VA Business Coaching Blog » business growth

Are Your Business and Marketing Plans in Place for 2012 – Do Your Contracts Protect Your Business?

Jeannine Clontz — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:29:47 +0000

One of the most significant commonalities among my coaching clients is that most of them do not have a real, live, business and marketing plan in writing to make themselves accountable to growing a profitable Virtual Assistant practice. Not to mention that many either don’t use, or don’t have enough to protect themselves in a contract or agreement with their current clients.

I know, it seems like it’s just too much work to do something formal, or maybe you just don’t know where to start. Won’t your clients have a contract for you to sign if you needed to worry about one?

That’s what I used to think, too. But I found out the hard way, after three to four years in business, that not having these plans in place simply meant I was inconsistent with my marketing and the way I ran my business. I had no goals, so no way to determine whether or not I was creating a profitable business, and I lost a whole lot of money because I didn’t have a contact in place that protected me from non-payment, client project copy errors, and a whole lot more.

What I’ve learned over the past 14-years is that you don’t really need to have this long, drawn out business or marketing plan; that it needed to be updated at least once a year; and I spent the time and money in having an attorney help me create a contract that protected me, and the client, while allowing me not to have to be too concerned with additional E&O insurance, that can be extremely costly.

Want to find out how you can have these documents in place for your business? No matter if you work with hourly rates, retainers, or packages, you still need to have this vital information available to yourself, and your clients, to help grow a more profitable and stable business.

Mark your calendars now for my new Virtual Assistant Inner Track Program teleseminar on Thursday, January 19th, and join me for a special session about Contracts – Forms – Business & Marketing Plans!

Sounds like just the basics, but this information will help you to re-invent your business and set yourself up to grow in 2012 and beyond. Here’s some of what I will be sharing:

Determine what contracts and forms will work best for your type of VA practice, and where you can find information to help kick-start yours.
Why you even need a business plan, and how simple and easy it can be.
What a marketing plan should include and how you can easily establish one with much of the information you are probably already using like your ideal client profile, mission statement, niche, and specific products/services (or use this time to establish those, too!).
How to create the ‘call to action’ necessary to make your marketing efforts trackable and provide the biggest return on investment.
The reality about how often and how many times you need to reach your target market before a sale can happen.
How and when to update your business and marketing plans.
And much more!

Plan to be on the call in January to ask me any questions you have about how to set your business up for success in 2012 with the use of contracts, forms, and your business and marketing plans.

And in February, join me for an in-depth look at Pricing/Rates, Retainers, Packages and Projects! Packages are the latest rage in the VA industry – have you taken the plunge? Find out how to create the rates that you’ll need in order to establish your packages, when you might need to quote rates, are retainers obsolete, and so much more in this interactive session coming on February 16, 2012!

Mark your calendars now and join me on Thursday, January 19th, beginning at 3:00 PM Eastern.

You’ll also be able to ask me all those burning questions about what challenges you’re facing in your business and client relationships during this 90-minute session, as well as whatever you need to know to effectively use contracts, forms, and a business and marketing plan in your business, to organize and grow your VA practice!

Submit your application for the 1-month trial and enjoy this session, at no cost to you…visit: http://www.VAbizcoach.com now to find out more and register to participate.

I hope you will register now and mark your calendars to participate LIVE!

You will not want to miss this session, so register TODAY for your 1-month trial membership in Jeannine’s Virtual Assistance Inner Track group coaching program. Go here for more details and to apply for this program: http://vabizcoach.com/inner-track.html

The industry is booming right now, you need to differentiate yourself from the thousands of other VAs who may be vying for the same piece of business you are…now is the BEST time for you to make an investment in yourself, and your business to stay current with marketing trends, and be accountable to yourself for building the business you’ve always dreamed of.

