As some of you have noticed, I have been out of blogging commission for about a month. My re-entry to the blogging world is going to be a little colorful today, but I’m going to try to keep it at least a little “working from home” oriented.

First, my absence has been the result of a broken foot. My husband would tell you this is the direct result of being impatient and trying to do everything myself (I tend to spin this into the good qualities of motivation and multi-talent). Needless to say, flip-flops and heavy falling objects lead to 3 broken metatarsals and a yet to be given timeline for recovery (we’re already at 4 weeks, I’m starting to think maybe the avoidance of this topic is not a good sign). Luckily, my multiple talents and Virtual Assistant career had me for the most part prepared for my ongoing limited mobility. So, this week:

Things You Need to Prepare Before Asking for a Broken Foot:

1. Have a paper and pen placed strategically throughout the house. You are going to be making several lists (i.e. groceries, honey-do’s, etc). It’s a lot easier if these are within reach when needed.

2. Multi-tasking and strategic planning are blessings. Every time you need to move anywhere else in the house you are going to need to take several moments to round up the things you need to take back to that place and make a mental note of all the things you need to bring back with you. One trip is better than several.

3. Ditch the crutches and stay in your computer chair. Buy one now with a nice cushy seat. As stated in 2, one trip is better than several and you can’t carry much with crutches (if you are like me, you have a hard enough time walking with them). It’s also better to get rid of all your carpet now if you want a broken foot. Computer chairs roll better on hardwood floors.

4. If you don’t have a bedroom downstairs like me, make sure you have a hide-a-bed or a small bed that can easily be repositioned to keep you on one floor. No matter how good your planning is, as soon as you make that long trek of scooting up the stairs on your behind you’re going to remember something else, have to go to the restroom, etc. Keep it simple.

5. Even if you are as lucky as I am and can work from home, there are only so many hours you can sit at your desk with your foot on a stool before your back is going to hurt more than your foot (it’s always something). Have your laptop, cell phone, headset and more paper and pens set up by the uncomfortable bed you are now sleeping on in your dining room.

6. Have your www.myhours.com and www.logmein.com accounts already set up. With these you can track your work hours and access your desktop without have to leave your laptop and trek back into the office to access files.

7. Be very nice to your sister-in-law. This is the woman that is going to take time out of her own busy schedule to take you to your weekly doctor appointments and then out for ice cream! What a gem. The neighbors too, they will check on you and take out your trash while your husband is away.

8. Have plenty of leftover meals already prepared and in your freezer or learn to like TV dinners (you can write on your lists which ones you like for your husband’s trip to the grocery store). Trying to cook anything that goes beyond microwaving or a simple in and out of the oven is going to be a painful and drawn-out ordeal. Don’t bother. It won’t taste any good anyway when you are now mad, tired and crying because you can’t even cook for yourself.

9. I’ve heard a lot of “what a time of year to break your foot.” To each his own, but I tend to disagree. Shorts are much more manageable than pants with a cast. And speaking of clothing, don’t be too concerned with your wardrobe while you’re stuck in the house especially if your closet is on another floor. Have your significant other grabs a week’s worth of clothes with a couple decent outfits for the doctor/ice cream days. When you finally get to pick out your own clothing again, everything is going to seem new. The few people that you will see over the coming weeks (family, in-laws and neighbors) have probably all seen you in your jammies anyway.

Now that everyone is prepared, I still don’t recommend breaking anything. It’s a pain every which way you can imagine. With the right tools, a lot of patience and even more support this will all be a distant memory soon I’m sure. If you’re lucky enough to be able to work from home while recovering, do it. Even if you are calling on help from co-workers or your own Virtual Assistant, it occupies your mind and makes you feel at least a little productive despite all the things you are incapable of at the moment. If you can’t, enjoy your time catching up on movies and starting your own blogs.

Finally take my advice, ditch the flip-flops and leave the heavy lifting to the husbands.

Angie Nelson
Your Nebraska Virtual Assistant

In this blog, I’d like to add some observations I’ve made relating to my last post on Small Business and Social Marketing. The last few weeks, I’ve decided I’m going to change the spelling when referring to my own small business to “my busy-ness.” Things have been moving so quickly lately (thankfully) that I’ve rarely had a moment to stop and do things I’d like or need to be doing….like shopping. (I’m not embarrassed to say it.) This is where my observations on local social media marketing have come into play.

