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Presenters

The 2nd Annual Online Summit provides an opportunity for all professional Virtual Assistants to come together to learn how to operate their businesses more smoothly, serve their clients more efficiently, and promote the industry itself through their own work as a VA. Presenters and topics, booked thus far, include:

  • ANDREA KALLI, Andrea Kalli Virtual Trainer and Assistant, LLC
    Podcasting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Write More Effectively - Writing for Publicity and Profits

Veteran wordsmith, Lauren Hidden, shares her copywriting process to help you boost your professional profile and bottom line. Using these time-tested techniques, Lauren and her clients have received local, national, and internet press coverage, large sales orders, and the attraction of bigger and better clients. You, too, can achieve these great results—even if writing is not your forté. Learn how to write press releases, marketing articles, web copy, blogs, sales letters, emails, and more that convince readers to take action. In this hour-long presentation, you’ll learn:

  • How to profile your reader
  • How to narrow your topic
  • How to choose titles/subject lines
  • How to determine your call to action
  • Why you need shorter paragraphs
  • Why each sentence is crucial to the overall piece
  • How to keep your readers’ attention
  • How to determine the “right” length for your piece
  • Why self-editing is a crucial step in all writing
  • Q and A

 

Goal Setting: Crystallizing Your Strategy To Achieve Your Ultimate Goal

I know, I know, everyone sets goals – but have you identified your ultimate goal, the one you strive to accomplish over a significant period of time and the action steps to realize it? Join Sharon as she explores ways to identify and achieve what you really want out of life. You may be surprised to learn you’ve been sidetracked and it’s not what you think!  She will help attendees clarify and then develop a roadmap to that illusive milestone through an open dialogue and exercises that when completed will provide tools to crystallize your ultimate goal and place you on the path to attain it.

Bio:  Sharon Williams is a successful author and coach, President of The 24 Hour Secretary and founder of Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB) and Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC). With 17+ years as an entrepreneur and business owner, Sharon has experienced the ups and downs, good days and bad of entrepreneurship, and has overcome many of the day-to-day obstacles solo practitioners face in running a business. Ms. Williams is a VA Coach-Mentor and will soon release Journeys to Success, a compilation of interviews of successful VAs that will inspire and motivate.

 

The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Journey to Success

Sharon Williams defines “Entrepreneurial Spirit” as a mix of ambition, the need to create, the taste for risk, the refusal of failure, relentless work, dedication, hope, opportunities and possibilities. All of these elements impact the journey to success. Join Sharon as she explores these important components, exposes challenges and shares antidotal stories regarding overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

Bio:  Sharon Williams is a successful author and coach, President of The 24 Hour Secretary and founder of Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB) and Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC). With 17+ years as an entrepreneur and business owner, Sharon has experienced the ups and downs, good days and bad of entrepreneurship, and has overcome many of the day-to-day obstacles solo practitioners face in running a business. Ms. Williams is a VA Coach-Mentor and will soon release Journeys to Success, a compilation of interviews of successful VAs that will inspire and motivate.

 

Do You Want to Have a 100% Referral Based Business?

I’m often asked, “Can referral programs produce sales and impact my business to the point that can sustain it?”  My answer is simple, “Yes, getting clients through referrals is the most powerful way to build your business!”

The value of one client over a lifetime could literally be tens of thousands of dollars depending on the business you’re in.  I often wonder why you would put yourself in a position not to focus on nurturing that relationship.  Most clients will refer 4 new clients over the lifetime of their business relationship with you without realizing or knowing how to do this; why not double, triple, and exponentially increase this figure by nurturing your relationships and training them to refer business to you?

The key is to know the value in your clients and to focus on relationship marketing, partnered with integrity customer service, and understanding the value of keeping loyal clients – this will result in a loyal referral resource for you.  Client relationships are the lifeblood of every company and can help stabilize the economy of your business.

During this seminar, we will cover:

  • The Referral Mindset
  • Overview of Referral Marketing and Business Networking – Make the Most of Both!
  • Identifying the Differences of Active Referral Marketing vs Passive Referral Marketing & The Benefits of Managing Your Referral Processes
  • Leverage Referrals in Your Business by Developing an Effective Referral Prospecting Program
  • Techniques & Strategies to Launch you Into a 100% Referral Based Business & To Make The Most of Your Business Networking
  • What Are My Next Steps?

