• Home
• About JERPAT’s Virtual Professional Blog
• Contact Us

Do you have your goals written?

Posted on May 15, 2008
Filed Under Business, Goals | Leave a Comment

Goals are an amazing and powerful driving force in a business.  I believe with all my heart that if you have goals set, along with an action plan for each goal on how to achieve your goal, that you will continue to grow!  You will develop and expand in your business as well as your personal life.

Honestly, this is just a brief synopsis of my belief, and if you would really like to explore it deeper and get full guidance of what I mean, you can join our Beginner’s Failure is NOT an Option group, in which goals are our guiding force through the program, http://www.moretime4u.org/virtualvacoach/nofailureB.htm

But this isn’t the reason I am posting this blog.  I am posting it because I want to introduce you to one of my clients, Sue Brenner.  She has been an amazing mentor to me, and has some wonderful goal strategies.  She is conducting a free tele-seminar on accelerating your goal success on the job and at home.  I have attended these sessions, and they are fantastic.  I really encourage you to attend her seminar and get filled up on some great advice!  The details are below.

I hope that you are taking steps to enable your business to grow substantially by continually analyzing your goals and the direction you are heading!

May your virtual journey be blessed,
Patty Benton, BA, Certified Life Coach
www.moretime4u.org
www.virtualvacoach.com
www.virtualbizgroup.com
www.actatwork.com

——————————-
Details on Sue’s Upcoming Tele-Seminar

Dear Patty,

May is here, and with it has come many exceptional questions for my next ‘Ask Sue Brenner’ tele-seminar on Thurs, May 29th at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern.

By now, you’ve probably heard about these ‘Ask Sue’ calls. 

On these calls, I answer specific questions that will help you accelerate your goal success on the job and at home. 

And the best part is that EVERY question I answer on these calls are questions submitted from individuals just like YOU.

In fact, you have the opportunity to ask me your most pressing question too. 

Hopefully, your question will be one of a handful I’ll pick to answer during this month’s tele-call. Simply hit reply and respond to this question: What is your number one question about achieving your goals?

Or, if you need to register go to…

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Take 60 Seconds to Register for this
No*Cost Tele-Training and
Submit Your Question Now:
http://www.suebrenner.com 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The call will not only be packed full of unique and thought-provoking questions, but it will also have clear action steps and strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. 

You will be able to put your learning to work right away!

If you have a schedule conflict, please still go ahead and send me your question. When you do, I’ll give you information on how to access the call recording as a back-up option.

I hope you’ll join me on this powerful call. We’re going to have fun sharing insights on how we can create the lives we want AND deserve.

Dedicated to your success,

Sue Brenner
http://www.suebrenner.com 

P.S. Feel free to pass this invitation along to a friend or colleague who could benefit from this complimentary tele-seminar.

Is the Customer Always Right?

Posted on May 15, 2008
Filed Under Business | 1 Comment

Even before I started my business (eOffice Solutions) nearly two years ago, I knew customer service would be the foundation from which I would build it.  Providing “exceptional” customer service would distinguish me from the other hundreds of thousands of small businesses in general, and virtual business owners in particular.  I really believed in the adage, “The customer is always right.”

One year, six months, two weeks, and 15 days later, I’m still of that opinion - but (and this is a big But), as Dr. Phil would say, “There’s no hunt in that dog!”

Truly, I have found that the customer isn’t always right, and that’s okay.  For two months I struggled with a client that was never satisfied, extremely nick-picky, demanded my time 24/7, and honestly, he was the client from hell.  The more I gave of myself, the more he wanted.  Finally, I had to “fire” him.  He was a good client in terms of money and the type of work but that’s where the good began and ended.  Your clients will often become difficult, demanding, and hard to please.  It’s at this point however, where you must decide if it’s worth the aggravation and say “Guess what? This client isn’t right!” 

If the client is wrong and not a “good fit,” you must make him/her aware of this; make every attempt to compromise and/or resolve the problem, or part ways - and be okay with it.  It took me a little awhile but I realized it is okay to tell your client they’re wrong, period.  I felt horrible after I parted ways with my client from hell, even though he was such a headache.  It was the lack of good customer service (particularly in the service industry) to begin with that helped form my opinion that good customer service - no exceptional customer service, would help me to stand out from the rest.  Visit any fast food restaurant and 4 times out of 10 (that’s 40%) you will not get a “Thank you” or a smile or even a pleasant facial expression. On too many occasions, I’ve even had my food thrown at me with a “You’re bothering me” attitude, as if they’re doing me a favor!  (Geez, I paid for that treatment too!)

