The Gritty Virtual Assistant

So What? Who Cares

As a Virtual Assistant, is it important to you to have your ideas and contributions recognized?

As a human being, how do you feel when your ideas are acknowledged?

Does it feel good? Does it give you personal pride? Does it boost your personal and professional self-esteem? Do you gain a sense of happiness, gratitude and of being appreciated from doing or creating something that others value?

What if you had a great idea and shared it with the world, only to have it stolen and your role as the originator usurped and obscured by petty, jealous thieves greedy for the personal fame and self prmootion who have to steal from others in order to gain the spotlight?

Have you ever had an idea and then been deprived of acknowledgement or recognition for that idea or contribution? Or perhaps had something stolen from you, whether that was a thought, an idea, a body of work or creation?

How did that feel to you? I'm willing to bet, not too great.

And then, what if someone then told you, "So what? Who cares?"

So what? If we are so cavalier and disrespectful of acknowledging other's people's work and feelings, and giving proper and due credit where it is due, how can we in turn have the same expectation of consideration? If it's not important, then it shouldn't be important the next time you are robbed of being credited for something for which you originated.

What does that say about our humanity? What does that say about our integrity? And not just personal integrity, but the integrity and factual quality of truth, understanding and historical accuracy? Are not those things important as well?

Grateful Mondays: Pats on the Back

It's so nice to hear back from the Virtual Assistants who have purchased the Virtual Assistant business forms, tools and guides I offer at the Virtual Assistant Business Forms store.

I love hearing how they've learned something new or see things in a different light based on my teachings, as well as how they are implementing the information and tools in their practices.

I most especially love to hear how they've improved their businesses and processes and standards after investing in my offerings.

I recently received a lovely letter from Julie Barnes of Let's Coordinate LLC (fantastic work on the new site, Julie!):

"Good afternoon, Danielle... I wanted to thank you for the Client Consultation Process I purchased this week. I used it this morning during my consultation and it made the process so easy and less nerve-wracking. Thanks again!"

I received a wonderful review from Cheryl Harless of CH Enterprises Virtual Assistance Services (thank you, Cheryl!) on my latest guide, "Understanding Your Value: How to Craft Your Own Unique Value Proposition and Cash In on Value-Billing Methodologies:"

"If you are ready to work smarter instead of harder, this workbook is a must have!  Danielle has outdone herself with a wonderful, thought provoking, tutorial designed to make us really look closely at our business model and what we actually provide our customers. In Understanding Your Value: How to Craft Your Own Unique Value Proposition and Cash In on Value-Billing Methodologies, she encourages us to look beyond the current industry script, take the focus off of hours and dollars, and put it on what we really offer: value and results.

"Among other things, she teaches us the 3-step process of Fit, Focus, and Value – knowing who our clients are, the market they are in and then providing value-added services uniquely suited to these clients.

"This amazing guide is helping me to hone my own message and speak to my clients about the value I provide without having to account for every second. There isn’t a Virtual Assistant out there who enjoys tracking time, and this workbook teaches us how to get out of that nasty habit! I know I will use this tool over and over as my business grows and evolves!"

Denise Shears of Shears Virtual Advantage also sent me a lovely testimonial that she even blogged about:

"This book is awesome! It so totally changed the way I thought about what I do and how I present it that I went right to my website and reworded my entire payment page! I can't say enough about this book. I am printing it out and going to go through the steps Danielle suggests to get my mind, my business, in the right place to grow expoentially. I recommend this book for each and every Virtual Assistant out there, whether your business is just beginning or you're a seasoned veteran. You can't go wrong with it, and who knows, you may just learn a thing or two! :)"

Thanks, you guys! It really does my heart good to know my products and information are truly helping you and others. I'll take these kind of messages any day of the week, LOL!

Thar's Gold in That There Client Feedback

I often sense that the Virtual Assistant world is afraid of hearing not-so-complimentary feedback.

But I think that kind of information is as good as gold. You can't fix what you don't acknowledge or that you may not even know is wrong. So when clients who are otherwise rational, thoughtful people take the time to give their honest input on things that are offputting to them, we should listen.

