Books to Grow on

The life of a Virtual Professional is definitely not static. Unlike the desk jobs of our recent past, we must now create our own working environment. We must literally set the stage for a productive and abundant career, from our workspace to our paycheck. With so many balls to keep in the air, it is easy to forget that professional development is a key piece in our successful puzzle.

Growing a library of books (and blogs and ezines) to keep us invigorated and to continually grow our skill set is a must for any VP. This holiday season, as you wrap gifts for everyone near and dear in your life, remember to honor yourself. Be your own Kristine Kringle and choose a few books to grow on from the TVN website. Fill your stocking with two books on skill building and one on goal setting. And if you have time for one extra great read over the holidays, pick up our favorite:

From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with books, E-Books and Information Products

by our good friend, Stephanie Chandler.

As 2007 draws to a close, remember that the one commodity you truly cannot save is time. It is passing. But spending it on growing yourself and your abundant career as a VP is simply money in the bank. It is the seeds you plant for your successful future.

With Gratitude, Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager and President

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The 5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Teleseminar Jan. 8th

Tuesday, January 8, 2008
12:00 pm Pacific, 1:00 pm Mountain, 2:00 pm Central, 3:00 pm Eastern (1 hour)

If you’ve promised yourself 2008 will be the year you really start writing, this is the teleseminar for you. We’ll look at the 5 biggest mistakes to avoid when writing and what to do instead. Learn tricks professional writers use to start writing and keep going!

· How to Get Yourself to Start Writing Every Time
· How to Write More, Faster
· The Most Important Thing to Know About Editing
· How to Select the Best Writing Tools and Equipment

Registration: This is a Complimentary Teleseminar. Just click on the link below and fill out the form; that’s all you have to do! We’ll email you the teleseminar telephone and passcode. We’ll send a reminder a few days before the call. If you do not receive this information, please email us at admin@susanborkin.com.

Register: www.susanborkin.com/teleseminar.htm

Susan Borkin, M.A. is a licensed psychotherapist, author and speaker. She is the founder of Write Now! a professional practice specializing in the use of writing for personal and professional growth. Susan specializes in helping people overcome creative blocks and achieve deep personal transformation through the use of writing. A personal growth writing teacher for more than twenty-five years, she is the author of When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes: The Healing Power of Writing and Writing From the Inside Out: Using a Journal for Personal Growth & Transformation.

Interview with Laura Fenamore, Body Esteem and Life Coach

Thursday, December 27, 2007, 5:00pm Pacific; 6:00pm Mountain; 7:00pm Central; 8:00pm
Eastern

Complimentary Teleseminar Interview with Laura Fenamore, Body Esteem and Life Coach

With January just around the corner, when we typically think of making resolutions to lose weight or become more active, what better time to learn from someone who can really help you with your body esteem issues.
To register: Send an email to Laura@LauraFenamore.com with ‘Body Esteem’ in the subject line.
CALL 1-800-376-0163 x8601!
To find out how to enhance your Body Esteem and receive your complimentary gift, call Laura's 24-hour recorded 5 minute message at 1-800-376-0163 x8601

Loving Your Body For Good!
Why Diets Are Out and Healthy Body Esteem Is In!

Date: Saturday, January 12, 2008
Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Pacific
Location: 220 Corte Madera Town Ctr, Bay Club Marin, Corte Madera, CA, 94925 (415) 945-3000 (venue telephone)

Summary of Workshop: Tired of diets that don't work? Carb counting and crash diets may help in the short run, but if you want change for a lifetime, you need to move beyond the temporary fix.

The Fenamore Method focuses not only on the steps you need to reach your goals; it concentrates on the even more crucial moment when you reach your goal and need a realistic plan to STAY there. Losing weight is only the beginning. Maintaining weight loss and healthy living is the long-term challenge and very few people succeed.

You will learn what "power" tools you have to take control of your life and how to use them! You can create permanent change.

Learn 10 new tools on how to create permanent change regarding weight loss and release the beliefs that hold you back.

Liberate yourself from destructive eating habits and the diet cycle.
Learn why dieting is not the answer.

Love who you see when you look in the mirror for life!

