Have you subscribed to TUT’s Notes from the Universe yet?  If not, go there and do it now!  These Notes are what I’m thankful for today. 

When I first signed up to receive them a long time ago, I read the bio of the guy who runs the site.  I remember his story was inspiring, and that he was a really neat person.  But I have to be honest; since then I’ve quite happily and quite intentionally forgotten that these Notes come from anyone other than The Universe.  Every day when I sit down at my desk, The Universe gives me some little (or sometimes profound) snippet of love; and I prefer to think of it as truly divine.

Here’s today’s (which I loved):

Wow!! Your closest 10,000 angels, Debbie, have been writing up a storm on your WALL lately…”Nice job on the baby steps toward your vacation home!!! You should have asked for two!”

“Glad you’re finally visualizing! Thoughts become things!”

“Remember me? We took flying lessons together!”

Poke -
    The Universe

See?  How could I not love that?  The Universe thinks I am fabulous, so who am I (or anyone else for that matter) to argue?

And you know what?  You’re fabulous too!  So go get your Notes and start reveling in your fabulousness!

I’m inspired today by another 30DoT blogger, Merri Taylor to give thanks for my house.  In her blog Merri writes that she complains too much about her home, and I have to admit that I’m guilty of the same.  My main problem with my house is that it’s little.  I mean 1200 sq feet little, but with a mortgage and property taxes that would pay for a mini-mansion in another state. 

But in all actuality, it’s a lovely house in a great family-friendly neighborhood that we’ve put a lot of money and elbow grease into in the thirteen years that we’ve lived here.  It’s small, but cute.  We just put on new dark green, board and batten shutters last weekend, and they’re darling; the perfect  final touch to all of the sweat equity me, my husband and two sons put into landscaping in the front yard the last two summers.

But of course, as Merri points out in her blog, the real blessing is that we have a place to call home.  God has blessed us with  a roof over our heads, warm beds, a functional kitchen, running water, clean bathrooms (and E would be upset if I didn’t mention video games!)  There are plenty of people who don’t have these things.  And plenty more who aren’t homeless, but nevertheless would love to own my house, regardless of how tiny it is. 

I’m reminded of an incident a few years ago that made me stop and appreciate my house:  About once a year, I hire a housekeeper to come in and help me get my house “visit-from-my-out-of-state-mom” clean.  I don’t have anyone in particular that I hire; I just Google House Cleaning and start dialing.  On this particular year the company I hired sent a lovely young Mexican woman.  She was pleasant to talk to while we cleaned together, and I learned that she and her husband had two very young children and worked opposite hours so they could care for them.  I don’t know where she lived, but I do know that they did not have their own home; they lived with relatives. 

More than once while she was here she said “your house is so pretty” with a longing that made me feel guilty for complaining so much about it, and grateful that I had it.  She was young, and my hope for her is that she and her husband are now, or soon will be, settled in a lovely home of their own that she has made pretty for them.  But if she hasn’t, and if I’m ever financially independent and don’t need this house anymore (hey, it could happen!) I will hire a PI to track her down so I can give it to her. 

In the meantime, I’m grateful to have a pretty little house to call home.

I’m really loving this Thankful thing.  I woke up this morning asking myself what I was thankful for today.  It’s a great way to start the day, and I’m hoping that it will become a habit that I’ll carry with me for a long time. 

The thing is, I have so very much to be thankful for but, because I’m a driven person, I’ve long felt that I look forward too much and don’t take the time to appreciate the accomplishments that I’ve already achieved. 

One accomplishment that I forget to pat myself on the back for is that I’m a business owner!  I can remember many days driving back and forth to my JOB and thinking that the HVAC guy driving by, or the guy driving the Joe the Plumber truck had it right.  They set their own hours, named their price, worked hard and made a life for themselves.  I wanted that too, but I didn’t see how that could happen.  I wasn’t a craftsman; I was an administrator.  What could an administrator do besides be an employee in a company? 

Fast forward ten years, and here I am; managing other people’s businesses from the vantage point of being a business owner myself!  (and from home, no less – goodbye commute!)  Thankful for that, I am. J

My name is Debbie, (as I’m sure you’ve already noted by the name of the website!) and I’ve finally decided to stop being a wallflower in the Social Media world. I’ve been here, watching it happen, reading Tweets, clicking on links, helping my clients get ‘out there.’ I’ve even stuck my toe in here and there, but I haven’t been fully participating; I lurk more than I participate. But I don’t like being a lurker. I actually love meeting people, and have no problem striking up conversations at parties, networking meetings, etc. so I don’t know why I haven’t embraced Social Media sooner.

So this blog is my “Cannonball!” in. No more toe-dipping for me. I want to get out there and blog, Tweet and FaceBook about ME. Who I am, what I like, what I know, what I don’t know, mystrengths, my weaknesses, my triumphs and my failures.

I think part of what has kept me from blogging sooner was that I felt I needed to be a know-it-all about something, and never let on that there are some things I don’t know. But blogging that way didn’t feel authentic to me. If I can’t be myself, in all my imperfect glory, why bother blogging? So I didn’t.

But 2009 has been a very enlightening year for me, and I now realize that I am an expert in some things, and I’m a novice in others, just like everyone else. And I’ve come to believe that this fact is what makes it important to share. I can help someone learn something that they didn’t know one day, and someone else can help me overcome an obstacle in my life the next. Isn’t it a wonderful concept?

So what is this blog about? Pretty much everything. I’m a talented VA, so I’ll share tips and tricks of my trade; I’m recently-certified Online Business Manager, so I’ll be sharing the triumphs and scary parts of reinventing my business; I’m a work-at-¬home mother of two boys (one of whom just turned thirteen– yikes!) so I’m sure I’ll have days when I post about that too.

