As a fellow virtual assistant recently congratulated me on my 6 year anniversary, she commented that I was fortunate to make it past the 5 year milestone. I am happy to have made it this far but I think it was more the good business sense that was passed on by others that got me to this point. As virtual assistants, I am sure that many of us have seen firsthand the things that keep business owners from succeeding online. I am not sure what the statistics are because there seem to be so many variations, so I won't share. I do know from experience (I tried at least a couple online ventures that did not take off) and from talking to prospects, that the following seven reasons are some of the factors that contribute to the failure of online businesses. No Action. Have you ever decided to take up a new hobby, (eg. golf) go out and purchase all the equipment needed and then never go to the golf course? Well, this is an obvious reason but nonetheless major reason that some businesses fail. Purchasing the material, doing the research, even setting up a website will lead to nought if you don't take action! Unrealistic Expectations. Its funny how some people believe that all it takes to make money online is to setup a website and tell a few friends about your business and like magic the money starts rolling in. Most often, these are the people that give up before giving the business a chance to succeed. Lack Of Commitment or Divided Commitments. A lot of people start their business on a part time basis while they work full time outside the home. This can sometimes contribute to the failure of their online business as some quickly loose the commitment that is necessary to market and grow the business. Responsibilities at home. Lets face it, most people start an online business so that they can work at home on their own schedule. This can be the downfall of many. Inability to manage time and divide priorities can contribute to business failure. Cutting Expenditure in the wrong places. I will be the first to advise that is not necessary to have a huge budget to start an online business. However, it does take some money to get things going. When you decide to go take your business online, a domain name and website is necessary and your best bet is to NOT use the free options that are available. Your online presence is a representation of you and you should put your best into making that representation as attractive and effective as possible. Failure to plan. What happens if your idea does not take off? What happens if it does and your business becomes an overnight success? What do you expect of the business in the first year? The first five years? By not having a plan you are planning to fail. Failure to delegate. You knew I would say it! A vast majority a businesses fail because their owners try to become everything in the business. Many try to justify their actions by reasoning that they are saving money by doing everything themselves. They do this at the detriment to their sanity and to their businesses. Show me a business that is succeeding online and I will show you a business where the owner is delegating the tasks that are better left to someone else. There you have it, my list of seven reasons that many online businesses fail. As the old saying goes forewarned is forearmed so think about the things that you are doing or not doing and give your business a fighting chance.

I never realized it until today how much work it takes to build a successful business. Its not that I have been completely clueless, just that the work never felt like work because I absolutely love what I do. Its just that today with several deadlines pressing and a few more popping up I felt the burden that business ownership can sometimes bring. There is good news for business owners however. In spite of the fact the the work must be done, it does not mean that you should be the one to do it. If you are doing tasks that does not make you any income then the solution is simple: outsource to a virtual assistant. Other ways that you can save yourself from doing repetitive tasks is to automate as much as possible. Are you doing the same tasks daily, over and over? Then look for ways to simplify and possibly automate. This will save you some time and headache and free up more time to do the things that really matter (ie those things that bring in the revenue). Today I am taking my own advice and trying to save myself some future grief because building a business is hard work but it really doesn't have to be! CRG

Hiring a virtual assistant is a determination that can and should only be made by you the business owner.  You see, when starting a business, cash must be closely monitored, and wisely utilized, since you've only just started.  Maybe it will be more prudent for you to outsource a small bit at a time, giving you the ability to give attention to marketing strategies and client building.  While the role of a virtual assistant is quite crucial to business growth, it should be taken one step at a time.  Once again, start by outsourcing small tasks at a time or even periodically. Remember a virtual assistant should be one to share your business ideals and goals so their partnership will be an asset. Once again thanks for your question and best wishes. Merlene, Five Star Executives.

Have you ever thought to yourself, well I understand and like the whole idea of a virtual assistant but wondered whether you can afford it? Well I have great news for you. You do not have to outsource everything, but rather you can have that much needed help, in that much needed area, but strictly at your discretion. You see the whole idea of the virtual assistant is not to bring additional burden to the small business owner, but rather to lighten some of the load, so that more energy can be directed towards business building. So give it a try. First one foot, and as the business gets more body, maybe the other foot. The virtual assistant is just there to take some of the load off. Remember, good things come in small packages, in as small a package as 5 hours for only $65.00 USD. This offer is valid until June 2008. Go ahead, give up some of the load, take advantage of this affordable offer. Step by step, as you see fit, a virtual assistant just might be your answer. Until next time. Merlene, Five Star Executives.

