From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Today is International Virtual Assistants Day, and OIVAC is in full swing!

I’m not attending as many seminars as I did last year, as I decided to make the most of my time by choosing topics I’m already focusing on. I find I get more out of any learning situation, and I’m much more likely to act on what I’ve learned, if I have an immediate use for it.

The first session I attended was Designing a Compelling 30 Second Intro, presented by fellow Canadian Cristina Favreau. I thought I knew a lot about this subject already, since I’ve attended so many networking events since starting my business, but I’m a big fan of Cristina’s blog, and was sure she’d have some great ideas to share. I wasn’t the least bit disappointed!

Cristina mentioned that a potential client needs to hear our message at least nine times in order for it to influence his or her buying decisions, and because of that, it’s important to be consistent. This was a real eye-opener, as I had thought I needed to change what I say when I introduce myself at networking events, so I wouldn’t bore people who had already heard my introduction. Just being aware of that is enough to motivate me to make sure that my introduction is powerful and memorable.

She also suggested completing the StrengthsFinder assessment as a way of identifying what makes us different from other professionals in our industry, which sounds like a great idea. I understand that a lot of people are surprised to discover what strengths they really have – and it’s always beneficial to learn more about ourselves!

Over the next few days, I’ll share a few tips from Anita Bruton’s session on Creating a Personal and Company Profile that Attracts Clients and Enjoy Promoting Your Website with Web 2.0, which was presented by Suzanne Falter-Barns, Chris Muccio, and Peggy Murrah.

There are many talented individuals in the virtual assistance industry, but one name that keeps popping up is Erin Blaskie. In addition to running her successful multi-VA practice, Business Services, ETC, Erin has developed several programs to support other virtual assistants, including her new Virtual Assistant Mastermind. This program includes a series of speaker events which are open to guests as well as members, and I’ve been selected as one of the guest speakers! I’ll be talking about one of my favourite topics, Organizing and Your Computer, in a teleseminar on Thursday, June 19^th, and I do hope you’ll be able to join us. Here’s what Bernadette Wong of K&M Secretarial Services said after my last presentation on this subject:

"Janet provided quick tips on managing your emails and inbox, files within your computer and how to prioritize them. These many tips of information were most helpful to me. I thoroughly enjoyed the PowerPoint presentation which guided you step by step of what to do to get you better organized.  I recommend Janet’s teleclass to any individual or group!"

The other speakers lined up so far include:

• Allison Nazarian - Get Blogging (Or Jump-Start Your Existing Blog) Today
• Viki Viertel - Time Management Survival
• Mikelann Valterra - The Four Keys to Earning Your Worth
• Alexis Martin Neely - Show the Universe You Mean Business About Your Business
• Susan Daffron - Don’t Follow the Herd: Enjoy Online Success Using Simple Tried and True Marketing Methods
• Elinor Stutz - Relationship Selling Works!
• Mari Smith - How To Strategically Grow Your Business Using Facebook & Other Social Media

These are some great topics, and I’m hoping to sign up for at least one of the sessions myself. What’s most exciting is the Platinum membership, which includes access to all the teleseminars and a ton of other benefits, including a weekend retreat in Arizona next spring!

If you ever wonder about the value of online networking, here’s something you really should read.

Earlier this year I posted one of our GHVA events on VA Visionaries - Savvy Virtual Assistants from Around the World, one of the Facebook groups I belong to. I received a reply from Shari Sultana, who had been unaware of our get-togethers, since she didn’t use any of the VA forums where I normally post the invitations. She then invited me to check out Virtual Assistant Forums, which I have since joined.

While browsing the forums yesterday, I learned that member Amanda Moore is starting a Virtual Assistant Blog Carnival, and I’m going to take part! I had heard of blog carnivals before, but this will be the first time I have participated in one. Anyone with a blog related to WAHM, Virtual Assistant, Entrepreneur, Small Business, Solo Business, or related topics is welcome to participate, so maybe you’d also like to get involved. Or maybe you’d just like to check it out, so you can read some of the best postings from bloggers all over the world, all in one place.

I’m sharing this information here on my blog, which feeds into my Facebook profile. So if you are learning about this on Facebook, we have gone full circle!