I’m also on a journey of self-discovery which began last November when I attended a marketing seminar. I only attended because I wanted to learn how to help my clients, both present and future, learn how to create and sell information products. But the event started a domino effect in my life that I couldn’t possibly have anticipated. It’s because of that event (well no, it’s actually because I finally agreed to let my kids get a puppy—but that’s a story for another post) that I’m now reading and taking online classes about the Law of Attraction. It’s a fascinating voyage, and one that I’m looking forward to sharing with you as the affects of this education unfold in my life.

So here it is. My first blog post. It was easier to write than I thought it would be. What’s next–video? LOL!

See you soon!
Debbie

A great virtual relationship is developed when both client and VA share similar values and work styles, and work as team toward the clients’ goals. To help you determine if I might be the right VA for you, please read both sections below. Part A will help you determine if you’re my Ideal Client, and Part B (in interview format) will help you determine if I might be your Ideal Assistant. If, after reading both sections, you feel that we would work well together please contact me to schedule a “get to know each other” phone call!

Part A – Who is My Ideal Client?

My Ideal Clients:

Can commit to retaining my services for a minimum of ten hours per month
Are looking for a long-term relationship
View me as an equal, colleague, and partnerAre honest and live a life of integrity
Are successful in their chosen field and passionate about it
Have high standards for their lives and businesses
Have specific goals and a plan to reach them
Truly want to find balance in their professional and personal lives
Are open-minded and welcome new ideasPlan their work well and do not regularly work in ‘emergency mode’
Trust me to take care of the things that they do not have to personally touch
Communicate with me on a regular basis and provide feedback
Do not have a desire to micro-manage me or the projects I do for them
Show appreciation for a job well done
Typically give people the benefit of the doubt

Part B – Interview with Debbie

Tell me about your professional background:

I have worked in multiple industries over the last fourteen years in positions varying from sales assistant to office and HR manager. The industries I worked in were varied, and each added unique skills to my repertoire of experience. I enjoyed learning through them and every one offerered me new opportunities to sharpen my already strong organization and time management skills; further develop an attention to detail that I come by naturally, and put into practice my ability multi-task and meet deadlines.

What software programs do you work with?

I work with:

Microsoft Office
Word
Excel
Outlook
Outlook Express
PowerPoint
Access
Front Page
Publisher
Works
Greetings
Act! 6.0
Adobe Reader 6.0
Adobe Elements
Adobe Photoshop
PDF Exchange
Quicken Home and Business 2008
Quickbooks Online
WordPerfect
Paradox
Filemaker Pro
What if I need you to use a software program that you don’t already know or own?

I am always happy (eager, even) to learn a new software program. If the program will be specific to you only, and there is little chance that I would use this skill for another client, I would require that you purchase a copy of it for installation on my computer and, if necessary, pay for me to take a class to learn it and/or get up to speed. If it is a mainstream program that I likely will use for current or future clients, I will split the cost of the program with you and attend a class on my own if I feel the need. It is rare that I need to take a class to learn new software and, if I do need to, usually a one- or two-day seminar course will suffice. As for the learning curve, because I am very adept at learning new programs, my learning curve is short.

How do you connect to the Internet?

I connect with broadband cable access.

How will you communicate with me when we work together?

You may contact me via telephone, email, IM, or fax. I will most often contact you via Email with two exceptions:

1.) I ask that you schedule (and keep) a weekly telephone appointment with me. It’s important for me in this digital world that I work in, to touch base with my clients and hear their voices once a week. It doesn’t have to be long, in fact it may be only a few minutes to catch up or say ‘hello’.

2.) If we’re communicating via email, and we’re going back and forth too much, I will probably just pick up the phone and call you. Email is great, but sometimes an old-fashioned conversation is just more efficient!

What is your work style?

I value teamwork, trust, and integrity; take ownership for my actions; am persistent in obtaining results and looking for solutions; strive for improvement every day; and love to explore new ideas. As things develop, you can count on me to react promptly to situations that I have encountered previously, and to ask questions before I act on your behalf in new situations. I am a “think-on-my-feet” type of person, and will frequently have suggestions for you before I even ask you the question.

What if I need a service that you do not provide?

I don’t profess to be able to ‘do it all,” but I can still get it done for you. If there is something that you need that I do not do well, I will tell you so. I have an extensive list of resources that I turn to for work that is outside of my expertise. At your request, I will refer you to one or more of these professionals, and (regardless of whom you hire,) I can oversee the work on your behalf.

What are your business hours?

I am in my office and available to you from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. These are the times that I commit to being available to be reached by telephone and to answer emails. I do work outside of these hours at my discretion, and will most likely be available until 5:00 PM EST on weekdays.

What if I have an emergency that I need your help with outside of your business hours?

One of my work strategies is to help you set procedures in place so that emergencies are few and far between. In the event that one does occur outside of my work hours, provided it is not a regular occurrence, I will do my best to help you.

Do you have a contract for me to sign?

I do have an Agreement that I will send you when we begin working together. It is not a contract, but an outline of my policies and procedures. I require that it be signed and returned to me before I begin any work for you so that I know you have a clear understanding of the way I do business.

What are your rates?

I bill you monthly only for the time that I spent on work for you. I do not have different rates for different types of work; however I do offer a discounted rate to clients that work with me on a retainer-basis (10 hours minimum per month.) I will discuss my current rates with you when we speak on the phone.

I’m ready to get started! So why do we need to talk on the phone?

‘Fit’ is critical to the success of our relationship. Our personalities, work styles, and ethics are a huge part of this fit, and are something we cannot assess by reading websites. I have developed a two-way interview that will help us determine if we are good candidates for working together. After our phone conversation, we will know if we are a good match.

I can’t wait to speak with you!