"Laura is one of the most dynamic, compassionate, caring, empowering, skilled coaches I've ever worked with in my life." ~ Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach www.JackCanfield.com

Registration details and cost: Sign up before Jan. 1st, and pay ONLY $97!That is a $37 savings! $134 after January 1st!
http://www.laurafenamore.com/bodyesteemworkshop.html

Laura Fenamore is a gifted Body Esteem and Life Coach.
Laura created her company… “Journey To Balance”… devoted exclusively to helping others find balance in their lives and learn to value who they are. Her vision is living in a world where health and body image are celebrated. Laura Fenamore has become a celebrated speaker, lecturer and teacher to thousands of people nationwide. Her approach is unique. Jack Canfield, co-creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series thinks so. So will you.

Thursday, December 27, 2007, 5:00pm Pacific; 6:00pm Mountain; 7:00pm Central; 8:00pm
Eastern

Complimentary Teleseminar Interview with Laura Fenamore, Body Esteem and Life Coach

With January just around the corner, when we typically think of making resolutions to lose weight or become more active, what better time to learn from someone who can really help you with your body esteem issues.

To register: Send an email to Laura@LauraFenamore.com with ‘Body Esteem’ in the subject line.

CALL 1-800-376-0163 x8601!
To find out how to enhance your Body Esteem and receive your complimentary gift, call Laura's 24-hour recorded 5 minute message at 1-800-376-0163 x8601

TVN Tip of the Week - Setting Boundaries – Putting a Fence Around Your Garden

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Becoming a Virtual Professional is like sowing the seeds planted over a lifetime of hard work – often in offices where our worth was far from recognized.

As we approach the new year, we must ask ourselves if we have reached the level of self-commitment and discipline required to virtually soar within our industry.

Have we put the very basics boldly into place as VP’s?

• Is your home office or workspace off limits to the daily chaos of running a household? (Or are you trying to work with one hand and fold laundry and pay bills with the other?)

• Do you NOT answer personal or distracting phone calls during work hours?

• Have you provided yourself and your family with adequate childcare to ensure that your “work day” is child “childproofed” and productive?

• Do you plan and schedule time for professional development? This may be as simple as taking a tutorial on the newest release of a familiar software or reading industry-related ezines, or it may be as profound as coaching sessions with seasoned and inspirational leaders in our field. (A great holiday gift idea, btw! Point your loved one to the TVN website to get you that gift!)

• Finally, do you have an END to your workday as well – allowing yourself to enjoy the beautiful life you work so hard to create every day?

As Virtual Professionals we must strike a strong balance between working from home and being at home.

Because in our case, home is not only where the heart is, it is also where the start is. It is the start of our new and fabulously successful lives as VP’s. So be fierce and bold and set the boundaries you must in order to grow a vibrant and triumphant professional life.

With Gratitude,

Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager and President

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7 Simple Strategies to Boost your Sales Teleseminar Jan 2nd

Do you want to learn the shortcuts to sales success?

Learn the shortcuts to sales success! Learn how to improve your sales results and increase your sales productivity.

7 Simple Strategies to Boost your Sales (FREE Teleseminar)January 2nd
2:00pm PST / 4pm CST / 5:00 pm EST

If you're ready to gain some distinctions that will catapult you to success, then attend this teleseminar.

Gain valuable insights that will lay the foundation for ongoing sales success:

Learn how to establish the right mindset
Understand how to create a balanced life
Gain strategies to improve your sales skills

Who should attend?

Entrepreneurs
Small business owners
Consultants
Coaches
Virtual Assistants
Network marketers
Professional services firms

7 Simple Strategies to Boost your Sales January 2nd
2:00pm PST / 4pm CST / 5:00 pm EST

Registration: Please register at http://www.thepdapro.com/7SimpleStrategies.asp

Proven Strategies to Increase your Productivity and Achieve Amazing Results

Proven Strategies to Increase your Productivity
and Achieve Amazing Results

Faced with an Avalanche of Work?Mired in a Mess?
Achieve Amazing Results Now!

Most people have too much to do. They’re faced with an ever growing inbox and struggle with what to do next. If this sounds like you, help is here!

There are a lot of technology tools you can use to increase your productivity. But, each tool carries with it another set of challenges. How do you work both productively and effectively?

In this teleseminar, you’re going to learn how to stay on track, focus on your priorities, and keep moving forward even when all hell is breaking loose.