I'm not saying we have to throw ourselves off a cliff, much less drop everything and completely change our businesses or approach, at the first hint of any discontent, nor that every client's personal beef is legitimate. You do have to know how to discern between valid, reasonable gripes and those that are just ridiculous.

For example, a client who complains that a Virtual Assistant won't design their website and provide shoppingcart support, much less lump it in with their administrative support, is nothing but a cheapskate who wants something for nothing.

That's not a legitimate complaint because Virtual Assistance is not the same thing as Web design. If a Virtual Assistant chooses to either not do that work or, if they do, charge separately for it, they are perfectly smart for doing so. We're running businesses here and the idea is to make money, not give valuable service away for free.

But, when a client has repeated unsatisfactory experiences and complaints that aren't outrageous, that tells us there is a disconnect going on. If you belong to my Virtual Assistant organization or are a regular reader of this blog, you have frequently heard me call this the "misalignment of expectations and understandings." It would behoove us not to listen and examine this feedback to see where we can bridge the gaps.

That disconnect might be related to the client (and our marketplace as a whole) not knowing how to choose a Virtual Assistant. They might have only shopped by price instead of skills, qualification, fit and value. They might be trying to make an employee out of a Virtual Assistant. They might have too much on-demand needs or expectations. Their business and workload might be at a level where Virtual Assistance is simply not the right solution and they really need an employee.

All of these kinds of things point out that Virtual Assistance as an industry still has much work to do in the way of properly educating and setting expectations in our marketplace. The other side of that coin is that Virtual Assistants themselves need to understand the business they're in so they can recognize the ramifications of setting wrong or unsustainable expectations and the subsequent consequences that leads to.

For example, too many Virtual Assistants are telling our marketplace that they have the same level of responsibilities as an in-house employee. That's insanity and a ridiculous, impossible expectation to set in clients, not to mention a surefire recipe for failure of the service provider-client relationship. Clients need to either hire an employee, or seek an alternative. But as with any alternative (which means it's "not the same things as"), there are going to be trade-offs and differences in how you work together.

At any rate, following is a recent message from a business owner who has tried working with Virtual Assistants for the past five years. I think his feedback is reasonable and valid. We actually ended up having a really nice conversation on the phone. He is a perfectly nice man who has very reasonable concerns and has had difficulty getting his business needs taken care of.

One of the things I educated him about was that trying to make an employee out of a Virtual Assistant just never works. You have to take the on-demand stuff off the table and out of the expectations. Even if a Virtual Assistant (who is usually green) takes that work on, eventually as her practice grows, it will become more and more difficult, and eventually impossible, for her to sustain the ability to work together in that capacity. Virtual Assistance is about leverage, not replacing the need for employees.

We also talked about working with the right professional for the job. I referred back to my plumber/car mechanic analogy:  If a customer needs their car fixed, why are they calling a plumber? I'll often hear from clients who weren't happy with the website they had their Virtual Assistant design for them, and I'm thinking, "Well, then why didn't you hire a real Web designer?" Or they'll complain that they didn't get quality writing out of their Virtual Assistant, and I'll wonder, "Well, then why didn't you hire a real copywriter?"

That's why it's important to understand what Virtual Assistants are in the business of providing (and why Virtual Assistants need to understand that themselves) and what they aren't. Trying to make a mechanic out of a plumber is not going to yield the intended results.

I addressed his complaint that Virtual Assistants often don't have the skills they advertise. I agree with him. I've experienced some of the same things. I've worked with many Virtual Assistants over the years who should not be in business taking anyone's money. We're an unregulated industry and there are too many people looking to make a fast buck who don't have the background or skills to be doing this work but who can hang out a shingle overnight and call themselves a Virtual Assistant.

But this is also why it is the client's responsibility to choose properly. If they want to take the cheap way out and expect five star skill, qualification and service at a McDonald's price, they are living in fantasyland.

