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, [...]

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 [...]

Many of you broke into a sweat after reading the title, didn’t you? Most Virtual Assistants I work with don’t have a plan because they believe it’s too hard, too time consuming, or they just don’t know where to start. Creating a good marketing plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming, or costly, but it will save [...]

Few social networks sum up public discourse more effectively than Twitter. Thanks to its short-form nature and enormous audience, a single topic of discussion can often evolve into a completely natural case study for marketers. Be it immense disapproval or the immense success of a single principle, Twitter offers a unique look into conversation. But [...]

I met Louise Crooks the Keys to Clarity Coach on Twitter and it turned into a wonderful and fun interview (podcast) about how coaches can find the right Virtual Assistant. Enjoy! http://bit.ly/b2Fa2v      

Both my husband and daughter struggle with this one. They are both very stubborn and when their mind is set they refuse to let go. Having your own business does allow you to be the one and only decision-maker, however, you do have to interact with clients, prospects and peers, all of whom have different opinions, personalities, [...]

This to me is HUGE. So many of the VAs I work with who don’t stay in business, or whose business stagnates, are those with low self-esteem, or negative attitudes. Remember earlier when we discussed surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people? You have to be positive and supportive, too. When I started, I didn’t have extremely low [...]

This is a biggie! The definition of entrepreneur is: “One who organizes and assumes the risk of a business or enterprise.” – and the buck stops there. You are totally responsible for every facet of your business. It’s all on your shoulders. Any mistakes that are made – your mistakes. Any successes or achievement, yours. But having a true entrepreneur’s mindset is [...]

Many small businesses start by offering to be the ‘lowest priced’ service provider. What could possibly be wrong with this thinking? Won’t you get all the clients you ever want or need? Won’t they be loyal to you as long as you keep your prices low? This methodology can be extremely damaging to the long-term health and wealth [...]

We’ve already discussed the risks of starting your own business, but another thing that many times may hold you back from true success are your beliefs. If you believe that you can only make a meager living in this business, then you most likely will. When I first started my business it was meant to be [...]