Sometimes change is good, and this is one of those times. Out with the old, in with the new. So, I have decided to change the name of my blog to reflect the method of delivery of the content I provide to my readers. The new name is RJ’s Word of Mouth Weblog. Let me know what you think. I look forward to reading your comments.

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I was recently told by a client that she views me as a Christian business leader. I highly respect her opinion because she is a coach of Christian leaders; therefore, she’s speaking from experience. For those of you who are Christian leaders, I would highly recommend her services, because she coaches according to the leading of Holy Spirit. Click here to learn more about Karen M. Pina.

After learning that I am a Christian business leader, I googled exactly what is a Christian business leader, as well as what are the responsibilities associated with this position.

Although we are entrepreneurs, we are to conduct business according to how Holy Spirit leads us. We are not blindly driven by ambition and greed, but are led by the Lord in our achievement of goals and performance of tasks. We develop a specific vision of how things could and should be for our employees, community, family, and clients, and labor tirelessly with the help of God to make it happen. We take calculated risks. Make your decisions after prayer and careful consideration. We are called to serve our clients by providing them with value-added service. We are to create a relationship with employees or a team of individuals who are committed to our vision of providing our clients with quality service.

Finally, we are not to allow our drive for financial success cloud our vision and our true calling as Christian business leaders.

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When working with a Virtual Assistant (VA), there are some simple communication processes that can be put into place, which will help to make a Virtual Assistant/client working relationship a success.

Communication is the key; just like in any type of relationship. If you are retaining a VA services on an ongoing monthly basis, it is a good idea to give your VA some type of schedule listing the projects and tasks you need completing, along with anticipated completion dates, for the entire month. This way, if your VA has other clients, he or she can schedule your tasks accordingly ensuring that you will have your completed tasks in a timely manner.

Another suggested method of communication is a check-in report that you and your Virtual Assistant complete weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. The report will have the same set of questions that both of you will answer; for example, how has it been working with me for the past several weeks, what have you enjoyed most, what have you enjoyed least, is there anything you’d like to discuss, etc.? You may think this is too time-consuming, but it is highly recommended in order to have a successful working relationship.

One other method of communication, of course, is e-mail. It is less intrusive than the telephone and takes less time, which allows your Virtual Assistant to stay on track and focused. Needless to say, at times, a phone call will be warranted.

A client’s and my working relationship have been quite successful due to implementing the above-mentioned methods of communication. They leave no room for assumptions. The key is communication.

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Virtual Assistants were once thought of as someone who provided virtual administrative assistance. Majority of Virtual Assistants (VAs) were employed as administrative assistants or in some type of administrative support position before leaving the corporate world; therefore, they were capable of offering quality virtual assistant services. Today, the number of single-person business owners is booming, and they need assistance in more areas than just administrative. According to Small Business Trends, single-person businesses account for 78% of all U.S. businesses. These statistics are based on a U.S. Census 2005 report.

When small business owners outsource time-consuming tasks, they have more time to develop and grow their businesses, as well as have more personal time. Tina Hilton is writing a four-part series post on Home Office Warrior’s blog, http://homeofficewarrior.com/2007/11/07/the-top-100-ways-a-home-office-warrior-can-utilize-a-virtual-assistant, about the various tasks that VAs are able to perform, and the many uses of a VA. Part two is located at http://homeofficewarrior.com/2007/11/12/the-top-100-ways-a-home-office-warrior-can-utilize-a-virtual-assistant-part-two. Virtual Assistant Networking Association also has a series of top 10 reasons to use a virtual assistant. The top 10 series can be found at http://www.vanetworking.com/VA-top-ten.

The percentage of single-person businesses is growing, and they need assistance with several tasks, in addition to administrative support. These small business owners are discovering the many uses of a Virtual Assistant.

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If you are an owner of a small ad agency, you should consider establishing a business relationship with a Virtual Assistant (VA), especially if you have a small budget. Owners of advertising agencies and owners of virtual assistant businesses are similar; therefore, a Virtual Assistant understands and can anticipate your business needs. We both submit bids. An agency and a VA both respond to RFPs from potential clients. An agency’s and a Virtual Assistant’s services are billed hourly and generally are temporary. When a projected is completed, the job is over. We both work ourselves right out of a job. Ad agencies and VA businesses generally are small. According to U. S. Department of Labor, 68% of advertising agencies and public relations firms employ 1-4 employees. Majority of Virtual Assistant businesses are sole proprietorship.

We understand how time-consuming the daily mundane tasks can be. Generally these tasks are administrative in nature and can be delegated or outsourced to a Virtual Assistant. Examples of these tasks include bookkeeping, updating your website, setting appointments, placing phone calls, following up on e-mails, typing business documents, correspondences, etc. The time you save can be used to gain new clients and/or retain your current clients. A relationship between an agency and a Virtual Assistant has several advantages. When working with a Virtual Assistant, you only pay for the actual time used. Why pay someone for down time. There would be no need to pay a full-time salary or benefits. If the agency is limited on space, there would be no need to expand to accommodate an administrative assistant. A Virtual Assistant works from his or her office.

Being that advertising and Virtual Assistant industries are similar in many ways, we could establish a viable business relationship.

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The first step in effectively using a Virtual Assistant (VA) is to make a list of daily mundane (usually non-profitable) tasks you can outsource. Create a business relationship with a Virtual Assistant, and outsource the tasks to him or her. The time you gain can be spent developing your business. You will also have more personal time. Retain their services on a regular basis and, in turn, they will become familiar with you and your business needs. This will save time in communications, giving instructions, etc.

Effectively using a Virtual Assistant can be beneficial in other areas. Working with a VA rather than hiring an administrative staff member(s) will save you money. The cost associated with having an employee is more than using a VA. Over the course of one year, you can save more than $40,000.00 by working with a VA.

If you want to effectively use a VA, first make a list of your daily non-profitable tasks. Second, decide which tasks you can outsource and, third, establish an ongoing business relationship with a Virtual Assistant. You, too, can join the list of other business owners who have learned how to effectively use the services of a Virtual Assistant.

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