While going through AssistU’s Virtual Training program, which was 20 intensive weeks requiring commitment and focus, I encountered not just change within myself, but a flood of changes in my life and circumstances.  I was married, had a grown daughter who lived out of state, had a full time job, a photography (note card) side business, a house full of pets including one who was 17 years old and in poor health, had an aging parent who needed help getting to appointments and I was preparing for the VTP final exam.  That challenging exam was released on a Friday evening and was due early Monday morning.  A month before the test, I uncovered some unexpected and hurtful deceptions by my spouse which ultimately led to divorce.  A week before the test, a family member (who I would protect with my life) called me to tell me that she was physically attacked when she was left alone on her first day on her new job.  The night before the test, another call came from a dear relative about an uncertain living situation.  The morning of the test, I had a doctor’s appointment to take care of a scary health issue that I learned about in that same whirlwind month of change.  As soon as I left that appointment I raced to a phone to call my family member to find out that they spent the night in their car with all of their belongings and two pets. Later that day the test was released and despite all that had happened in the month leading up to it (and was still happening, and yet to happen), I knew that I could only control what was in front of me and allowing all of these events to distract me from the one thing that was in front of me would have only wasted all those months of work.  So I focused.  I made sure those I loved were safe and that I had done all that I could.  Then I put my blinders on to the outside world and pushed aside my hurts and fears and I looked only at what was in front of me.  It paid off, as by keeping my goal in front of me, I passed with flying colors.  Five months later, I was laid off from my full time job and the aging cat who had been hanging on so long, passed away the same month that I lost my job. 

Some changes we choose (to start a family or a career change), while others we don’t (health issues or a job layoff).  Either way, they say the only thing that’s constant is change.  While, unfortunately the above examples that happened during a very condensed span of time, were all seemingly negative, not all change is negative.  And not all change that is contrary to the way we would have planned it has negative results.  What change is, is constant and to be expected.  We are ever-evolving beings constantly being refined and polished. And when we’re not changing, the people around us are.  Technology changes, our planet is changing.  Here where I live in Colorado, our ever-changing weather has earned the phrase “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes.”  Things change.  People change.  Just the word “change” evokes strong reactions with people.  When fear strikes at the thought of change, it’s because of the perceived pain that might accompany the change; it takes us out of our comfort zone.

While I wouldn’t have chosen to uncover betrayal and go through a divorce, the alternative would have been to live a lie.  Happy, but living in an illusion.  Change had to happen before more damage was done and so I could eventually heal and move forward.  And I knew I wanted to be a Virtual Assistant and had already gone through the Virtual Training Program, so the job layoff became the catalyst for starting my business.  If we don’t embrace change, we remain stuck.  If we’re not changing, we’re stagnating.  We learn, we grow, and we change.  And it’s okay.  Once I realized that change is constant and not something to resist or be feared, the more I was able to embrace it. . . dare I say, sometimes appreciate it. Change can just be a new door opening to better opportunities. You can still control how you react and the support that you have in place. Change isn’t always something to rebound from, but can be something that propels you to greatness, or at the very least will make you stronger.  And since others are going through change, your experiences will better enable you to help them survive their experiences.

Many years ago, a professional coach came into our organization to talk about change because we were going through downsizing and other disruptions.  She said something that has always stayed with me.  She used the analogy of a trapeze and how the most stressful part of change is when you let go of the first trapeze bar and have yet to grab hold of the new bar swinging toward you.  That in-between period of limbo and not knowing what is going to happen next is when we feel our fate is out of our control.  But after that brief moment, when we have something new to grab onto, all is well.   So if you feel you’re in the midst of change and want to practice embracing it, go to iTunes and download Cha-cha-cha-changes by David Bowie and try to find the positives in where this change is taking you.

For further reading, I recommend the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” which is a very quick read (about 90 pages) about a maze, cheese, and two mice named “Sniff” and “Scurry” and two “little people” named “Hem” and “Haw.”  Here’s a summary.

About the Author:

Merri is a Virtual Assistant, AssistU graduate, and an active member of the AssistU community. She is a former AssistU Community Guide and Rocky Mountain Chapter Host and was recognized with the Volunteer of the Year award in 2010. More recently, Merri was nominated by her AssistU community for the 2011 Most Supportive Community Member award.  As the founder of Here2Assist, Merri is a business owner and virtual resource who is able to partner with small businesses and entrepreneurs across the world. She steps in to manage the time-consuming back-end and administrative details and collaboratively helps to move her clients forward toward their goals. This allows business owners to step out of the work that previously consumed them, giving the self-employed back the time to pursue their passions and grow their businesses. Merri is a Colorado native, loves digital photography, hiking, nature, rescuing animals and exploring Colorado’s ghost towns and Bed and Breakfasts. 

