Being “sociable” on the web can have huge payoffs. Provider-customer communications have never been more important. In the old face-to-face days, small business owners maintained a manageable number of extremely loyal clients, all of whom were accustomed to seeing the small business owner in person.

If customers had a concern, a question, a request or a problem — the business owner was there, in person, to work it out.

Social networking and web 2.0 (yeah, I know, I’m tired of those phrases too) are high tech tools offering new delivery platforms to achieve this classic caliber of old-time service.

• Loyal customers develop as a result of good relationships. (Give someone a bad experience when they are buying products or services, without remedy, and they will probably not come back.)
• If you have a relationship and there is a problem and you FIX the problem personally, they will not only come back, they will love you for going “above and beyond.” This scenario will build loyalty more than a flawless experience.
• They will talk about you. If you give excellent service or exceedingly poor service, your customers will tell others. That word-of-mouth advertising will make or break your business — especially online.

Social networking helps you to build strong, personal relationships with potential and existing clients, even though you may never meet them “face-to-face.” The new social tools permit personal interaction even before the first sale. It also offers an amazing built-in referral network.

If you aren’t currently participating, consider broadening your horizons. Select one or two platforms from the major players, fill out your profile page and join in the conversation.

Quit being a wall-flower at the Internet dance!

(NOTE: photo courtesy of Clarita at MorgueFile.com)

I tend to worry about things over which I have no control. It makes life more drama-filled than necessary. It makes parenting challenging. Heck, sometimes it makes breathing difficult!

Riding the economy’s roller coaster is a white-knuckled, teeth-clenching experience these days… especially THIS day.

It shook me today. I’ve been preparing for a “recession/depression” for several months. My debt load is probably lower than most peoples’ — but I still have debt. (I hate being in debt.) I live simply. I don’t have extravagant tastes. That all helps me to make it as a solopreneur.

My client-base is primarily real estate and that industry has been hard-hit of late. I don’t work with those new to the industry. My clients are the established, knowledgeable, experienced portion of the market. So when MY clients are feeling the pinch — it’s serious. When my clients go from immediate pay to 30/60 days, I get concerned.

But, for those entrepreneurs out there that are starting to worry, I’d like to share some sage advice from one of my clients (complete with my interpretation). I won’t identify the client because he admitted “I’m scared too” and that admission may alarm his agents. He said, “I’m scared too, Angela, but you are in a good place and so am I… we owe little and are not at the mercy of a big corporation for our weekly check. If it’s not working, we will reinvent ourselves!”

I took that information and sat on it awhile this afternoon. While I watched the stock market climb back up to a reasonable level (back above 10,000 for the DOW), I pondered the implications of what he said.

He’s right. As entrepreneurs, we are able to make adjustments, look for opportunities and jump on them in a way that others can’t. We do have the flexibility to “reinvent” ourselves, to refine our vision, or to completely rebuild our set of goals.

Another client commented (sometime last week) that there would always be work for someone who was knowledgeable in their field. He said the economic slow down would do two things: Clear out the “chaff” from his industry (real estate) and create an even stronger demand for my own services. He said, “People who need help will be less willing to offer work to those who are unproven and those who are less talented.”

Although his compliments made me blush at the time (and offer me an opportunity to brag a bit now), the fact is… when money is tight, you go for the “sure thing” in business and in personal decisions.

So if you are an established provider, there really isn’t a reason to worry. It may get interesting for awhile, but we will be fine. It may help to remember that these issues aren’t an issue for a particular country, they are world-wide.

We are participating in a global economy and no country will be its own little universe again. What happens from here on out will cause ripples across all oceans. That’s something that I find both comforting and alarming. It requires thinking about my tiny little business on a much bigger scale.

For those new to the industry, make friends with the “old hands” and show your stuff. The best way to land work in tough times is through the recommendation of trusted providers, subcontracting and concentrating on your best offerings.

If you aren’t advertising your niche or special skills, do it. If you haven’t established a short list of your best service offerings, there’s never been a better time. Choose them, communicate them and make sure they are “front and center” on your business website.

Just because there is a sluggishness in the economy does not mean we can afford it in our businesses. Now is the time to work harder and rise faster. These are the times when opportunities arise and disappear quickly.  Be ready.

And remember, in this era when mega-corporations are failing and floundering and drowning… you have the reins of your business. Here, at least, you have a choice on how your income is made and how your bottom line reads. Small businesses are the backbone of economies — we work even when others don’t.

(Photo from MorgueFile.com by MarkeMark.)