March 2007 marked the 5^th anniversary of the Canadian Virtual Assistant Connection (CVAC), and in honour of the occasion, I arranged a VA lunch in Hamilton. Although the group was small, it was such a great experience that we planned another get-together in June, followed by one in October, and another one in February, with an increasing number of VAs coming out. It was clear that the interest was there, so we decided to formalize the group.

Our first official meeting as the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group (GHVA) was held last month and we were pleased to receive a visit from SNAP Burlington photographer Catherine Young, and even more pleased to be pictured in the May 2008 issue which came out yesterday.

This week also marks the launch of the GHVA website. I’d like to extend special thanks to Carol Behan for designing the logo, Yvonne Wu of The YP Publishing for the initial site design, and Erika Martlew and Angela Del Corpo for developing the content.

The following release was sent out to the media today:

NEW  ASSOCIATION FORMED TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE

HAMILTON, ON –  After several meetings with her local colleagues during the past year, Janet Barclay saw the need to form an association for Virtual Assistants in the Golden Horseshoe area. She recognized that Virtual Assistants who attended could better serve their clients from ideas shared at the meetings. Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group was formed and a web site launched. www.ghva.ca.  

The GHVA Group cross-promotes their skills and expertise to potential clients, and clients benefit by ensuring the right fit for their needs. Building relationships through the networking events can lead to referrals and sub-contracting opportunities for member VAs.

“We offer a solution that will make being a business owner the rewarding experience it should be, resulting in more freedom and less stress,” says GHVA member Erika Martlew.

On May 16 of this year, Virtual Assistants (VAs) throughout the world will celebrate International Virtual Assistants Day.

Since Virtual Assistants work remotely from anywhere in the world, they don’t often get a chance to meet face-to-face. In Toronto, a weekend long conference has been organized for VAs all over North America to network, attend workshops and share knowledge and experiences, as well as make friendships. The event runs from Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 4 at the Delta Toronto East Hotel.

Business owners are beginning to realize the advantages of retaining the services of a Virtual Assistant. The Virtual Assistant industry has been growing rapidly over the past ten years as companies begin to understand the benefits of retaining a VA. Each VA is an independent business owner offering his or her own unique skills and talents, but one thing they all have in common is caring for the clients they work with. Ideally, a VA develops a long term partnership-type relationship with their clients, becoming familiar with the client’s business and understanding their challenges and overall goals.

Previously, companies would need to hire part-time staff or temporary workers to fill short term needs. This would require the necessity of providing work space, equipment, and training. Through the versatility of a professional Virtual Assistant, who works from their own office environment, savings can be realized as the client does not cover any of these costs and only pays for the time to complete the project or task performed by the VA.  Business owners are taking a second look at this new outsourcing alternative which has recently been mentioned in:

National Post
The Wall Street Journal
CNN
Reader’s Digest May 2007 issue
NBC Today Show
Time
Dr. Phil Show
Plus numerous regional magazines and newspapers

“In today’s business environment, the pace of keeping up with information and trends, while maintaining an edge in the marketplace, requires new ideas.  Hiring a Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistant may just be that idea.”

*******

For more information and to see a listing of services offered, please visit www.ghva.ca or email janet@organizedassistant.com.

I don’t know if this is another sign of spring, but there sure are a lot of conferences going on!

Last week was the IVAA 7th Annual Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina, and this coming weekend is the Forum on Virtual Assistance in Toronto. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fit either of them into my plans for this year, but I am looking forward to the 3rd Annual Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC), which is taking place from May 15 to 17.

For the first time this year, the OIVAC will include three "Meet the VA Industry" sessions, which business owners, or anyone interested in exploring the potential of working with a VA, are welcome to attend. These sessions are being held at the following times:

• Thursday, May 15th at 1:00 PM EDT
• Friday, May 16th at 8:30 AM EDT
• Friday, May 16th at 3:00 PM EDT

The exhibitor booths and many of the regular seminars will also be of interest to entrepreneurs from outside the VA industry. In addition, there are opportunities for you to participate as an exhibitor or sponsor, and market your services to both new and established virtual assistants from all over the world. I hope to "see" you there!