Question: I am a small business owner and quite unwilling to rent an office to hire in-house staff, but needs staff to perform administrative tasks, so becoming more competitive can have my fullest attention. Is there a solution to this? Dear reader, Your solution is a Virtual Assistant. The competitiveness that you want to capture with your larger counterparts can be achieved with the help of virtual assistants. No longer do you have to be bogged down by these administrative tasks, search for an office or even hire in-house staff. Virtual Assistants are the only solution for small business owners like yourself giving you to opportunity to maximize your business growth while simultaneously getting all administrative tasks done efficiently and with a high level of professionalism. Thank you for your question, and the very best to you and your business. Merlene, Five Star Executive

As a Virtual Assistant I save my clients time and money because time is money. I manage all the tasks that they need completed but don't have the time to complete themselves. A typical day involves reading and responding to emails from multiple accounts, answering multiple phones, modifying multiple websites, updating multiple accounts, monitoring and setting up multiple marketing campaigns, you get the picture. What happens when a Virtual Assistant has too much to do? Does he/ she stop taking on new clients? The selling point for virtual assistants is "someone should do the dirty work." Well not nearly as bad as that statement but we generally work on tasks that our clients should not be working on. Here is my example of how hiring a virtual assistant worked for my virtual assistant practice. A few months ago I found myself with more work than I could manage and thought about turning down a few more RFPs. An evaluation of my business got me thinking that if I hired outside help I could have someone work on answering calls for my clients, respond to customer queries, arrange email according to importance all the other little tasks that was taking time out of my day. I love everything marketing and I like to thing that it shows because my clients have been so good in referring my services. I charge upwards of $50.00 for my marketing services yet I was spending time working on administrative tasks at a rate of $30.00 an hour. How could I make $20.00 more an hour? Hire a virtual assistant to work on my administrative tasks and take on more clients willing to pay $50.00 hourly for my services. Well I hired a Virtual Assistant and she takes on all the work that my keeps my partners and myself from making more money. The perfect solution, we all do what we love doing most and make more money in the process! CRG

From time to time I need to interview Virtual Assistants to pick up extra work that my team cannot get to. With the right questions it is fairly easy to hire the right person who would compliment my existing team. The same is true when I am interviewed by potential clients. Right off I can tell that the majority of them are uncertain about the questions to ask during the interview. In these cases I usually just volunteer information to put them at ease. How do you interview your potential Virtual Assistant? Each individual has different style of course and the questions asked will also be determined by your needs. Read the full article below: As a small business owner you should know that doing it all yourself is not an option if you want to be successful. Even though you may be more than capable of doing everything yourself, you will be better off focusing on tasks that generate revenue. With changes in technology there is a growing trend of assistants who operate from their home offices. These assistants use the latest technology to communicate with their clients situated thousands of miles away in some cases. They are called virtual assistants or virtual saviors because they provide a cost effective solution for business owners. That said how do you go about finding a VA? How do you go about finding the right one for you? A lot depends on your screening process and the initial questions asked during the interview. Before I get to the questions here are some things to take note of before scheduling an interview. Consider the virtual assistant's website, was it professional, with the proper use of grammar and spelling? What about the proposal, was it clear, concise and also free of grammatical errors? Schedule a chat session using one the popular IM clients. Use this chat to evaluate the typing speed, the virtual assistant's use of proper spelling and grammar and hopefully get an insight into the personality of the VA. If you are satisfied up to this point, go ahead and schedule an over the phone interview with the potential virtual assistant if meeting is not possible. I have outlined ten questions that you should ask during this interview below. 1. How Long Have You Been A VA? While there are some new virtual assistants that are just as skilled as seasoned ones there is an adjustment period for new virtual assistants. Additionally, there is a difference between a VA and a Virtual Employee or freelancer. Hiring a VA who has her own business can save you a lot of headache down the road. 2. What Is Your Administrative Background? This is a very important question and you may definitely want to pay attention to the response especially if you are requiring a lot of administrative work. Typically a VA should have at minimum five years of administrative experience in an upper level position. 3. What Are Your Primary Skills and Rate Your Level of Competence? This is necessary for obvious reasons. This industry has attracted quite a few individuals whose qualifications range from nil to mere entry level. They are therefore ill equipped to manage the day-to-day operation of running a business. If your potential VA admits that she has minimal experience doing the things that you need done then it is pointless to form a partnership. 4. How Many Clients Do You Currently Support? Would the VA have sufficient time to get your tasks completed? You would want to know this especially if she does not have a team to support her. 5. What Kind of Work Have You Undertaken Over The Past Year? Is the response to this question in line with the tasks that you need done? This shows that the virtual assistant has been utilizing those particular skills so there will be no need for retraining. 6. May I Contact Your Clients For a Reference? Let the virtual assistant that you will be contacting her clients to validate her claims and to vouch for her professionalism. 7. What Are Your Working Hours? A few virtual assistants will increase rates if you require work completed outside of their working hours. Get the virtual assistant's working hours during the interview and compare it to your requirements so you are not stuck paying unnecessary overtime. 8. What Are Your Fees? Virtual Assistants bill their clients on a project, hourly or retainer basis with significant savings on retainers. Find out what is included in the fee and choose the best option for your business. Be sure that the selection is in line with your budget. 9. What Does Your Fees Not Cover? Fees typically do not include expense such as cost of postage, mass photocopying, faxing, etc. Discuss any additional expenses that you foresee to find out if it is covered by the fee. 10. Are You Willing To Sign a Non Disclosure Agreement? Remember to have a non-disclosure clause included in the contract to protect your property or trade secrets. Ask the virtual assistant if she has any problems signing a non-disclosure. Locating and working with a VA is an exciting experience for many (just ask my clients). Be sure to ask the right questions and listen to the answers from the onset to spare yourself future problems. Cheers to finding and working with your new virtual assistant  