More information about Merri and virtual assistance can be found at http://www.Here2Assist.biz/

Things do not change; we change.

We have expectations.

Expectations of what our life should be, could be, what people should be like, what our marriage should be, how our children should be (as well as other people’s children!), and more.  Yet, how often do our expectations get a pail of cold water thrown on them? Often, I would guess if your life is like mine.

One of the most consistent expectations is that we should expect change. Change is inevitable. It can come with pretty wrapping and bows or it can come with coldness and stealth.

It is how we deal with change that makes us who we truly are as we traverse the world we have been given. Do you embrace change? Do you run from change? Do you fear change? Or, do you react with a mixture of fear, embracement, and perhaps a bit of joy after you get through the fear? Unfortunately, there is no one sure way to travel safely through change.

Most of us are pretty predictable when it comes to handling change, whether it is good or bad. Handling negative changes is most difficult and does tend to bring out the worst in us before it brings out the best. We may cry, yell, sink into a pit of despair, act like nothing has happened and continue to operate, or function in a stupor until our brain has fully comprehended what is going on.

There are many ways to learn how to cope with change. You can use affirmations; you can look for solutions; embrace it; run from it or just ignore it. Most people have a combination of reactions or coping mechanisms to deal with change – good or bad. One of the best examples I have read is from Seth Godin’s book, Linchpin. Imagine you are a diamond cutter looking at a large raw diamond. Do you envision what that diamond will look like? Can you see its possibilities? Do you see the cut of the diamond? The clarity? Or do you simply see a lump of processed, pressurized coal? Maybe a pretty paperweight?

When you face an unexpected bump in the road, do you immediately shut down and complain or do you see how you can turn the situation around? For example, your flight home is cancelled and you are anxious to get home to see your family. What would you do? Would you yell at the airline counter staff? Go to the bar and wait? Or, do you distance yourself from the situation. Actually disengage from the outcome and breathe? Would you find another way home? Rent a car and share that car with other passengers from your flight? Would you rent a charter airplane, sell seats to other bumped passengers and get home with little cost to you?

Since change is inevitable, try embracing it the best you can. What would happen if you surrender to the change? Would your life eventually improve? Chances are you won’t know that answer for a while, maybe years. Some ways to cope with change:

• Give up blaming. Blaming others. Blaming yourself. Blaming is really a waste of time. But, we all do it. After all, it is extremely difficult to look at yourself as a cause of that irritating change.
• Give up complaining. Usually, if you are the one complaining about the way a ball bounces, you are the one who dropped it. Learn to replace complaints with requests and taking action. Make sure the actions will lead you to your desired outcome.
• Disengage from the outcome. Learn to step back and maybe say, “Isn’t that interesting?” Hard to do but if you are not tied to the outcome, you might be able to adapt to the change with grace.
• Start a success journal. If you start writing down your successes in a journal and get hit with one of those awful cold and stealthy changes, take it out. Read it. Know that it will get better.

There are many ways to deal with change. Find the ones that work for you. The ones that keep you sane. The ones that will move you two steps forward for each step backwards.

Expect the unexpected.

About the Author:

Kyle Sheldon-Chandler has been in the administrative support field for more than 20 years. She graduated from AssistU in 2003 as a Virtual Assistant. Kyle loves the ‘virtual’ flexibility of her career and the wide variety of individuals who she meets and works with. In addition, Kyle has a BBA and AA in Business Administration/Management.

She discovered the virtual world of administrative assistance through an article by Anastacia Brice, Founder of AssistU, in the IAAP OfficePro magazine. After doing her research, she jumped in with both feet and has not looked back. She loves the flexibility of being a VA, as well as getting to work with some of the greatest people in the world. She has recently accepted the Alumni Director position with AssistU.

As an active member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals Association, she served as the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Colorado-Wyoming-Montana Division President. She was honored with the Distinguished Division President in 2008. She has held the Book Cliff Chapter offices of Vice President (2 years), President Elect, and President (2005-2006).

Kyle lives in Grand Junction, CO, and loves to fish, camp, hike, and ride her motorcycle or dirt bike in the desert of Utah. She and her husband have 3 children and 3 grandchildren, along with an assortment of boxers and cats.

You too can STEP IT UP a notch and stop doing just enough to get by in your business!  Watch my latest video to discover 3 success secrets you can apply right now!

