Pearce Virtual Solutions Blogs

BELIEVING

The end of 2007 is nearly here, and we’re moving toward the time of year when believing is something grownups can do without feeling silly or childish. We begin to believe in Santa Claus again, we believe the world could be a better place and that peace is attainable, and some of us dust off beliefs that were instilled in us long ago as children, and begin examining them once more.

Believing in things that we can’t prove are real is something that stays with us for life, and we should be very glad of that fact. If we didn’t believe – in ourselves, in love, in forever, in a hereafter – life would be a depressing existence, something just to be dealt with as best we could manage.

Because we’re human, and we refuse to accept misery as the norm, we do believe in many things. Some are sure and certain, while others remain more ethereal in nature.

Believing in oneself is sometimes more difficult than believing in Santa Claus. Why is it so hard for us to believe in ourselves? The answer to that question could fill up several more pages of this blog. Suffice to say, many of us are hardest on the one person that we must live with all of our lives and that we can never leave – ourselves. When we decide to take a leap of faith and actually believe we can do something we’ve never done before, it’s often done with quaking knees and nervous fears. Let’s face it – it’s tough to be all grown up, and know that you need to learn to believe in yourself.

However, we each have one – and only one – life. It needs to be lived to the fullest, and sometimes it takes years for some of us to learn that truth. When I finally decided to start my own business, on some days I tried very hard to talk myself out of it. “It will take too long to take the necessary coursework you need to be successful.” “What if I make a mistake?” “I don’t think I can do that!” “What if I fail?” “What if. . .?” “What if. . .” And on, and on, and on. . .

But, on other days, I knew in my heart that I had to give it a try -- and not just give it a try, but give it my best shot. Those days are the days that keep me going, making me feel alive and believing in my abilities.

I talked to myself a lot while deciding to go into business for myself. That was probably a good thing, because I talked myself through the ‘what-ifs’ and ‘buts,’ and finally realized that nothing is certain. I could give this venture my very best and, possibly, fail. But, I would have tried it – and perhaps it really could have a positive outcome.

Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility. In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.”

And, in the end, I didn’t. I decided to take the leap – of faith, of belief – whatever you want to call it. I decided I had as much right as the next person to give it a try – work for myself and make myself the best virtual assistant I could be. I embraced this new venture with gusto.

It’s an ongoing process, and on some days, I feel like I’ve taken two giant steps backward. But on most days I’m happy, and I feel a sense of satisfaction. I am making this work. I do believe in myself, and I can make this happen. Not overnight, not next week, but eventually. Success isn't something static to be achieved, but an ongoing process that's part of each day. I'm moving in the right direction. I'm very happy that I clung to my belief in myself. Like believing in Santa Claus, I didn’t know, for sure, that I had the gumption to see this through until I gave it a try. It’s looking very positive, and I’m happy that I’ve jumped in with both feet. There are many more happy days than days filled with angst, and that tells me I'm doing something right.

I think that what I'm trying to say is that during this holiday season, we should all slow down, give some thought to the year that’s nearly over, and assess what we would like to do with the new year that will be presented to us at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s a wonderful gift that too many of us take for granted. What would you like to have happen in your life in 2008? How will you work to make it happen?

I certainly will never have all the answers, but come 2008, I'll know that I accomplished something this past year, something wonderful. I found that I did have the gumption to jump in and start my own business. I wanted to do something, and I did it. And along the way, I learned something very fundamental -- I learned that I truly do believe in myself.

Do you believe?

PearceVirtualSolutions.com * (563) 321-8675 * PO Box 1436, Muscatine, IA 52761

Pearce Virtual Solutions Blogs

A Round ‘Tuit’ and Virtual Assistants

Most of us remember, from several years ago, the round ‘tuit’ that swept through emails, forwarded ‘round and ‘round the country – maybe even the world. The premise was that if you had this ‘tuit,’ you could finally get around to doing all of the things you said you would “when you got around to it.” It was cute and funny, but it also made many people stop and think, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I actually could make this little round tuit work for me? I could rub it and finally get all of my projects done.” Many folks realized it would be like having a genie in a bottle that was at your command (your wish, Master?).

