have a minutes-taker write down all items agreed to, and e-mail these notes to all participants after the meeting. The notes should include decisions made, tasks delegated, action items, and project dates.
• Follow up on all commitments that participants made during the meeting. Also take the time to reflect on what went well and where there is still room for improvement.

One last, important tip: Schedule meetings before lunch or at the end of the day—those meeting times are great motivators to keep meetings short and to the point.