I love A-ha moments.  They make my skin tingle, amp me up for the rest of the day and give me a sense of accomplishment at the close of business!  My favorite thing about A-ha moments?  They are F R E E.  All that great stuff at no cost!  Seriously.

To spread a little of the joy I thought I’d share my A-ha moment with you.  For F R E E, of course!  First we gotta do background…

There is this very cute, quirky, stimulating, emotiofying (is that just a word of mine?) blogger I know.  I heart her.  She makes me cry and laugh, which is really no small undertaking when on the Myers-Briggs scale my T-ness is pretty much maxed out.  Meet Havi and her fluffy-feathered duck.  I like to think I have Havi figured out – to the extent you can figure out any fellow blogger – Selma, on the other hand, is a duck of another color.  Anyway, Havi wrote this really great ad about wanting a house.  Let’s let that simmer for a while, shall we?

Jump ahead to lunch on Tuesday when I was at a networking event.  The one thing that was different at this event from any other one is they talked about what they want!  Yeah, they go around the room and talk about what each person needs.  “I have a client who needs blah, blah.  Please see me if anyone has idea where I could get one.”  “I’m looking for a vendor I can share a booth with at the next convention I’m attending.  If anyone else is going give me a call so we can talk.”  You’re smart folks, you get the idea.

Now, it took a nod from the heavens to smash these two events together into the same area of my brain but it happened late Tuesday afternoon.  A-ha!

So, now I’m wondering how many of you ask your peeps for exactly what you want in your business?  I am really dying to know!  (That would be what that comment section down there is for!)

Now, do you want to see the results of my A-ha moment?  I’m launching it this Tuesday at a different networking event.  I’m excited and I’ll let you know how it goes.  Without further extraverting I’ll share my ad:

WANTED:

Soloists or Entrepreneurs who are: 

• Weighed down by the operations work that takes them away from their passion
• Drained to the point that they are starting to doubt success can be achieved
• Skeptical that there will ever be an end to the workload so they can relax already!

Soloists or Entrepreneurs who want:

• Unmistakable division between work and life (a.k.a. to revive the social life that died when the business was born)
• The opportunity to work ON their passion all day, every day
• Steadfast, professional support with friendly human interaction

Qualified individuals must desire to build mutually beneficial relationships based on trust and respect.  Foremost, they must desire to excel at their passion.  Underachievers need not apply.

Curious professionals may contact Sundi D. Hayes, Chief Virtual Officer, at My Office Zilla by calling 816.585.1655 or visiting the website at www.MyOfficeZilla.com.

Wait!  Before you run off to write an ad of your own, can I tell you what I love about mine?

Isn’t it great that this ad will appeal to not only specific people in my niche but also other desirable folks?  My niche of Executive Coaches or Business Coaches or Trainers is pretty specific but that doesn’t mean my skills won’t work for many other people in many industries.  Soloists and Entrepreneurs all feel similar pains around their business, right?

I’d be willing to bet I could walk into any networking event, pick 5 people at random and this want ad would make them all think of either themselves or a person they know!  If you found it on the table you were sitting at would it make you say, “Hmmm.”

OK!  You can go now!  Write that ad and share it with me.

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Sundi

No!  Not THAT kind of four letter word!  Get back on track, would you?

Mine is F R E E.  I like it, I like it a lot!  I can’t imagine someone not liking the word!

Here, I’ll show you some examples:

If you feel disorganized try Basecamp and whip your projects into shape!  If you get excited about Basecamp then just wait until you see all the other offerings from 37 Signals.  You might have just come back from that page and said, “Sundi! That didn’t say anything about F R E E!”  Of course not silly!  Would you use the word free if you can get someone to pay for your product?

Hidden F R E E is way better then obviously F R E E!  Go back and click on that See Plans and Pricing button.  Under the options they make really big and pretty there is a line in almost plain text that says, “We also offer a free plan.”

If Basecamp wasn’t enough to get you organized then try the Zoho suite of stuff.  I use their webmail and it rocks!

Zoho might not meet your needs so try Open Office.  For all those start-ups out there, what more could you ask for than something that functions as easily as software from those big MS people who want your first-born?

I like trifectas but I thought I’d throw in one more for good measure.  This one is totally awesome for reasons I won’t go into.  Hey!  I can’t tell all my secrets.  You’ll just have to check it out.

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Sundi

A few months ago there seemed to be a rash of bad online experiences for several people close to me.  PayPal account lockdowns, blog highjacks, stolen identities and the creepy feeling that makes you look over your shoulder…ok, maybe not that last one but once something is stolen from you it only makes sense you spend a short amount of time after that looking over your shoulder, even digitally.

At the time I didn’t know the details of each person’s horrible online experience but I developed a new determination to make sure if something like that happened to me it wasn’t because I was weak in any way!  To me that weakness was my password.  Note I said password – with no S.  As in only one.  I had one password and I used it all the time.  To take it one step farther my entire family used the same password!