These are things he was also realizing himself. I gave him some ideas on what to look for (for one thing, someone who has well thought out business policies and procedures for working with clients; even a Virtual Assistant who has the skills, but not the business foundation and systems, is going to have equally unhappy clients), how to leverage the support in a better way, and to discern when a Virtual Assistant is not the right provider for the work and to seek other solutions instead.

After talking with me, he changed his mind about being entirely through with Virtual Assistants, which I think is excellent. Once we bring expectations and understandings into alignment, Virtual Assistants and their clients and marketplace will be much happier with each other.

Okay, here's this client's feedback...

"Danielle, I am hoping you can read my email without trying to strangle me!  I’ve been a subscriber for several months to your newsletter. But I think I am done working with Virtual Assistants. And I have worked with various Virtual Assistants for five years. Spent a lot of money, didn’t really get too far.

"I’ll admit, the first two years, I was a major part of the problem.  I was not very clear on what I wanted the Virtual Assistant to do. But for nearly the past three-plus years, I’ve had enough experience where I can say that many Virtual Assistants:

• Do NOT have the skills they advertise.
• Do not have the expertise with products and resources they say they do.
• Rarely complete work on time.
• Have a difficult time estimating how much will be involved in a project, which slows everything else down.
• Suffer from the loneliness factor. When they get someone on the phone, it becomes a gabfest…and I’m paying!
• In constant “education mode.” They need to spend all weekend getting up to speed on a tool you need them to use (which they professed they had working knowledge of).
• You become their guinea pig

"I have also found that if you are somewhat flexible in deadlines, a “nice guy” or easygoing, the other clients of the Virtual Assistant will soon take (re-allocate) much of your Virtual Assistant's prime working time.

"It’s also (to me) become a major red flag when a Virtual Assistant volunteers “Oh, I can do that, too!” (like answer your phones).

"Because of all the reasons above, I can no longer find Virtual Assistants to be a viable option at $45/hour.  Many Virtual Assistants are far too over-priced. And I have paid Virtual Assistants amounts like $30, $35 and $40/hour. You do NOT get what you pay for."

***

Let's discuss... what do you think about all this?

Grateful Mondays: Vacations!

Since I'm on vacation through August 8, what better thing to be grateful for today than being able to take vacations!

This first week we are road-tripping... travelling over to the coast and just winding our way down wherever our curiosity leads us. We left first thing Friday morning and it's been so nice to get away.

We have a huge Suburban which is just perfect for traveling--it's like a little home away from home-and we've been sleeping in the truck at nights alongside the ocean. It's been delicious.

I did happen upon a realization that you might find useful. I'm not much of a planner when it comes to vacations and stuff. I prefer the spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment kind of getaways. And with my guy's old job, planning ahead for a vacation was not a luxury we had. They frequently had him on call and he could get called away at a moment's notice. I can't count the number of times we had plans dashed that way. We'd have to sneak away like thieves in the night sometimes just to prevent them from putting him on-call. I tell ya, I don't miss that one bit!!!

That said, a small bit of planning ahead is necessary when you have clients you take care of. A couple days off here and there, I don't worry about at all because I don't do any on-demand work for my clients that requires me to be in daily contact with them. But when I plan to be gone for a length of time, I let my clients know one to two weeks in advance.

The thing I just realized is that the last and first weeks of a month are great times to take off for vacations.  My payments are automatic so I don't have to worry about billing and so forth during the first week of the month. And taking the last week off leaves more than enough time in the previous three weeks of a month for clients to take advantage of their retainer plans.

I hope you all are having a lovely summertime and have taken vacations of your own or have plans for them!

Virtual Assistants: Are You Earning What You'd Like to Be?

As Virtual Assistants, I think I can safely say that most of us LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our work.

We love helping people. We love working on computers and using technology tools. We love our craft and putting our administrative talents to use. And we really love when we can actually see our clients grow as a direct result of our support and administrative expertise. We know we are making a real difference in our clients' lives and businesses.

