“As the winner of the ‘Most Inspiring to Follow’ category in the Open Web Awards, loraandlayton has been voted among the best of the Web in 2009,” Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore said in a press release.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Midland, TX–we are most infamously known for being where the Presidential Bush family hails from, where Baby Jessica fell in the well, and well… “wells”. We love our oil here!! Truth be told, the majority of people still sit around and watch the local 6 o” clock news and wouldn’t know a Tweet if it bit them   

 It blows my mind that a Midland, TX couple won an award from the un-arguable LEADER in the social media revolution Mashable.com! Go, Tall City, Go!

Read more on MyWestTexas.com

As a business owner, your main goal is to get paid by positively impacting your target audience. That is what it boils down to. You have a message, an idea, a product, or a service to offer and you are in constant pursuit of ways to share it faster, further and for the most profit.

No doubt in your businesses’ early stages, you learned that you can’t be Ms. All Knowing and All Doing! This may be, SHOULD be, a point of initial relief. Reaching out to a web designer, a marketing company, a copywriter, a shipping company, a virtual assistant will help you achieve more impressive results, in less time. (YAY!)
However, as they contribute to the success of your business, you become stymied in the day-to-day operations of being the only one to manage your team.

• You spend huge chunks of your energy delegating.
• You oversee the progression of tasks and projects.
• You must determine what goes where, to whom, and when.
• You are thwarted by a MIA team member and must desperately search for a replacement and (GASP!), re-teach her on the way you like things done.
• You’re alone in keeping your ship sailing.

This is the time that you need a business manager, someone to oversee the company’s procedures, operations and team so that you can once again focus on growth.
Yes, your online business manager keeps the business bus moving! Your Online Business Manger not only understands the sum of all tasks, we are responsible for the results.

• My job is to proactively take operations off your plate and to streamline the journey to completion.
• I am committed to seeing the owners’ business hit higher profit margins by possessing a “marketing mindset”.
• I make decisions to make the clients life easier.
• I coordinate the team’s efforts in achieving the business owner’s goals.
• I make sure there is a Standard Operating Procedure Manual in place so that everyone understands the process of tasks.
• I establish an online system where projects are easily managed, therefore making sure all files, tasks and communications are kept in a centralized location.
• I seek the answer to the question, “Is there a better way to do this?” when looking at your business procedures.

Knowing that an Online Business Manger will take over the day-to-day operations and allow you to continue growing your business, is no doubt a relief.  But handing over the reins to your company can seem scary, if not impossible, for you to do. It Is OK! When searching for your OBM, I suggest looking for someone that will compliment your best qualities while balancing your sub-par aptitudes.
When you do find someone that seems to be a good fit for managing your business, do a trial-run before committing! Tina Forsyth, the CEO of OnlineBusinessManager.com (and my trainer), says, “You’ll never know if it’s a match until you get into a working relationship…” 

• Do you want to launch a new product?
• Do you need to create an effective social profile for your brand?
• Are you needing to set-up a shopping cart that can effectively handle your internet marketing dilemas? 
•  Is your business desperate for some organization?
• Maybe you just need an overhaul of your current customer relations procedures?

 These are all great initial projects for your Online Business Manger to take on! I would love to hear about your next move as a business owner, please contact me so we can arrange a chat.

The first time I heard the word ‘Online Business Manager’ was when I applied for Heike Miller’s, PA Excellence team. She needed multiple Virtual Assistants to help her take care of her clients tasks. I submitted a proposal for her shopping cart needs, but my mind wondered, “Is this the only task that I would be doing for a client!?”

As an Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant, I was- and still am-used to taking care of all my clients’ needs. Yes, it got hairy when they all were launching, yes there were elements I was more comfortable with then others, but I thought that was just the way it was. I trained and learned a multitude of different tasks and enjoyed growing into a comfortable relationship with each of my fabulous clients.

However, I must admit, there was times I could have used an extra set of hands, or a well deserved nap for that matter! I haven’t had a full day off since I started as a VA in 2008! There simply was no one that knew my clients business like I did. In short, I had built my business so that I could be the only person to satisfy my clients. My clients often state, “I don’t know what I would do without you Raven.”

Even though I was only responsible for the shopping cart part of the PA Excellence’s clients needs, I am a “big picture” person and so, I asked Heike to allow me to sit in on her new client consults. WOW! Talk about an eye-opening experience. I listened to Heike and her client discuss every last detail of the clients business, the goals they wanted to accomplish and the strategies that we would implement to reach our clients goals. Most importantly, Heike explained, which member of her team would oversee each tool we needed to get the job done! One- by-one Heike ticked off our clients’ needs into smaller sections and delivered them to the team! Talk about done and done!