Now, I have to give myself a little credit.  It was a great password.  It really made no sense if you looked at it and you didn’t know me.  If you knew a little about me it made sense.  Scarey, huh?

Well not anymore!  I started doing some research about passwords and got some really good ideas.  By combining a couple of sources I think my passwords are awesome now!  Note I said passwords with an S!  Every site I have a password for is different now!

If that thought makes you cringe then maybe you need a new system too!  Just 3 simple steps:

Step 1:  Pick a word.  This word should have NO meaning to you.  I like patterns.  If you are that way too then google for “right handed words” or “left handed words.”  Without much digging you should find something of average length that suites your fancy.

Step 2:  Pick a number.  Any number will do but I suggest sticking to 1 or 2 digits.  Got four dogs?  Use 4.  Dig three wheelers?  Use 3.  Stick your number some where in your word from Step 1.

Step 3:  Pick any number of letters from the website homepage url.  Use the first two letters, the last four letters, etc.  Decide where you want to stick these new letters – front, middle, back, etc.

Hint:  The word and where you split it in Step 1 never changes.  The number and positioning from Step 2 never changes.  The letters you choose in Step 3 will always be different because you are at a different website; however, the position the letters are in will always be the same.

Examples:  I’ll use the word “seaweed.”  I’m going to split the word between the two Es.  The number I like is 1.  I’ll use the www.MyOfficeZilla.com url and I pick the 2nd, 3rd and 4th letters of the url.  My password would be “seamyowe3ed.”  If I was building a password for a google account it would be “seaoogwe3ed.”  If I was building a password for a twitter account it would be “seawitwe3ed.”

Note:  There are some websites that limit your password to six or so characters.  I think this is crazy!  Regardless, many of them will let you type away even though more characters aren’t being entered.  I use an 11 character password and a banking website I use limits me to eight.  I still use the same password system and type what I want but it only recognizes the first eight characters.

It will take you a while to switch all your passwords over.  I kept a handwritten list of websites I had switched with me for a couple of weeks.  When I came across a website I couldn’t remember the password for I’d check the list and made adjustments.  In the long run your password security is worth the time!

If you follow a system share it with us!

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Sundi

I’m pledging to make a referral to a business I want to help as part of a national campaign to make 1000 referrals March 9-13. What a great small business stimulus plan – won’t you join me.

Make a Referral Week is an entrepreneurial approach to stimulating the small business economy one referred business at a time. The goal for the week is to generate 1000 referred leads to 1000 deserving small businesses in an effort to highlight the impact of a simple action that could blossom into millions of dollars in new business. Small business is the lifeblood and job-creating engine of the economy and merits the positive attention so often saved for corporate bailout stories.

The week long event also features a killer list of referral experts providing valuable marketing advice.

Nibbling Away -

Sundi

I couldn’t pass up a play on words for one of my favorite holidays!

Surely it doesn’t matter if you are a business coach or a virtual assistant for business coaches anything that makes you more efficent is a no brainer!  To me that means I try to move my hand off my keyboard to use my mouse as little as possible - especially if I’m working quickly.  It also means I like to be able to access a bunch of my stuff in one place and for it to be simple to use.

When I came across this little list the other day I couldn’t help but jump up and down!  If you use Google Reader to follow a bunch of blogs then you’ll like this list of keyboard shortcuts too!  Keyboard shortcuts always take me a while to remember.  To make it easier I print them off and keep a copy by my keyboard for a couple of weeks.  (By the way, is Nibbles on your list!  If not, use the next tip to quickly subscribe to the RSS feed.)

I switched readers recently because for some reason my tool of choice was dislaying some of the blogs without text wrap so I was moving the scroll bar left to right – a lot.  When I switched to Google Reader it took me a while to get used to it and find all the bells and whistles I was used to having.  I’m still getting adjusted but was most happy to find the bell I missed the most…the subscribe function for my bookmarks.  If you don’t have it for Google Reader here is how to find it.

On the bottom of the left side column in Google Reader you’ll see a link that says Manage Subscription.  After clicking there you’ll be taken to a page to do just that but it also has tabs across the top for other things.  Click on the Goodies tab and scroll down to the Subscribe as you surf header.  When you follow those instructions you’ll end up with a bookmark that allows you subscribe to blogs on the fly.  Slick, huh?

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and give somebody a kiss would ya…just to celebrate I mean!

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Sundi

Remember when all the Microsoft Office windows were umpteen million shades of gray and plain old white?  It used to drive me crazy.  I would change my font type color just to put something attractive on the screen even if I didn’t keep the document that way in the end.

What is it they say?  “Things have come a long way baby!”?

If you like things a little hotter when it comes to your materials there are plenty of ways you can do that without adding cost.

Color is my all time favorite!

Here are a couple of tools to help you set a pallete or determine the exact colors of a client logo. 