Join me for a free call to learn...

FREE Teleseminar:Proven Strategies to Increase your Productivity and Achieve Amazing Results
Thursday, January 10th
2pm PST / 4pm CST / 5pm EST

Don't wait till the last minute this year. It's so much easier when you take a few minutes now to plan.

What you'll learn:

Steps to stay on track

Tips to get powerful results

Keys to leverage technology tools

Join me on this call and learn how to get more done in less time. Learn how to increase your productivity. And find out how you can stay focused and achieve your dreams.

Registration: Please register at http://www.thepdapro.com/ProvenStrategies.asp

The Virtual Nation Expert Teleseminar SeriesPresents...
Grow Your Business, Not Your Waistline
Tuesday, January 15, 200810:00 am ~ 11:00 am Pacific

Join me for one hour to learn all about turning your business challenges around and making them work for you!

Date & Time: Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 10:00 am Pacific, 11:00 am Mountain, 12:00 pm Central, 1:00 pm Eastern (1 hour)

Who Should Attend? Coaches, Entrepreneurs, Sales Professionals, Solopreneurs, and Virtual Professionals of all walks of life.

Grow Your Business, Not Your Waistline!

Does your personal health and fitness get relegated to the back burner in favor of your business?

What if you could have both a healthy, vital body and a healthy, thriving business?

You can! Find out what other successful entrepreneurs know: physical health leads to business wealth.

Ground-breaking new research proves that regular exercise can actually increase your sales! By approaching eating and exercise the way you approach your business, you can achieve both physical and financial health, without working overtime!

You will learn:

How to develop eating and activity habits that benefit your business and its bottom line!

How to save money by implementing new eating and activity habits consistently - without pain, punishment, guilt or deprivation!

How to find more time with simple changes in your eating and activity habits.

Simple strategies to make your new eating and activity habits part of your business plan, for increased growth and success.

Format: Michelle Ulrich, founder of The Virtual Nation™ will have a one-on-one discussion with Gillian Hood-Gabrielson. She will share her knowledge and expertise to help virtual professionals with their waistline challenges.

Gillian Hood-Gabrielson is the founder and President of Healthier Outcomes.
A popular and in-demand fitness and intuitive eating coach, Gillian understands the unique needs of busy women in different ages and stages of life. She is widely known for her ability to create a high degree of motivation among her clients to make exercise and intuitive eating an enjoyable and integral part of their lives.

Gillian brings to each client a unique and rare perspective on what it takes to eliminate the diet mentality and overcome emotional eating. Prior to becoming a fitness professional, Gillian experienced many of the same struggles her clients and millions of women experience, from weight gain and poor body image to disordered eating and lack of exercise motivation.
Having personally faced and successfully overcome her own battles with emotional overeating, Gillian fully understands that eating healthy, exercising and maintaining your weight is not an easy task for most women. For the last 14 years she has dedicated her life to educating, guiding and helping women lose weight and get in shape while learning to eat their favorite foods without feeling guilty or punishing themselves.

The breadth and depth of Gillian’s knowledge on health, fitness and emotional eating is a result of years of research and study, culminating in achieving a Master of Sport Science degree from the United States Sports Academy and a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) from San Jose State University.

In addition to the degrees she has achieved, Gillian has received advanced certification from several prestigious organizations including the American College of Sports Medicine, (considered the "gold standard" for personal trainer certification), and Wellcoaches, and she has achieved Master-level Personal Fitness Professional from IDEA (International Association of Fitness Professionals), the latter being the highest level of achievement for a professional trainer.
Gillian is often quoted in various print media including Energy for Women, Costco Connection, Better Nutrition and the Sacramento Business Journal as a result of her inspiring and proven approach to losing weight and keeping it off. She is also an in-demand speaker on the topics of fitness and intuitive eating.

To reach Gillian you can email her at gillian@healthieroutcomes.com

Registration: This is a Complimentary Teleclass - Just click on the link below and fill out the form; that's all you have to do! You do NOT have to provide your credit card number; that’s if this were a paid event (which it is NOT.) We'll email you the teleclass telephone and pin number and send a reminder a few days before the call. If you do not receive this information, please email us at info@thevirtualnation.com.

Register: http://www.thevirtualnation.com/teleclass.htm

Staying Connected - TVN's Ezine

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As VA's, staying educated in our field on every aspect of being a great service provider can take on a virtual life of its own.