Mark your calendars now for this interactive session, Thursday, January 19th 2011 beginning at 3:00 p.m. EASTERN. To find out more about our upcoming monthly schedule go to http://vabizcoach.com/teleseminars.html

You also get a recording of the session – so you can check back anytime you need a refresher. But there’s more… here’s what you’ll receive during the trial program:

One month’s direct access to my monthly teleseminar sessions for VAs discussing in detail the topics as outlined above;
One month of direct access to ask me any question you want on how to successfully take your business to the next level. This Q&A session will take place at the end of each month’s teleconference call and questions are not limited to the monthly topic;
An audio recording of each month’s teleconference sent to you by email;
A highlight of each month’s teleconference sent to you via email;
Direct access to call me during my special monthly call-in times. I’ve set aside two hours each month for my Inner Track members to reserve telephone coaching appointments with me. If you reserve an appointment with me, we’ll work together on your business for 10-minutes. This is on a first-come first-served basis for Inner Track members who take action every month and reserve appointments with me immediately. Members who wait may find that they’ve all previously been taken by other members.

After your first teleseminar you can call or E-mail me at anytime (at least 10-days before the next call) if you no longer want to continue your membership in the program. And, if you continue in the program after your first month, your credit card will be billed just $47 monthly, for each month you remain in the program. There’s no long-term contractual agreement to stay in the program for any amount of time, but I know you’ll want to if you’re really ready to focus on improving and helping you be accountable to growing your business.

And there’s still more! Once you are a paying member of Jeannine’s Virtual Assistance Inner Track, you will also receive access to these additional bonuses to create explosive business results:

Access to our Online Community which includes coaching lessons, resources/information about growing your practice, audios/videos, a discussion group listserve, and fresh information every month (Priceless)
Two free reports to continue to expand your business knowledge ($75 value)
30-minute one-on-one coaching session ($75 value)
And more…

The information contained in this program is so powerful that I’m totally confident of how completely you can transform your business if you use this detailed information. That’s why I’m letting you test drive the program for FREE, so you’ll be completely convinced of what the program will do to transform your business.

Don’t miss it! Registration is required – go to: http://vabizcoach.com/inner-track.html

The VA Inside Track is a group coaching concept like no other. It’s a fresh perspective on how to positively grow the business you’ve always wanted to have. We inspire and motivate you to do what’s needed to stay accountable to yourself and to the growth and profitability of your business. It’s like business know-how on steroids!

This group coaching program is for Virtual Assistants (VAs) who are ready to take action in their business and have a desire to move their business forward and be more profitable and successful. Our teleseminars do not include any sales pitches nor do they encourage you to purchase an upgrade, participate in any other cost-based program, or just give you vague and incomplete information like so many of those FREE teleseminars do.

Isn’t it time you made an investment in making your business more profitable? Take the plunge, give us a try: http://vabizcoach.com/

You may have even attended online or local business training classes but left feeling like something was missing, like no one else was developing a business quite like yours.

I believe a Virtual Assistant’s business is not like a traditional small or medium-sized business and so many of those classes are geared towards businesses with employees or those not run from a home-base, as many Virtual Assistance practices are.

The Virtual Assistance Inner Track is designed specifically for a VA practice from someone who has been in the trenches for more than 14-years.

I’m extremely confident you’ll realize that through applying just one or two of the many new ideas you’ll be learning in this program, you’ll begin making a lot more money as a Virtual Assistant. Just one additional client or transaction with a current client over the next 12 months because of your membership in the program will pay for your membership many times over. It’s a valuable investment in your future and your business.

Don’t wait, dip your toes in the water and try us on for size! Register TODAY!!! (http://vabizcoach.com/inner-track.html) so you won’t miss our exciting January session to kick-start your business in 2012!

Now is the BEST time to get the knowledge and resources you need to propel your business and become more profitable. Make this important investment in yourself and the well-being of your business. You’ll be glad you did.

Hope you can join us!

Sign up NOW so you won’t miss that ah-ha moment that could make 2012 your best year ever. http://vabizcoach.com/inner-track.html.

Are Your Business and Marketing Plans in Place for 2012 – Do Your Contracts Protect Your Business? is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

On Your Mark…Get Set…GROW! New VA Coaching Program – Get Your FREE Trial!