Feeling compelled to act with SPEED to leverage your business for success and growth?  Take advantage of my free consultation to learn exactly where to start.

Today everyone is “Going Green” from big corporate companies run by CEOs to home-based businesses run by today’s rapidly growing number of entrepreneurs.

Home-based businesses have a “Green” edge over big corporate companies because work is performed from home and requires no transportation.  No transportation converts to reduced fuel consumption and eliminates pollution generated by various means of transportation.

On a larger scale, most home-based businesses are not looking for ways to create new energy or the next electric car.  They are leaving this up to the larger corporations and focusing on other ways to ”Go Green” and continue their efforts to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

1.  MAKE USE OF EVERY INCH OF YOUR PAPER
Don’t toss bad copies or old copies you no longer need.  Instead use the blank side for scratch paper, take phone messages, jot down reminders, or create lists.  Think of the paper as a one-sided notepad.

2.  DONATE OLD MANUALS AND HOW-TO-GUIDES
Instead of letting old manuals and how-to-guides from your beginning days as an entrepreneur continue to clutter your office, why not give them away?  Contact local workforce development groups, Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers, charities, or libraries about donating any manuals and guides you no longer need.

3.  RECYLE OLD OR OUTDATED COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS
Don’t dump your old or outdated computers and electronics in the landfill.  Instead take them to an electronics waste recycling center in your local area.  Sometimes referred to as “e-Cycling Centers”, these facilities will accept any computer or consumer electronic waste that runs on electricity or batteries, working or not. Virtually 100% of all items are recycled and converted into new products so nothing goes to the landfill.  Visit Earth911 to find an e-cycling center near you.

4.  USE ECO-FRIENDLY AND 100% RECYCLED OFFICE PRODUCTS
Use eco-friendly and 100% recycled office products like paper, envelopes, packaging material, office furniture, the list goes on and on.  Check out the “Buy Green Guide” from Office Depot or contact your preferred office supply vendor for a list of their green products.

5.  MAKE USE OF NATURAL SUNLIGHT
Use natural sunlight by placing your desk near a window.  Then TURN OFF THAT LIGHT!

6.  REPLACE YOUR LIGHT BULBS WITH ENERGY-EFFICIENT FLORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
Energy-efficient florescent light bulbs save energy and they last a lot longer than regular light bulbs.  Be sure to check your local regulations about proper disposal of light bulbs.

7.  TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER, PRINTER AND  MONITOR
Save energy by turning off your computer, printer and monitor when they are not in use, including any power strips.  Also set your computer to energy-saving mode.

8.  DOWNSIZE FROM A DESKTOP COMPUTER TO A LAPTOP
Downsize from a desktop computer to a laptop without giving up your large screen monitor.  Most new laptops connect directly to LCD monitors.

9.  GO PAPERLESS
Send faxes and emails right from your computer.  Also get into the habit of scanning your office documents and shredding the paper copy.  And to prevent loss of data should your computer crash, use one of these vendors to make secure online backups:

• Mozy
• Cabonite
• Dropbox

10. SUPPORT VENDORS WHO HAVE GREEN POLICIES IN PLACE
Purchase from vendors who already have green policies in place.

11. ADD A PLANT TO YOUR OFFICE SPACE
Keep your air clean and fresh by adding some green to your office space with a plant.  Here’s a list of 15 houseplants determined by NASA to be effective in improving indoor air quality.

About the Author:

Katrina Chesney is Founder & President of Portable Hands, a Virtual Assistance firm that provides leverage for small businesses.

1.  Get People to Beat a Path to Your Door. 
If you are good at what you do, with proper marketing you can put together the elements that will draw people to you.

2.  Establish a Niche.
Whatever stage your business is in, focusing it as tightly as possible on one or two specialty areas will make it easier for you to attract clients or customers. 

3.  Gain Entrance Through Gatekeepers.
Find and use gatekeepers as a source of regular business. They can make getting business easier and quicker.

4.  Position Yourself as an Expert in Your Field.
The better known you are for being an expert in your field, the easier it will be to attract business.  Being an expert in your field means people think of you first.

5.  Become a Premier Marketeer.
Take the time to develop a marketing campaign tailored for your business. Premier marketeers are successful in attracting business because they have a concerted marketing effort that does not leave this process to chance.

About the Author:

Katrina Chesney is Founder & President of Portable Hands, a Virtual Assistance firm that provides leverage for small businesses.

It happens to the best of entrepreneurs and it’s called LIFE.  But never fret because a good contingency plan is all you need to ensure your business can and will survive even the worst of circumstances.

