Mindset – Page 4 – Virtual Assistant Success Strategies

Wil Hart on August 19, 2011

How to Take Care of Your Best Client…You!

There are a lot of moving parts to running a successful virtual assistant business. Because of that sometimes, it can be easy to forget about your most important client. That client is YOU! I want to make sure that you are not neglecting your greatest business asset which is your whole person. That includes your mental clarity, creativity, physical strength and energy level. How can you make sure that you have a healthy body and mind so that your business supports your lifestyle?

Here are a few important points to consider:

Exercise

When you exercise, your body thanks you for it. Moving around and getting your metabolism sped up is one of the best things that you can do for your body. It does not matter what fitness level you are in currently. You can simply start by taking walks, even if it’s just 20-30 minutes. Put on some comfy shoes and get to stepping! Walk so that you break a sweat and feel alive.

Do you know that you want to get into shape but do not know where to start? Consider working with a personal trainer. Check out a local gym and see what kind of professional guidance will suit you. If you are concerned about costs, think about how much time, money and missed opportunity it’s costing you to not take care of yourself. You’ll likely find that investing in yourself is a smart decision!

Exercising regularly will help you to enjoy:

Increased energy: We would all love to add a few more hours to each day. I’m still trying to figure out a way to make that happen for you. So, in the meantime, try a different strategy by increasing your energy so that you can get more done in the time that you do have.

Mental clarity: Exercising has a magical way of helping us to clear our mind. When you do cardio or weight training, you have an outlet for relieving stress and worry. You may even find that some of your best business ideas will come to you at these moments of clarity. I often do!

Strength: Your body has so many different systems, cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal just to name a few. An exercise program strengthens your whole body. This will give you greater endurance when you are home working diligently on serving your clients and growing your business.

Take Breaks

It is a disservice to you to sit in front of the computer all day. You owe it to yourself to get away from your computer and office for a while to get some peace of mind. If you are not careful, your home based business will become an uncontrollable beast! Believe me, I know from experience. I have a tendency to work too much. I have to work hard to detach myself from my desk several times a day. But I can also tell you that my absolute best efforts result when I set aside time for breaks.

Eat Well

It is so easy to get into the rut of awakening from sleep, starting work and going full throttle until you mentally and physically crash. That is not a healthy way to run a business. So, your first break of the day should be ‘breakfast’. You have been sleeping and thus fasting all night. When you wake up it is time to eat. This will provide the fuel you need to do great work for yourself and your clients. Be sure to schedule your second and third meals as it is appropriate for you.

Make no mistake about it; you are the greatest asset to your business. That means you are responsible for taking care of your family, your company and YOURSELF! If you are strong, vibrant and healthy, that will translate to you having a strong and thriving business. Take great care of yourself!

Wil Hart on August 12, 2011

Four Ways to Take Action NOW to Build a Successful Business

Once you setup your business and start moving out of “start-up” mode, you’ll want to turn your attention to “building” mode. Yes, you WANT a long-term sustainable business. You BELIEVE you can create success for years to come. Remember this quote: “There is something more important than believing; ACTION! The world is full of dreamers. Those who are successful will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to ACTUALIZE their vision” (- Unknown).

The first step in doing so is to define what success means for you. You want to get to that place and stay there. As an executive or admin assistant, you likely started out as a newbie in the corporate world. Over the years you found yourself going from supporting entry level personnel to C-Level executives. In that world, supporting the highest level executives may have been considered by you as “Success Status”. You want to reach that same level, but this time it will be created by you in your own business.

Building your business and growing it to support the lifestyle you want is the whole point of becoming an entrepreneur. In order to build your business, you will need to do a few things very well:

Market Consistently: In our recent article on marketing, you learned how to reach out to your warm market. That is the group of people who already know, like and trust you. They are your family, friends and former colleagues. Congratulations if you have received clients in this way! Now it is time to step up your marketing. You need to know who your target market is and who your ideal client is.

Your target market is the industry or profession on which you focus your marketing efforts. For instance, if you decided that you want to focus on working with fitness professionals. That would be your target market. Now you can focus all of your marketing attention on that specific group. You can easily find networking events where fitness professionals spend time. They will be at conferences that you can attend. Your marketing collateral will speak directly to this group. It will help them to see that you are the expert who can help them to solve their specific problems.

Your ideal client is the one type of person in that target market that you are best suited to work with. This person has traits that inspire you to do your best work. Being clear on your ideal client will assist you in ALL of the marketing that you do going forward. It will affect where you direct your speaking engagements, social media marketing, blog writing, networking and everything else.

