I think I found it!

I have been on a search for an online collaborative tool to use in my VA business. Well I think I may have found it!! It's called Teambox - Open Source Collaboration. Check out this quick tour and you'll see why I'm so happy. Did I mention it's OPEN SOURCE!!!!

YEAH IT WORKED!! on to the next one...

Testing out the ping.fm app

Trying out my new app Ping.fm

Calling all Triangle Area Virtual Assistants

As a Virtual Assistant I have benefited a great deal from some of the virtual VA communities. After "meeting" a few local VA's we figured why don't we get out from in front of our computers and get together for some coffee to share some of our experiences; and possibly start a referal network right here in the triangle.

If you're VIrtual Assistant in the Research Triangle area looking for other VA's, considering becoming a VA, or if you're Virtual Assistant just interested in having a good cup of coffee with other like-minded professionals let me know.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Thinking about creating a Press Kit?

Today at our Coffee and Contacts meeting (a fabulous women's networking group here in NC) we were discussing how to get even more from our group. Elizabeth Witherspoon, our resident writer and PR specialist, suggested that we each bring in folders containing an assortment of marketing materials to aid in the referral process.

In other words, Elizabeth was suggesting we all bring in a media kit for our businesses.

Of course we all thought it was a great idea, but some of us needed a little direction on how to put one together. So I volunteered to send out a template/recipe to get the ladies started (I can't help it I'm a VA after all).

In my info gathering I came across a great article at Entrepreneur.com that does a GREAT job laying out the pieces of a press kit as well as giving concise explanations of their respective purposes.

So instead of recreating the wheel I figured I'd just share the article with you.

Without further ado... http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/publicrelations/prbasics/article57260.html

SEO in Plain English

I was reading last month's issue of Inc. Magazine, in the Ask Inc. section I stumbled upon what may be the best plain English SEO explanation and some pretty good advice from the Inc. staff.

"Q: We have created a new website, and we would like to incorporate the best practices in search-engine optimization. Do we need to hire an SEO firm, or can we do things on our own?

Jason Duff
CEO
Community Storage & Properties
Huntsville, Ohio

A: Clearly, it's pointless to have a site that's all dressed up with no place to go. But SEO firms can charge anywhere from a few thousand dollars to more than $100,000, depending on the project. Fortunately, there are cheaper ways to give your new site the head start it deserves, and you have a friend in Google.

But first, you must see yourself through Google's eyes. At Google Webmaster Tools (google.com/webmasters), you can submit pages for indexing by the mighty engine. The service analyzes your website and identifies the top search terms that lead visitors to your site. You can also create a site map to ensure that Google's Web crawlers know where to go when they swing by. Crawlers are text bigots: They can't read JavaScript, image files, and many types of Flash files. So sites that are image-heavy and use JavaScript can run into difficulties. "Yes, a picture may be worth a thousand words, but Google doesn't always know that," says Kevin Lee, co-founder and CEO of Didit, a search-engine marketing firm in Rockville Centre, New York. The solution: Add more text. In this situation, brevity is the soul of not being found.

If your site still fails to rise and shine, or if you are struggling with the technical stuff, it may be consultant time. Before you hire one, request references and call up previous customers to inquire about the dark side of their experiences, suggests Blake Brossman, founder of PetCareRx.com, a Lynbrook, New York-based online pet pharmacy. Brossman thinks he overpaid nine years ago when he hired a firm that charged by the hour to optimize his site. "They gave us a large-company approach for large-company dollars," he says. "It's better to set a fixed cost so you know the upside or downside." (On the other hand, don't pinch pennies by choosing someone toward the bottom of the nearly 1,500,000 Google results for "SEO consultant.")

And, hey, be real. You won't be top of the heap for the search term outdoor advertising. Maybe aim for outdoor advertising Ohio. And be patient -- results may take months to show up. The wait is worth it, says Brossman. "The right expert with the right solution can give you a lot of competitive advantages.""

Starting a Sucessful Business - First Things First

So you have this great idea or maybe you have an amazing skill that you want to share with the world. What is your first step towards turning it into a successful business?
Most people would say create a business plan, but they would be wrong.
The first step in building a successful business is to write your life plan. You have to make sure that your business objectives fit into you life objectives. The only way to to this is to write your life plan before you begin your business plan.

So what exactly is a life plan?
It's exactly what it sounds like, your plan for your life. This not the easiest thing to do, to sit down, dig deep, be completely honest with yourself and write down the things that are most important to you in life.
Where are you at now?
Where do want to be?
What do you love to do?
What are you good at?
What are you not so good at?
Answering these question will help you create the right business for you and your life.

For more info on life plans and how to use them check out these sites:
Create a Life Plan - StartupNation
How to Create a One-Page Plan for Your Life - WITI
The Well Balanced Life: Life Plan Worksheet - Inc.

Strength in numbers

So for the last few week I have been working with some fabulous small business owners to put together a fun and informative workshop for other SB owners. I know I should be telling you guys how great the workshop is going to be and how you all should rush over to our website and purchase you tickets, become a sponsor or purchase ad space but I'll save that for a later post ( just in case you just can't wait check out thecompletebusiness.com). This post is about how cool it's been working with partners.

Let me give you some background on the other other members of the group. We have a financial planner who is the brainchild of this whole venture; an online marketing guru; a results certified life coach; and me the business consultant extraordinaire. Doesn't that sound like the makings of a well thought out team!

Anyway. We get together and everything falls into place our background lent us to specific task. This allows us to focus on what we really do well, and even better we don't have to worry about the things we're not so good at.

Everything is coming together nicely. Take a look at our progress, thecompletebusiness.com.

The Power (and the Party) is in the Plan

It's the new year time to take a look at my business plan. I have to admit this not on the top of my list of tasks I was looking forward to attacking. So after doing almost everything else on my January to do list I pull up my business plan. I had to be honest with myself it was time for me to really evaluate my mission and my operation plan to make sure that it is in line with who I am and what my business is now. Over the last year I have grown a lot as a person and as a business owner and needed to make sure, no matter how painful, that my business plan reflected that.

So I brewed a hot pot of coffee and pulled up my plan. I was surprised how energized I felt after reading the Executive Summary. I was able to see where I was, what I had accomplished and how I wanted to grow. It was amazing! Here I thought it would be like going to the dentist, painful but necessary, and it turned out to be just what my business needed, just what I needed.

Before pulling out my plan I though t I need tot make a huge change in the direction and mission of my business. I was so focused on what I needed to do and what I didn't get done, I didn't really see all of my accomplishments. After being so focused on the negative I lost track of all of the cool things I had done last year. Like my friend and life coach Jessica Sabatini told me, I forgot to do one of the most important steps towards reaching my goals, to celebrate my success.

So one pot of coffee, a party playlist and at least 5 dance breaks later I feel like I rediscovered my business; the excitement and energy I felt when I started. I can see how great J2 will be with as long as I keep my plan current and stick to it.

Take a look at your plan and really use it as a tool to help you take stock, as a road map for your business not just a document necessary to qualify for financing. Have fun with it and watch your business grow.