So What Exactly is a Contingency Plan?
“A contingency plan is a plan devised for a specific situation when things could go wrong. Contingency plans are often devised by governments or businesses who want to be prepared for anything that could happen.” – Wikipedia

Key Points to Consider
Although no 2 contingency plans are alike there are several key points to consider when creating the right one for your business.

• Conduct scheduled back-ups of critical data on all computers & electronic devices and keep files offsite.
• Be sure to check back-ups periodically and make sure they are complete.
• Make copies of important paperwork & keep offsite (client contracts and information).
• Keep legal documents offsite (safe deposit box where you do your business banking).
• Make sure your partners/vendors have contingency plans in place because a disaster for them could also mean a disaster for you.
• Check with your insurance agent on business interruption insurance & record reconstruction.
• Review and automate all internal systems and processes where possible.

A Few Questions to Ask Yourself as You Develop Your Contingency Plan

1. What would you do if you lost power at your office?
2. What would you do if you lost use of your phone lines at your office?
3. What would you do if you could not occupy your office?
4. How would you continue to sell and deliver your product/service?
5. How would you reach your clients, partners, and vendors?
6. How would your clients, partners, and vendors reach you?
7. What would happen to your business, clients, and partners/vendors should you decide to sell or close your business?

Tip:
When developing your contingency plan think about every aspect of your business that would be impacted in the event of a disaster or an unexpected turn of events and start from there.  Consider the key points and questions listed above then write your answers down.  You now have a good starting point for developing a contingency plan that will keep your business running smooth when life comes at you fast!

Need help developing a contingency plan for your particular business or industry?  Contact me today for a free consultation.

About the Author:

Katrina Chesney is Founder & President of Portable Hands, a Virtual Assistance firm that provides leverage for small businesses.

When I became a Virtual Assistant, the first 3 lessons I learned were:  create value, be an expert problem solver, and a genius at idea generation.  

Why were these lessons so important?

Because as a Virtual Assistant if I’m not being proactive and moving clients in the direction they want to go, the partnership quickly goes south.  I can’t sit around and wait for clients to tell me what to do next.  I must work proactively using my intuitive skills to ensure clients are headed in the right direction and that business goals are being met.

Not too long ago, one of my favorite clients ran into some technical glitches as the result of a website transfer.  This glitch not only impacted marketing and promotions, but also halted the work we had carefully planned.  I did not mind the opportunity this created for me to have some down time but as a proactive Virtual Assistant, I knew that was not an option.  I had two choices:

1. sit back and relax because, after all, it wasn’t my fault that the website transfer wasn’t complete OR
2. be an expert problem solver and asses the real impact this had on my client, her customers, and newsletter subscribers.

I, of course, chose option #2 and suggested that we send an email to her customers and newsletter subscribers letting them know what was happening and exactly what to expect next.  This small, yet powerful gesture, would maintain the consistency she’d worked so hard to build.

Client’s Response: “You are so right, that’s a great idea!” 

Being proactive allowed us to maintain consistency by keeping everyone (customers/newsletter subscribers) in the loop and prompted my client to reflect on the business lessons she had learned.  The following is an excerpt from the actual article she wrote as a result of my being a proactive Virtual Assistant.

• Patience – As the saying goes, the lesson will repeat until you learn it.  I’m learning to accept the things I can’t change and that are out of my control.
• Allow for glitches – Maybe if I had built into my timetable some leeway for possible glitches, things would have worked out differently.
• Have a Plan “B” – When Plan “A” doesn’t work out, it’s always a good idea to have a Plan “B”. If I’d had a Plan “B”, I would have already been prepared to send the article in another format. 

Are you being proactive?  Are you doing what you need to be doing to grow your business, service your clients or enhance your products OR are you just going along for the ride…not sure where you’ll end up?

Solution:  Take time every day to proactively look ahead, create a plan for getting where you want to go, and then take action.  If it seems too overwhelming to tackle on your own, contact me today and learn how to get your business back on track…for FREE!

About the Author:

Katrina Chesney is Founder & President of Portable Hands, a Virtual Assistance firm that provides leverage for small businesses.

The following is my experience with 2 plug-ins I use either with my clients or in my Virtual Assistance practice.

EZINE ARTICLES WORDPRESS PLUG-IN
Back in April I introduced the Ezine Articles WordPress plug-in to my newsletter subscribers along with an instructional video.  Those with WordPress blogs were just as eager as I was to try it out.  So off we went with the intention of killing two birds with one stone. . . blogging and using the Ezine Articles WordPress plug-in to automatically submit the same blog post to Ezine Articles.  It was blogging and article marketing made easy.  Or so we thought . . .