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:05:56 +0000

Ready to take charge of your business for success in 2012? Consider my new group coaching program starting in January!

Are you stuck? Do you feel like you’re missing something in moving your business forward?

If you’re like most VA professionals (or prospective VAs), you’re very good at what you do; however, you haven’t mastered the business aspects that can take your business to the next level. What’s missing; what’s not your strong suit; what can you do NOW to make sure that you’re in a strong and growing business for years to come?

Before we go any further, let’s agree that you’ve done nothing wrong; that you started this business because you had superior talents to offer prospective clients; and that you just need to find the knowledge and establish a system that will provide the results that haven’t been a part of your success, no matter what you do or try.

There is a solution…there is help. What if you could start making more money without working so hard; without having to design your business a certain way, but were able to get real solutions to growing your practice to fit your dream business model?

There’s certainly no ‘one-size-fits-all’ option for a VA practice, and you shouldn’t have to work with VA teams, donate hours of your time to your coach’s clients that the coach gets paid handsomely for, or work with third world country providers in order to make more money and model your business based on someone else’s ‘system’. Whatever your reason for wanting your own business, you can have a business on your terms, and in record time.

Are you ready to take the steps you need to lead the life you deserve?

Ever wonder why some VAs seem to have an easier time of things?

Do you still get overwhelmed when considering a price increase?

Are you still charging the same rates as you did 3-years ago?

Have you considered packages, the latest thing in VA programs, but don’t know where to start?

What consistent marketing are you using and how successful is it?

If this sounds like you, then my Virtual Assistance Inner Track program may be the perfect fit to increase your success in 2012! And I’ll even let you try the program for one month FREE!

Try a one-month free trial inmy Virtual Assistance Inner Track program that provides everything you need to take the steps necessary to build the business of your dreams and lead the life you’ve always imagined! Here’s what you’ll receive during the trial program:

· One month’s direct access to my monthly teleseminar sessions for VAs, discussing in detail the topics as outlined on our home page at http://www.VAbizcoach.com ;

· One month of direct access to ask me any question you want on how to successfully take your business to the next level. This Q&A session will take place at the end of each month’s teleconference call;

· An audio recording of each month’s teleconference sent to you by email;

· A highlight of each month’s teleconference sent to you via email;

· Direct access to call me during my special monthly call-in times. I’ve set aside two hours each month for my Inner Track members to reserve telephone coaching appointments with me. If you reserve an appointment with me, we’ll work together on your business in a private coaching session. This is on a first-come first-served basis for Inner Track members who take action every month and reserve appointments with me immediately. Members who wait may find that they’ve all previously been taken by other members.

Check out our monthly topics at: http://www.VAbizcoach.com and find more information about the free trial and on-going program. Live sessions are held the Third Thursday of every month beginning at 3:00 PM Eastern!

Once you become a member of Jeannine’s Virtual Assistance Inner Track, you will also receive access to these additional bonuses to create explosive business results:

· Access to our Online Community which includes coaching lessons, resources/information about growing your practice, audios/videos, a discussion group listserve, and fresh information every month (Priceless)

· Two free reports to continue to expand your business knowledge ($75 value)

· 30-minute one-on-one coaching session ($75 value)

· And more…

This is not like anything else you’ve been exposed to, no matter whose coaching program you’ve tried. Put my more than 14-years of business experience in the VA industry to work for YOU!

Visit http://vabizcoach.com/inner-track.html to find out more and apply for your FREE trial. After your FREE trial you can call or E-mail Jeannine at anytime (at least 10-days before the next call) if you no longer want to continue your membership in the program. And, if you continue in the program after your free trial, your credit card will be billed just $47 monthly, for each month you remain in the program.

There’s no long-term contractual agreement to stay in the program for any amount of time, but I know you’ll want to if you’re really ready to focus on improving and being accountable to growing your business.

Don’t wait any longer to re-invent your business and increase your success in 2012! You have nothing to lose by giving us a try. Visit: http://www.VAbizcoach.com and take the plunge. You’ll be so glad you did.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

On Your Mark…Get Set…GROW! New VA Coaching Program – Get Your FREE Trial! is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow A Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice RELEASED in Kindle and eBook formats!

