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"I wish I'd had this book when starting my business! I have read
many books on the topic of starting a Virtual Assistant business
over the years and can honestly say "Failure Is Not An Option" is
the most comprehensive handbook I've seen. Patty walks you through
every aspect of setting up and starting your VA business, including
examples and templates of important forms and documents. Throughout
the book, concrete examples make it easier to adapt the advice to
your own situation. If you set up your business as you work through
the book, you will have a solid business model and a jump-start on
landing your first client by the end. If you're serious about
starting a Virtual Assistant business, you need to get this book!
It's an investment you won't regret."
Cindy Opong President, Creative Assistants, President-Elect
2009-2010 IVAA, www.ivaa.org,
www.CreativeAssistants.com
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Traveling with your Business
By Patty Benton
Recently, we took
a two week trip to visit family in Georgia and Iowa. We spent a
total of 6 days in the car driving. Now first of all, any small
business owner knows you can’t leave your business for 2 weeks and
expect to find it running at full capacity, or sometimes even running
at all. Second of all, small business owners know you cannot sit in
a car for 6 days and not work. What a waste of precious time! Here
are a few tips I picked up along the way that will help make your
trip go smoother:
Call ahead and check for internet capabilities.
When making your reservations, find a hotel that has high speed
internet access. Most hotels are now carrying these capabilities.
If you have a laptop, make sure your room will have the capability of
supporting your computer. This is important, as I went to a hotel in
Nashville, TN and was told they did not have internet in every room,
but they would keep a business room for me. When arriving there,
they told me they did not have any of those rooms available. I had
to go down to the lobby late at night to check my email, and of
course I couldn’t do my work because I needed to be able to download
files to my computer. Ensure that they will GUARANTEE your room will
have internet access. Call and find out if you will need any special
hardware to assist you in using their internet. If you don’t have a
laptop, don’t worry. Most of the hotels have a business center in
which they provide internet access and a computer. Find out what
they have for your use and make sure it will be sufficient.
Make a list.
Decide what it is you will want to work on. Make a “To Do” list.
Then, going off of your “To Do” list, be sure to pack everything you
will need to take to complete your list. If necessary, make a “To
Pack” list to ensure that you take everything you need. There is
nothing worse than getting 200 miles from home, and realize you left
an essential client folder at home, and now can’t complete your work.
Make sure you have all the necessary hardware.
Here are a few
things to think about taking:
-
Laptop
-
All
accessories for the laptop, including your carry along bag. (If you
don’t have a laptop bag, I got a nice, cheap, black leather one at
Sam’s Club.)
-
A
power adaptor. Unless your laptop has long lasting battery, you are
going to need an adaptor. I got a 300 watt power inverter at Radio
Shack. It handles my laptop beautifully. If you are not sure what
you will need, go in and ask the guys at your computer shop or call
the maker of your computer and ask what the requirements are.
-
Something to set your workstation on. I got a cheap $10 lap TV tray
at Wal-Mart that works beautifully. It holds my laptop, keyboard,
and mouse and is comparable to having a small desktop. It folds up
when I am not using it so that it doesn’t take up too much room.
(This one is for those of you driving.)
-
Wireless PC card-if you have one. Some hotels will allow you to hook
up wirelessly at their hotels.
Make everything accessible.
When you pack your car, make sure everything you need will be in
reach. Be sure you don’t pack any necessary files in the trunk, if
in doubt, keep them out! If you are flying, don’t check your work
bag.
Use the time to catch up on “menial” work.
Sometimes I find
I am so busy with my clients, I don’t have time to do my work. It
just piles up. I spent several hours of my trip doing menial things
like organizing my Outlook, my computer files, sorting through old
files, etc. Use this time in the car or on the plane to your
benefit!
Enjoy yourself! Remember
this is a vacation. Don’t spend the whole time working! Work while
you are in the traveling mode, but when you reach your destination,
enjoy your time. If you are driving, make sure to watch the scenery
around you as you work, so that you can enjoy yourself. Be sure you
enjoy your family and friends as you travel!
Have wonderful
and safe travels!
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