After using the plug-in on my blog and speaking with some of my readers, here’s what we discovered.
Only those blog posts that are very cut and dry and meet all of Ezine Articles editorial guidelines can be submitted using the Ezine Articles WordPress plug-in.  You can check out Ezine Articles editorial guidelines here.

As you can see, there are a lot of editorial guidelines, most of which one does not consider when blogging.  Blogging and article marketing are two totally different platforms, each with their own set of guidelines. 

Users Conclusion:  Thumbs Down [needs improvement]
By the time you revise your blog post to meet Ezine Articles editorial guidelines, your original post has lost most of it’s meaning or you end up rewriting the blog post all together.

Although the Ezine Articles WordPress plug-in does work, it’s not tailored to work with the way bloggers write and is therefore ineffective.

Note: There are times when I am able to use the plug-in for very simple blog posts, but for the most part I usually end up blogging then manually submitting articles to Ezine Articles.  So, although I still have the plug-in installed, I hardly ever use it.  This has also been the case for most of my readers.

CONSTANT CONTACT QUICKIMPORT PLUG-IN
One plug-in I use regularly is Constant Contact’s QuickImport plug-in for Outlook & Outlook Express.  I really like it because it’s easy to install, easy to use, and saves me tons of time by allowing me to move contact information from Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express into the Constant Contact lists I manage.  The plug-in is safe and secure and with just a few clicks I can import some or all Outlook contacts.

Users Conclusion:  Thumbs Up [ease of installation & use]
After using the QuickImport plug-in and loving it, I reached out to several entrepreneurs who tried to unsuccessfully use the plug-in when it was still new and not very user friendly.  The improvement to the plug-in between then and now has made this plug-in so user friendly a kid can use it.  We love it!

Note: Be sure to review the full QuickImport plug-in tutorial.  To get the free plug-in, you must have a Constant Contact account.  You will find the plug-in in the “Contacts” section of your Constant Contact account.  Be sure to close your email client before installing.

CALL TO ACTION:
Here are the 3 plug-ins I plan to check out next.  I still need to research their functionality and feasibility so I would love to hear your feedback if you currently use or have used any of them. 

1. PayPal Payment Request Wizard for Outlook
2. PayPal Payment Request Wizard for QuickBooks
3. WordPress Survey & Quiz Tool

P.S.  And if you use a plug-in that really lights your fire feel free to share it here.  I’d love to hear about it!

About the Author:

Katrina Chesney is Founder & President of Portable Hands, a Virtual Assistance firm that provides leverage for small businesses.

Here are 4 office procedures you can easily delegate to a Virtual Assistant (VA) to quickly get the help you need! 

1.  Purchase & Delivery of Office Supplies
Work with your VA to create a list of office supplies you regularly use.  On a pre-specified basis, have your VA fax/email you the office supply list so you can check off what is needed and fax/email it back to her.  Your VA can then order the necessary office supplies and have them delivered directly to you.

2.  Purchase & Delivery of Holiday Cards
If you send holiday cards to your clients, let your VA purchase the cards and prepare them for mailing.  Your VA can manage this procedure the old school way via U.S. mail or by using a web-based service such as Send out Cards.  *You can easily add birthday, sympathy, get-well cards, and gifts to this procedure.

3.  Manage Voicemail Box
Your VA can call & retrieve messages from your voicemail box, respond to routine requests, and contact you with urgent messages only.  Yes, it’s really that simple to get rid of that voicemail box full of messages and address only those needing your attention.  Just be sure to determine when & how often you need your VA to check your voicemail box.

4.  Use Your VA as a Safeguard
Make a back-up copy of your computer system and send it to your VA for safekeeping.  This is a small task but well worth the effort.  In the event of a disaster, all your files are located off premises.

About the Author:

Katrina Chesney is Founder & President of Portable Hands, a Virtual Assistance firm that provides leverage for small businesses.

Even with all the technology we have today, no one knows the future or can predict the state of the economy with 100% accuracy. So, here’s 4 ways to maintain business stability regardless of the economic forecast.

1. Make customer satisfaction a priority.
2. Sign more long-term deals. Close more long-term sales.
3. Expand relationships with existing clients.
4. Form alliances & joint ventures.

Maintaining business stability is an essential part of leveraging your business for success. If you find it too overwhelming…do NOT give up! Take advantage of my 1-on-1 (no cost/no obligation) consultation and discover how to get the help you need while creating stability in your business.

About the Author:

Katrina Chesney is Founder & President of Portable Hands, a Virtual Assistance firm that provides leverage for small businesses.