Finding two or three highly effective ways to stay connected and on top of the newest softwares, marketing methods, FAQs, etc., is vital if we are to be truly successful in our field. (And remember -- once your business is really booming, you won't have time for more than two or three, so choose your connections wisely!)

The Virtual Vision ezine is published each month and is packed full of free resources, tips and trends for the savvy virtual assistant and virtual professional. Don't get left behind while your colleagues are scooping up clients and learning new technologies to stay on the cutting edge.

A quick stop at The Virtual Nation's website will offer you archived issues of the Ezine. Bookmark this page! It will be a daily resource to answering your own business questions, large and small, especially for a new VA:

Archives

• Do you know how to create more money?
• eCommerce on a Shoestring Budget
• Hire-a-Businesswoman Week and Going Green
• Do you Work 9-5?
• Are you a 'White Knuckle' Passenger...?
• How Does Stress Affect You?
• Getting a Different Perspective
• Top Ten Reasons to Go Virtual
• A Virtual Village is Almost Here!
• Blog and Newsletter Update!
• 5 Tips to Help Hardworking Women Give Themselves a Break
• Take Your Business to the Next Level with Multiple Streams of Income
• Managing Your Own Virtual Assistance Team - Part 1
• Managing Your Own Virtual Assistance Team - Part 2
• Managing Your Own Virtual Assistance Team - Part 3
• Customer Service and Beyond
• Pricing - Part 1: Focusing on the Practical Rather than the Personal
• 10 Simple Steps to Creating an Irresistible Personal Brand

The Vitual Vision is also a tremendous advertising opportunity for virtual entrepreneur's -- members may place a one-time banner or ezine ad -- or even publish an article for only $25.00! Click on the SUCCCESS button below for more details!

SUCCESS

With Gratitude,

Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager and President

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TVN Tip of the Week -- Plan for a Future That is Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

What Does Your Future Hold?

No matter how long a VA has been in business, having a strong and inspiring financial plan is a cornerstone to her future that should not be overlooked.

As businesswomen, sometimes we focus so much on our Marketing Plan, that our Financial Plan is easy to leave on a shelf, gathering dust.

Are we at a point where our business makes a profit month after month? If not, it is important to ask some basic questions when updating your financial goals:

• Are your rates too low? (visit TVN's website for input on rates.)
• Are you successfully managing your expenses?
• Is your work flowing in a steady stream – or is it a flood at some times and barely a trickle at others?

If your business is at a profit level, it may be time to dust off the Financial Plan and set some new goals.

Remember that your business is not only your career, it is your future. Make sure to be adequately planning for your retirement, even if it seems far off, and speak to your insurance agent to determine if your disability insurance is robust enough to get you (and your business) through life’s unexpected rough spots.

And finally, ask yourself the Million Dollar Question: Are you building a business you could sell for a profit one day?

Does your Financial Plan plan for a future beyond your wildest dreams? If not, make one that does!

The Virtual Nation Expert Teleclass Series
Presents...

The Things Your Parents Never Told You
About Planning For The Future

Tuesday, December 11, 2007
10:00 am ~ 11:00 am Pacific

Click here for details

With Gratitude,

Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager and President

Be Inspired -- By YOU

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Sometimes, when we get into a career, we end up almost imprisoned by our own aptitude. We may have specialized in one area of our jobs, just because as assistants, we can play almost any role that is thrown at us. But as we look for inspiration for our VA businesses, we need to take time to pause and reevaluate our goals. The obvious objectives are to have more time in our homes, to be financially grounded and successful, to have a host of clients and projects. Probably the most important goal of all, however, and the key that sets the stage for our entire business, is to do the creative and exciting work that we love.

Are you doing what thrills you, as a Virtual Assistant?

On your list of services, have you dared to include those things you enjoy the most? And if you don’t feel you have the level of necessary expertise to list those skills, have you made a plan of action to acquire them? If you love web design or desktop publishing or freelance writing, what are you doing to hone those skills? Remember WHY you have gone into business for yourself -- underneath all the other reasons, it is to have a life truly worth living.