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:54:56 +0000

We are pleased to announce that the Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow a Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice – in Kindle and eBook versions has been released.

“We had to make several adjustments and offer the contracts and forms as a separately requested download, to successfully offer a Kindle version that we’re sure will be a welcome addition,” said Co-Author, Jeannine Clontz, “But the eBook was a natural offering for our tech-savvy readers!”

The eBook version is available only at the Entrepreneurial Freedom website, at: http://entrepreneurialfreedom.com/order/, and there is also a link to the Kindle version (only $9.99) on the same page. Purchases of all versions, except the eBook are also available at Amazon.com.

For a limited time (through December 31, 2011) the print version of the Second Edition, book and companion workbook are being offered at a 20% discount. This discount is not available on Amazon.com purchases.

Get your copies here:

Entrepreneurial Freedom – Paperback – https://www.createspace.com/3614006

Discount code: J7S85URA

Entrepreneurial Freedom – Companion Workbook – https://www.createspace.com/3656289

Discount Code: J7S85URA

Whether you’re just getting started or ready to take the next steps to grow your practice; this book will help you decide whether or not you have what it takes, and give step-by-step details, information and resources to building a successful and ethical business. This book teaches you to:

Use business plans; contracts; and record keeping
Develop your Brand
Network
Handle difficult clients
Collect from non-paying clients
Develop a ‘professional’ YOU
Create a marketing plan
Use social media to expand and grow
Grow your business with employees or independent contractors
Shorten your learning curve by reading the real-life experiences of 21 established, professional entrepreneurs
And much, much more!

The print book and companion workbook are also used for an online 10-week teleclass offered by co-author, Jeannine Clontz. Our next class starts in January 2012 – for more information visit: http://vabizcoach.com/starters.html

Now is a great time to start a Virtual Assistance practice, or take your business to the next level. Find out what our readers have to say about Entrepreneurial Freedom: http://entrepreneurialfreedom.com/comments and then order your copy TODAY!

Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow A Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice RELEASED in Kindle and eBook formats! is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Join Me – Host for our first ever IVAA Australia Coffee Chat – 5:30 PM Melbourne 10/17

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:56:13 +0000

Join me, Monday, October 17, at 5:30 PM Melbourne, as I host our first ever, IVAA Australia Coffee Chat. I am so looking forward to speaking with current and soon-to-be virtual assistants from Down Under as we share business challenges, resources, and have an informal chat about anything participants would like to discuss during this open forum.

We’ll also be sharing information about the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA.org), the premier industry association representing the interests of Virtual Assistants (VAs) in Australia and worldwide.

Find out about the benefits of membership, how the Association promotes the industry and educates prospects on the value and benefits of working with VAs, as well as, their commitment to providing education and certifications to savvy VAs looking to strengthen and grow their businesses.

To register to attend this event (which will be held every Monday at 5:30 PM Melbourne) click on the link below or copy/paste it into your Internet browser. Once you register, you will receive a reminder each week to attend these free IVAA Australia Coffee Chats unless you opt-out.

Registration Web Link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/999467442

Remember, everyone is welcome! You do NOT have to be a member of IVAA.org to participate.

Join me, it’s going to be a fun time and a great way to get answers to those burning business questions and challenges from me, and other VAs who are more than willing to support and encourage you to keep your business growing!

Join Me – Host for our first ever IVAA Australia Coffee Chat – 5:30 PM Melbourne 10/17 is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow A Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice RELEASED at 20% off!

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:10:45 +0000

We are pleased to announce that the Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow a Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice –paperback, as well as, the Companion Workbook have been released.

“When the First Edition was released in 2005, Social Media was just beginning to come on the scene and taking shape as a viable and reasonably priced option for marketing a small business, like a VA practice, said Jeannine Clontz, Co-Author. That, plus a host of new and improved options for running a home-based business had come of age and caused us to believe the timing was right to expand the book into these important areas.”