A recent NYT article chronicles the stress of being a full-time blogger, entrepreneur and participant in the Internet information industry. So, after staying up until nearly 3 a.m. last night working on my “new look” for WickedBlog — with proper validation, a new layout and a WordPress update (that I did all by my lonesome!)… I have to wonder if I’m not part of this craziness.

I’ve noticed the weight gain, the failure to eat properly and the lack of exercise — especially lately. But I keep telling myself that my life will calm down soon, that it will get better, that I’m “investing” in my future. I’m serving clients, dealing with children and family issues, maintaining my websites, blogging and doing constant research.

Hmm… maybe I’m merely continuing my life-long habit of “burning-the-candle-at-both-ends” and I’m just CALLING it something new. Food for thought. Definitely!

Are you just getting started as a virtual assistant, freelancer, remote professional or outsourcing provider? Are you wondering how to find the clients? Manage time and billing? How to get your business on the web?

Maybe you are an old hand and providing services remotely (like me) and what you REALLY want to know is how to gracefully “fire” a client that is no longer a good fit, or you may want to determine if it’s time to try your hand at blogging, or maybe you want to update your existing website to be more effective for your mature business model?

If you want an economical way to find solutions for any of these issues, you may want to sign up for the RemoteProfessionals.com Mini-Conference to be held on April 17th. It’s a great way to get answers from the people in the know!

Presenters include:

• Tiffanie Lyon of Lyon Sales Institute, LLC
• Marsha Kopan of Executive Secretarial Services
• Anna Baron of the Virtual Link
• Karen Reddick of V-and-E-Services
• Mike Price of MLBroadcast.com
• Andrea Pixley of AndreaPixley.com

If you are interested, move quickly. Registration for the virtual assistant mini-conference closes soon, and the workshop sessions are limited to only a handful of earlybirds — keeping the workshop classes small makes them more effective! I’ll be there… maybe you will be too!

(NOTE: And if you are just starting out… you may be interested in the one year “startup membership” given as a complementary bonus to all non-members who purchase all-day access!)

Today marks the fifth birthday for WickedWordCraft.com. In honor of this landmark, I’ve given WWC a much-needed facelift. I’m also now running on the WordPress platform. It looks a bit cleaner and fresher. I’ve also imported my background from WickedBlog.com to have a bit of continuity between the two sites.

I’ll be tweaking and adjusting things over the next few days (maybe even weeks), but the look should stay mostly stable now. If you have any suggestions or comments, I’d love to hear them. Thanks for stopping by!

Angela

(Note: Image taken from Morguefile.com courtesy of photographer earl53.)

This Thursday, October 11th, RemoteProfessionals.com is offering a free “Ask the Specialist” session which may be of interest to Real Estate Agents and those offering services to Real Estate Agents. It is your opportunity to come and ask your questions on how to:

1. Present yourself online
2. Organize your workflow for real estate projects
3. Customize your website

For more information…Visit the www.RemoteProfessionals.com event page and register today to attend on Thursday at noon (EST).

This month marks the fifth anniversary of WickedWordCraft.com. Pretty exciting stuff for me. I’ve been in business since 1999 — but I’d not niched until I rolled out WWC in October of 2002. It was the best thing I ever did for my business.

Niching is important to all small businesses, IMHO. Even my own real estate clients have been niching pretty hard lately (see the active rain post I did last week on real estate niches). I’ve been working up ways to further niche and narrow my own services. Hopefully, by month’s end, I’ll be rolling out a new internal business model.

This means I’ll be determining which of the current services I offer I’ll be keeping and which ones I’ll be farming out to other remote professionals. (more…)

Outsourcing service providers are a growing segment of the population. With astronomical gasoline prices, the spread of broadband and communications networks, it’s no surprise that more individuals are seriously considering alternative work styles.

Two years ago, Jodi Diehl and I started www.RemoteProfessionals.com, and this year we are launching a new membership level to help individuals interested in establishing their own services business to begin outsourcing. (more…)

Here’s the press release for the event:

(Lexington, KY, USA) July 17, 2007 – Have you ever considered working for yourself? Want to know the truth about the virtual assistant industry? Want to know if it’s the right path for you? The outsourcing business is booming and solopreneurs are creating successful careers by marketing their skills online. RemoteProfessionals.com, (www.Remoteprofessionals.com), a networking organization for independent service providers, is hosting a free panel discussion teleconference event to answer questions of those new to the industry and those interested in learning more about this career path. (more…)

Real estate agents, coaches, speakers, authors, artists, small businesses and other entrepreneurs are using outsourcing more and more every day. What troubles some is how to go about selecting the best in the business.

It’s not always easy to pan for gold online.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled this checklist list of things you should consider when you are seeking a specialist to help move your own business ahead.