So yes, it is extremely important, I feel, to give your clients more than what they expect, and recognize that 90% of the time, the customer is always right.  But equally important is to know when your customer is wrong to the point that the situation will never be right in their eyes; acknowledge this, move on, and be okay with it.

FREE INTERNET MARKETING – BLOG TALK RADIO - How a REVA Can Help

Posted on May 15, 2008
Filed Under Marketing - Online | 1 Comment

Real estate agents realize that in order to have a lot of business, you must network. You have to build and nurture relationships in order keep contacts/leads familiar with you so they are more likely to buy your services or connect you to a referral.

One way to do this is BlogTalkRadio. It is a free service and a great way to connect with current, future and past clients. Real estate agents can use this to medium to educate home buyers. Agents can also use this medium to establish themselves an expert on a particular neighborhood or aspect of real estate. BlogTalkRadio allows you to instantly connect with your audience. The more shows you have, the more your will be established as an expert in your particular area.

How can a Elite REVA help a real estate agent with this aspect of social networking?

If a real estate agent does not feel comfortable setting up the logistics for this, a real estate virtual assistant can help with the following:

1. Contact BlogTalkRadio to schedule your show.
2. Research the subject material and give the real estate agent information in anticipation of questions that may be asked on the show.
3. Help recruit guest speakers for specials shows such Loan Officers for First Time Home Buyers.
4. Set up reminders by customized alerts via email or phone of upcoming shows
5. Help you build promotional marketing by copying and pasting flash player and buttons to your blog or website.
6. Distributing this as an internet marketing piece in the following formats: MP3, RSS subscription or iTunes after your show.
7. Create a customizable profile for you with video, a blog, and links to other sites or other widgets.

You will be able to create a FREE branded network. Elite REVA can also help you with marketing statistics by finding out who listened or downloaded your show.

When you think about it, today’s buyers are more interested in instant results. If you are able to reach out to them via this medium that is a plus to your marketing. Even if they are not able to listen to the broadcast, your Elite REVA assistant can help you add it to your website, blog or have it as an RSS feed.

Roxanne Tidmore, NAR Certified REPA

www.EliteREVA.com

Are you doing it all? How is that going?

Posted on May 2, 2008
Filed Under Announcements, Business | Leave a Comment

Why did you start your business?  What was your passion when you started?  Did you start it to coach others and help them?  Did you start it to display your artistic abilities in web design?  Did you start if for your love of bookkeeping?  What was your reason???

Now, what do you find consumes most of your time?  If you did it to offer your bookkeeping skills, are you spending the majority of your time on bookkeeping for clients, or are you doing paperwork for your business?  As a web designer, are you designing web sites for the majority of your time, or are you spending more time on the admin end?  Coaches, are you spending the time helping others acheive, or are you busy doing the drudge work in your business?

If you find that you are spending more than 10% of your allocated work time on the running of your business, and not on your passion, it is time to see if you need outside help.

Ask yourself these questions:
Do I dread going into the office each day because of my “personal business” work?
Am I spending more time on non-billable vs. billable time?
Is the running of my business taking so much time I am not able to expand my business so it has stalled?

I could continue on, but you get the picture.  No matter what your profession, whether you are a bookkeeper/accountant, web designer, coach, or even virtual assistant, you may need help!

Whether that is finding someone to help you out with your business tasks so you can focus on your clients or finding someone to take on some of the client work you dislike, it is TIME to sub out some of your workload!

Don’t stagnate because you are trying to do it all!  Find a Virtual Assistant to help you out.  Virtual Assistants, DON’T get stagnate your business because you are doing tasks you don’t like.  Do what you recommend to your clients, and let go of the work that is drudge work to you.  Someone else will love it, I guarantee!!

What do I know about this?  After my first year in business, I started subbing my work out.  Last year we DOUBLED our income and came in just under 6 figures.  We paid out $56,000+ to subcontractors.  This year, as of April, we are 1/2 way to 6 figures, and have paid out just under $35,000 to subcontractors.  That is just in FOUR months!  So, when I tell you that you can take your business to a whole new level, I KNOW for a fact!

I am offering a *FREE* workshop entitled “Using Subcontractors to Take Your Business to the Next Level.”  It is being held on May 12, 2008 at 10 am MST/12 pm EST (US).  Take an hour out of your day to get tips and ideas on how you can take your business to the next level by using subcontractors.  Though we will be talking mainly about using subcontractors to help you with your client workload, I will briefly address using them to help decrease your business workload as well.  You can sign up by going to http://www.virtualvacoach.com/subcontractorsworkshop.html

Oh, and if you know someone who is stuck where I described before, send them the workshop link so that can get “unstuck” and start moving forward!  They will thank you!!