But running a business isn't all peaches and cream, is it? Marketing can be a chore and daunting task. It's often difficult to get clients to understand what you do and why they should work with you. Finding the right clients isn't always easy. You might even be wondering, "Freedom? What freedom? I barely have time to sleep at night with all the work I have to do."

Perhaps the biggest frustration of all for Virtual Assistants is that they can work like dogs and still not make any more money.

At the root of all these issues is the fact that Virtual Assistants are still trading hours for dollars. Part of the reason they stay stuck there is because they don't know how to articulate the true value of their service to clients. They end up using the same, ineffectual script on their Web sites that everyone else in the industry does. The problem with the "script," however, is that it only emphasizes money:

"Save money on this..." "Get a discount on that..." "Here's what you'll save..." "You won't have to pay for..." "Do this and get 50% off..."

Do you see what this tells clients? It focuses them on nothing but cost. It says to them, "My service has no other benefit except that you can get off cheaply." These are the tactics of those who don't have an understanding of the very real value they offer beyond mere time and think clients must be bribed into working with them.

If you remain stuck on the idea that you are selling hours, and incentivizing on top of it, there most certainly will be a cap on how much money you can feasibly make because you only have a finite number of hours to sell. Plus, the better and faster you get, the less money you'll make -- while none of the value and benefits the client receives from your work is reduced. Is that profitable or fair to you?

If any of this is speaking to you...

If you would love to stop watching the clock and make way more money than you are now without having to work harder or longer hours...

If you have difficulty finding your own creative voice and articulating the value of what you offer in a way that is entirely unique to you and your business...

If you are ready to take your business to the next level and learn of a better way of operating, one that allows you to create a smoother-running, easier to manage, more profitable business that requires far less administration than you ever imagined possible... then my latest workbook is for you.

In this 21-page tutorial, "Understanding Your Value: How to Craft Your Own Unique Value Proposition and Cash In on Value-Billing Methodologies" (WBK-38), I will help you identify and gain a deeper understanding of what it is you really offer your clients and the greater implications of that value in their businesses.

Step-by-step exercises will walk you through the process of crafting your own unique value statement, one that will have more attractive, tangible meaning to your prospective clients and have your message standing heads and tails above the crowd. You'll also get easy-to-do, practical ideas and how-tos for implementing value-billing methods and strategies that frame your service in new ways and allow you to work less while making more money.

==LIMITED TIME INTRODUCTORY OFFER==

Regular visitors to the Virtual Assistant Business Forms Store will purchase this workbook at the introductory price of $47. However, you can get this guide at an additional 30% off the introductory price for a limited time until midnight, July 31, 2008, by signing up for our VIP Status mailing list. Simply fill out the form below. Once you verify your subscription, you will be sent a message containing the special discount code.

I can't wait to share this with you and watch the revolutionary changes that can take place in your practice!

What Frustrates You in your Virtual Assistant Business?

I'm very much interested in hearing about some of your very real and valid frustrations as a Virtual Assistant business owner. I'd love to hear from you by email or, even better, by leaving your comments here.

Some of the things I'm curious about:

How many of you are still trading hours for dollars? How hard are you working to make your living that way? Do you feel you are earning what you're really worth? For that matter, how much are you really earning (to view and take the poll below, javascript must be enabled on your computer)?

In your marketing, are you following the same, boring, ineffectual script that everyone else in the industry parrots? How hard do you find it to get clients to understand what you do and why they should work with you? Do you have difficulty finding your own creative voice and articulating the value of what you offer in a way that is entirely unique to you and your business?

If there was a better way, a way to make a lot more money without working any harder (working less, even, and more effortlessly) while creating a smoother-running, easier to manage business that was more profitable and required far less administration then you ever imagined possible, would that be of interest to you?

It Just Goes to Show You...

More than a month ago (geez, it might even be two months by now), I had what can only be described as a very sad and bewildering experience with a service provider, one that serves as an example of how new business owners can be their own worst obstacles.