Bio:  Demerique (Demi) Novak was born and raised in Southern California.  In 1992, after having a respected career in Human Resources Management with several Fortune 500 companies, Demerique migrated into the fantastic arena of the “entrepreneur” in Colorado Springs and entered the ever-challenging “retail” world.

Rather than follow the accepted and traditional lead-generation methods that seemed so unsuccessful, Demerique instead developed a powerful systematic blueprint to grow her business model…and yes, this was 100% by referral.  This system shaped through time and helped her forge ahead in creating new standards within her business.

The ability to generate a systematic and predictable supply of new business opportunities through high-quality referrals and word-of-mouth advertising offered some unique benefits.  As a result, Demerique has never cold called, knocked doors, or telemarketed her business which allowed her the time to focus on state-of-the-art products and services while maintaining a
“Customer 1st” focus.

After several years of achieving a “100% Referral-Based Business”, Demerique’s referral-marketing concepts were heavily sought after by the local business community resulting in “Go BNX” wherein the focus is to position entrepreneurs, business owners, sales professional, and companies to have unparalleled success by achieving a referral-based business partnered with a strong referral-marketing culture.

 

Subcontracting made Simple

In this seminar we will look at subcontracting from both sides, those that are looking to expand their business by utilizing subcontractors and those looking for subcontracting opportunities to fill in their work schedule.

We will review the pros and cons of hiring subcontractors, what to look for when considering a subcontractor, and how to be the “perfect” subcontractor. We will discuss how to make subcontracting a win-win solution for both parties!

About Cheryl Callighan

Cheryl Callighan is a Master Virtual Assistant, founder and director of the University of Virtual Assistants and owner of EOffice-Virtual Assistants.  Cheryl has 17 years experience as an entrepreneur and successful business owner, 10 of those years as a Virtual Assistant, after spending 30+ years in corporate business as an executive level administrator and manager.  She currently coaches and mentors start-up Virtual Assistants through several Virtual Assistant organizations. Cheryl has been sharing her knowledge and expertise with new Virtual Assistants as a teacher through the Arapahoe Community College since 1995. Cheryl is also the co-founder and co-moderator of the Colorado VAs and has served many years of community business leadership for the Business Service Network (Colorado) and the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce (Colorado).

 

Getting People to Read and Comment on Your Blog

 

"How do I get people to read my blog?"

"How can I encourage my readers to leave comments on my blog?"
 
If you've asked yourself these questions, whether you have a blog now or are considering starting one, you won't want to miss Cristina's presentation, Getting People to Read and Comment on Your Blog. She'll also share blog marketing do's and don'ts. So come with your questions and be ready to take lots of notes.
 
About Cristina Favreau: Cristina specializes in helping passionate & motivated professionals in the service industry who love what they do, but struggle with running & marketing their business. Discover simple ways to gain visibility, credibility & get more clients. Within 3 hours, she'll help you identify where you’re stuck in the marketing process & come up with an action plan to gain immediate momentum. If you find Cristina's no-nonsense, plain language approach appealing, you're invited to subscribe to her monthly newsletter, The Journey is the Point, and receive her free guidebook "Designing a Compelling 30-second Intro" at www.cristinafavreau.com. Visit her blog, The Savvy Entrepreneur, as she calls things the way she sees them at http://blog.cristinafavreau.com.

How to Get More Clients for Your VA Business with Article Marketing

Many virtual assistants struggle with attracting clients, or once they have gotten clients, have difficulty finding time to continue marketing their practices.

Article marketing helps you do both.  Your target market will begin to find you online, you'll become an instant expert in their eyes, and they will call you up and want to hire you right away based on reading the articles you have written and distributed online.

In this seminar you'll learn how to:

  • Choose the most effective format for writing your article
  • Research your title before you write
  • Create a compelling article title
  • Write a resource box that will compel readers to take action
  • Generate ideas for article topics
  • Submit your articles all over the Internet
  • Next steps to take

Bio:  Donna Gunter, author of Get More Clients Online:  How to Get 95% of Your Clients from Internet Marketing, and founder of OnlineBizU.com, is an Internet Business Coach and Online Business Manager who helps overwhelmed independent service professionals automate their businesses, leverage their expertise online, and implement Internet marketing strategies that work for service businesses. 
 
Donna opened her first online business as an online business manager/virtual assistant in 1999 and successfully built this virtual company from her small, rural, East Texas hometown using only connections made online and Internet marketing strategies. >From 2000-2004 she trained women to create businesses as Virtual Assistants for a VA training company while also running her own business.