The system worked, even with so much to do, there was so many EXPERT hands in which to get it done. As time went on, I enjoyed playing “sit-in” for Heike when she was away on vacation. Oh how I was envious. Things were still getting done, the client’s needs were being met, all while Heike enjoyed some R&R.

At the start of this year, Heike asked me to become her Project Online Business Manager. I didn’t hesitate. I wanted to do it because Heike lives in New Zealand and so, at times, she can’t be readily available to her clients. I also had just learned Tina Forsyth’s Online Business Manager certification course would be starting in February. This was the course that Heike completed in order to build her PA Excellence business.

The price tag of the certification is mind boggling, but it’s an investment in mine and my clients’ future success.

However, before I committed to it, I bought Tina’s book: Becoming an Online Business Manager and laughed out loud. I felt like she was writing about me. Most of the requirements that she stated a Online Business Manager needed to be comfortable doing, I was already doing or wish I had the “ok” to do. I was operating as an Online Business Manager, I just hadn’t made it official. Now I am. With my enrollment, I state firmly, I am serious about mine and my clients business.

So how is my business changing and how is it staying the same?

•  As I step into this larger role for my current and future clients, I do it with the notion that I am going to be the driving force for the business. We will discuss their strategy and what it will take to accomplish their business goals.
•  No longer will my client have the headache of finding all the hands to complete their puzzle, I will oversee that. I will gather together the contractors and sub-contractors my clients needs to get the job done efficiently and effectively.
•  No longer will my client have to wait their turn, while I focus on another clients’ needs. By having a team readily available, we will be able to deliver more work, in less time.
•  I will have the ability to do the tasks that I do best and share the load with trusted associates to take care of the tasks that they are best at accomplishing.Stepping into the role as an Online Business Manager is a “win-win” for me and for all of Virtual Raven Marketing clients. Certification training starts in a mere 2 weeks, I look forward to embracing my role as an Online Business Manager and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

As a successful business owner, you may say to yourself, “My staff and I have more things to do and not enough people to do them! How am I ever going to find the time or energy to market me and my business on the internet?” I am here today to answer this question for you.

As a dedicated virtual assistant, I have had the pleasure of assisting wonderful entrepreneurs accomplish more on the internet. My savvy experience with 2.0 technologies has given me the know-how that many business owners need to deliver their products and messages to a broader audience. I am compelled to share three of top services I provide for my clients with you.

Theses tools should be implemented in your overall marketing objectives to attract more people to your website, increase customers and enhance branding for your company and products.

The Top Three Tasks for Online Marketing:

• Newsletters

Email Newsletters are critical to your marketing campaign. They are customizable and low-cost solutions that allow you to immediately deliver your message. Your customers can receive a monthly or bi-monthly message from you that outlines what you are doing, what promotions you have running, upcoming events and client testimonials. As a bonus you can add affiliates (product recommendations) that enable you to generate revenue simply by suggesting a product to your readers.

• Telecalls

Got more tips, tricks and new products then you can shake a stick at, but don’t have the time or energy to organize a community meeting? Now you don’t have to. You can have a party-line with a purpose! This allows you to actively engage with your buyers and offer success stories and hands-on guidance to your listeners. Telecalls allow you to define what makes you the “expert”. To maximize this tool you can have guest speakers and promotions that are only available to your listeners.

• Social Networking

Lately social sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube have been saturating the airwaves. Everyone knows how cool and hip these networking sites are, but can they bring in business? This is the million dollar question. The answer is-not really. These sites deliver on brand awareness and are a vital part of relationship building, reputation management and communicating with your target audience and clients. If social media is used correctly, you will gain referrals and leads that will drive traffic back to your site-where the selling is at.

Are you asking, “This sounds wonderful but how do I get “it” done?” The secret is, you don’t. Successful entrepreneurs are building their online business with minimal distraction to their ‘real-world’ lives. The way this is accomplished is by outsourcing tasks that do not have to be performed in-office. Partnering with a virtual assistant allows you to continue to do the leg-work while you rest assure that the desk-work is being handled by a like-minded professional business owner. VAs understand you, your goals, and your message.

My hopes are that I have sparked your interest and you want to hear directly from me! Please click play and let me explain further what having Virtual Raven as your VA can do for your business.