Being an avid Twitter and Facebook user, I follow and am a fan to many local businesses. At first, I was concerned that I would be flooded with endless advertising posts, but it hasn’t turned out that way at all. These businesses strategically put out one or two posts per week about things they have going on that are of interest to their consumers. Some are sales, some are new products they have available, and to me as a busy-ness owner it’s a blessing.

Rarely do I have the time to sit down and read the Sunday ads, or visit everyone’s websites to see what they have for me. Even if it’s something that I’ve needed, I put it off because I don’t have the time to research online or shop numerous places to find what I need. Instead, I continue to put off making that purchase until I do have time. These strategic social marketing posts let me know right away who has the local sweet corn, the best deal on massages and pedicures and who is now carrying the products I use that is closer to my home.

There are many naysayers out there that will tell you social media is a waste for local businesses, I disagree. Not only is it a free form of advertising, you are reaching your most interested consumers within seconds. Social media doesn’t need to take endless hours to be effective. These short bursts with the most relevant information require no fancy ad or weeks of planning. They get the consumer the information they are most looking for at a moment’s notice. Something new comes in today, your consumers know about it today.

If you’re new to the social media world and don’t know where to start, consult a Virtual Assistant. They can walk you through what avenues are best for your business and help you get set up. Purchasing a few hours of time may be a big return on your investment. And you never know it may just be me that comes walking through your door.

Angie Nelson
Your Nebraska Virtual Assistant

Question 1: As a small business owner, when searching for a local service where do you turn? Answer: 83% of us resort to search engines to find what we are looking for. Question 2: As a small business owner, do you have an online presence? Sad Answer: 44% of small business owners do not.

Everyday more and more people are turning to the internet before they take the time to look through the Yellow Pages or local newspapers. Building an online presence for your small business should be a top priority. Even on a local level, a large portion of business is gained online. How many potential customers are in your town or the next over that have thought about visiting your business, but are still on the fence? This is a great opportunity to make that personal connection. Tell them who you are, what you do and why you do it. Let them know when they come to you they are receiving better service and products than your competitor can offer (who may already be online).

Gone are the days when webhosting fees were beyond a small business budget. Not only are hosting fees extremely reasonable, with the number of freelance web designers available at a low price, both can easily be recouped within a very short time. If you feel technologically inclined, eliminate the web designer fee and tackle the project yourself. Most web hosts have several free templates available all you need is the written content.

Now that you have that great website to make that first connection, keep them coming back. There are several social networking tools available today and the best news is they are FREE! Get your business a Twitter account and Facebook Page and you are now connecting with your customers directly and frequently. The majority of your customers are most likely already connecting with family and friends through social networking, let them connect with you as well. They will immediately know about the new service, product or special event you are holding. You will most likely be reaching more existing and potential customers for zero dollars than you would be sending out expensive direct mailers and buying newspaper space.

You can even take it a step further. Are there other small businesses in your community or area that are also social marketing? Offer to trade ad space. They “tweet” and post your special or exciting news and you do the same in return. Now you are reaching an even bigger audience.

Get your small business online today. It may not be obvious how much you are losing by not being online, but the truth is your business is suffering to some extent. Make your social marketing plan and put it into action now!

Angie Nelson
Your Nebraska Virtual Assistant

As business owners, we sometimes have so much going on NOW that we don’t stop to think about THEN. We all know it’s a lot easier to keep up on things a little at a time, rather than waiting until they’ve grown to crisis status. This is why monthly business goals are so important. Goals allow us to be proactive, instead of constantly being reactive. We always need to have a plan in action to grow our business and be more profitable.

Every month, write down half a dozen goals that are relevant, motivating and attainable. Are there things you’ve been putting off for some time, that really need to get done? Is there something that would make your business more efficient or profitable, but you haven’t had the time to implement it? Be specific in the course of action you will take. “I will acquire 2 new clients this month” isn’t specific. Instead your goal should be “I will acquire 2 new clients by following up with past leads and attending two networking events this month.”

