Wow, can you believe we are in 2011 already? Time flys when you're having fun!

So with the new year I'm sure you are sitting down this month, just like I did, and are planning out the year for your business. What a chore that can be, BUT there is help available.

Let me share a short list of items a virtual assistant can help you with this year. I know my VA will be helping me with many of these items this year.

Website Updates
Keeping your website up to date is vital! Not only will your visitors be looking for up to date information but so is Google. Google looks for fresh, relevant content all the time. The more you update your site the more Google notices you (and there are many other factors there, but this is a basic one).

Blog Management and syndication
Keep your blog updated at least weekly. If you don't have the time to log in, post, format and syndicate your blog let your VA handle that for you.

Video Editing, Posting and syndication
Video marketing is huge right now. If you are looking to start this or you're already doing it but not seeing results you want your VA can help. They can do the editing, posting and syndication. All of these are time consuming and most business owners don't have the time to dedicate and have a completely successful campaign. Let the VA layout a plan and schedule then you all you do is record the videos. Sounds great doesn't it?

Website Analytics
Do you know what is working and what's not when it comes to incoming traffic on your website? Setting up AND monitoring analytics for your site will really help you see what marketing efforts are working and where you need to improve. Your virtual assistant can monitor and report all important information to you in an easy to read fashion.

Graphic Design
Need a new graphic for your sidebar or that information product? Look no further! Your VA can get one made up for you quickly and have it ready on your site in no time at all.

I really love my VA's and I know you will grow to rely on yours as I do mine. The time they save us business owners is truly priceless. It allows us to really focus on what we love doing and honestly, what makes us the most money!

Do you have questions about virtual assistants or what they can do for your business? Let us know in the comments below.

Here's to a successful 2011!

While everyone is ready to ‘start the new year off right’, they set themselves up with a list of resolutions which they vow to keep... well, for at least a few weeks.
Today, I want us to take a closer look... Go get your resolution list – It’s ok I’ll wait.

Did you get all 3,465 pages? Are you ready?

The following 8 easy steps have been proven efficient for all resolutions alike.

1. Reach for your metal trash bin.
2. Empty it.
3. Set list in bin. Go ahead and be creative.
4. Light match.
5. Let out evil laugh... Come on, I know you can do it!
6. Allow the match to slowly and carefully drop into trash bin.
7. Watch your list burn.
8. Ok you can let another evil laugh out. From the gut this time.

Those 8 steps were easy enough weren’t they?
Feel better? Did you feel a load off your back?
Why do we insist on adding stress to our lives by setting ourselves to fail with unrealistic goals?

On to the real 8 steps...

In last week’s blog post, your homework was to write down a list of goals. These were not ‘resolutions’ but goals you wanted to achieve in 2009 but for some reason or another, it just didn’t happen. Our plan is to make them happen in 2010.

Because your goal in January was to decrease our stress by re-establishing your old routine, we’re going to continue practicing this new found skill by planning our next objective – February’s goal. I promise you it’s easier than it sounds. And because we’re only working on one at a time, you won’t get overwhelmed with a new list of resolutions to maintain... well, for at least a few weeks.

1. Write your February goal down. If you are a visual person, add colour, shapes, stickers, motivation words to your sheet. Make it inviting, exciting, visually noticeable.
2. Place it (more like TACK IT) somewhere you can see it on a daily basis. (Not on your desk where it will get lost in a shuffle of papers)
3. Plan it. Make a bullet list of steps to achieve this goal.
4. Don’t make it complicated – you’ll overwhelm yourself.
5. If you can’t honestly, 100% commit to your new goal, break it down even smaller.
6. Now take your plan and mark each step’s (and deadline) in your agenda, calendar, whatever it is you use (and if you don’t use one... you should. If you still don’t... hire a VA to keep you on track!)
7. Don’t allow yourself to excuse you from this exercise. It’s just ONE GOAL.
8. For personal goals such as I’ll quit smoking or I’ll reduce the amount of caffeine I drink, detailed plans are still quite useful. Take it slow if you have to. You don’t have to accomplish the total goal in a month; you just need to accomplish the steps you planned to reach that goal.
9. Now accomplish the first step in your plan. Don’t wait for a better time... the perfect time is right away. Again, it’s just ONE step... don’t get ahead of yourself either by attempting several steps at once.
10. Don’t stress about the next goal. Focus on your current one and make it successful!

By the third week of February, you can start planning your next goal – the one for March... don’t worry, I’ll send you a reminder.

Happy planning!

Monday, January 4th 2010 – if we could have heard everyone wake up at the same time throughout North America, it would have been a true screeching fingernails-running-down-blackboard sound similar to something like:
No No! … Louder – much much louder!!!! And with more disgust:
Getting back into the swing of things after the holidays is often difficult. Children everywhere suddenly become ill with tummy and head aches. My nephew said it best. After arguing strong points on why he shouldn’t have to go to school, he left the house declaring:

“Fine! But Tuesday is a DAY… OFF!”

Although we look forward to sending those little children over the threshold, for us adults it’s not any easier! We find ourselves yearning to sleep-in for ‘just one more day’ – and this time make it a ME day! What an enticing plan after bewildering holiday stress with dashing here, sprinting there, family and friends demanding our attention all around us. Who wants to get back into the swing of deadlines?


But alas… we have a mountain of debt to recover from so off to work we go, dragging our feet along the way, day dreaming of a million and one other things we’d rather be doing instead.

Re-establish your old routine

In order to get past these me-time-blues, it is critical to focus on maintaining the same routine you were accustomed to prior to the holidays. Re-establish the comfort of your daily schedule and forget adding on more stress with New Year’s resolutions… for now!

We fail in keeping our resolutions because we try to integrate new plans into an already stressful period!

Set Realistic Goals

Plan to succeed. Set some realistic goals for yourself starting with not stressing yourself out in January. Focus on re-establishing your routine, morning, afternoon and evening. (If you must call it a resolution… I’ll forgive you! But don’t plan anything else – promise?)

Mental exercise to get you motivated

HOMEWORK:

Mentally prepare yourself for a great year.

1.    Reflect on what you did accomplish in 2009 and take ownership of it. Be proud of yourself!
Now move forward knowing that 2010 will be even better!

2.    Think back at the goals you did not accomplish in 2009.
Don’t just make a mental note of these and start feeling bad for yourself.
Jot them down and save the file under “2010 Goals”.
But don’t start planning just yet – that’s an entirely new blog to come. We’ll come back to it later.

My #1 goal for 2010 is to write more frequently. I thought about it in 2008, I talked about it in 2009 and I will plan it in 2010!