When Seeking Individual Offsite Providers:

• Always require and check references. Check every single one.
• Don’t hire a generalist. Outsourcing specialists are a benefit to your company only if they bring the specific skills you need. You can hire generalists for onsite work or use temp agencies as needed for general or clerical work.
• Does your potential specialist do outsourced work full-time? Part timers only dedicate a few hours a day or a week to your needs and you will split that with any other clients they may have.
• Get information. Ask about background and real-life experience in the areas you need and a history of delivering those services via digital means. Consider and weigh formal education, professional experience, longevity in business and client references.
• Investigate. Check into the certification requirements if you seek certified individuals. If everyone passes the “tests” — do the tests indicate skill?
• Rates will vary, but your end cost is what matters. Recognize that specialists may accomplish in 15 minutes what it could take two hours or more for a beginner to accomplish – and the pros will deliver a better end product.
• You get what you pay for. If a VA is charging less than $25 per hour, they probably aren’t seasoned. If they do not yet know the costs associated with running their own business, do you want them helping you run yours?
• Do they seem too eager? If so, you may not want them. Hungry often = new or less than experienced. Sometimes you strike gold with a wonderfully experienced newcomer, but often your projects are merely their training ground.
• Do they interview YOU? Most professional providers will. If they aren’t asking questions to help you define how you see their role in your business, you should be concerned. Excellent outsourcing providers ask excellent questions.
• Do they educate you about this way of working? If you are new to outsourcing, most professionals will take a few minutes to ascertain your level of comfort and will help to explain to you how it works, and how they (or someone they recommend) may help you.
• Are they busy? Most professional providers of a certain caliber have a full client load. You know the old saying, “If you want something done, ask the person who is busy” — not the one just standing there. They accept only the “cream-of-the-crop” new clients — and only those they believe they can help.
• Don’t be offended if you are referred on. Most professionals will send you to another provider if they don’t have the time in their schedule or if they don’t have the specialized services they feel you need.
• Professional referrals will help you find a good match. Someone in this business is careful about referring work to others. It puts their own reputation on the line. Not every referral is a perfect match, but your chances are improved when a professional outsourcing specialists makes a recommendation.

I’ve let my “domains for sale” list get a bit stale, so I thought I’d take a few moments to update the collection.

A few new additions to my “for sale” collection include:

www.TheOutsourceAdvantage.com
www.OutsourcingOnTheWeb.com
www.ALittleWicked.com
www.AllWicked.com
www.AWickedWitch.com
www.InkGoddess.com
www.KentuckyWriter.com
www.MyOutsourcingBusiness.com
www.Outsourcing101.com
www.TechnologyCures.com
www.TheWickedWeb.com
www.VirtualAssistantOutsourcing.com
www.WickedClothes.com
www.WickedOrganic.com
www.WickedPets.com
www.WickedWebCraft.com
www.WickedWebsiteTemplates.com

As you can see, I like the “wicked” theme and I adore the outsourcing career path.

If you are interested in learning more, or making an offer on any of these domains, contact me.

RemoteProfessionals.com recently announced a Master Membership designation to be awarded to outsourcing professionals with exceptional skills, experience, references and longevity in business.

To learn more about this and other options… (more…)

RemoteProfessionals.com partners announced today they would be offering free registered user accounts to the general public.

These accounts are designed to help those interested in learning more about the outsourcing industry, more about remote service providers, and more about how to work with these individuals. The accounts also benefit experienced service providers and remote services clients. Two forum topics have also been opened to registered users. Creating an account will allow users access to the RemoteProfessionals.com digest (a periodic email with the most recent articles and site announcements) and registered users may also appear in the basic online user’s directory.

For Beginning Virtual Assistants and New Outsourcing Service Providers:

Partners Jodi Diehl (www.sunfrogservices.com) and Angela Parker (www.wickedwordcraft.com) believe these accounts will offer an informative and beneficial networking environment for newly established virtual assistants and remote services providers. Through the forums and website tools, those new to the industry will have access to experienced outsourcing professionals as well as industry-specific articles to aid them in establishing a successful outsourcing business.

For Career Virtual Assistants and Professional Outsourcing Providers:

The registered user option enables a small sample the website offerings at RemoteProfessionals.com. Registered users will also be able to network with peers, share their knowledge in the Expert Solutions forum and stay on top of current trends with the email digest.

For those who require more information and access, paid membership in RemoteProfessionals.com includes access to a full spectrum of forums, an expanded profile listing in the Member Directory with an online bio, access to client inquiries for projects, online networking with other members on client projects and the and ability to contribute industry-specific articles.