Right from the beginning, I knew this experience was going to be the topic of a blog post because there were so many lessons to share that others could learn from (and maybe see themselves in), but my intention was never to embarrass this person so I wasn't sure how to go about it. I also would still very much like to work with this service provider--if they can ever get their act together.

I came across this service provider and realized this person's talent was exactly what I'd been searching for to complete a special project. Following are some of the snafus I encountered along the way that has made it very difficult to work with this provider.

Most people would simply walk away and find someone else, but because of my nature, I was facinated with probably one of the worst cases of self-sabotage I had ever encountered and wanted to explore the situation more.

Snafu #1:  The provider's website had a phone number, so I called and left a voicemail. Over a week went by without hearing anything back from them. It wasn't until I'd sent an email and then another voicemail that I finally got a call back one evening.

I learned that the provider had a day job and was informed that they had a very difficult time following up and building their business because of it.

(This is the first lesson... whether you have a day job or not, you are still running a business. If you want to get anywhere close to creating something that allows you to establish a reputation of professionalism and credibility, and ultimiately quit your day job, you can not make excuses. You simply must follow-up on inquiries in a more timely, responsive manner. Responding to inquiries within 24 to 48 hours is perfectly acceptable. A whole week or more later--along with bemoaning your business issues--is a deal killer. Figure out a system for returning inquiries, set a policy and a standard for follow-through, and then work it without fail. Clients do not need to hear, nor are they interested in, your tales of difficulty and woe.)

The service provider was definitely interested in my project and we scheduled a time to talk later that evening (as they were still at work). When we got on the call, I explained what I was looking for and that I was very happy to have come across the provider as their talent seemed like the perfect fit.

I had read the provider's entire website. They had done a very nice, attractive job of it and provided lots of useful and interesting information. Their website, in fact, was so well-done, I thought I had found a leader in their industry, someone who was so well-established and professional, I envisioned that our initial contact and subsequent work together would be flawless and supremely polished.

Unfortunately, the experience I had was the polar opposite of what I was expecting and I'm still scratching my head about what on earth this dear person is thinking.

Now, let me back up to say that this provider is one very talented, accomplished professional (which, unfortunately, doesn't necessarily translate to someone who also knows how to run a business well). They had a show on public television that ran for several years. Their talent is one that is very obvious, and their website and samples demonstrated their talent, experience and expert knowledge of all the ins and outs of their trade.

So it was bewildering to me when this provider then inexplicably offered to do the work for free! They had heard of the VACOC and wanted to volunteer the work in exchange for referrals and future work.

Now, if I was one of those slimy, unethical sorts, I could have totally taken advantage. And I'm sure... in fact, I know... this person has given away thousands and thousands of dollars of time and talent in exactly this manner to people who had absolutely no intention of ever paying for another thing again.

But I could no more do that than I could kick a poor, defenseless animal.

So we got to talking and the provider shared more about their situation. They were desperately trying to build their business (hence, the day job) because with two kids preparing to go to college, they had to find a way to pay for it, and the money and business just were not coming in (no wonder!).

They explained that they felt giving away work would get them a foot in the door and once clients saw how good they were, there would be more (paying) work to follow.

I asked them if that was working. They said "not yet."

Yet, this person kept trying to get different results doing the same thing over and over and over, grasping for that dangling carrot only to have it yanked away time and again. Their rationale was that it was "such little things," that it wasn't worth charging for. (WHAT??!!)

Of course, they weren't getting anywhere. They were giving away all their time and talent for free!

I asked if they wouldn't mind if I offered some feedback. I explained that their time and talent had value and was definitely worth paying for. I asked them to imagine how much money they would have now if they had instead charged for all those "little" jobs they thought were so inconsequential. That's real money that could have gone into their business and the kids' college funds!

As you can see, there are all kinds of business lessons to be gleaned from that conversation. Don't fall prey to the dangling-carrot syndrome... all that does is deprive you and your business of rightful earnings. When business is in front of you, the time is NOW to be paid for the value of your talent and service, not later and definitely not on the basis of "hope" for future work!

