August 2008
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| This month..
I have a guest writer this month. Sharon has shared articles on ACS News before and she always has great information. Enjoy the read!
Changes on the horizon You are on my database for any number of reasons - you became a member of my Virtual Assistant team, you are a VA Trainer student, a client who sought support from my team, perhaps you filled out my contact form, signed up for my newsletter or blog or purchased a product. For this reason I needed to update you of some changes taking place shortly that may affect your listing on my database. Technology is always changing and things always need updating. Websites and the systems behind them included. This month I am having a new shopping cart system installed on my server and over the next month or so you may see some changes with respect to how subscriptions are handled, sales on the website are processed and emails delivered. For those who are receiving online courses, you'll continue to receive as normal and I'll be making the transition with new students as they come on board. Affiliates will also be contacted and advised of the new links to be placed on their sites. Additionally some visual changes will be made on the site and I have a brand new logo that will be phased in as well. So you may see some changes on the site next time you visit. ACS members will be able to make use of the new logo that's been designed and VA Trainer graduates can use the new logo that was recently launched for that purpose. Have a great month everyone! Kathie M. Thomas Business Mistakes to Avoid By Sharon Housley Small businesses and entrepreneurs often repeat the same mistakes. If you are an entrepreneur, the following is a list of critical mistakes to avoid in your new venture: 1. Promising The World Entrepreneurs will commonly make bold promises that are often impossible to actually deliver. It is important that you stay grounded in reality, and only agree to things that you know you can actually deliver. 2. Lack Of Discipline Owning a business takes commitment and self-discipline. Since you are "the boss" you probably won't be disciplined for things like not showing up for work on time... but such things will have a negative impact on your business. It is important that entrepreneurs treat their business just like a real business, and not like a personal hobby. Act professional, charge for your services, and be accountable for the product or service provided. Self-discipline is critical to being self-employed. 3. Lack Of Focus Remain focused on your core business philosophy, and don't attempt to be everything to everyone. Decide what your strengths and business focus are, and use that strength and focus to build the foundation for your core business. 4. Doing It All While most small business owners are jacks-of-all-trades, it is important to know your limits. Do not try to do it all. In many situations, it is much better to hire someone or outsource a project than attempt to reinvent the wheel or do something yourself that you are simply not qualified to do. 5. Undervaluing Product Or Service Small businesses often make the mistake of undervaluing their product or service. If an item or service is priced too inexpensively, it may be viewed to be of inferior quality. Conduct a cost analysis, and consider split-testing to find the appropriate price point for your product or service. 6. Hiring Family It is natural for a small business owner to want to hire family members, but this is often a very costly mistake. If you do hire family members, be sure to make it clear from the beginning that business is business. Employment should not effect your personal relationships -- that is very easy to say, but unfortunately it often does effect your personal and family relationships. Additionally, other employees may resent favoritism paid to a family member who is given priority. And sadly, favoritism of a family member can often be perceived by other employees, even when it doesn't actually exist. Think long and hard before venturing down this path. 7. Copying The Competition Copying the competition is certainly far easier to do than creating something new. However, that does not mean that it is a good thing to do. 8. Tracking Advertising It is important to track and measure the success or failure of any advertising campaigns. If you do not track your advertising, you will not really know what works and what does not, and you could be throwing good money after bad. 9. Not Having A Plan It is important that you have goals, and a plan for your business. Use the plan to guide the direction of your business. 10. Failure To Invest You have to spend money in order to make money. Many entrepreneurs fail to invest in their business, yet expect instant success. Building a business takes time, effort, and both a personal and a financial investment. 11. Inability To Adapt Many small businesses change over the years. You must be willing to adapt to the changing needs of a business, and to the changing needs of your customers, in order to survive in the the business world. Launching a business is an exciting and rewarding experience. Just be careful to avoid the above pitfalls on your way to success. About the Author: Thought for the day: "The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed." - Lloyd Jones Master Networking Sick and tired of attending networking events that don't work? Need a speaker for your event? “Worth More Than Rubies is a great starting place for moms who desire to work from home. Packed full of practical, useful information as well as the story of Kathie's own journey, I know this will bless many, many women.” "Kathie is a brilliant woman! I belong to a common forum with her. She is a huge inspiration!" Kathie M. Thomas gives women permission to return home and shares with the audience how she did exactly that, bringing up 5 daughters, while establishing a new industry, using skills she'd developed in the corporate world for over 20 years. Where is Kathie speaking this month? 11 August 2008 (US EST)/12 August @ 10am AEST 14 August 2008 (US EST)/15 August @ 10am AEST Kathie can speak at your next meeting, seminar or conference on:
What is a Virtual Assistant? We are as close to you as your computer and can do almost anything traditional support staff do - except virtually. You don't need to provide office space, equipment, software or furniture - we have our own! Location no issue as the work is carried out 'virtually' no matter where you are! However, if you need someone locally we can supply. See our list at VA Directory We have a new resource for the VA Industry called VANetwork News. If you're interested in what's happening, or would like to know more about the industry, then please do visit! There are opportunities for suppliers of services and products to sponsor the newsletter. Make sure you visit OIVAC for their upcoming convention in May! A fantastic 3 day online conference with speakers from many different countries - there is sure to be a topic of interest to you! |
I have a number of changes on the horizon and you'll see some of them soon! As a result this newsletter is being sent to everyone on my database to notify you of those changes.
Updated: August 12, 2008 Copyright (C) 2005. All rights reserved. Web design by ACS Web Services