Your marketing efforts will be focused, consistent and effective when you follow this sound piece of advice.

Set Up Systems: Installing systems in your business will allow you to dramatically build your business. It will save you time, energy and resources. Why? It is because you will know exactly what steps to take when you perform any task in your business. This includes billing and receiving payments, enrolling new clients, dumping less than ideal clients, working with sub-contractor VAs, managing business cards that you collect when networking, knowing what to say when following up with prospects, closing new deals and the list goes on and on. All repetitive activity in your business deserves to have a system set up to make your life and that of your clients much more enjoyable.
Upgrade Your Skill Set: What got you HERE, won’t get you THERE. No doubt you were a sharp corporate employee. The skills you possessed are what allowed you to create your business in the first place. Now that you are growing your business, your fee structure should be commensurate with your skill set and the solutions you offer to your clients. When you worked as an EA, you likely had a yearly review. Your manager expressed to you whether you met the expectations for the position or not. That meeting likely determined if you received a raise or not.

In your own business, you will need to keep growing in knowledge and skill. One of your clients may want to sell products from their website. One skill you may want to develop is setting up and managing a shopping cart. Some of your clients may need help with managing the distribution of their weekly email newsletter. Therefore, you will want to learn how to utilize a database such as iContact. Make it a priority to look at what services will make your client’s lives easier and then invest in learning the necessary skills to offer those services so that you can increase your value (and your fees).

Build Momentum: There are so many different services that you can provide as a Virtual Assistant. That is why this industry is exploding with opportunity. You have started your business and that is EXCELLENT. Great job! Now is the time to turn up the heat and make your mark as an entrepreneur. If you market your business consistently, set up systems and learn new skills, you will be poised for phenomenal growth. All of this is based on what your level of Success Status means for you. Set your course and shoot for the stars!

We cover these topics in depth in the Successful VA 2.0 Mentoring Program. It is quite a hit with an excited, brand new group of 53 students. If you would like to join us, you still can, just visit www.SuccessfulVA.com to secure your spot and get instant access to the program materials. We look forward to welcoming you!

Wil Hart on July 15, 2011

How to Develop the Mindset for Success

Do you have a “CAN DO,” “WILL SUCCEED AT ALL COSTS” type of mindset? Is it natural for you to lead yourself towards your goals no matter what negative signals you receive from naysayers?

What is your response to those first two questions?

Your response could very we be the determining factor as to how quickly and easily you accomplish your goal of becoming a successful VA. Entrepreneurs are pioneers! We are willing to travel in unchartered territory. We blast through walls and fight against the odds.

This article is for the aspiring Successful Virtual Assistant. Let me define the word “aspiring.” If you would like to start your own Virtual Assistance company, that is an aspiration. If you are already a Virtual Assistant, but have not reached the success that you desire, that is an aspiration.

Might your mindset be holding you back? What type of conversations do you have with yourself? Every person goes through the process of convincing herself of success or failure, victory or defeat. The self-talk of some people will even tell them, “you don’t have to push too hard, we can coast right here in the middle.”

Mindset for Success

To be successful as an entrepreneur, you need to train your mind to speak in a positive way. When I started my company, I would not imagine anything but my version of success. My success meant the following:

Time freedom
Financial freedom
Working with ideal clients of my choice
Going on vacations when I wanted to

There was nothing that could prevent me from reaching that goal and continuing that journey. More than six years later, I’m still building the life of my dreams with two of my own companies. When I was a child, my parents told my brother and me to expunge the word “CAN’T” from our vocabularies. That lifelong lesson continues to serve me well.

What are you telling yourself? It is imperative that you analyze your internal conversations. That is the key to what is on your mind and how you feel about accomplishing your goals in life. You must train your mind to believe that you can accomplish whatever it is that you WANT in life. (In case you haven’t noticed by now, this topic is much bigger than running your own business – it’s about LIFE).

So, I ask again, do you want to build a successful Virtual Assistance company? Do you have the fortitude to overcome all obstacles and trials? If your answer is “YES”, then you are already on the right track. But, remember that your resilience will be tested constantly.

I do not know what type of mindset you already possess. I do know, however, the mindset that you need to develop and maintain in order to start and grow a sustainable business. You do not just want to “be in business”, but you want to THRIVE in business. You want the type of business that will allow you to create the lifestyle that reflects your definition of success.

Remember the words of Henry Ford:

“Whether you think you CAN or you can’t, YOU ARE RIGHT!