Holding on to my headset while I was waiting for a customer service representative from an internet service provider to take my call got me to thinking about communication. Marketing is a necessary expense for most businesses and recognizing this need they spare no expense. What comes after the marketing efforts is what has me concerned. Marketing can highlight a wonderful product and bring increased revenue or just as easily bring your downfall. For instance, I have been looking at an ad on the local newspaper for the last week from a new ISP who promises high speed at lower rates. I decided to give them a call. On my first call I got their voicemail and was invited to leave a message. I hung and tried later. On my second attempt again I was given the prompts and placed on hold for the CSR. It took 25 minutes of my time before she finally came on and as it turns out she could not answer my questions. Lower priced internet? It will most definitely cost more to switch because time is money and any time spent on the phone waiting to speak to someone who cannot answer my question is a waste of time and money. Which brings me to my point about communication, I have highlighted some things to consider or your downfall will be closer than you think! Inform your client or customers of any changes in your service be it major or minor. They need to be aware and they need to hear it from YOU. Take control of your communication, don't not rely on word-of-mouth to communicate to your customers. By doing so you leave room for you message to become distorted. Customers want it now! Do not try to inconvenience your customers, we do not want a recording or to be placed on hold for an unreasonable amount of time. Our time is money. Service with a smile. It may be the only thing that could set you apart from the competitors. After that experience on the phone I really appreciate the effort of my current ISP because I never have to wait to speak to a rep and they always have the answers. Of course they charge more but for me the value is in the experience. CRG

I have heard many new business owners say "I have my website up and running, now what?" A few people think that once the website is uploaded the traffic will automatically build and the phones will start ringing. I am here to tell you, not so. Now that you have established your online presence you now need to create a buzz and get people talking and recommending your site. Here are a few tactics to get you going: Email Signature The quickest and simplest way to infect the world with your message. Create an informative and intriguing message and include a link to your website in your signature. Create something valuable for free. A free ebook for signing up for your mailing list. Please ensure that whatever you give away is packed with valuable information and find a way to embed links back to your website in the material. Write Articles Spend a few hours writing some informative articles and submit them to article directories. I can't express how valuable this method is for building your brand. Be sure to include the all important keywords in your articles. Affiliate Programs Pay others to promote your product or service. Set up affiliate program and encourage others to promote your brand. The great news about this is you only pay when you get the referral. Setting up a website is one thing, going out and marketing it is another. You will only get visitors if they know that you are there. So go out and use these methods and see the click coming in. CRG

Question: Can you afford to hire a Virtual Assistant? The answer is: Can you afford not too? Many business owners, entrepreneurs and executives are usually blown away by the hourly rate of a Virtual Assistant. They sometimes decide that it is more cost effective to just hire an in-house assistant at a much lower rate. Is it really more cost effective? If you are going to hire a full time assistant to work on tasks that can be completed within a few hours it certainly is not. It has been a lot more cost effective for business owners, entrepreneurs and executives to hire a Virtual Assistant for a few hours weekly. Many will attest to the fact that it has been a wise decision. Hiring a Virtual Assistant can save you money on overhead costs, inefficiency, vacation leave, sick leave, and other fringe benefits. A virtual assistant has a genuine interest in your business success because your success means continued business and referrals. So the next time you think about posting that help wanted ad why not post a RFP and receive quality bids for virtual professionals. To Your Business Success, FSE