Well, we know there are no genies (drat!), and even though some of us may have tuits, we also know we could rub them for a month and none of our projects would ever be finished unless we completed them ourselves.

We also know there are only so many hours in each day, and that being human has its limits. It’s sad to think that some of those things may never get done – because there’s just not enough time to do them all.

Don’t be depressed. I’m here to tell you that now there is the ‘next best thing’ to having a genie. It’s called a Virtual Assistant. Many people have heard the term, but may not know exactly what it means. According to the Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA – www.vananetworking.com), a Virtual Assistant (VA, for short), is:

“a business owner who works from their own office providing professional
support, services and skills to their clients via phone, fax and internet-based technology. Partnering with a VA reduces stress, protects cash flow, eliminates administrative hassles, and enables business people to find the success they originally set out to achieve. A VA is your right-hand person helping you to succeed in your business. The irony is you may never meet your VA, as odds are they live nowhere near you!”

Think of it – you can hire a virtual assistant for all of those jobs you’ve been meaning to get around to, and – poof! – just like having a magic genie, suddenly those jobs are completed. And the best part is – you barely had to lift a finger. All you had to do was contact a virtual assistant. Wow! Wishes really can come true – and while genies don’t actually exist, the next best thing to a genie is a virtual assistant.

So, before you spend another day staring at those piles of projects you’ve been meaning to do when you get A Round Tuit – take a few minutes and contact a virtual assistant instead. You can have a VA perform what will seem like magic – completing those projects you want completed, but never get done. Your desk will be cleared, your “To-Do” list will be shorter, and your stress level will improve, because you’ve just taken care of all of those things you’ve wanted to get around to, but never quite could. Your own Virtual Assistant -- SO much better than a round tuit!

(Don't know where to start? Contact me at Service@PearceVirtualSolutions.com, or check out my website at http://www.pearcevirtualsolutions.com/).

Virtual Assistants and Retirement

People are living longer, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, this is hardly news to you. What is interesting, though -- and what some people may not realize -- is that many oldsters are no longer content to just retire and putter about on the golf course, the shuffleboard court, or sit idly on the front porch watching the world go by. They may have retired from the corporate world, but they are starting new businesses, and they are just as busy as ever, if not more so.

These are people called “entrepreneurs.” This is a French word, and the definition is, “A person who organizes, operates and assumes the risk for a business venture.” (Definition provided by Merriam-Webster online dictionary).

Seasoned citizens -- many of them used to being in charge of companies, being on various boards, reading and understanding financial papers, and directing the future of the company that once employed them – find that retirement, as most of us know it, offers nothing but long hours idly spent in pursuits that hold no interest or challenge for them. Instead, they’re still physically and mentally fit, and want to be in charge of something that brings deep satisfaction to each day. So, what do they do? They start a new business from the ground up. While it’s a lot of work, there is a deep degree of satisfaction derived from creating something out of nothing. With Americans living longer and aging more gracefully, there are many people – men and women alike – who start businesses once they retire from corporate America. These new ventures can provide not only a monetary boost to the economy, but they often provide a better way of doing something, a more cost-effective way to deliver services, or they provide services that make the lives of others easier – and even more fun.

Many virtual assistants start their businesses for similar reasons. They want to be in charge of their own destiny, they need to work from home because they have a growing family and need to work non-traditional hours, or they feel they have more to offer than an 8-5 job in the business world can provide. They, too, are entrepreneurs.

Retirees who start their own businesses thrive on the long hours, the hard work, and the joy of seeing an idea come to fruition. However, they’re used to having a support staff in place to handle phones, faxes, paperwork, etc., etc. Many of them find out quickly they can’t do it all, and they feel as though they’re at loose ends when trying to figure out how to handle the problem.