Wil Hart on July 1, 2011

Break Through Discouragement and Get Back on Track

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Perception is reality.” And while it may mean different things to different people, today I want to focus on how our limiting beliefs, self-doubt and negative thoughts all play a part in creating a successful business. Even if you think these feelings are only tied to your personal life – think again. They can (and will) interfere with your business.

Why?

As a Virtual Assistant, your personal and business lives are often completely intertwined. It is important to recognize this potential problem because it could actually be holding you back in achieving the business success you are looking for. For example, let’s say you are just plain discouraged with your life right now.

Perhaps your personal life is less than stellar – maybe you haven’t had a date in awhile, or you and your significant other have been at odds with each other lately. Then, you start to focus on the things “wrong” with your life and you get discouraged with everything, including your business. You start to think that you can’t be as successful as you want to be because of your competition, lack of knowledge or lack of funds to take a continuing education course, or whatever.

Once you get “down in the dumps” about yourself and your business, that’s exactly what you project to everyone else. That in and of itself will limit your progress. That negative energy you are putting out into the world around you will only attract more negative energy.

So how do you fix this?

First acknowledge that you are discouraged and don’t beat yourself up over it. All of us can get discouraged now and again. But once you realize this is the case with you, make the decision to “turn the corner” and focus your attention on resolving the issues at hand.

Often we make situations more complicated than necessary because we over-think matters and ignore simple solutions. Don’t fall into this trap! Make the decision to view things differently. Give yourself the space to calmly and objectively think about the situation. Talk out your feelings with a trusted confidant to clear your mind. Decide on a resolution, take action and pat yourself on the back for doing so!

Also, get support from fellow VAs who can relate to your business challenges and personal circumstances. Consider teaming up with an accountability buddy, joining a mastermind group or hiring a coach to ensure you are making progress in your business. At the very least connect with others in the EAtoVA community by getting involved in our LinkedIn group. All of this “mental cleanup” and trusted support will help you get clarity in your personal and business life.

Once you’ve gained clarity, moved away from discouragement and start to take positive action, you will see your personal and business life flourish. Even in seemingly small ways.

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think can or think you can’t you’re right!” So, you have to put yourself in a place to attract and receive success. Remember, the only way to do this is to break through the negative beliefs that you have. You’re not the only one; we ALL have them in one form or another. You’re not crazy. You’re not destined for “failure”. You are human.

How you choose to deal with the challenges will set you apart from those who “wish” they had it together and those that actually do. Your version of success is right in front of you, there for the taking. So, don’t stand in your own way and let it pass you by!

I’d love to know what you think about this week’s article and how we as a community can support you in achieving your goals. Stop by the blog to comment and share your thoughts!

Your Action Plan For The Week:

Watch for any tendencies to over think your problems. If you find yourself getting down in the dumps, acknowledge it and talk out your feelings with a trusted confidant or accountability partner.
Make a decision to think about things differently. Once you’ve given yourself space to gain clarity, focus on looking for simple solutions to your challenges.
Take action! The best way to break through a negative belief is to take ONE step toward your goals. Prove yourself wrong by taking action.
Get support from your community. Get involved in the EAtoVA LinkedIN group (it’s completely FR*EE!) so you have access to advice and support from people who understand what you’re going through.

Wil Hart on June 10, 2011

5 Ways to Manage Your Day and Increase Your Income

Time.

It’s the most precious resource we have and one of the very few that cannot be replaced. For Virtual Assistants looking to create a highly successful, lifestyle-focused business it is essential that we use the gift of time well so that we can achieve our goals. Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on June 3, 2011

How to Break Through Your Challenges and Get Back in Gear

If you have felt “stuck” with where you’re at in your VA business, especially as it relates to accomplishing the goals you’ve set for yourself, I want to assure you that it is possible to get “un-stuck,” break through the challenges you’re facing and get back in gear.

How? Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on May 20, 2011

How to Answer “What Do You Do?”

By Sydni Craig-Hart

When you’re out networking or talking to your family and they ask you, “What do you do?” or “What is your business all about?” what do you say?

Do you freeze? Stammer?

Or do you apologetically and quietly say, “I’m a VA” or “I’m a Virtual Assistant.”

And then, you get the blank stare. You know, the deer in the headlights look that says, “I have no idea what that is. I still don’t know what you do. And I don’t think I need that.”

The truth is, saying you are a Virtual Assistant doesn’t mean anything because people still don’t know what you do. Just like there are different types of lawyers, there are different types of VAs. All have different specialties, expertise and knowledge.