This kind of thinking also does something even more insidious... it puts a whammy on your professional self-esteem and worth. All that will result in is gaining you a reputation of someone who can easily be devalued and taken advantage of. If you don't hold what you do in high regard, others most definitely won't either.

Your work has value! Charge for it! You aren't running a charity. What might seem small and insignificant to you--because you are presumably good at what you do--has all kinds of meaning and value to the client who needs what you have.

I practically had to twist this person's arm to charge me. As I explained it to them, look, I'm a hot prospect... I already LOVE your talent, your website cemented my wanting to work with you and I'm practically begging to give you my business. Why on earth do you not want to charge me? We have no relationship or special connection. You aren't a member of my organization. If you do the kind of job I think you will do for me with your talent, I'm gonna spread the word, you can bank on that! Why would me paying you for the work have any bearing on whether or not I refer others and give you more work in the future?

Which leads us to Snafu #2... this provider did not have any idea what to charge me. I literally had to pull it out of them. So that's another lesson--you set your price, not the client. One way or the other, you have to figure it out. If you charge by the hour, give an estimate. If you charge by the project, set some standard starting fees. Don't make your clients do what is your job. If you don't have the answers right then, tell them you'll email a quote or estimate later. Just don't make your clients do all the work or work too hard to give you their business because I got news for ya--you won't get it.

Snafu #3: At any rate, I was finally able to get them to charge me something, and I was supposed to hear back from them later as to how we would proceed. After a few sporadic emails, I abruptly stopped hearing from them. I already had some idea that the day job was going to inhibit any normal, professional kind of business interaction, and since I wasn't in any rush, I just figured I'd wait and see.

Well, if I remember correctly, it was about two weeks and I still hadn't heard anything so I emailed and asked them what the status was. They informed me that a large, very extensive project had come in since our last communication and it had them scrambling with every spare moment they had.

Snafu #4:  Um, okay, but why does my project, one that I'm also paying for and which you committed to first, become relegated to second-rate status? That's not the professional way to run a business. It's not fair to existing clients and will definitely not put your business in any favorable light. Clients who honorably give you their business deserve to be treated well.

But it's entirely understandable because a) this provider is trying to run a business while their attention and time is diverted by a day job; their commitment level is, therefore, going to be seriously compromised, b) they don't have very good business sense, and c) they don't have any solid business foundations, systems, standards and policies in place (which, by the way, is one of the biggest complaints I hear from clients who have dissappointing and unsatisfactory experiences working with Virtual Assistants). So when something comes to upset whatever precarious balance they have managed to tape together, everything comes apart at the seams.

I tell ya, folks, this was a first... one of the most perplexing, bewildering encounters with a new business owner I have ever had. I want to save them from themselves, LOL. Because they really are so talented and can really do well--if they can get out of their own way.

Grateful Mondays: Getting a Shot of My Favorite Bird

My all-time favorite bird is the kingfisher. They are just the cutest things and so unique.

They look different. They act different. They are quirky and have a very distinctive sound. I just love'em!

But in all my years on the water, I have never been able to get a photo of them. My camera is never handy or they are gone by the time I get it in gear.

Well, I finally got a shot!

I was on one of my little hikes, walking from downtown to home along the waterfront. It was about 8pm and out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a familiar dervish and plunge (the kingfisher's distinctive diving-for-prey form). Lo and behold there were actually six of them all squawking and hunting and bothering each other!

Luckily, I had my camera in my day pack and whipped it out to catch some shots. Unfortunately, it was just starting to get dark and because I've taken the camera out on the kayak one too many times and gotten it wet, none of my other settings (like "nighttime," which would have come in very handy) works except for "sport." (Note to self: Have GOT to get a new, waterproof camera!)

So, I didn't have the best results and my quest continues. Below is the one that came out the best. Aren't they adorable?

