Why Start your own Business?

People have many different reasons for starting their own business. My personal reason for wishing to go out on my own was being my own boss. I work well on my own schedule and accomplish more when I'm in an environment where I can listen to my own music, talk to whoever I want when I want and even get up and dance if the move strikes!

Here are more reasons people opt to go out on their own:

Being your own boss - As I mentioned, being your own boss comes with many rewards. You decide when, what, who, where and how.

Create your own schedule - I know the whole 9 - 5 schedule isn't always my cup of tea. In fact most mornings a large cup of coffee doesn't do it! While you are going to be working longer hours when you first start up your own business, you have the freedom to decide when those hours will be. Personally, starting at noon and ending at 8p.m. would be ideal. My creative juices start flowing after lunch! Whenver you do start you can break whenever you want throughout the day for running errands, picking up kids etc.

You can choose your clients - The advice I have read and heard since beginning my research on starting my own VA business has been to pick and choose my clients wisely. The freedom of working for yourself should also be working for people who motivate you and energize you. Not for people you may find in an office environment who may drain you and stress you out. It's ok to pick and choose who you want to work with.

It's simple - you'll be doing what you love - What can be more rewarding than doing something everyday that you love? If this hasn't fallen into your lap already through a company, create the feeling yourself by opening up your own business!

The Importance of Editing

I like to consider myself educated and excellent at catching grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. The best of us (including myself), however, can sometimes forget to edit when we are finished our work. I actually noticed this on my homepage! Below are some tips to get it right before your work goes public.

1. If you are using Word software, you are in luck. The program is already checking grammar and spelling for you. If you are writing for a website or blog, consider doing your work in Word first.

2. Take the time to go over your document at least three times. Once to be sure everything written makes sense. Another to catch any grammatical or spelling mistakes and then to read as a pair of 'fresh eyes'. This means going into the document pretending you are not the author but the reader. Be sure to give yourself at least a couple of hours in between.

3. Be sure to have someone else go over your document. As mentioned above, a pair of fresh eyes can catch things the author may not have.

4. Make sure your document makes sense. Evaluate each paragraph and make sure they make sense in relation to the other. You want to be sure each paragraph is logical and consistent.

Use Skype to Connect!!

As you may have read on my profile, I live and work in Toronto Canada. Yes Toronto, the largest city in Canada, may be my place of residence however, thanks to technology, I can be available all around the globe! Thanks to Voice Over I.P.(VOIP)!

When I connect with people from England, India and even Ohio, I like to make them feel as though I am only a few miles away. Not a few hundred miles away! This is why I recently signed up for Skype. A free VOIP program.

For those of you who haven't yet discovered Skype, you must try this out! Download the program, for free, on their website www.skype.com. I can now talk to anyone, who is also a skype user, for FREE! And I can also buy monthly packages to phone from my Skype account to any landline for as little as $3.00 a month. This is amazing and is bound to be such a fantastic technological addition to my business.

Thank goodness for VOIP!

Topsy Turvy Beginning to my Week

I awoke yesterday morning to the room spinning out of control!

It was a Sunday morning and yes I did have a glass of wine the night before but never have I felt this horrible. Even after five glasses of wine, I am still ok. So waking to such a turning environment was definitely nauseating and not normal. The entire day felt like I had a bit of a hangover and when I went to bed last night I thought it was all over.

When I woke up this morning, again the room was spinning and I was feeling nauseated. I had to force myself to my day job today and then was escorted to the clinic. The doctor told me I had Viral Labyrinthesis - an inner ear infection. I'm now stranded on my couch, bored out of my mind and wondering if this is going to affect my day job (considering I'm supposed to be on a three month probation - I started only two months ago!).

Another fleeting thought was pregnancy....OK I'm trying not to think too hard about this possibility but really the 'morning' sickness sure has been there. If it happens, it happens. It's just I'm not ready! I'm at a selfish point in my life and want to enjoy being married in a month for a couple of years before adding another person to our family. Plus I don't have benefits at work just yet. How horrible would it be not to have a maternity leave? Well hopefully this subsides as it's such a bad feeling. eeek

10 Ways to Avoid Burnout (besides hiring me)

These days, technology keeps us in touch with one another more than ever. Blackberries are so popular, you can see them laying on the docks at cottages ‘just in case’ as their owners attempt to ‘get away from it all’. Seriously though, with all of this technology following us around, how do we not become burned out? How can we actually ‘get away from it all’? In many business situations, people don’t feel as though they can. Owning your own business is very busy and can be stressful. Losing out on a week can mean a major decline to some.

What we all must stop and realize however, is that if we are burned out, our business won’t thrive. But how can you expect clients to be happy if you’re not happy? After all, running your own business was supposed to make more time for yourself and your family, correct? Below are ten ways to help you steer away from total burn out and hopefully helpful tips to keep your business and you stay emotionally afloat!

1. Laugh – Take a mini five minute break and watch that video of the guy falling headfirst into the lake you heard about on YouTube. Laughing can immediately raise your spirits and make you more positive.

2. Balance – Like the term “take time to smell the roses”, make sure you balance your work and home life. If you work at home, make a note to leave the home office at a certain time so you can spend time with your family or friends. Take time out for yourself. Your business shouldn’t take over all aspects of your life.

3. Take those vacation days – yes even you are entitled to vacation! Everyone is entitled to a vacation whether you own your business or not. We are not made to work on an ongoing basis. We all need some time out. When you do go away, also remember to leave your blackberry at home!!

4. Have a hobby – As I mentioned, work can’t be the only thing going on in your life. Just like you shouldn’t “put your eggs in one basket”, putting your life in one category will only make you miserable in the long run. Take a course, join a team (I for one have been playing Ultimate Frisbee!), just do something on the side that makes you happy.

5. Ask for help – I understand how hard this can be. When I’m given a project, I want to run with it – alone. Giving my tasks to other people is difficult, however it’s necessary for mental health. Sometimes you just can’t do it all alone. This is where a VA comes into the situation;) But seriously ask your business partner or assistant for the help you need.

6. Leave work at work – When you are done for the day, leave it there. Don’t go home and keep working. Especially if you have a family. Your family needs your attention just as much as your business does. There is a time and place for it all.

7. Shorten the commute – Commuting great distances day after day can have a grueling effect on your emotional stability. If you are commuting everyday consider telecommuting or finding a place closer to home.

8. Go out for lunch – Yes do go out! Don’t work nine hours straight without a break.

9. Make friends – You need someone to talk to and confide in. Of course if you are married, your ‘partner in crime’ will be this person, but at work make sure you socialize. It will immediately raise your spirits and relieve stress to know there is someone who understands your workload. If you work alone, be sure you have someone to call so you can get any issues off your chest.

10. Exercise – Exercising has been proven to relieve stress and depression. So go for a jog, hop on your bike or go to the gym!

FINALLY! The Website is up

My website is up and running. I'm sure there will be a few tweaks here and there, hoewver it's up and the information is available.

I must admit, I was nervous sending the site to publish. I've done a lot of research on the business. Now hopefully this will help me get business!

Sensible Solutions
www.asensiblesolution.ca

Virtual Assistant Forums

What a great website! I came across this site by referral.

This is really a growing industry and such a site is necessary when building contacts and searching for valuable information.

Thank you www.virtualassistantforums.com for making my life easier.