After coaching and training virtual assistants for several years, she made the leap into professional business coaching and unveiled her coaching company in 2003, which has now been transformed into a membership website, Online Biz University.
 
Donna holds a B.S. in Communication Disorders from Lamar University and a M.Ed. in Student Personnel Services (Higher Education Administration) from the University of South Carolina.

 

Web Copy that Sells

Your web site can be your best friend when building a successful VA business.  Or it can be your worst enemy.  What are the best ways to reel ideal clients into your business with a web site?  What are the most crucial mistakes to avoid?

In this one-hour webinar, web copywriter (and former virtual assistant) Alexandra Amor of SalesPageSolutions.com shares the 10 simplest and easiest-to-implement web copy basics that will have your web site visitors clamoring for your services.  These simple yet powerful web copy rules make all the difference between whether your web site is simply an on-line brochure that costs you money each month, or if it is the results-generating cornerstone of your marketing plan.  Come to the class prepared to turn your web site into a lead-generating machine.

 

Build Value with a Content Management System
Escape the Hourly Rate Trap: How to Build Your Business and Have a Life Too

Being paid hourly for all the work you do is ultimately a trap that limits your ability to increase revenue and build real value in your business. To get paid for what you know and the services you provide, not for your hours, is the secret to catapulting your business to the next level.  

Alan Shaw is a successful entrepreneur and virtual worker who made the transition out of the hourly rate trap by building a business that produces income whether he is at his desk and computer or not. He will talk about the lessons he learned from his real life experience as he transitioned his business from depending solely on his production. Alan will also introduce a new web-based “filing cabinet” with virtual tools that enables you to increase customer retention, build your value to your customers and present new revenue opportunities that will help you escape the hourly rate trap. 

Web site www.fileworksonline.com

 

Podcasting

This class focuses on Podcasting and why virtual assistants should offer podcasting services to their clients

About Andrea Kalli: Andrea Kalli Virtual Trainer and Assistant, LLC offers a wide variety of business services, to include: Productivity training and support for Microsoft Outlook and Windows SharePoint Services, Administrative Office Assistant services, and Podcast Production and Support services.  She has more than 12 years of office administrative experience, with a primary focus on maximizing team collaboration and communication for daily work and managing projects, and Internet Marketing strategies.

 

Understanding Financial Statements

Do you print out your Profit & Loss each month and diligently file it?

Don't really understand what all those numbers mean?

Candy Beauchamp with OffAssist will be helping us interpret what that data tells us and how to make decisions based on what you see!

Bio:  Candy is the owner/operator of OffAssist and brings to it a background heavily steeped in bookkeeping for small to mid-sized businesses. She grew up near Charleston, SC and spent several years in Honolulu, HI before moving to Austin, TX in 1998. OffAssist began as a concept in 1999 and officially opened its doors in 2002. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her two children. Candy credits her success to her amazing family and friends, who have stood by her while growing OffAssist into what it is today.Candy also currently serves as the President on the Board of Directors for the IVAA.

 

All You Ever Need To Know About Digital Transcription

Jump start your practice by learning the processes, equipment and security issues you need to consider in order to offer digital transcription services over the internet.  

Bio:  Working virtually as LegalTypist for more than six years, EthicsChecked Master Virtual Assistant Andrea Cannavina has helped dozens of law firms, private investigators and insurance agencies upgrade their workflow to digital in order to get more done with less - less resources, less time and less stress!

 

Reeling In Clients As a Real Estate VA

VA’s attending will learn about:
            *Tackling the Basics
            *Leaving the Pier Well Prepared
            *Casting Your Net into the Sea of Agents
            *Landing The Big Fish
            *Angler of the Year

Bio: Cathryn Jones has a BBA in Real Estate and Marketing from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.  She has worked in the real estate industry for over 10 years.  Her career includes both REO and Relocation industry experience. She worked as an outsourced vendor for Freddie Mac managing multi-family REOs in California.  In addition, she worked for Prudential Relocation as Director of Client Services.  

 

Brand your Genius

WHAT MAKES YOU OUTSTANDING IN YOUR FIELD?

Spotlight Your Genius so Others "Get" What You've Got!

When You're Well Branded You:

  • Stand out in large organizations/crowded markets
  • Command premium fees / compensation packages
  • Attract loyal, enthusiastic supporters
  • Are trusted and respected

Are you ready to put an APB (Authentic Personal Brand) on YOUR genius? If you're ready promote yourself effectively and authentically, attend this valuable, information-rich session, delivered by the founder of the "Ritz-Carlton" of personal branding firms, MIBOSO.