So, what you need to do is really focus on a descriptive one liner that tells people exactly what you do. For example, “I help real estate agents manage their tasks so they can focus on selling properties.”

By having a descriptive sentence like this, you’ve accomplished three things:

You’ve identified your target market: real estate agents.
You’ve described what you do and show that you solve a problem: you manage tasks so they can focus on selling properties.
You’ve opened the conversation for more questions about what you do; targeted questions that will allow you to showcase your expertise.

Whether you work online or offline, one of the keys to your success and having a full practice is networking. In order to network effectively, you have to do two things really well: 1) you have to build relationships so that others feel comfortable talking to you and referring your services to their friends, family and colleagues, and 2) you have to market yourself so that people know who you are and what you do – without questions or hesitations.

So, now that you know you shouldn’t just tell people you are a Virtual Assistant, you need to work on your presentation. Some people call it an elevator speech, others call it a 30 second intro. Whatever you call it – make sure it’s descriptive, make sure it’s effective and make sure it’s easy to say. Talk about the problems you solve and the pain you eliminate in a way that a young child would understand. (What would you say if your child asked you , “Mommy, what do you do?”) When something is easy to say, it rolls off your tongue and you don’t worry about it. You exude confidence, which tells people you’re ready for business.

And THAT is highly client-attractive!

YOUR ACTION PLAN FOR THIS WEEK:

Get clear on EXACTLY who will best benefit from your services and who you are meant to serve.
Brainstorm about the benefits and results your clients enjoy when working with you.
Combine these two points into ONE succinct sentence: I help [GROUP] [ACCOMPLISH SPECIFIC BENEFITS & RESULTS]
Leave a comment below and share what you came up with!

Wil Hart on April 29, 2011

Are You Making these 3 Common Mistakes?

Virtual Assistants tend to be really good at creating lists. We create to-do lists for ourselves, our clients, our families, the housekeeper, etc. These lists are created as a method for getting things done. But, how often do you go back and review your lists to see if “what” you’re doing is yielding the right results? In other words, is how you’re spending your time supporting or detracting from the life and business you want to create?

If perhaps you aren’t making the money you want to make, or you’re working with clients who drain your energy, or you find yourself working far more hours than you’d like, it’s time to step back, take an honest, objective look at your VA practice and decide what adjustments need to be made. Just as you would create an action plan for your clients, you need to create one for yourself. The first step is to answer this question, “Are you making these 3 common mistakes?”

1. Is my own mindset getting in my way? Have you ever gotten frustrated with how things are going in your business and thought, “I’ll never work with high-quality clients who happily pay my fees,” or “I guess I’m destined to discounting my fees if I want to stay in business?” If you answered yes, then that’s exactly what you’ll get. This element of the Law of Attraction is simple and it applies to EVERYTHING you do. Whatever you tell yourself is ABSOLUTELY true. If you put out negative energy that is what you’ll get in return. But if you consistently focus on positive, abundant thoughts, you’ll begin seeing ways to create the results you desire—and the opportunities you need will find their way to you. (Not to mention a positive attitude is highly client-attractive!) If your tendency is to have a negative attitude toward your business, stop! Make the decision to change your thinking, starting TODAY. If you consistently attract non-ideal clients, ask yourself: “What can I do to attract my perfect client?” Look into upgrading your services by taking new courses that expand your knowledge and justify higher rates. Participate in social networks to explore what kind of support your ideal client is looking for—and place yourself directly in front of your target market. Also, be honest about where YOU are standing in your own way. What fears do you have about your business? What limiting beliefs are you holding onto? Put forth the effort to stare your gremlins in the face. Then make the decision to start thinking differently from today forward. All these activities will help you tap into a new group of clients and move you closer to your goals.

2. Do you only market or advertise your services when you need more clients? This is one of the biggest mistakes that Virtual Assistants make. And it is an area where they struggle needlessly. Some may feel hesitant about marketing thinking they have to be pushy and sales-y in their approach. That is certainly not the case. Marketing is simply a matter of sharing solutions with people who were already looking for them. The most effective marketing strategy for Virtual Assistants is to get clear on what you offer, embrace the value you bring to your clients’ lives, get to know your ideal clients REALLY well so you know what their urgent needs and compelling desires are and then put yourself in front of them as THE solution to their problems. You should be marketing your business every week, bare minimum. (Ideally you should be doing SOMETHING to market yourself every day.) There are countless ways to market your services. Attending networking events and industry events has always been highly effective for me. Blogging about the benefits and results you create for clients is another. Publishing an email newsletter, getting involved in social media, and sending a letter to EACH person in your network explaining your services also yield positive results. The list goes on and on. The goal is to be consistently attracting new leads to your business and keeping your pipeline full. Even if you find yourself at full capacity, when potential clients contact you about your services, you can still have your introductory meeting with them to determine what their needs are. If their needs exceed the support you can provide at that time, just let them know your practice is full. Then, offer them the option of going on a waiting list or refer them to another Virtual Assistant. Either way, you keep the lines of communication going. And, if you have an opening, you now have a “warm market” list to contact. This will keep you out of “feast or famine” mode with your finances.

