New Venture

You may have noticed the lack of posts over the last two weeks. This is because I have been a) busy with clients and b) busy getting my new business launched!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have decided to embark on a change of direction. While VIP Assistant Solutions is still moving full steam ahead, I have launched a professional writing business, CP Style. I have also included a blog over there, which will act as my primary blog. So please visit me over at http://www.cpstyle.ca and my read my latest blog at http://cpstyle.ca/blog I look forward to seeing you all over there! And of course, if you require administrative support, I am still offering virtual assistance!

Thanks!

CP

A Change in Direction

I have been fortunate enough to see VIP Assistant Solutions  grow over the past few months and have enjoyed providing service to my clients. It really has been one of those “wow I finally know what to do with my life” experiences. As things evolve with my business however, I do notice a trend in the type of services I am providing; the type of services that continue to be in demand. What I am trying to say is that, while VIP Assistant Solutions will still exist, I have decided to launch another business. This business will provide the very services that make up the bread and butter of VIP Assistant Solutions – writing!

The majority of my work involves copywriting and so I have decided to focus my direction in this area. I don’t expect the website to be officially up and running until mid July, however I wanted to let you all know where you can expect to catch me once it is:)

In case you are wondering, the new business name is CP Style. For all you non writers out there, CP style is a style of writing (like AP style) and stands for Canadian Press. I found it very fitting considering the initials of my own name, Caroline Pigott.

As I mentioned, this new direction will not mean the end of VIP Assistant Solutions. I will still be available to provide administrative service, however I will be inviting you all to visit my new site and blog once it is up and running.

So how does one decide to change business direction? Below are six tips to determining whether or not you should change your business focus too:

Listen to Yourself

I almost wrote “listen to your clients” in the title, but it became clear to me that your clients are going to want what you are good at and what you are passionate about. Believe it or not, when we enjoy doing something, it shows! So take a step back for a minute and determine if what you are currently doing is making you happy. If, for example, you own a clothing store however find yourself selling more shoes over clothing maybe it’s time to open a shoe store!

Know that What you are Feeling is OK

It is quite common for entrepreneurs to start off in one direction and then change their focus to something else. Not many of us get it right the first time and things in life usually take a bit of trial and error. If you feel you should change directions, listen to that little voice and go for it! Remember my last post on intuition.

Take Note

Look around you and determine what interests you. Remember those brainstorming charts we used to do in school? The chart with the idea in the center and the additional ideas around it? Well some of us still do them:) And this is what I want you to do now. Think up all possibilities and directions for your business. Focus on the idea that sticks out to you and energizes you.

Educate Yourself

Read up on possible directions you could take your business. Do your research and take a course. Knowing more about a type of business will help you make a sound decision.

Volunteer

You read that correctly! Volunteer your precious time with someone who is already running the type of business you are thinking about running. If you are thinking about changing your business from dog walking to graphic design it is better to learn in the trenches than to get there and realize it is much harder than it looks.

Ask for Valued Opinions

Before I decided to change the direction of my business, I asked my husband and a few close friends what they thought. Their reactions were “isn’t that what you are already doing?” and “That’s what you are passionate about. Go for it!” It was almost a “duh” moment. And it felt like they were just waiting for me to do it before I even knew I was going to. Outside support is extremely important for any business owner and gathering valued feedback and opinion from your close family and friends will help you make the right decision for yourself and the future of your business.

Listen to your Gut and See Results!

Has there ever been a situation in your life that you look back on and think ‘if only I listened to my gut’?

As many of us learn (and unfortunately learn the hard way), that gut feeling; that wrenching feeling in the pit of our stomach telling us if something is right or wrong, should never be ignored. As Albert Einstein once said “The only real valuable thing is your intuition.”

I have felt this sensation many times and looking back on some of the choices I have made; relationships, jobs and even some friendships, I now wish I listened to my gut! Well luckily every wrong choice has resulted in a lesson learned and I am working on developing a keen sense of intuition.

Truthfully, this “sixth sense” certainly doesn’t happen over night! It is a little intimidating to rely on instinct rather than on logical thinking, but you may want to consider it. Ok at least consider using your mind and body the next time you have to make a decision. It just may turn your life around!

As I mentioned, there are countless times I wish I had listened to my intuition. Here’s an example; I took a job last year after working for a large Insurance company for a while. I was just looking for a change and the chance to put my education in Communications to use.

This new job was entry level but on paper seemed to promise opportunity for me to move up and work in an industry I believed in. Looking back, I should have declined the offer. I remember feeling physically ill as I spoke to my new boss. I just knew this person wouldn’t be easy to work for and something inside of me was not only telling me, but screaming that the position wouldn’t be right for me. Well, I brushed it off as just nerves and talked myself into accepting .Sure enough, within the first month I was absolutely miserable.

Yes this job did lead me to where I am today, but I like to think I would have ended up where I am today regardless. And I might have saved some of self dignity in the process!

How do you feel about what you’re doing with your life? Perhaps there is a nagging tug inside of you telling you something isn’t right? Or maybe you feel on top of the world; knowing everything you are doing in your life is spot on. If so, that is truly amazing and I commend you.

For the rest of us, here are some steps I have found helpful to take in order to use that “gut” feeling to your full advantage:

Take out the Mind Garbage

Our minds are so full of ‘garbage’ these days; it’s hard to find the clearing within the mess! Many of our lives are so busy that’s it hard to hear that intuitive voice. Take time out of your busy schedule to shut off that blackberry, turn off the laptop and take a quiet break. When you relax, you tend to make more sound decisions.

Listen to your Body

As I mentioned, when I accepted that job offer, I felt sick to my stomach. If you feel physically ill about a decision, or have a big lump in your throat, it’s important to listen to your body! On the other hand, also look for clues that something is right. If something is right for you, you might feel relaxed, calm and energized.

Pay Attention to Your Dreams

No I’m not saying your dreams are ‘magical’ and will hold the answer to your life decisions. However, your dreams often do reflect how you are really feeling on any given day.

Are you dreaming of being naked in front of a crowd? Perhaps you are feeling vulnerable. Or maybe you are running in your dream. Are you running away from something in your life perhaps?

Pay attention to your subconscious to help you understand what is really going on in your busy everyday life.

Exercise Your Way to a Clear Head

Have you ever felt the urge to punch a pillow when you’re feeling frustrated? Well, while punching a pillow isn’t a bad thing, why not try running or lifting weights? Exercise has been proven to relieve stress and will aid in clearing your mind. A clear mind will allow intuitive thoughts to be heard.

Write it down

Practice using your gut feeling to make decisions and write down how you felt at the time and what the outcome was. Look back on your journal to see how often you were right about something. Your confidence will grow as you learn how to use your gut feelings to your advantage.

There’s More to the Written Word

As a content writer for various business websites, I am consistently researching what is current in the world of Search Engine Optimization; what type of content will step-up a particular site’s visibility? What keywords will attract the right traffic for the business and increase the chances of turning web traffic into clients?

I am also consistently adapting myself to the business I am writing for in order to create accurate and well-written content. Freelance web content writers and copywriters truly must have the ability to act as chamaeleons; placing ourselves in the shoes of our clients in order to develop the message they are wishing to communicate.

As VIP Assistant Solutions develops, it is becoming apparent that the bread and butter of my business lies in web content writing services, and this causes me to recognize that web writing has certainly changed since I first entered the PR and Communications field in 2003! Well-written content and the implementation of proper keywords is only a fraction of what web content writing involves. Yes it is absolutely fundamental that a business website is well written and speaks to the right audience. However, the steps to take to create the proper content for a particular business involves so much more.

I have compiled a list of steps I take to ensure my clients’ websites are attracting the right traffic, speaking to the right audience, and motivating potential clients to act.

Industry Analysis

When I begin working with a new client, I not only ask my client about his/her industry but I also research competition and industry news.

Business Target Audience

It is extremely important to be clear on who the business target audience is. Without a target audience, content will just be fluff and will only confuse the reader. Whose attention is the business hoping to grab?

Keyword Research

After I have researched my client’s industry and developed an understanding of who my client is hoping to target, I conduct a keyword research assessment. In other words, what words are people most likely to enter into Google in order to bring them to this business and/or its competition?

Proofread Proofread Proofread!

I can’t stress enough how important well-written content is. Grammar and spelling mistakes can be a huge detriment to a business’ success.

Analyze

It is important to analyze how the website is doing. Google Analytics is an amazing (and free!) tool that provides you with valuable information required to help you learn how your website is doing and where the traffic is coming from. Google Analytics helps to determine what is working and what needs to be changed.

VIP Travels in Spain

Hello all! My husband and I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Spain for two weeks and all I can say was WOW!

We travelled to Barcelona, Valencia, Granada and Seville (Sevilla) all in 11 days! What a whirlwind! And what a cultural eye opener. My husband and I do not know the spanish language and we both admit that the further south we travelled, the less we understood the people and we’re sure the less they understood us.

It truly is a humbling experience to struggle to be understood. There were times when the language barrier did get frustrating; frustrated with ourselves for not learning the language before leaving for Spain. We travelled on trains between cities and at one point booked ourselves on an eight hour over-night train ride from Valencia to Granada. When we boarded, we realized we were seated in a quad, the two of us sitting side by side and facing two older men. I tried to ask one of the men if he was travelling to Granada as well and he didn’t understand me (or refused to understand what I meant when I kept saying “Granada”). Let’s just say it was an uncomfortable eight hours of the two Canadians and the two Spanish men staring back at one another with no way to communicate. Needless to say we did our best to sleep through that ride!

In the end, regardless of the language barrier, we had such a wonderful time and learned a few words and a sentence or two of Spanish. Relying on one another as we made our way through the country truly brought us even closer together. The culture, language, and food were all amazing and we look forward to more European adventures in the future!

Dr. Phil helps promote the Virtual Assistant Industry

The Dr. Phil show today covered couples and families struggling in debt. Dr. Phil provided advice on how to go from broke to bringing in the cash. Interestingly, one of Dr. Phil’s guests were over $1 million in debt. YES you did read that right! They were so much in debt that their house was being sold to the bank while on the Dr. Phil show.

Why this show struck me is because this same couple sought credit counselling and the assistance of Loral Langmeier is a best-selling author, entrepreneur and self-made millionaire. Langmeier helped turn this couple’s lives around. One of the ways she helped is by providing the wife with the necessary information to pursue a career as a Virtual Assistant! Watch clips from the show and read more information on Dr. Phil.com

In case you were wondering, the couple now bring in $6000 a month. Just some food for thought.

Bonding at the Berkeley

Ok not really ‘bonding’ per se, but I did have the opportunity to tour around the Berkeley Church last night. Admittedly, I had never heard of the Berkeley Church Events Venue before. I’m not originally from Toronto (although have been living here for the past three years), which may be part of the reason. But when VIP Assistant Solutions was invited to the Berkeley Open House, I was impressed by the mix of old architecture and modern design.

Planning an event; whether it be a wedding, fashion show, or any other special occasion would feel effortless with the Berkeley friendly and very knowledgeable staff. Your imagination can come to life with the many different rooms and turns available, helping to create the event of a lifetime. Never to be forgotten.

Five Easy Tips for INFLUENTIAL Copywriting

If you want to ’sell’ your product or service, people have to WANT to purchase what you are selling. No one is going to want what you have to offer unless they feel they need it. It’s up to you to convince potential customers that your product or service is hard to live without!

Copywriting is about producing outstanding, well thought of and relatable content for the purpose of selling a product or service. Whether the content is to be used for a website, brochure, newsletter or article, knowing copywriting basics can do wonders for your marketing campaign.

Here are basic yet influential copywriting tips to help boost your marketing campaign!

Know your Product

Know the product or service before you market it! This means doing your research. It’s quite hard to sell something if you don’t even know why you would want it! It’s funny because when I think of this tip I think of my first job, working at Black’s Photography. Digital cameras were just coming on to the scene and frankly I was terrified of them. They were all big and had a lot of different buttons. I was ok developing the photos and selling film but one day when I was the only person in the store, someone became interested in one of the digital cameras. I knew nothing about the technology but attempted to sell it. Needless to say, my stammering and obvious fibbing didn’t influence  the customer to buy. What I learned from this was that if I’m going to convince someone to purchase, I need to know what it did and what it was! I needed to convince myself.

Convince Yourself

When I attempted to sell the digital camera while working at Black’s Photography, I wasn’t convinced or passionate about the product. If I wasn’t passionate about the product, how can I expect anyone else to be? After you research your product or service, learn how to appreciate your product or service. People purchase based on emotion and need. If they see how much a product or service has changed your life they will believe in the benefits and picture how it will change their life as well!

Tell Them Why to Buy

Now that you have convinced yourself that you cannot live without the product or service, it is time to convince your customer. Brainstorm all of the reasons why people need what you are selling and include these reasons in your writing.

The “Five Times” Contact Rule

You may have heard that it can take five times to connect and contact a potential customer before he or she decides to purchase your product or service. The rule often applies to in-person networking, social networking, phone calls and sending information. The same rule applies to written material. When you are writing content, keep telling your potential customer why he or she needs what you are selling. Be consistent in your message and repeat the benefits. For example; a website selling a weight loss product should state its benefits not just on the homepage, but on every page.

Provide Statistics

Want to convince your audience? Show them how your product or service has changed the lives of others! When I explain the benefits of using a Virtual Assistant, I explain that according to well researched statistics, entrepreneurs and small business owners are over worked and over stressed. Over 50 per cent of entrepreneurs do not take a lunch break, 50 per cent work six to seven days a week and an outstanding 82 per cent have not taken a vacation with their families in over a year. Now if a Virtual Assistant took some of the work load away, think of how much time and energy would be saved?

Obviously the copywriting tips I’ve mentioned don’t just stop there when it comes to producing excellent and influential content. However, the five tips mentioned are a great start to effectively marketing your business. If you have additional tips, send them my way! I would enjoy reading them!

Happy Birthday!

It’s Toronto’s 175 birthday today! The great city I live in is actually older than Canada! I just wanted to give a shout out to the biggest city in Canada.

I’ll be spending the day doing a little work but getting out and enjoying the nice weather we will be having. Keep in mind it’s only the beginning of March in Ontario and we’re expecting 15 degrees Celsius this afternoon. That’s 60 degrees Fahrenheidt! As someone who tends to literally hibernate in the winter, I will certainly be taking advantage of today.

Happy Birthday Toronto, happy Friday everyone else and enjoy the weekend!

CP

New Website – Thanks for the Patience!

It’s up!!! www.vipassistantsolutions.com is finally complete.

You know the feeling you get when something just isn’t right? But the minute things are right, you feel that ultimate sigh of relief and satisfaction? Well those exact feelings are relevant to how I was feeling about my website.

As many of you could probably tell, I was very new to creating a website. Yes I had some training in school, but ultimately the whole website creation thing was completely foreign. And especially because it was my website, nothing seemed to be good enough. I had a website up for some time but I wasn’t satisfied with it. I changed it not too long ago and added video. The video was something I was proud of (after a few tries) but the actual site was very amateurish. Well after almost two weeks of the flu, I decided to help myself out a bit and get my creative juices flowing.

So, take a look and critique if you wish (or must). I look forward to many more visitors and clients;)