To kick-start sales of the Second Edition, authors Clontz and Hidden are offering a 20% discount for all paperback sales of the book and companion workbook.

Get your copies here:

Entrepreneurial Freedom – Paperback - https://www.createspace.com/3614006

Discount code: J7S85URA

Entrepreneurial Freedom – Companion Workbook - https://www.createspace.com/3656289

Discount Code: mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#1F497D;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">J7S85URA

COMING SOON! In the next few weeks we will be releasing an eBook and Kindle version of Entrepreneurial Freedom – stay tuned!

Business Essentials For a Virtual Assistance Practice – a 10-week in-depth training program!

If you’re just getting your business started, or frustrated with the slow growth you’re experiencing, let Entrepreneurial Freedom help grow your business in the right direction.

Our next training class utilizing the book and workbook will begin on October 19^th (to accommodate the IVAA Online Summit – then switching to Thursdays beginning October 27th) and end December 29^th (We will not meet on Thanksgiving Day) – find out more and reserve your spot at: http://vabizcoach.com/starters.html Please note, the cost of your book and workbook for the class are included in the price of the program.

Are you ready to take the plunge?
Are you ready to create the business of your dreams?
Read on…

The Business Essentials for a Virtual Assistance Practice program, is a ten-week course (60-90-minutes per week) designed to take you step-by-step through the process of starting or growing your VA practice. Utilizing the companion workbook, you’ll quickly see how it will allow you to formulate your ideas, plans, and dreams.

Beyond the scope of knowledge covered in each Chapter, you’ll also have access to the results of our VA survey, sample documents and contracts. Everything you’ll need to get your small business off the ground and growing in the right direction.

Each week we will go in-depth covering all the information in each Chapter, assist you in developing your workbooks, and there will even be two sessions completely devoted to Q&A.

BUT THERE’S MORE!
Here’s what I Promise You This WILL Be

This is a hands-on, no-pitch, “Get ‘er Done” Program

This is going to be a very different kind of program than you may be accustomed to. It’s going to be “all Jeannine, all the time.” There will NOT be a parade of people trying to sell you piles of stuff. This is NOT a case where the program is a ‘come on’ so you’ll buy something else. It’s going to be high-content, focused content, where you’ll get everything you need to get your business going and get out of your own way in getting there.

This program is geared ONLY toward entrepreneurs and solopreneurs working together, laughing together and growing together. I will help you create breakthroughs and teach you how to setup and grow a profitable VA practice while you will create amazing relationships and networking opportunities that will help build your confidence and build a business where you can make more money and have more time off to enjoy it all.

Because isn’t that what this is all about? Isn’t that WHY you want to be, or are in business for yourself? If you don’t see a way to have money, time and freedom right now, you may as well go back and get a corporate job.

Find out more and sign-up TODAY! http://vabizcoach.com/starters.html

Second Edition of Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow A Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice RELEASED at 20% off! is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

5 Strategies to Achieve Your Goals (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:00:47 +0000

Last week we talked about getting a friend to keep us accountable; making sure we stay positive about achieving our goal, and to make it public to keep us on track.

We close out this week with our final two strategies to realize our goals.

Chart your goal’s progress.

I’ve already shared with you the importance of measuring your progress. A great motivation is to create a visual graphic to represent your progress towards your goal. Think of those thermometers that elementary schools place outside on a busy road, measuring how close they are to achieving their fund-raising goal for the new community pool or library. A similar, physical chart that you can update with progress will do wonders to keep your attention focused.

When you’re doing this step, think outside the box. If you’re trying to spend more time at the gym, why not post a map of the US on your wall, and draw an inch from one coast to the other for each hour you spend on the treadmill? If you’re increasing your income, place a penny in a jar on your desk for each $10 or $100 you earn. These visual reminders are fun ways to keep your goals in the forefront of your mind.

Get expert advice.