3. Is your business foundation solid? Building a business is like building a house—it needs a solid foundation. If you don’t have an effective bookkeeping method, your office and paperwork are a disorganized mess and you don’t have a marketing plan to follow, you do not have a solid foundation for your business. If you struggle meeting deadlines because you can’t find everything required for a project, it’s time to stop and get organized. Nothing is more important than a solid foundation for your business for it to grow and prosper. This means treating your business like a business, NOT a hobby. Outlining your standards, boundaries and operational guidelines clearly on paper will give you a roadmap to follow to successfully run your business for years to come. Remember, the best compliment a client can give you is to refer your services to a colleague. Make sure you earn that referral by being a competent business owner.

If you are making any or all of these three common mistakes, there is good news! You know now what they are and can take action to make improvements. Spending time assessing, planning and implementing proven solutions will help you to upgrade your business in short order. It will also boost your confidence, decrease your stress and move you that much closer to having the business you dreamed of when you first started.

Action Steps For This Week

1. Schedule one hour on your calendar to sit down and honestly assess your business. Make a list of what is working and what is not. Pat yourself on the back for having the courage to stare your business in the face and acknowledge that some improvements need to be made.
2. Once you’re clear on where you’re at, it’s time to get clear on where you want to be. Set a few specific, measurable goals for improving your business and assign a deadline to each.
3. Break down each goal into a series of projects or action steps. Schedule time on your calendar over the next 2-3 months to work on these projects and get your business affairs in order.
4. Reach out for help if you need it! No one who is successful in business has created that success alone. NO one. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You and I can work together one-on-one if you like. (Simply email me at Support@EAtoVA.com to schedule an appointment for us to chat.) You can register for a mentoring program. (www.SuccessfulVA.com or www.FullPracticeVA.com). Plus you can reach out to other VAs for ideas and support. (Check out my group on LinkedIn.com) Whichever option you choose is fine, but set yourself up with the support and accountability you need to take your business to the next level.
5. Leave a comment below and let me know how this business overhaul is working out for you! I love hearing about your successes (no matter how “small” you think they are) and celebrating with you!

Wil Hart on April 8, 2011

Create Systems to Create More Free Time

Savvy Virtual Assistants use documented systems to run their business. Using systems consistently will allow you to work as effectively and efficiently as possible. The more you can systemize, the more you can monetize!

Systems are the key to your business organization. It’s a way to ensure that you create consistent high-quality results in everything you do. This includes bookkeeping, communication, administrative duties, client support and marketing. Whether you realize it or not, you probably already have a system in place for all of these things. You just haven’t gone through the process of actually documenting the steps involved.

Documentation is the key to helping you streamline your processes so that you handle your workload more quickly. Once you document your processes for how you handle different tasks, you’ll begin to see how you can either automate them or outsource them. This will free up time for you to spend on your two primary business activities: client work and marketing your business.

Another benefit of setting up systems and embracing technology to help you run your business is that your clients see that you are a true professional. When you invest the time, money and technology to run your business efficiently, you demonstrate that you are running your business like the CEO of a large company rather than a “hobbyist” who makes decisions flying by the seat of her pants. This sets you apart from your colleagues and makes you a more valuable and respected Virtual Assistant.

Think it this way: why would a client pay you top dollar for your services if you don’t demonstrate that you are the absolute best choice? When clients see that you invest money in your systems that help you work more efficiently on their projects, they will gladly pay you what you are worth because they know they are getting the best service possible.

Setting up systems and embracing technology uniquely prepares you for something else: growth with your client. As your relationship grows with your client, they will see you not only as their skilled Virtual Assistant but also as a trusted adviser and business partner. And when it’s time for them to grow their business by expanding their services or looking at other solutions, they will feel comfortable coming to you for help. That trust can only be earned by someone who can offer solutions to what the client needs.