Was there ever a better potential marriage than an entrepreneur starting his/her own business and an entrepreneur who is a virtual assistant? A VA, as they’re known in the business world, has only the best interests at heart of an entreprenurial business owner. After all, many of them have spent years in the business world doing the support work so necessary to making a business run. They’ve been well-trained in many areas: they’re computer literate and up-to-date on new software; they’ve been trained to give great customer service; they know how to answer phones in a pleasing manner and handle questions or complaints from callers; they’re terrific at multi-tasking because this is what a support staff person does nearly every day; they know how to budget their time effectively, and they know how to organize, schedule and stay on track.

A new entrepreneur can’t afford NOT to hire a virtual assistant. Starting a business from the ground up takes a lot of effort and many more hours than the standard 40 hours per week some people are used to working. Most importantly, by the time a person has reached retirement age, they have learned one of the most valuable lessons in life: YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL ALONE!

There are VA organizations whose membership comes from all over the world; they are great places to find a VA. You can also Google the term ‘virtual assistant’ and find a VA that way, or add additional parameters to narrow your choices and find a VA whose abilities are in sync with what you need. However you find a virtual assistant, it makes good sense to find one today if you are struggling to keep your growing business afloat. Whether you’re a small business owner, a real estate agent, a life coach, or a non-profit organization, there’s a virtual assistant out there just for you. Let them handle the day-to-day details so that you can do what you do best – grow that fledgling business! You’ll eliminate a lot of stress and sleepless nights once you find a VA who is right for you and your new business. With a VA at your side, you’ll be able to develop your business and make it run more smoothly. You’ll be in charge of what you know best, and your VA will handle the follow-through that is so important if a business is to succeed. It’s not letting go of the reins. It’s delegating – and that is one thing company leaders excel at doing. After all, what is YOUR time worth to YOU?

Virtual Assistants and Feng Shui

My name is Dona Pearce, and I am a business-to-business support specialist, also called a virtual assistant. I live in the state of Iowa, in the heart of the Midwest, but because my business is virtual, I can work for anyone in any state in this great country of ours.

I market myself to real estate agents and small business owners. Why? Because agents and business owners rarely have enough time to do everything that is needed to grow their business. Yet they are supposed to wear several hats and keep on top of everything. If you’ve ever had any kind of a job, you know that doing everything and performing flawlessly, especially day after day, just can’t be done, especially when you’re working in a setting where you’re expected to continually expand your business. Something has got to give. No one is Superman or Superwoman.

Think of hiring a virtual assistant, or business-to-business support specialist, as incorporating the art of Feng Shui (the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment) to harmonize your business environment. I’m not just talking about where in your office to place your desk, although it couldn’t hurt to use the ancient principles for that purpose – I’m talking about allowing yourself some breathing room, a chance to collect your thoughts throughout the day and focus on what you do best. And how can you do that if your mind is constantly racing ahead and thinking of all of the things you aren’t getting done? Why, for instance, would you stay at your desk and input your latest listing into the MLS and your website when you could delegate that task to a virtual assistant and then attend the latest ‘Meet & Greet,’ using that venue to network and make valuable contacts. Small business owners could free up several hours of their time by having a virtual assistant handle their general correspondence (typing, proofreading, editing), mass mailings (promotional, seasonal), or database updates.

It’s sometimes tough for people who are self-starters to let go of some duties and assume someone else will be able to perform those duties satisfactorily. But, letting go is a valuable tool, especially if you’re letting go of tasks that need to be done, but aren’t things that will enable you to find clients and secure new listings, or, if you’re a small business owner, focus on growing your business.

It always comes down to choices. The choices you make today will impact your business tomorrow. Be smart and realize you can’t do it all. Relax, hand over the reins of some of the tasks you’re now trying to complete, and see how your quality of life steps up a notch. You’ll find having time to step back, take a deep breath and contemplate your next move will energize you and enable you to move forward, all the while growing your business.