Interested and qualified users may submit an online application form to transition from registered access to full membership at any time.

While “cleaning house” on my hard drive today, I found a list of VA resources. Since these are not recently compiled, some links may not work.

(more…)

The SOHO and outsourcing advantages are numerous. I love working in my home office and apparently I’m not alone. In a recent survey by Yahoo HotJobs… 18% of those planning on changing jobs in the next 12 months were doing so because of the commute.

Hmmm… My commute is only a few steps. How’s yours?

The report, quoted in a recent article on Forbes.com states that 40% of the individuals surveyed plan to find another job in the next year, and 21% of them are already looking.

(more…)

WickedWordCraft.com turns three years old this month!

Although I’ve been working online for more than five years and following the  entrepreneurial path even longer than that… this month is special.

(more…)

Are you headed to the NAR conference this week? Want to learn a bit more, “hands-on” with a Treo?

You might want to check out the Palm exhibit. According to a news release that landed in my inbox, Palm will be demonstrating the Treo 650 as a Real Estate tool, and will be giving away a Treo 650 to boot.

You have read what I’ve said, but you can’t actually play with a Treo here on WickedTreo.com — maybe at NAR you can give one a test drive.

And, for those of you headed to San Francisco…Have a blast!

A good relationship with excellent outsourcing specialists is a business asset, and it’s one you should protect. Specialists in this industry do “fire” clients and they do it more often than clients “fire” them. It happens when the match isn’t working, when projects aren’t being completed, and for a host of other reasons. Most outsourcing providers protect their success ratios – it’s tied to their professional reputations and is reflected in their own bottom line.

Below are a few tips to help you keep the best offsite services providers on your team:

(more…)

Work product is the result of work. It’s that simple. When hiring work done by a Remote Professional, “work product” is the end product of that contracted labor. That may be a website, an article, a database, a marketing plan, a business plan, a logo, or anything else you pay to have produced. Once you have paid for the work done, the work belongs to you, not the person doing the work.

Exceptions to this general rule may apply if you sign a contract assigning rights to the work product to the contractor. You may be working with an individual who requires this, but this is not the “norm.” Most professionals understand that work or hire means that the end result belongs to the person (or business) hiring the work done and paying for that work. Some contractors will offer a reduced rate if they can link their business to your work product through display in an online or offline portfolio. To do so, they must have a contract which states that they have that right, or you must give them the right to do so.

When reviewing a work for hire agreement or any similar contract, you should make sure you are not limited in the way you can use or alter the work product you hired. Once you pay for a product, the way you choose to use or alter it may change. Keep your options open whenever possible. If you have a question about the way a portion of you contract or agreement reads, ask that the outsourcing provider clarify the language before you sign off. Now is NOT the time to be shy.

Some clients are proud to have their own work product displayed on a professional’s site as an example. It is an honor if an outsourcing professional considers your project an example of their best work. And, it’s always nice for a client to offer credit in the form of a web link or a small mention, but it’s not required and it’s not “standard procedure” without a contract that specifies those particulars. Be sure any permission to do so is offered by you, in writing — an email is fine.

Why should you permit someone else to display your stuff? You should do so if they give you a link back, or if your contact information remains intact in order to help boost your own marketing. I had one client for website content who had not yet submitted to the search engines. As soon as the site was up, I added his link to my site (in the form of a glowing testimonial, which I really appreciated). Within days, his site had been spidered and he had broken the “Google” barrier. The link from my established site helped to give his site a leg up. This client was kind enough to offer me a link with credit as the content and marketing guru for his site. It was a mutually beneficial exchange.

Why should you offer links to a contractor on your site? Because it makes them adore you. It’s a nice thing to do and it breeds goodwill. If their site is a well-done, quality site offering reciprocal links helps you both. If you are working with the “cream-of-the-crop” outsourcing companies and remote professionals, declaring that relationship boosts you both. It advertises that you use the best, and it helps remote professionals advertise that they have the best clients.

Whatever you decide, be sure you and your potential contractor both understand and agree to a mutually beneficial work product agreement. If you are working with a contractor for the first time, you may want to secure a contract before work begins. Taking a few extra moments now to discuss and agree on the particulars may create a more enjoyable work experience long-term.

Note: The above is for informational purposes only. If you have a contractual question, a dispute, or other concerns, you should contact your attorney for advice.

Work product is the result of work. It’s that simple. When hiring work done by a Remote Professional, “work product” is the end product of that contracted labor. That may be a website, an article, a database, a marketing plan, a business plan, a logo, or anything else you pay to have produced. Once you have paid for the work done, the work belongs to you, not the person doing the work. (more…)