At this point, you may be asking yourself, “So where do I start?”

The best place to begin is to document your tasks for a couple of days. Once you start writing things down, you will see some areas where you can maximize your time by “batching” tasks together.

For example, if you read email every 15 minutes, you probably waste a lot of time reading emails and responding immediately. This is ineffective for two reasons: one, you are constantly reading emails and never get into a good rhythm for completing client work and two, you set an unrealistic expectation for your clients about when you’ll respond to them. If you always reply immediately, a client may start to get impatient with you if you take more than a couple of hours to address their needs.

You can resolve this issue by putting a system in place to set aside specific times of the day to read and respond to emails. This will allow you to schedule time to review emails and respond so that you free up time to schedule actual client work.

You can also embrace the technology within your email settings to be even more efficient. For example, you can set up rules to automatically filter specific emails (like newsletters) into a folder. This helps you control the clutter of your Inbox and you know where to find the newsletters when you have a chance to read them.

These are just a few examples of how you can begin to create systems in your Virtual Assistance business. Once you get some practice with creating systems and using the technology to help you work more efficiently, you will be pleasantly surprised and how much “FREE” time you have available. Now, you’ll be in a position to use that time to grow your business, work with more clients or take a well-deserved break!

Wil Hart on January 21, 2011

How to Eliminate Your Fear of Marketing and Get Results

Most VA’s start their business because they want more freedom, more flexibility, and more opportunity to utilize their skills to make a difference in the lives of others. Those are great reasons to start a Virtual Assistant business!

Unfortunately, it often happens that once you start your business, you quickly realize that you are actually in the business of marketing. After all, you won’t have a sustainable business without clients. And to attract ideal clients you MUST market!

Concerned Woman ARRRGGG! M-A-R-K-E-T….

For some Virtual Assistants, just hearing this word creates an instant frown. Perhaps you have thought, “I don’t want to market…. I just want to do my work!’”

I know that this thought has crossed your mind at one time or another, because when I was a VA it certainly crossed mine. When I first started my business as a Virtual Marketing Assistant, all I wanted was to work comfortably in my cozy little home office and for people to send me checks. It never really occurred to me that I’d have to actually get out there and sell my services…I just expected clients to show up knocking on my door.

Perhaps you can relate. Some VAs who have an aversion to marketing feel that way because to them, marketing represents something pushy, sales-y, and difficult. In the back of their mind their thinking “used car salesman” and that is not who they want to be.

I get it!

The good news is that marketing your VA business doesn’t have to feel that way, and you don’t have to be afraid of marketing. It can actually be … (gasp) FUN!

The thing is… marketing is simply a matter of sharing solutions in an appealing way with people who are already looking for them.

I’m going to say that one more time; marketing is simply a matter of sharing solutions in an appealing way with people who are already looking for them. So there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. There are countless entrepreneurs who right now are desperate for help in running their business and in need of the exact services you offer. It’s effective marketing that will allow you to connect with these individuals, present your solutions and enroll them as your clients.

Following are a few proven tips to help you overcome the fear of marketing:

Stop worrying about what other people think of you – You may be surprised to know, they really aren’t as concerned about you as you think they are. Instead of worrying about what they think, channel that energy into generously sharing your expertise with those who need your help.
Get very clear about what it is you actually do for your clients. Don’t label yourself as a Virtual Assistant. Instead, focus on the benefits and results you create for your clients. Doing so will make it much easier for you to talk about what you do (and make you much more attractive to ideal prospects)!
Take action in spite of your fears! Many times, we allow limiting beliefs, doubts, and fears to hold us back only to find out months (or even years) down the line that the very thing we were worried about – had absolutely no basis. So, don’t stand in your own way and hold yourself back. Take steps to move forward in consistently growing and marketing your business. Highly successful entrepreneur Kevin Nations says, “Winners take imperfect action!” Your efforts do not have to be perfect, but consistent action will take you a VERY long way.
Reach out for support! No one who is successful in life or business has done it on their own. We all need a support system, a place to bounce ideas and get reassurance that “it’s going to be OK”. Start surrounding yourself with individuals who believe in you and want you to succeed. Hire a coach to help keep you accountable and to help you strategize. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Remember, marketing is simply a matter of sharing solutions in an appealing way with people who are already looking for them. There are countless people right now looking for the very solutions you have to offer. It’s your duty to share your expertise and service. Allow marketing to be your vehicle to doing so!

Which of the strategies shared here will you implement in your business? Share your thoughts and your plan here on my blog!

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