[wpaudio url="http://www.vadiary.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/varaven1.mp3" text="Click the Play Button to Listen to Raven"]

Sincerely,

Raven Howard
Virtual Raven Business Solutions
Email me so that we can find a time to chat. You may also want to visit the VRBS site to learn more and complete the Free Consultaton Request Form.

A Virtual Assistant is Robin to the Business Owners’ Batman…The Ultimate Guide for Business Owners selecting their Virtual Assistant partner

As a successful business owner there will come a time when you will have to admit that unlike Superman, unfortunately, you do not have special powers. You are more like Bruce Wayne. You’re a courageous leader that is answering the call of your target audience with a service or product you are passionate and committed to producing. Successful business owners are gifted “thought leaders” who have found the keys to getting paid for what they love to do. However, it is unlikely that you have all the tools needed to deliver your goods to the masses. There are weak spots to every business owner’s armor.

Your business is built around your strengths but can very well fall to your weaknesses.

You must be willing to admit this and then determine who can carry that load for you.

Back in the good ol’ days, you would have enlisted an Alfred to sit in your cave and handle the administrative duties but due to the recession, green-living and the internet you no longer need an 8-5 secretary to solve your riddles.

What you need in this day and age is a highly skilled Robin. A sidekick that is ready to perform only when you need them to. Your Robin is your virtual assistant.

A virtual assistant is a highly skilled professional who is determined to pick up where her leader drops off.

Our passion is to overcome your weakness and protect your vision. As a bonus we have our own unique capabilities that you can utilize to make your business even stronger and broader in scope.

Although virtual assistants may be an unfamiliar term to you, we are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. We all have the administrative skills of an “Alfred”, but we have pin-pointed our own individual strengths and welded our own special belts of web 2.0 super tools!

…but which virtual assistant is right for you?

You need someone to bring out the best in you and your business. You need a confidante, a team player and someone that can fill-in-the-blanks to take you from a successful business owner to a rock-star business owner.

To help you identify the skill-set that will best compliment you, you should write down the tasks that you need to delegate ASAP.

• Are you needing someone to pick up your slack or are you looking for someone to take the lead on tasks that you don’t have the knowledge to do yourself?

This list of tasks are wearing you down-time and morale-wise-and need to be your virtual assistant’s first priority.

Put out your Robin signal—your Request for Proposal.

Leading networking sites for locating your Virtual Assist –>VA Networking, VACOC, VA Forums, VA Classroom, and IVAA.

Once you have received bids on your proposal, you will want to schedule a consultation.

5 Tips to Guide You Through the Consultation Process:

1. Does she (or he) have the training and or professional experience that you are specifically looking for? Ask probing questions and seek thorough answers. (Some Virual Assitants frown on being asked for references, I personally do not).
2. Do your personalities mesh well? This is not to say they must mirror each other, opposites do attract. This means, “Can the relationship be rewarding?” You will need a virtual assistant to stimulate your best qualities and vice versa.
3. Before committing to a contract, test our services out! Ask for a 2-3 hour paid trial. This will let you know if the virtual assistant “gets you”.
4. Don’t look for the cheapest virtual assistant. The saying is true, “you get what you pay for”! If you are not ready to commit to a 20-30 hour monthly retainer with your virtual assistant (our rates range from $25-$75/per hour), then ask for 5-10 hours to start. Build the relationship and the tasks. The ability and need to delegate more hours will come naturally.
5. Above all, trust and respect your virtual assistant! As a virtual assistant, we are committed to you and it is your success that ultimately determines ours. We ask that you give us the courtesy that any right-hand counterpart deserves and we will gladly find ways to make you better.

Would you like to learn more about how a virtual assistant can build upon the success of your business?

Join the #smbiz Twitter Chat Tuesday August 4th from 8-9 EST, where you will be about to able to participate in a virtual chat and learn the answers to your questions about partnering with a virtual assistant. This chat is hosted by John Sternal (@SternalPR) and Chrisanne Sternal (@SternalMrktg). John is a PR professional of nearly 20 years and Chrisanne is a marketing expert for almost as long. John and Chrisanne are also the creators of Understanding Marketing and The PR Toolkit.

The expert guests virtual assistants will be Michelle Mangen (@mmangen), Dawn Pigoni (@dawntrenee) and myself (@VirtualRaven).

I hope to “see” you there!

Yours,
Raven Howard
Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant

My Super Powers : Internet Marketing, Event Coordination, Email Marketing, HTML, Social Networking, Google Tools, Creative Documents and Personal Assistance

My Ideal Super Heroes: Event Planners, Women, Entertainers and Athletes

Fellow Virtual Assistants…please feel free to leave your own Super Powers and Your Ideal Super Heroes in the comments. Business owners…I would love to hear what your “Kryptonite” is and what your Ideal Sidekick should be able to do!

