Hello, my name is Sandra and I am proud to be a Professional Virtual Assistant! I have worked in the Virtual Assisting Industry as an independent VA and through a Virtual Staffing Agency (VSA). I have done Sales and Customer Service for a VSA and I have been a client with a VA Team of my own. I've seen it from every angle! I have developed a passion not only for this industry but also for mentoring and training women who want to have successful VA Businesses.
The 10 Business Blogs I (Always) Read
My daughter once called me a Book Worm. I was so flattered until I realized that she didn’t mean it as a compliment.
No matter - I chose to take it as a compliment. When I was a kid, my father would sit and read newspapers and books for hours every evening. So I suppose I understand my daughter’s opinion.
But I also know that my father was a pretty smart man and a very astute businessman. He believed that you must never stop learning and growing and he instilled that in me.
With a twist.
My focus is less on newspapers and books and more on blogs and other online content. Why? Well, in my opinion, most newspapers are only selling doom and gloom and I’m not buying. And business books are often obsolete by the time they hit the shelves.
The Internet and the World Wide Web bring information to audiences faster than book publishers can ever hope to. And this fosters an environment where that information changes at lightening speed. If you rely on books for your continuing education, you risk eating the dust of your competitors.
The answer? The dynamic, responsive and ever changing world of the blogosphere. I used to say that you could get a free university level education with a library card - now you can get one with the free internet access at your library.
But.
(Yes, there’s always a but.)
The low barriers to entry mean that everyone and their brother and favorite niece have started a blog. Publishers don’t publish every wannabe author that sends them a manuscript so they act as a filter. In the blogosphere, we are presented with the good, the bad and the (really) ugly.
Sites like Technorati and Digg help to provide us with guidance toward good content but these tools can be very generic in nature. And of course, the recommendations that I have provided below have my own personal bias. But if you are a Virtual Assistant looking for resources, I encourage you to take a look at these and I hope that you will find at least a few of them helpful. By the way - they aren’t in any particular order, except for Number 1. Yaro’s site is my favorite!
Enjoy!
1. http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/
Yaro Starak. I’m here because of Yaro.
In my opinion Yaro sets the standard for the other so-called Internet Gurus. Follow this blog and you will have the equivalent of a college degree in eEntrepreneurship. His blog addresses all areas of the online entrepreneurial world from technology to marketing to admin to personal and professional development. Yaro covers it all with intelligence and integrity - and a great sense of fun and adventure.
Good stuff for you - good stuff to share with your clients.
Anita Campbell has her finger on the pulse of the small business world. She takes the needles out of the haystacks of business information and ties them up in a pretty package.
Another blog to help you with your business as well as to share with your clients.
3. http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com/
I found Vera Raposo through Yaro. Yaro bought this site and then sold it to Vera and I thank them both. This site is another double blessing - great info for your business and great info to share with your clients and prospects.
4. http://www.productivity501.com/
Mark Shead does a marvelous job of sorting through the latest tips, tricks and toys for enhancing productivity and then bringing the cream to his audience. Again - a great site for you and your clients.
5. http://freelanceswitch.com/
Another blog I found through Yaro - these guys speak mostly to tech freelancers such as web designers but there is great business admin info here that applies to a VA Business too.
6. http://www.virtualmoxie.com/
Stacy Brice has a wonderfully positive and always professional view of our industry. Don’t miss this blog!
7. http://2minuteswithava.com/
Candy is a gem. She answers your questions about the VA Biz in short 2 minute videos. (I”m so jealous that she thought of this first!)
8. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/
Seth is The Man - Seth doesn’t just have his finger on the pulse of marketing trends - he sets the marketing trends. I love his integrity.
Darren Rowse is a self-taught blogger - because Darren started his blog in the very early days. Indeed Darren has helped to define the blogosphere. Follow this blog and you will have the equivalent of a college degree in blogging. Good stuff to help you market your VA Biz and help your clients market theirs.
10. http://www.copyblogger.com/
Brian Clark has done a fantastic job of defining and teaching how to write for the web. Here’s your college education on writing web content from the master.
Popularity: 4% [?]
If you have any questions or suggestions, just click on Contact Me above and send me a message. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for visiting!
