Keeping Up With The Joneses
By Karen McGreevey Your shingle, proclaiming Jane or Joe Smith Virtual Assistant Services, bounces around and blows in the cyber-wind. Proudly, and rightly so, you sport your membership in several like organizations and online networking forums. But where do you go from here? How do you build upon your current knowledge, skills and abilities as you work to increase your local/global awareness and visibility? And at what cost? Particularly since many of your hard-earned pennies have already been set aside for start-up, for marketing, and for ongoing office essentials! Word of mouth, in this case that word garnered from interaction with members and guests at industry message boards (such as the virtual assistant forums), can become the charcoal starter to whoosh your business bonfire into action. Theres barely a greater catalyst than talking up something with someone who gets you! Since youre already connected to the internet, youll not want to hesitate to let Yahoo and Google be your friends. Take the time to cruise around various like-minded message boards and websites, and sites you may see in signature lines of posters at the forums you frequent; sign up for their newsletters or any other special offers. You can also nose around Ryze.com, a business networking forum. Read Entrepreneur and other industry magazines. Even articles written by industry peers submitted to various article databanks are a great resource to discover the availability of upcoming and ongoing teleconferences, teleseminars, teleclasses, and other online workshops. Now, you may argue that you cant attend a tele-anything; whether its a teleconference, a teleseminar, an online wokshop, or an e-session by any other name. It surely cant be because you dont have anything to wear; these sessions can be attended from your home (office) in your choice of the comfort of your pajamas, your shorts, your high heels or any other desired get-up. Only you and your hairdresser will know for sure. Is your argument that youre technologically-challenged? There are now, on the market, many easy-to-use software programs and electronic devices to enable ease of attendance at these classes and seminars. Additionally, moderators of these presentations are ready and willing to tutor those less inclined toward cyber technology. Fellow attendees are eagerly provide basic start up lessons to get you into that specific e-mode of learning, and help to keep you there. Once youve zeroed in on a venue, a presenter and a course topic, think not only about what youll be getting, but about what actually is happening here. Youre getting a tremendous opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals from around the country (thats the country, people); how else can you attend an e-happening located in Canada, interact with persons from England and Australia and New Zealand, as you physically sit in your office (or lounge in a recliner in your living room) in Texas, USA? The savings for the seminar/class in time and money alone are incredible because you arent spending day/s traveling; nor is it necessary to up-end your piggy bank to pay for travel costs, and high-priced meals. Lodging, too, on such trips, though probably at a group rate, can further strain a small budget. Even though online sessions by design encompass several time zones, youll still be able to weave yourself throughout your familys needs as you enjoy the e-presentation. You can take notes during the class, and have more than ample opportunity to ask questions. If a session is scheduled at a time that conflicts with another session you want to attend because a time zone is not quite compatible with yours, or some other challenge unexpectedly interferes, an audio recording will be available to review later. In fact, the recordings are an added benefit because you can leisurely listen to and digest the recorded presentations at your own speed at a date and time you choose. How often does Microsoft change its programs? Or how frequently do Compaq and Gateway design and market new computers and other hardware? In order to remain competitive and noticeable in todays corporate world, whether thats the brick and mortar variety or the cyber highway, its essential to continually strive to increase ones marketability. Toward this end, its imperative for Virtual Assistants to persist in their search for the means to obtain additional knowledge and skills that will continue to shape and increase their existing capabilities as they guard against becoming outdated and stagnant. To this end, one method from which to really benefit is an online teleclass/seminar; the advantages youll receive will be enhanced and matched by the emphasis you put into them. We truly are in an incredible day and age to be able to participate in sessions such as these. Accordingly, in order to grow, its important to not lose the vision that though the Client may have the oldest and slowest, he will be seeking the Virtual Assistant with the newest and fastest ilk — the thoroughly modern one. Of course its keeping up with the Joneses; but its also taking the right steps to be where you need to be to survive and thrive in an ever-changing industry As a gifted Virtual Assistant, Karen McGreevey, owner and founder of Konceptuality, specializes in facilitating editorial and administrative support services to small business Writers, Editors and Authors. Contact us at kmcgreevey@konceptuality.com for details to find out how, We fuel your words to make you a force to be reckoned with. 2007 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_McGreevey http://EzineArticles.com/?Keeping-Up-With-The-Joneses&id=494669 houston car company loan online quik cash payday loans in hoquiam washington free secured personal loans bad credit bad credit need loan