An APB effectively differentiates you by giving you a clear, compelling focus. It distils "who" you are into an easily understood essence that's highly attractive to ideal friends/clients/colleagues and is in no way contrived, manipulative or pushy.

How Do You Build an Authentic Personal Brand?
That's what we'll be discussing in this session. Take some time to notice which corporate (Nike, Toyota, Starbucks, Microsoft) and personal (Oprah, Donald Trump, Rachael Ray, Richard Branson) brands appeal to you. Give some thought to what it is that YOU do that's unique, special and different. Determine who you enjoy working with and who most values your talents.  Then join us to learn how our APB process creates personal brands that capture our clients' unique "pizzazz."

What Makes Me a Brand Expert?
After working on brand development for some of the biggest brands in the world, (Toys 'R' Us, Staples, Air Canada, FedEx, IBM and Pepsi, to name a few), I have adapted corporate branding methodology into a personal branding process that has helped over 1,000 individuals develop compelling and effective Authentic Personal Brands.

Now you may be asking, "Who are these people?" "Who wants or needs a personal brand?" The short answer is; professionals, executives and entrepreneurs who want to leverage their strengths and values to achieve success on their own terms. To be more specific, Miboso's personal branding clients are highly intelligent, extremely well educated men and women in their 40's and 50's who are so multi-talented that they have difficulty separating their passions from their competencies. They are experienced, accomplished and usually very successful in conventional terms, yet they yearn to live life differently, more consciously and richly. They want to make a difference in their family/community/business sector or country. They want to live their dreams, fulfill their life's purpose, and in so doing, find meaning and satisfaction.

Here's what one such client had to say about her APB experience:

Through in-depth skills and personality analysis, Rosemary delved into the essence of who I am and what is unique about me.  She has woven this into all that we have and continue to work on.  So much so, when I gave my new business card to industry peers at an international trade show last week, feedback was resoundingly "That is so you!" I believe I shall be successful in the next stage of my career because we have found a niche which maximizes the areas about which I am passionate and in which I have superior skills. What's more, I love my promotional materials because they are so "me!" ~ Morag Donald, Service Marketing Analyst, Incentive Insight

Visit http://www.ntxt.ca/miboso/index.php to take a fun quiz to see which car brand is most like your own personal brand.

Added Value:
As this session is very information-rich, I offer participants a complimentary 20-minute follow-up session during which I will answer any questions you have and help you actually begin to develop your personal brand. Follow-up session time options will be provided in an e-mail that will be sent to you a few days before the session. Book early to get your choice of time!

 

Local Networking for VA’s

Network, network, network! You’ve heard that networking can be a great way to get clients, but what are the steps to get out there and do it? Cindy Opong of Creative Assistants will walk you through the steps of effectively networking locally and give tips for building relationships that will ultimately lead to referrals.
Cindy Opong, owner of Creative Assistants, is a Virtual Assistant who has a passion for technology and helping businesses become more productive. She is very active in the local business community of Colorado Springs, CO, is on the board of the Downtown Chapter of Colorado Business Leads, and recently spoke to the Chamber of Commerce on “Networking Productivity”. Additionally, Cindy has been active in the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA) for over 4 year, including working on the Steering Committee to develop their new Annual Virtual Summits.”

 

Attraction in Action:  Finding the Right Clients

It’s a rite of passage for Virtual Assistants:  Do you find yourselves accepting whatever tasks come across your keyboard just so you have enough billable hours?  What about the prospect that approaches you because they have a big problem or insist they desperately need your help, only to discover disaster lurking?  Sound familiar?  When we have the courage to walk away from prospects that do not match our long-term goals and objectives and focus on where we’d like to take our business, we open up our schedules for real opportunities.

During this session we will uncover tools to identify and target your ideal client.  We will discuss ways to shift your business model to attract exactly the type of work you are best suited for and create action steps towards implementation. 

About Debbie Tester:  Debbie is Past President of the International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org) and President / Managing Partner of Outer Office, LLC.  She holds the IVAA EthicsCheck certification and has a B.A. in Communications cum laude with certifications in technical writing and public relations.  With over 22 years of management and administrative experience, Debbie specializes in effective communication, research and technical writing.