We often think we need to do everything on our own. Nothing could be further from the truth! Alcoholics Anonymous has sponsors, Michael Phelps has a coach, and Jack Welch had an advisory board. No one has to be alone in their goal-setting efforts. Trying to eat healthier? Nutritionists will help you fine-tune your diet. Working out to get fit? Trainers will help you find the most effective exercises to achieve your physical goals.

There are business mentors and coaches who can help you figure out social media, launch a new information product, or streamline your finances. You can also find tons of books, videos, and websites to help you reach your goal, no matter what your goal happens to be. Don’t go it alone. Someone else has already invented that wheel and is ready to help you use it!

Now that your motivation is revved up, share some of your goal setting successes, or challenges by leaving a comment below.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

5 Strategies to Achieve Your Goals (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:56:53 +0000

Last time we discussed the top five mistakes to avoid when marketing your business, here are the final five!

6. Your message isn’t clear. Always test it out on current clients, peers, or family/friends to be sure it’s not confusing or misses the point you’re trying to make.

7. Untimely message. If you’re looking to build some business during the holiday season, make sure you’re giving prospects enough time to respond. Don’t release your holiday special two weeks before the holiday, start building momentum at least two months in advance.

8. No call to action. If you’re not giving the prospect a reason to contact you, you’re missing the mark. Create a sense of urgency with a deadline, or something extra if they respond by this date; anything that engages them and asks them to do something more.

9. Not marketing to your current clients. We sometimes forget that our current clients may not know about new services or products we have available, or, perhaps they have someone to refer. Don’t leave them out of your regular marketing efforts.

10. Not managing/collecting results. How can you know if something you’re using is yielding a return on investment? You need to ask every single prospect how they found you; or build in something in your call to action that will tell you exactly how you connected. Keep track on a simple spreadsheet and check in periodically to get the biggest ROI for your marketing dollars.

So how many of my ten mistakes resonated with you? Two, four, none? Take steps now to correct these mistakes and you’ll start seeing more, better qualified, leads, connecting to your business.

Have a few challenges I missed – share them by leaving a comment below!

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Six Mistakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:45:01 +0000

Last time we addressed three of my Six Mistakes – not being realistic, challenging or specific enough. Here are the final three mistakes to avoid when setting your goals.

Not under your control.

Several years ago, I set a goal to publish a book with a major New York publisher. I wrote the manuscript, edited it, submitted it to an agent, and got rejected by that and 20 additional agents I submitted it to I felt like a complete failure because I hadn’t met my goal of publishing a book.

The problem with this goal was that it was outside my control. I could set a goal about finishing, editing and submitting a book, but I couldn’t count on an agent picking up my book, or a publisher publishing it. It was totally outside of my control! A better goal would have been “submit a complete manuscript to 20 agents this year.” THAT I could control and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.

Not measurable.

Just like goals that aren’t specific enough, goals that aren’t measurable are impossible to meet. Let’s say that your goal is to become a famous blogger. Great dream, but how will you measure that? You need an objective standard by which to measure your progress, so you can tell when you’ve achieved your goal. If your goal isn’t measurable, it isn’t a good goal.

Not what you really wanted.

Let’s say you set a specific goal that is measurable. You invest a lot of time and energy in your goal, and you do it!

But instead of feeling like a million bucks, you find you’re disappointed. You said you wanted to create an affiliate program for your new product, and you did it – but why don’t you feel like you’ve accomplished something? Perhaps you set the wrong goal.

Like a college grad who ends up in law school because her dad told her it was a good idea. She didn’t have another goal or plan in mind, and finds herself falling into a plan she didn’t want. Sometimes we fall into goals and hold onto them to the bitter end.

Before you set a goal and dedicate resources towards its completion, make sure you’ve chosen the RIGHT goal. .

You’re now aware of the biggest mistakes in goal-setting and how to avoid them. Next week we’ll discuss how to measure your progress.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Six Mistakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Six Misakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part One)

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:49:09 +0000

In my experience, these are the main mistakes we make when setting goals.

Not realistic.

Sometimes, you set goals that are perfectly reasonable – until you set a timeline on them. For instance, losing 20 pounds. is great. Doing so by next Friday? Probably not very realistic.