The web-based Color Palette Generator allows you to deposit a url in the slot and voila!  Instant color sensation.  If you aren’t into the cute default pallete try Saturn or an ultra-modern deco drawing in the url box.  The generator will provide you with multiple colors in the bold or muted sides of the photo’s pallete.

Maybe a specific color is more of what you had in mind.  Instant Eyedropper is a freeware tool which will tell you the exact color you are looking for in many different color formats to use on the web or in documents.  This tool is the handiest for getting your documents to match client color schemes exactly.

Text and nothin’ but text…

Makes your participants very bored!  If your text is long and daunting then break it up.  My journalism professor used to say, “What space sells.”  I’m not sure how true that is these days but it sure is easier on the eyes.

If you don’t have an enless supply of clipart, and most of us don’t, then create some of your own.  Not everything found in your materials needs to be ubber serious.  One of my favorite photo modification websites is the Warholizer.  This thing is fun on top of fun as each click gives you a brand new random creation based on the file you upload.

What Andy missed in effects variety he made up for in color.  If the colors there weren’t enough for you then give the effects at Dumpr a try.  They offer a variety of effects for free and some at a premium.  (Psst!  The coolest ones are free!)

White binder, anyone?

Use some of the above tools to make your binders stand out too.  If your white binder looks like everyone else’s white binder your participants will have a hard time using it as a reference.  Create a custom cover and bridge using the tools mentioned above to really make your binder pop.

If all the cheap and free stuff is more than you can handle then try these sweet things!  (You know how sometimes after a product is introduced you realize you should have produced it yourself a long time ago because you could have used them a bunch before they really hit the market?  That is what happened with me and these babies!)  They are called Ready Index Double-Column Table of Contents Dividers by Avery.  They provide a double set of 8 tabs for a whopping 16 tabs total.  Get you some at the nearest office supply super store!

Bonus!

If you want to jazz up your computer then try these items of freeware at Stardock for color and variety!

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Sundi

I love to stumble across a little known fact and savor it as it rolls around in my head!  Recently I discovered a tidbit which lead me on a much larger finding spree!

Did you know a plea was made to the American public to donate one dime in the fight against polio? Dimes started coming in from all over the USA!  This small campaign ended in big results for…wait for it…yes!…the March of Dimes.  Another interesting fact is that Roosevelt, who is now thought to have been misdiagnosed with polio, was commemorated on the dime – the only coin not represented by a president at the time.  Intrigued?  You can find more information at Wikipedia.  Who would have thought this simple request would have such a ripple through our history?

Are you wondering what this has to do with…me, your business, life in general?

I’ll admit it.  There isn’t really a strong link.

The March of Dimes is a well known organization fighting for children.  Today is a special day for a different organization fighting against another well known danger.  February 6^th is National Wear Red Day…a big day for the American Heart Association to spread awareness for women and their risk for heart disease.

My hope is that 15 or 20 years from now my daughter – ok, daughter-in-law, since I have no daughters! – will look at National Wear Red Day and know exactly what it is and why we support it…as women, as a community and as a nation!  My dream is for National Wear Red Day to be as successful and have as rich of a history as that very first March of Dimes!

For more information about National Wear Red Day, the steps you can take to help fight heart disease in you or a woman you love and to financially support heart disease research visit the National Wear Red Day website!

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Sundi

Have you met a person in casual passing who said something which stuck with you the rest of the day?  Or even longer?  It is still early in the day but something said at a breakfast networking event I attended has been going through my mind every time I change tasks.

Dale works for a training firm in the Kansas City area and he was telling us about his company and the services they provide.

“Many people are cutting their training budget in today’s economy.  Training and development is the easiest area to trim back and I can tell you why.  Most people can’t tie their T&D budget to their bottom line…they don’t see the return on investment.  Many people simply provide training and hope it does some good.  At my company we take out the hope!”

What?  Who, in their right business mind, would say they take out hope?  What a daring thing to say!  It caught your attention though, didn’t it?

Having been a virtual assistant to coaches and trainers for a while now I found myself relating with his obvious statement of the fact “Many people simply provide training and hope it does some good.”  Isn’t that true?  I’m sure many of you have at least a handful of examples of how this thinking has affected your business.

Do you counter client statements like that with ways YOU can remove hope?  Do you connect your service to your clients’ bottom line?  Maybe you’ve never thought about it in that context before!  Now is the time to start.

If you haven’t figured out how to connect your services to ROI with the top 10 or 20% of your client base then find the time to do it.  If you don’t you might discover the budget line item you represent has been significantly decreased or written out all together.

“Finding the time is the trick!” you say?  If you cut even a portion of your administrative tasks and used that time toward connecting with your top clients’ ROI the results would show not only on your clients’ bottom line but yours as well!  The real question isn’t can you afford the time to do this?  It is can you afford not to?

Nibbling away -

Sundi