 

Virtual Technology Resources:
Providing Freedom, Increased Productivity & Professional Business Presence 

Whether you are just starting your virtual business, are looking for solutions to improve business presence and/or service offerings, or would like to be more "mobile", we'll overview several low-cost (and sometimes FREE) Virtual Technology resources available.

Amber Drake founded Essential Admin in 2002 and took it on the road as a full time RV VA during 2005-2006 -- a dream made possible thanks to Virtual Technology.

 

SEO-Keeping Up With the Constant Changes

Tom Lamm will review the SEO basics, and cover the latest SEO environment. Search Engines are constantly updating what they will accept, and what they consider bad practices.  Tom has worked in Information Technology for over 20 years. He is currently a full-time VA, specializing in programming for web sites.

eCommerce on a Shoestring Budget: How to Start a Business with $100

Most people starting a new business, especially a home-based administrative practice are on a shoestring budget.  It’s hard to imagine all the costs involved when starting out (and they can sure add up!)  Michelle Ulrich has learned (through trial and error) which software is essential to starting a business with an online presence.  She has literally tried hundreds of products for both online and offline use.  She originally compiled this resource list for herself and now, she shares this list with you.  Michelle will discuss options you can use in your businesses right away as well as sharing these resources with your clients.  You won’t have to resort to spending thousands of dollars to ‘keep up with the Jones’ anymore!

Bio:  Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation™, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe.  Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members.  Education is the foundation of her organization as well as for her own personal and professional development.  Michelle is a community college instructor teaching a Virtual Assistant certificate program online.  Aside from coaching and teaching, she is also a speaker and soon-to-be author on the subject of Virtual Assistance.  She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies.  Clients can check out her services at www.michelleulrich.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com.  She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific time zone.

 

Time Management in a Wired World

Whether you’re transitioning from your full-time corporate job while juggling a part-time VA practice, or diving into your practice full-time, managing your business and family time can be a challenge to say the least.

Join IVAA past-president, Jeannine Clontz, in considering a new approach to managing your time.  You’ll take away key elements to make your day more manageable, learn how to recognize what times during the day are your most productive, how to take advantage of your availabilities throughout the day or week and setup a system that works for YOU!

This is not your normal time management seminar about making to-do lists and using online technologies, this in-depth training identifies where and how your time is being wasted and how to transition those time-thieves into more productive, useable snippets of time, by making simple changes to the way you plan your day!

About Jeannine Clontz:  Jeannine is an author, speaker, and seasoned VA who will be celebrating her 10-th anniversary in 2008.  Take your business to the next level (or kick it off right)…learn everything you need to know in the pages of Entrepreneurial Freedom, How to Start and Grow a Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice, visit http://www.EntrepreneurialFreedom.com for more information and a sample Chapter, or http://www.Accbizsvcs.com.

 

Outlook 2003- Timesaving Tips

Is your time slipping away? One of the biggest time drains can be wrapped up in our day-to-day communications, which for many is conducted via e-mail. So it seems only fitting that we should learn how to use this tool in a more productive way.

Outlook is more than “Send and Receive”. This time-saving seminar will change your “Outlook” on organization. Take time to save time and register today.

Sample Topics:

  • Sorting
  • Folders
  • Adding a reminder to an e-mail
  • Using the Category feature
  • Create Polls Using the Voting feature
  • Task vs. Calendar
  • Tips & Tricks

About Donna Gilliland:  Donna Gilliland is President and owner of MOSTraining. MOSTraining is a two-pronged acronym for Microsoft Office and Mobile Office Solutions training. Mrs. Gilliland is a certified technology training professional who has spent over 16 years in the technology-training field. She holds various industry certifications from Microsoft, and IBM.

MOSTraining specializes in customized technology training that helps companies large and small maximize their employees’ technology skills to boost productivity. 

MOSTraining successfully assist clients ranging from educational institutions, government entities, auto manufacturers, legal firms and more to increase their bottom line through customized technology training.

 

A Press Release How-To Guide

Teresa Berger will discuss how to use press releases to effectively and inexpensively market your business.  Focusing on ways to develop a quick and easy to follow press release submission schedule and ideas for what to write about to increase interest in our virtual businesses.

Owner of Innovate Services, Teresa brings her extensive communications, marketing, and business administration skills to the table to help small businesses achieve greater client relationship management practices and improve their marketability.  Through her extensive educational background (a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration concentrated in Marketing), as well as professional experience in the client services, market research, banking and contact center arenas, Teresa has developed valuable marketing and business administration skill sets.