I’ve found especially with new entrepreneurs, that they tend to overestimate the amount they can accomplish in a short period of time. Learning curves – particularly online – can be steep, and unexpected obstacles arise. Then, these setbacks cause you to get discouraged and abandon the whole project because your original estimates weren’t met.

Let me say this: things rarely go as planned – in business or in life. When setting your goals, build in some wiggle room that will allow you to handle unanticipated delays. In other words, expect the unexpected and plan for it.

Not challenging enough.

The converse of the unrealistic goal is setting goals that aren’t enough of a stretch. It may seem smart to set very low expectations, but in actuality it can undermine your motivation. What’s so great about running half a mile when you know you could easily run 10 times that much? It’s hard to be proud of your accomplishments when you know you could have done much better.

Not specific.

If your goal is not specific enough, you’re going to have trouble meeting it and being motivated by it. If your goal is a vague statement such as “lose weight,” you could lose half a pound and call it a day.

Is that satisfactory? Or, you could lose 20 pounds and feel disappointed. How do you know if you’ve achieved a goal if the goal is as vague as “lose weight?” If you’re not feeling motivated by your goal, try making your goal more specific.

Next week our final three mistakes. Meanwhile, share your thoughts and ideas about your goals by leaving a comment below.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Six Misakes We Make When Setting Goals (Part One) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

How to Set Attainable Goals

Jeannine Clontz — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:53:03 +0000

Unfortunately, not every goal is a good goal. Goal-setting is a skill which can be broken down into three easily defined, concrete steps:

Brainstorm your big objective.

What are you trying to accomplish professionally or personally? Create a new product line? Streamline a process? Outsource some of your tasks? At this step, we’re trying to get to your highest-level goal, so when you name something, ask yourself, “WHY?”

For instance, if you say, “I want to create a new information product,” then ask yourself, “Why?” You may answer, “So I can make money.” That may seem like a logical endpoint, but don’t stop there, go further.

Ask yourself “WHY” you want to make money and you’ll see that there are a variety of possible motivators. You may say you want to make more money so you can:

- Quit your day job.
- Take a vacation and pay cash.
- Pay off debt.
- Buy a new car.

Each one of these objectives is slightly different, and is going to result in a slightly different path to success. Knowing your “WHY” helps you determine your “HOW.”

Define your goal in specific language.

But that’s still not enough! In order to set an excellent goal, you need to know EXACTLY how much money you want to make.

Use losing weight as an example. Instead of the vague “I want to lose weight so I feel better,” say, “I want to lose 20 pounds in six months so I can fit into my new bathing suit, jeans, etc. The more specific and detailed you make your goal, the easier it is to visualize and measure your progress.

Here’s another example. Let’s say your goal is to outsource as much of your business as you can. Your “Why” is to save you time so you have the ability to create new products, ultimately make more money and quit your day job.

You may state a simple goal like “I want to outsource 50% of my tasks.” Outsourcing is a worthy objective, but it’s not a good goal. Because your real goal is to save time, you want to define your goal in terms of hours. A better goal would be, “I want to outsource enough work so I save myself 4 hours a day.” This goal is much more defined and specific – and related to your higher-level objective!

Set a time-frame for your goal.

What if your goal was to make $10,000 to pay off your credit card debt? Do you want that money by next year, next month, or by the time you retire? Each of those scenarios will result in very different strategies.

Putting a time-frame to a goal gives it an inherent sense of urgency, and helps us better attain our goals.

Goal-setting isn’t a scary, overwhelming, or extremely difficult task. In fact, it’s pretty simple when you break it down into steps. But it is still possible to make mistakes when creating and defining your goals. In the coming weeks we’ll discuss mistakes in goal-setting, and what you can do to avoid them.

Ready to take the plunge? Join us for my Get Goaling program and we’ll keep you accountable and setting and achieving your goals to make 2011 your best year EVER – visit: http://www.VAbizcoach.com for more.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

How to Set Attainable Goals is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog