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Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Online survey - how is the recession effecting you?

I’ve just set up a short survey, as I want to know how the recession is affecting you; its particularly aimed at PA's, or those thinking of setting up their own virtual assistant company. Are you worried about your job? Could the Government do more to help you? Please take a few minutes to complete the short survey by clicking here - it’s anonymous and will help me understand the impact the recession is having on the PA and virtual assistant world. There is also the chance to win £50 M&S vouchers for completing the survey. Let me know what you think!

Labels: : virtual assistant training, virtual assistant, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Monday, 16 March 2009

I’m on YouTube! What do you think of my video?

I am so pleased – and proud – that my video has gone on YouTube – check it out here! you can see me delivering a few minutes from my virtual assistant training course: How to Win Clients and Sky Rocket Your profits. I love doing my training sessions and am really pleased to have this professional exert which gives those of you thinking about becoming a virtual assistant and real glimpse of the one-day workshop. What do you think of the video?

Labels: virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Friday, 13 March 2009

More power to Twitter – are you making the most of this phenomenon?

I am really enjoying using Twitter (and OK, I may spend too much time on it too!) I have found it to be a great way of keeping in touch with friends and colleagues and for business use. My number of followers is increasing daily (well over 1900 at the time of writing this blog) and I can use it to promote my services, show videos and pictures – but because it is very restrictive on number of characters (140 which includes spaces, punctuation etc!) all the information is short and punchy – and can be lots of fun (with clever uses of abbreviations too, its not all text speak). Have you signed up yet? Come and follow me at twitter.com/asklilach.

Labels: business, followers, pa training, training, Twitter, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual office assistant, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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More power to Twitter – are you making the most of this phenomenon?

I am really enjoying using Twitter (and OK, I may spend too much time on it too!) I have found it to be a great way of keeping in touch with friends and colleagues and for business use. My number of followers is increasing daily (well over 1900 at the time of writing this blog) and I can use it to promote my services, show videos and pictures – but because it is very restrictive on number of characters (140 which includes spaces, punctuation etc!) all the information is short and punchy – and can be lots of fun (with clever uses of abbreviations too, its not all text speak). Have you signed up yet? Come and follow me at twitter.com/asklilach.

Labels: business, followers, pa training, training, Twitter, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual office assistant, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Tuesday, 10 March 2009

It’s already March 2009, where is the year going? Do you have enough hours in the day?

As I have previously blogged, I am really very busy at the moment with both businesses going very well and expanding. I have new clients for my virtual assistant company and the training side has just hosted a well-attended and positive workshop. My problem is that I am almost too busy; I don’t seem to have the opportunity to sit back and review the direction my company is taking and steer it way the way I want to go, which is an important process and one that I really believe in. I need to recruit some more staff, but time for that seems impossible to find – and its already March! I shouldn’t complain really – but hey oh, that’s human nature too. Do you have enough hours in the day?

Labels: business, busy, expanding, growing, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

1 Comments:

Dean said...: I am much the same as you, very little time so much to do and now i have really gone and done it by getting involved with an affiliate brand to further promote the businesses for more exposure!

168 hours is not enough when you include time to sleep, take kids to school and the other routine jobs that need doing; 10 March 2009 14:15

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Monday, 9 March 2009

Climb every Comic Relief mountain – Are you doing something funny for money?

Comic Relief will shortly be upon us (Friday 13 March – a great comic date!) And already nine celebrities, including Gary Barlow and Alesha Dixon are making the effort to climb Mount Kilimanjaro - Africa’s highest mountain - to raise £1 million (check out the official website for more details, including blogs http://www.rednoseday.com/climb). I do enjoy Red Nose Day, and my daughter is does too, we’ve got the red noses for ourselves and for the car; we’ll be off to buy the oh-so-trendy tee-shirts soon and support the school’s fundraising initiatives. Comic Relief does fantastic things to support long-term projects in UK and Africa. I just wondered what you were planning to do for this year’s Red Nose Day?

Labels: celebrities, comic relief, rednose day, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Tuesday, 3 March 2009

As RBS announces huge losses – Are we paying for the former CE’s pension?

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) recently announced the largest annual loss in UK corporate history, with total losses of £24.1 billion (yes that’s right billion!). RBS, a 282-year-old bank, had to be bailed out by the government last year and is now under criticism as its former chief executive, Sir Fred Goodwin, is already drawing a pension of £650,000 a year, despite only being 50. He was given a £16m pension pot which he can claim from for life, when he took early retirement in October, as part of the government's rescue of the faltering bank. It looks as this former employee has been handsomely rewarded for huge failings of a major financial institution. Is this fair criticism, are we (the tax-payer) really paying for this man’s extortionate pension?

Labels: banks, pension, RBS, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

1 Comments:

Cashmere Lashkari said...: Hey Lilach,
Love the concept of your services. Hope to hear more from you on twitter.; 09 March 2009 01:01

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Thursday, 26 February 2009

Unemployed: Can job centres benefit from the private sector experience?

With the recent news that unemployment has reached nearly 2 million, it has been revealed that Job Centres cannot cope with the quantity and quality of workers coming through their doors. They are being criticised for not providing an adequate service for highly skilled, white collar professionals and the Government has announced that private companies will work alongside traditional job centres to redress this issue during the recession. I’m not sure we could expect local Job Centres, who are perhaps more used to placing lower skilled workers, to rise to the challenge of understanding the needs and markets of the more accomplished employees. Perhaps those white collar workers should look to retraining to find a suitable job. Do you think its right that recruitment agencies are being asked to work with the job centres?

Labels: job centre, jobs, recruitment, retaining, unemployment, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Tuesday, 24 February 2009

The Oscars, what a joy – but do you agree with the results?

The Oscar news is great; the Brits did really well, with Kate Winslet finally winning her golden statue after 5 previous nominations and ‘Slumdog’ with a huge haul of eight Oscars including best director and best picture. My favourite dress of the night was Ms Winslet (again!) in her beautiful two-tone Yves Saint Laurent dress; she looked so elegant – with not a tear in sight. I haven’t seen all the films that were nominated (sometimes its difficult to find time to get to the cinema), but I am pleased that the British representatives did so well. Do you agree with the winners? And what about the fashion; not much ‘bling’ in evidence this year, presumably due to the recession? What are your thoughts on this year’s Oscars?

Labels: bling, entertainment, films, Hollywood, Oscars, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Tuesday, 10 February 2009

St Valentine’s Day – What do you think?

So here we are, a few days from St Valentine’s day. The gift shops are stuffed to the gutters with heart shaped offerings, and the card shops the same - a bit gruesome, if Wikipedia’s explanation is to be believed! There are all sorts of Valentine-themed events, whether its dances and balls or singles nights at the local supermarket. Probably the only worthwhile things are the charity events, such as the Kiss for Bliss. The special care baby charity are organising a World Record attempt to form the longest kiss chain in London. But what do you think of Valentines Day? Great as a focus for consumer businesses in their post-New Year promotions; or blatant commercialisation of tradition.

Labels: charity event, commercialism, hearts, promotion, Valentine, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Monday, 9 February 2009

Move to cap top US executives pay – will it catch on here?

The new US president is about to impose a ceiling on the executive pay of companies who have received a US taxpayer bail-out. The ceiling will be $500,000 (around £350,000) - or $100,000 more than President Obama receives! This seems to be a measure to placate the American public, outraged that these executives still received their huge payouts after the State rescue. However, the move is an initial step in a wider attempt to overhaul executive pay practices. This is something that has been much discussed in the UK; what do you think, should executives from ‘rescued’ companies still receive bonuses and exalted pay?

Labels: America, employees, executives, Obama, pay, state rescue, usa, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Snow stops play! Did it affect your business?

So it snowed in Britain this week; schools were closed (much to the kids’ delight), motorways shut; thousands of people didn’t make it into their place of work –allegedly costing businesses millions of pounds. I am very fortunate, as I do not have far to travel to get to work, and so was at my desk at 8.30am as usual on Monday morning. I am thankful that I didn’t have to go into London, as it appears there were no buses or taxis available either! Have the severe weather conditions affected your business?

Labels: buses, millions, schools., snow, travel taxi, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training, weather

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Friday, 30 January 2009

Can you recommend a decent read?

Can you recommend a decent read?When I get the chance, I do like a good book - and I mean to really read, not just grace the shelves of my bookcase or enhance my coffee table. This maybe a bit of fun 'chicklit' on holiday, an inspiring biography at the weekend or even a decent cookery book. I also like to catch up with some business books, and I have recommended some in the past (check out my website links page ). What books have your enjoyed that you'd like to pass onto the rest of us. Something that has inspired you, helped you or just plain entertained you. Can you recommend a decent read?

Labels: books, read, recommend, relax, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

2 Comments:

Anonymous said...: I don't know you so I'll just through a few random suggestions out:

Right now I'm reading "Speak Memory" by Vladimir Nabakov (yes, of "Lolita" fame) - really good.

You may also enjoy "This is Not Chick Lit" a collection of short stories by various authors

http://www.amazon.com/This-Not-Chick-Lit-Original/dp/0812975677/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233338783&sr=8-1; 30 January 2009 18:06
Anonymous said...: I heartily recommend any Terry Pratchett books. If at all possible, try to start with his first book, "The Colour of Magic", and work your way through, chronologically, so you'll recognise the characters as they reappear, however, any of his novels are a stand-alone hoot!

Terry is an intelligent writer, hilariously funny observer of human nature, a slightly sarcastic philosopher whose gentle irony does not scrape its claws on the blackboard of your soul, and yet he leaves you thinking... and wanting more.

Sometimes he is so funny I have to make sure there is no-one else in the room (apart from my partner or daughter, both of whom are used to the odd mwaaaah! coming from my direction, when I am reading one of his Discworld novels).

Read and enjoy!; 03 February 2009 17:17

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Thursday, 29 January 2009

Are you taking advantage of the quality people available?

Its tough out there. Some companies are struggling; some are rationalising and having to let people go. I’ve mentioned before that I believe that this is a good time to start a new business or try a new venture. If you have a business, with good prospects and plans then it’s also a great time to employ quality staff. As the unemployment figure grows, think of it as an opportunity to get those people that you need to grow your business, whether it’s experience, enthusiasm or energy that you are looking for, or all three! What are you doing, are you taking your pick of applicants?

Labels: virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

1 Comments:

Gareth said...: Interesting thought.

I quite agree. Now is the time for movers and shackers.; 03 February 2009 10:34

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Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Business Software: is it any good?

I have just bought into a new software program that will help develop my company and provides email sequencing for enquiries to my training business. I have nearly 2000 on my mailing list and I want to ensure that potential clients receive all the information they need. However the set-up procedure is time consuming itself. It seems to me that software, or any tools of your trade are only as good as the time you can devote to them: preparation, preparation, preparation! I'm in danger of spending more time setting the thing up as it meant to save me! Have you had similar experiences?

Labels: business software, mailing list, time consuming, time saving, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

2 Comments:

Jeff Ogden said...: Time is the most precious commodity one has today. Software needs to be simplified. Look at the iPhone and iPod. Macs are selling. What do they have in common? Elegance and simplicity.; 27 January 2009 14:48
Gareth said...: What software did you get. I simply takes time to learn how to use it. If it is desingend well, the setup is simple and figuring out how to effectivly use it should be logical to some degree.; 03 February 2009 10:39

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Friday, 23 January 2009

Have you kept your January resolution?

Here we are, near the end of the first month of the year and I want to ask you about your resolutions! Did you put any in place? Personal or Business? And the BIG question…have you actually kept those resolutions? One of mine was to make more contributions to Blackstar on ecademy. But with my work becoming ever-more busy and a trip to hospital, this has slipped behind. I am hopefully making up for it now, with regular blogging and I am planning more developments for my clubs (with apologies to my club members!). So, what were your resolutions and have you kept them?

Labels: January, planning, promises, resolutions, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Wednesday, 21 January 2009

Now is the time of Obama

There were some pretty amazing scenes at this week's inauguration, where over one million people saw Barak Obama become the 44th president of the United States of America. It was full of 'pride, pomp and circumstance' as befitting such a monumental event, with parades of past presidents and speeches. Whatever the colour of your politics, or your thoughts of America, it was a fabulous spectacle, and one that we can tell our children about. Now is the time for change, as Mr Obama favoured saying during his electioneering. It's good to hear on the news that he has already making an impact to the foreign policy and his plans to revive the economy. Do you think now is the time of Obama?

Labels: America, Obama, president, usa, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Freebies: Good or bad?

Businesses sometimes offer freebies as part of their marketing activities, to attract new customers to trail the company, or perhaps a new product. Does your company do this, or do you feel it would devalue your offerings? I do provide some free services, as I feel it adds value to my company and offers a point of difference compared to competitors. For example as part of my training business, I provide services for potential virtual PAs to use such as a free tele seminar and a guide to setting up a VA business. What do you think about freebies, do they work for your business?

Labels: free stuff, virtual assistant, virtual pa, virtual pa training

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Tuesday, 9 September 2008

Business Travel – a dying trend?

As I pencil in another conference call and Skype my biggest client I can’t help but feel that it is quite some time since we had a face to face meeting. Financial, time and environmental pressures mean that we are increasingly holding virtual meetings and communicating online.

It is all very efficient and cost effective but I miss the human interaction and the chance to spend quality time with my clients, colleagues and suppliers. I miss the good old fashioned art of conversation…. feel free to come and see me and tell me what you think!

Labels: secretarial services, telephone answering, virtual assistant, virtual pa courses, virtual pa training

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Sunday, 3 August 2008

Blogging for business – does it work for you?

I blog on a regular basis and I find that it is a useful tool both in linking up with others and to maintain profile. I know that others have varying degrees of success with it and that it takes a great deal of sustained effort. Once you commit to a blog you have to keep to your promises and deliver. I’d be interested to know how others blog, how they leverage this tool and whether they believe they can see its impact on the bottom line. Does it work for you and can you clearly measure its impact on your business?

Labels: blogging, virtual assistant, virtual pa courses, virtual pa training

3 Comments:

Truly Ace said...: I've been maintaining a regular business blog for over 18mths now and it's been exceptionally fruitful for my business.

It's more than doubled website traffic since it started. It's opened opportunities for me such as guest blogging spots/expert spots on other websites with high traffic.

In addition I now even have my first advertiser due to the level of blog traffic!

I would recommend running a regular business blog to any business owner.

It has yes also had an impact on my bottom line.; 09 August 2008 16:24
Bev said...: I recently read on a virtual assistant forum post that one VA gained some of her clients from her blog. So I'm gonna try and make a comment to blogging regularly to see if this can work for me.; 12 August 2008 14:05
Virtual Assistant Sussex said...: My website and blog are quite new (about 2 months old) and therefore only gaining a handful of 'hits' so far. My main problem is what to put on it on a regular basis that will be of interest to others - any ideas? Do blog ideas have to be related to your website or does it matter what the subject matter is?; 19 October 2008 12:18

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Tuesday, 8 July 2008

The internet – could you do business without it?

It’s amazing to think how the world of business has changed with the internet. If you are reading this then the chances are that the internet has a role to play in your business and its success. How do you split your on and off line activities and the way in which each contributes to you business? Do you know what the split is and can you measure your activities to gauge their impact.

I do wonder how I would work if the internet disappeared overnight – would you cope and how?

Labels: internet, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa training

1 Comments:

Truly Ace said...: I wouldn't cope is the simple answer, my business is entirely supported and based around the Internet.

I think quite a lot of businesses are now - and why not embrace the technology that allows this.

Is the Internet going anywhere? I hope not! :); 15 July 2008 21:44

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Tuesday, 1 July 2008

How do you get your message across at a networking event?

I do quite a lot of networking. I enjoy the experience because I view it differently now to when I started. For me, it’s about building relationships not getting business. One issue I’m very conscious of is how to set myself apart and make myself memorable. Think about the networking events you have been to in the last six months. How much do you remember from what people have said to you. I’m pretty sure you will struggle to remember much. So, if you can’t remember the majority of what people have told you, how do you expect to be remembered yourself and what are you doing to change that?

Labels: networking, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa training

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Thursday, 26 June 2008

Have you reviewed your goals recently?

We’re already half way through the year – how have you done on achieving the goals you set in January? I’ve found that it’s a good idea to go back and review them on a regular basis. In fact, they should be in your mind constantly. It can be very easy to get side-tracked. I think the key is to focus on less, not more, and to pursue that with an obsessive determination. It’s not easy and, of course, you learn a lot from not achieving straight away what you had planned. Having said that, you only really fail if you stop trying – there’s always a way you just have to believe it’s possible and change what you do until you reach your goal. So, what were your goals for this year, and how close are you to achieving them?

Labels: goal setting, virtual assistant, virtual pa training

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Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Marketing – is it all just trial and error?

The more and more I talk to people about marketing the less scientific and more random it seems to be. The constant mantra of ‘test, test, test’ is spouted but as a small business you may not have the budget to really make the most of testing. So, what do you do? You try a few things and then when they don’t work you stop them. It’s unlikely you will have the budgets large enough to keep testing your approach as everyone suggests. Of course, it’s different for every sector and for businesses in those sectors – is there a magic answer?

Labels: marketing, virtual assistant, virtual pa training

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Tuesday, 6 May 2008

Credit crunch – are you feeling the heat?

There is constant talk at the moment about the credit crunch, banks struggling, mortgage products being taken off the market, rising prices. Sometimes the talk can be worse than reality and the media certainly gets stuck into whipping up a storm. So, have you felt the impact personally and have you noticed it on the business front? It’s not going to get better any time soon so are you putting plans in place to protect yourself should things get tight?

Labels: credit, virtual assistant, virtual assstant training, virtual pa training

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Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Anyone been to Downing Street?

I ask because I have an invitation and would like to know what to expect. I'd urge anyone who thinks twice about entering an award to just go for it. I've been short-listed for the national Mother@Work Awards 2008 and will be attending the awards ceremony at Downing Street in June. Running a business can be a challenge at times and when you set up on your own it can be quite lonely. This type of recognition really does show that you can achieve anything you focus on.

Labels: Downing Street, Mother at Work Awards, virtual assistant, virtual pa training

3 Comments:

Amanda Vlahakis said...: I've applied for/entered about four awards over the years and only been shortlisted once about four years ago.

I sort of can't be bothered now because I always think "What's the point, my business clearly isn't impressive enough" :-))

Defeatist attitude I know!

Good luck at Downing Street!; 04 May 2008 22:14
Alison said...: Congratulations! Which category have you been nominated in? My mum nominated me for the Exceptional Working Mother category and I'm on the shortlist too ..... I'm absolutely terrified!!; 07 May 2008 12:57
Alice Elliott said...: Just wear something smart and comfortable. That's what my mother wore when she collected her MBE from Prince Charles - and she was the only female recipient not wearing a hat.

Congratulations, though. Let us know how you get on. You don't have to curtsy to the PM - thank goodness.; 12 May 2008 17:49

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Tuesday, 22 April 2008

The Apprentice – lost its shine or still delivering the goods?

I’m a huge fan of The Apprentice. It is very entertaining but also delivers those business lessons you simply cannot be taught through study. So, with the latest series well under way it appears The Apprentice is as popular as ever. But the lessons are the same and it’s very often down to research (knowing your market), planning and common sense. So, if it’s so predictable then why does it continue to be so entertaining? I can’t quite put my finger on it but it keeps me hooked.

Labels: Sir Alan Sugar, The Apprentice, virtual assistat training, virtual pa training

1 Comments:

Charlie Profit said...: I would say the reason it continues to be entertaining is the diverse personalities the producers find every year.; 21 May 2008 02:38

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Thursday, 10 April 2008

Networking – what do you ask?

What’s the first question you ask when you meet someone at a networking event? Or, are you the one answering the questions? Does it vary and does that mean you don’t have a networking strategy? Networking is a first step in building a trusted business relationship but still, in this day and age, people treat it like a glorified raffle – a bit of random selection and hope for the best. I’ve lost count of the number of times I chat to people about a networking event and they say how disappointed they were not to come away with any business. Would you really consider giving someone business when you’ve only just met them and maybe only spent a total of about ten minutes talking to them. I wouldn’t. It’s all about quality not quantity and how you follow-up on that initial meeting, isn’t it?

Labels: networking, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa training

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Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Gordon’s Nightmares – Cooking or Marketing?

Gordon Ramsey’ Kitchen Nightmares – is that about cooking, good business sense or marketing or all combined? It’s interesting that despite the programme being highly predictable it’s not only entertaining, of a sort, but a lesson in marketing. In fact, it’s probably one of the best examples to demonstrate how understanding what a local population wants, and then giving it to them, is really what business is about. Of course, there are may other lessons which are repeated – doing your research, finding your niche and keeping things simple but they are linked to marketing and good business sense. So, is Gordon a fabulous chef or an expert businessman?

Labels: Gordon Ramsey, marketing, virtual assistant, virtual assistant training, virtual pa training

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Monday, 18 February 2008

Planning is an important part of business but too much can be dangerous

Of course, I’m not saying that you should be reckless. I had been thinking about expanding my business for some time – to offer training and mentoring services to Virtual Assistants. I knew there was a demand but it seemed like a huge step. Interestingly, the decision was largely taken out of my hands with the increasing number of people enquiring about whether I could help them in that way. As a result I produced promotional materials and quickly signed up people for a training course before I had written the course materials. Certainly, if I had planned out every last detail it would have delayed me in offering something to the market – sometimes you just have to do it.

Labels: virtual pa training

1 Comments:

Graphic Design Blog said...: I think that just 'doing it' when the moment and indeed opportunity arises isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Of course 'doing it' should be tempered by some sort of reasoned consideration before you go ahead but not every business decision needs extensive planning/business plan.

I started my business over five years ago...no business plan at all, and I've never really properly planned any business decision I've made, yet I have a highly successful business.

Sometimes the best laid plans can go wrong and whilst planning can be useful, I also think that the ability to adapt to suit changing and developing markets is vital.

In business, especially with technology racing ahead as it is, one cannot spend too long idling over plans whilst one's competitors surge ahead.; 18 February 2008 22:41

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Monday, 4 February 2008

Planning is an important part of business but too much can be dangerous

Of course, I’m not saying that you should be reckless. I had been thinking about expanding my business for some time – to offer training and mentoring services to Virtual Assistants. I knew there was a demand but it seemed like a huge step. Interestingly, the decision was largely taken out of my hands with the increasing number of people enquiring about whether I could help them in that way. As a result I produced promotional materials and quickly signed up people for a training course before I had written the course materials. Certainly, if I had planned out every last detail it would have delayed me in offering something to the market – sometimes you just have to do it.

Labels: virtual pa training

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