Once you have your list, honestly look at each item and ask yourself “Is this something ONLY I can do?” Chances are there are some items that have been delayed that could easily be delegated to another member of your team or your Virtual Assistant. The more items you can hand off to someone else, the more you can truly focus on those items that only you can do.

This month take 20 or 30 minutes to write down a few goals and think about your plan of action to achieve them. The more items you get checked off your list, the more you’ll be motivated to set more goals. Setting goals is the first step to achievement and success, how far can you go this month?

Angie Nelson
Your Nebraska Virtual Assistant

Did you know summer is just around the corner? A Virtual Assistant can be replying to your emails, handling routine tasks, and forwarding on only the “can’t wait” emails, allowing you to enjoy your summer vacation to the fullest.

Did you know this weekend is Mother’s Day? Your Virtual Assistant can order flowers, make reservations, or send a gift to the moms in your life.

Did you know May 10 is the beginning of National Family Month? Let a Virtual Assistant take on some of your day-to-day tasks, allowing you to spend more time with those most important to you.

Did you know Virtual Assistants are available on per project, temporary or ongoing basis, or by retaining a specific amount of hours per month chosen by you? A VA can accommodate your scheduling and budgetary needs.

Did you know finding and hiring a Virtual Assistant is an easy process? Contact a Virtual Assistant to discuss your project. Do you feel comfortable with them? Do they understand your needs? If it’s your first time using a Virtual Assistant, remember, you can try them out on a per project basis.

Did you know when hiring a Virtual Assistant, you aren’t just getting an assistant? Most Virtual Assistants have several years of administrative experience behind them. Couple that with the same entrepreneurial mindset that you need in your business and you have a great partnership. Knowing the ins and outs of small businesses, your Virtual Assistant can be your second set of eyes to keeping your business efficient and profitable.

Did you know if you come across a VA you’d like to contact, but what you need isn’t listed in their services, go ahead and ask? Most VAs network with a lot of other VAs and can give you a great referral. Even if they don’t know someone personally that is skilled in the scope of work you require, they can point you in the right direction to the best resources to finding who you need.

Did you know there are times we could all use a little help? Find yourself a Virtual Assistant today!

Working via the internet, I’m usually visiting several websites per day. Whether it is researching for a client or for my own business, I run across at least one website per week that brings us to today’s topic: PROOFREADING.

I have discussed this topic before, but feel it needs repeated. It is something I personally struggle with time and time again, and through the relationships I’ve made with other business owners I hear them at times voicing the same concerns.

A lot of us are people-pleasers to a fault. We get so excited about the new thing and so eager to make the best impression, that we break our own rules and let ourselves be taken advantage of. We tell ourselves “just this once,” but many times it turns into a downward spiral. Pretty soon, we find ourselves doing it all the time because now someone knows we’re willing to bend the rules. Eventually, it’s us that are stressed about the new expectations and even more stressed about how to turn it around.

Things can be so much easier if we stick to our rules, especially in the beginning of a working relationship. Sure, there are times we can be accommodating, but those times should come later. If someone is expecting you to put your own rules aside from the get-go, once they find out you will, it probably will continue. We need to stay within our set boundaries from Day 1.

Best case scenario, you’ll have a great, long-term working relationship full of mutual respect and no secret resentment. The worst thing that can happen is they will move on to someone who will let them run the show as it suits them and you’ll be in the same place you were before, but a lot less stressed. And that’s not such a bad place to be.

Whether you’re a business owner, find yourself looking for a new job, or looking to explore new avenues in life, we all eventually find ourselves in the position where we are limited by what we know. We find ourselves locked in our comfort zone by the limitations we set for ourselves. We make excuses that learning new skills is too expensive, too time consuming, just too much of one thing or the other.

Inevitably, we find ourselves looking out our comfort zone window watching opportunities go by: “I wish I could do that, but I don’t know how,” “I always wanted to do that, but I don’t have the skills,” etc. The fact is, there’s always the opportunity to learn a new skill. Maybe it’s a piece of software, maybe it’s an actual certification. Through the magic of the internet, all of this is possible. There are so many training opportunities available. HP offers several software tutorials at no charge, www.hp.com/go/learningcenter. There are online certifications available to suit almost every industry. And if time is a factor, many options are self-paced. You can complete them at your own pace, on your own schedule.