As Virtual Assistants, we have taken a courageous step and left the traditional workplace. The next fork in that road is to do the work we love. Take stock in your business – if your work pays you well and you excel at it, but it leaves you uninspired, seek to add that project or skillset that you daydream about. Or if you are offering services that you hated in your old “office life,” this is the time to envision those fading and to see yourself as the star in your own show.

Give yourself the gift of a free few hours for a Goal Planning Session and dare to build a business plan constructed solely around skills you enjoy. This is your VA business, you can forge the road to your own future.

Ask yourself some simple (but not easy) questions:

- What was I leaving when I made the decision to become a VA?

Were you leaving the rigidity of an office? Were you tired of being treated like the lowest “man” on the totem pole – when really you were supporting the entire team on top of your own head. Were you exhausted by your commute?

- What were you hoping to find, personally, as a VA?

More financial freedom? Peace of mind? Work that excited you?

- Where do you want to take your business? Are you setting your business goals high enough?

Take some time and really think about, and list, your goals for your business. Do you see yourself building a business strong enough to sell when you retire? Are you hoping to build a truly 100% virtual business, so you can travel and take your “shop” and your clients with you.

- Finally, what are you doing to search out clients and market your company?

(For a multitude of great marketing ideas, visit the archived Ezine’s (The Vision) at the TVN website.)

Remember, As VA’s we are no longer forced to be chameleons, good at everything thrown at us – we are now free to embrace the unique and vibrant gifts that we each have, and to build our new businesses and lives around those talents.

(And if you need a little boost to help you even decide what those gifts are, a quick visit to the bookstore at the TVN website could be just what the doctor ordered. A great example: The Purple Cow, by Seth Godin.)

The Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

by, Seth Godin

And, if you need a BIG boost to help you get started, or to do some major Goal Setting, consider a private coaching session with the founder of The Virtual Nation, Michelle Ulrich.)

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President

Tip of the Week -- Be Inspired

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As business owners and entrepreneurs, we understand the stress and the challenge of hitting the mark every day, for every client and every project. We do our best to juggle work and home (and friends) and to keep all the players in the band encouraged and connected.

Being able to do this requires that we find (and create) a foundation of daily inspiration and support for ourselves as well.

Sometimes, about all we can manage in our busy lives is a few deep breaths throughout the day and a mental note to look around and appreciate how blessed we are. Remember, as challenging as it is to meet the financial needs of our business and to find great clients, we are the inspired few who bring our dreams of entrepreneurship into reality.

Joining VA communities (such as TVN and IVAA) will definitely net you some of the support you need – but finding inspiration to help us weather the storms of self doubt that will visit us all from time to time is a little trickier.

One such source of rich inspiration can be found at http://www.tut.com/. Begun in 1989, TUT embraces the BIG idea that we can create and embrace our own reality. A recent message we can all benefit from was sent last Friday, November 30:

Here are 3 sure-fire steps that will take you from wishing upon a star to being one:

• Imagine your dreams as if they already exist.
• Speak as if they already exist.
• And act as if they already exist.

On TUT's website, you can sign up for similar, awesome motivations to be sent to you by email every day. This is the perfect answer to the busy VA who may only have those two minutes to begin her day with inspiration, enthusiasm and that important reminder that she is powerful,
brilliant and uniquely gifted to unravel the day ahead of her.

With
Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich
www.thevirtualnation.com

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Calculate This! 100 Financial Calculators Every Entrepreneur Needs

I just came across a wonderful directory of calculators and wanted to share it you.

If you you need to know how to 'value' your business prior to selling, no problem. It's in there.

If you need to know how to figure out the ROI of an email campaign, it's in there, too.







This directory has calculators for the following:

• Pay Per Click ROI
• Operating Profit Percentage
• Loans
• Debt Management
• Investments
• Taxes
• Personnel
• Personal Finance
• Miscellaneous
• and so much more

Check it out at Bootstrapper.com

Enjoy!

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President
________________________________________

The Virtual Nation™
A community of learning. A nation of culture. A virtual village.
________________________________________

PO Box 3692, Citrus Heights, CA 95611
(916) 536-9799 Office | (866) 844-9360 Fax
Michelle@TheVirtualNation.com | www.TheVirtualNation.com
Michelle@MichelleUlrich.com | www.MichelleUlrich.com

"If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a virtual village to grow a successful business." ~Michelle Ulrich