Four Quick Answers:

1. Unlike Webex or HyperOffice, it’s free!
2. You can upload and export.
3. There are size limitations, so unlike your inbox and documents folder, you will have to keep it up-to-date!
4. Your documents can be shared with the world or selected few.

~ @VirtualRaven

But wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that we as a Tweeple had to defend our right to Tweet?

I had to piece it all together. I wanted to understand why-on one single day- three applications were unveiled and claimed that they were the answer to our real-time search engine desires. My hopes were to determine who was the true “go-to” source.

The following is how it was, how it is and most importantly how it will be:

March 3rd: Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt was asked what he thought of Twitter he responded: “Speaking as a computer scientist, I view all of these as sort of poor man’s email systems.” However, Schmidt took time to also encourage people to follow Google on Twitter.

In late March talks swirled that Google wanted to acquire Twitter. However, Twitter took a sideways glance at the notion and Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter, claimed:

“It should come as no surprise that Twitter engages in discussions with other companies regularly and on a variety of subjects,” Stone said. “Our goal is to build a profitable, independent company and we’re just getting started.” The 30-employee company is hiring, he added.

A short and sweet message that clearly stated “we will do this alone boys, now please run along while we plot OUR takeover”.

I think this statement should be dissected into each sentence Biz uttered:

• It should come as no surprise that Twitter engages in discussion with other companies: A.K.A. keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
• Our goal is to build a profitable, independent company and we are just getting started: he is saying WARNING: we are not just going to be fun and games for ever , our plans are to take over the world alone…and soon you will see what we mean.
• We are hiring: you can not beat us, so come join us!

It didn’t take long for Biz to get his ball rolling…

April 30th: Twitter Search unveiled. Reviews claimed that Twitters’ search was good only for searching conversations. However, Twitter promised that it would become more precise and that it would start indexing the tweeted links, as well. Biz explains on his blog:

“Every public update sent to Twitter from anywhere in the world 24/7 can be instantly indexed and made discoverable via our newly launched real-time search. What was that loud noise outside your apartment? Did you just feel an earthquake? What do people think about your company, your product, or your city? With this newly launched feature, Twitter has become something unexpectedly important—a discovery engine for finding out what is happening right now.”

May 12th: OneRiot, Tweetmeme and Google all rush the scene with their versions of a real-time search.

• OneRiot: crawls the links people share on Twitter, Digg and other social sharing services, then indexes the content on those pages in seconds. The end result is a search experience that allows users to find the freshest, most socially-relevant content from across the realtime web.
• Tweetmeme: monitors Twitter tweets for links and determines which ones are becoming popular, and then posts them on a constantly updated page.
• Google Search Options: collection of tools that lets you slice and dice your results and generate different views to find what you need faster and easier. Pretty much it seems that you will have to do some tweaking on your own to get the best results.

May 13th: Biz blogs there is still more to come:

“We’ve started designing a new feature which will give folks far more control over what they see from the accounts they follow. This will be a per-user setting and it will take a bit longer to put together but not too long and we’re already working on it.”

I believe what Biz is hinting at is a ranking system of the person who tweets, as well as, the message they have tweeted. They will let you see a free for all on a topic if you use Twitter Search and then you can break it down by popularity of the tweet or by tweeter or a combination of all.

We now have an answer to our question: who will make a real-time search that was not only the fastest but also the most relevant? We will. With Twitter we will have the power to choose. It is our democracy. Not spiders, nor links, nor obnoxious marketing.

Now is the time to make every tweet count, to become relevant and reliable. We, as your fellow tweeps, are “listening”. Much like the many voices Mel heard on What Women Want, you will be either narrowed down to or narrowed out.

Fall in love with what you are going to do for a living.
To be able to get out of bed and do what you love to do for the rest of your day is beyond words.
—George Burns

2. Put some less common keywords or synonyms of highly-used keywords throughout the main body text. Less competition will result in your site being listed higher on the search engine results page.

3. Name web pages after your most important keyword phrase. Separate the keywords using hyphens or underscores. If the keyword phrase is “search engine rankings,” then name the page:

www.yoursite.com/search-engine-rankings.html

4. Your graphics should be named after keyword phrases. Separate the keywords using hyphens or underscores.

5. Ask sites that link to your competitors to link to your site. To determine which sites are linking to your competitors, type “link:” followed by the competitors’ domain name into a search engine.

link:www.competitorsite.com