Everyone should explore learning something new, whether it is immediately needed or not. Power comes through knowledge. You’ll be building your self-esteem while building your knowledgebase. Next time an opportunity races past your comfort zone window, you’ll be able to grab it and bring it in.

Whether you are an artist, an author, a performer or a speaker, the time will come when you want to get out into the public eye to promote yourself and your product. Booking events can be a time-consuming and tedious task, so I’ve put together some tips:

1. Have a promo pack ready ahead of time. The venues you’ve selected are going to want to “see” who you are. They want to get a feel if you are a good fit for their venue and if you’ll bring in a crowd. Their main objective is to make money, so they like to be confident in their selections. A promo pack usually includes a sample of your product (book, cd, dvd, etc), a short bio, a cover letter and some clippings or testimonials, if you have them, from other venues. Make sure all these materials have contact information on them in case they get separated, which they most likely will.

2. Research venues. Find out if they have events to support local artists, authors, speakers, etc. If you are local to the venue, make a point to visit the venue on one of those chosen nights. It will give you the opportunity to see how things are run and why you would be a good fit. Don’t attempt to sell yourself at this time. These are very busy times and you’ll probably end up making a bad first impression. Just scope the place out, make your mental notes and be ready for the next step.

3. Make your calls. Contact the appropriate person and see if it’s a good time to chat. Some venues have specific days and times they discuss bookings and won’t take calls outside that time. Callback at the appropriate time to ask if you can send your promo pack. Always call and ask first, they may not be taking promo materials at this time or they may not open any materials from someone that hasn’t contacted them first. Make sure to get the correct spelling of their name, the address, etc. Mail your promo pack today (this is why it’s good to have it ready ahead of time).

4. Wait. You may be tempted to pick up the phone and call tomorrow, but don’t. Venues likely get between 10-50 promo packs per week. Give them time to look over your sales pitch. Give it two weeks, then call. If they still haven’t looked it over, ask if you can call back again next week. Be persistent, but not pushy.

5. Be ready. While you are waiting, this is a good time to make sure your calendar is up-to-date. In the event they call, you don’t want to have to tell them you’ll call them back because you don’t have all your ducks in a row. They are ready to book now and if you’re not ready, they’ll move on to the next guy and your place will be taken.

6. Don’t get discouraged. Many places book 2-3 months ahead of time. Plan accordingly and keep at it.

7. Call your virtual assistant, or contact ASN Virtual Services. Your VA can take care of all these things for you while you focus on your passion and prepare for all the bookings ahead.

In this case, “virtually” means “nearly” or “almost,” as opposed to my usual reference to the word. We all know the most popular ramifications to unhealthy living; weight gain, diabetes, etc. Doctors also now believe that our diets can affect not just our physical body, but also our emotional body as well.

Irritability, anxiety, and other mood disorders can be affected by the lifestyles we lead. Working out of a home office, it’s easy for our choices to be altered by taking the easiest route, healthy or not. Sometimes we’re too busy and just don’t have time to stop for a bite. If we do, maybe we just have time to grab whatever’s within reach as opposed to what we should. Or, we have the best intentions on exercising, but too busy, too cold, too this, too that. We in turn get stressed, forgetful and a bit snippy.

When we work from home, we in most cases have no one to hold us accountable for what we are doing. No mean co-worker is hiding around the corner while you are on your new diet waiting for you to grab that donut or handful of chips so they can announce it to the world. It’s just you, and you’ll find a way to justify your bad decision. You may think there’s no hope, but there is.

Find your buddy system. Start an accountability group through Twitter, email, a free forum, etc. Whether it’s every morning posting what you’re planning for your meals that day, or what time you’ve scheduled for that walk or 30 minutes of yoga. Planning, scheduling and accountability work, especially for those of us with little willpower and tons of excuses.

We all can and need to find 30 minutes for ourselves every day and do what we can to feed our bodies what they need. It will improve our health, our mood, our overall appearance and how we feel about ourselves at the end of the day. We’ll feel better, which will make us work better. You, your family and your clients will thank you.