What She Said

Seriously, I consider these posts over at Virtual Moxie required reading for all Virtual Assistants:

What a Virtual Assistant Does: http://www.virtualmoxie.com/2008/06/what-virtual-as.html

More on What a Virtual Assistant Does: http://www.virtualmoxie.com/2008/07/hey-outsiders-.html

Hey, Outsiders! That's Just Crap: http://www.virtualmoxie.com/2008/07/hey-outsiders-.html

Stacy and I have always been on the same page with this stuff. I'm constantly trying to refine and find better ways to articulate what Virtual Assistance is all about so that Virtual Assistants, as well as our marketplace, find it easier to "get it."

The customer is NOT always right. When clients try to get you to lump things into your service, work that doesn't have anything to do with administrative support, what's really going on is that they are trying to get something for nothing. New Virtual Assistants who don't have a frame of reference then think they are supposed to know all this other stuff and give it away for free. As Stacy put it, that is absolute crap.

I have a new workbook coming out that I've been working on for a few months (and if you'd like to get on the mailing list for when I announce it and receive a special discount, I'll give you the sign-up form at the end of this post), one that is designed to help Virtual Assistants truly understand their value, craft their own unique value statement (one that will take you out of the "script" rut and find your own creative voice).

One of the things I talk about in this workbook is the fact that unless you truly understand what business you are in and the solution you provide, you will never be able to fully and meaningful articulate your value to your market or identify opportunities for creating additional income streams and profits to supplement your administrative support profits. Here's an excerpt:

"...a large segment of our marketplace has been trained—even spoiled, if you will—to expect highly skilled, technical or creative work to be lumped in with their administrative packages without paying anything extra for that value. That's crazy!

"Take Web design and shoppingcart installation and maintenance for instance. These are highly specialized fields of expertise that require their own separate skillsets, training and knowledge. That work really falls into the creative and technical arenas, not administrative support, and warrants being charged for separately, perhaps at a premium. By not charging separately for special projects and highly specialized creative or technical services that don’t have anything to do with administrative support, Virtual Assistants are leaving huge amounts of money on the table and depriving their businesses of additional income streams and profits."

Get over the idea that these discussions have anything to do with telling who can call themselves a Virtual Assistant. It doesn't have anything to do with that. It has everything to do with good business and marketing and bringing greater clarity and brand understanding to the marketplace, as well as more money and respect for Virtual Assistants.

If you'd like to get on the list for my new workbook, "Understanding Your Value: How to Create Your Unique Value Proposition and Cash In on Value-Billing Methodologies," sign up below:

Grateful Mondays: My Man is Home!

Some of my closer Virtual Assistant friends know that my beautiful, sweet, wonderful man has been away for a couple months. He's finally back home (got back Sunday) and I'm walking on air!

My guy is an adventurous type and his job for the past 10 years has been with an international outfit that machines and services the giant turbochargers on ships... all kinds of ships from cruise ships to the freighters that travel the oceans from continent to continent. They train these guys in Switzerland and there are only about 500 or 800 of them (can't remember which) in the world who do what my guy does (or did, rather).

They had a local shop and for the most part he worked there. But every so often, because this is such specialized work and there are only a relative handful of guys who do it, he would be sent to various exotic ports around the globe, places like Panama, Curacao, New Guinea, Pusan and Saipan to name a few off the top of my head. Generally, he might be gone for a week or two at the most on those jobs.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with his job. The money was extraordinarily good, but I didn't like it when he'd have too many back-to-back jobs where he had to be away from home constantly. It's just so disruptive. Sometimes I downright hated it, and I'd wish he did something else.

Well, be careful what you wish for! LOL

My guy retired from that job finally... but can he just relax and enjoy it? No, he ends up taking this offer with this corporate fishing company as an engineer. He'd been toying with the idea since last year and I've been saying "no way" from day one.

But he had to try it; he thought it was too good an opportunity to pass up and regret not having the experience. The way he figured it, the buttload of money was well worth the almost round-the-clock hours and balls-to-the-wall work and then he'd have two or three months off in between for us to travel and work on some of his own business ideas (he'd like to start up a kayaking guide business at some point).

But this time apart has been really hard on me. It's just too long.

For now, though, in this moment, I am so grateful and elated to have my love home again.