April showers bring May flowers. As we did last spring
and like life, in general, we must endure the rain and
dark clouds before we bask in the sunshine and
warmth.
When you start up a business of your own, there is a
lot of work to do. Let me assure you, however, that
you are working toward YOUR goals and you are
working for YOUR equity in the business. Though the
road may be rough, each difficulty presents an
opportunity to create workable solutions and teaches
you how to cope with the same problems in the future.
You are creating a roadmap with each step you take.
Savor the journey - if you are pursuing your passion,
you can't help but enjoy the ride.
The Business of the Future
Judging by the number of e-mail requests I receive
each day and the frequency of similar business start
ups I find in surrounding areas, the concierge and
virtual assistant business is certainly one of the top ten
start ups. This week another virtual
assistant joined the Chamber of Commerce. As usual,
I received at least five e-mails from across the
country, and one from Panama, requesting information
on building a concierge service.
I believe the reason for the popularity of a service like
mine is the same as it was last year when Yours, Mine
and Hours became a reality. We are all just too busy.
Our lives take us in many directions handling the "have
to be done" jobs. There are so many more options
today than there were 100 years ago and we are all
taking advantage of these new activities and
opportunities. All of them, however, take away the
time we used to spend at home enjoying family dinners
together, family game nights and family communication
in general.
In order to take back some of those lost and very
important moments, a personal assistant, concierge or
virtual assistant (whatever you call us) is available
to you. Delegate the routine, day to day maintenance-
type duties to a trusted individual and recapture those
hours for yourself and your family. For most of us, the
together time we forego on a daily basis is leading to a
decrease in communication with our loved ones. The
result is a loss of relationship savvy. Our children will
not have memories of extended family dinners at
Grandmom's or the smell of a turkey and potatoes
roasting in the oven on Sunday afternoon.
Memories change with each generation and we adjust
to our lifestyle and surroundings, as our children will do.
Examine your own special memories and decide whether
it is important for your children to enjoy family times
which will result in similar flashback memories for them.
If it's important to you, then make it a priority to
create those moments and find the time to
communicate, to experience and to really connect with
those you love. Having someone else take over the
routine tasks will allow you to gain time, freedom and a
strong and happy family and personal life. What did
they used to say, "All work and no play..."?
Delegating to a Personal Assistant
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Break it down |
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Clean your clutter with the one-drawer-at-a-time rule.
It's often too overwhelming to think of clearing your
entire house, but it's manageable one drawer at a
time.
I had been asking my daughter for months to sort out
the old clothes that were too small. Her current
wardrobe would scarcely fit into the dresser drawers.
When she finally decided to begin, it took only two
hours to clear out two dressers. The result: extra
space, some "rediscovered" outfits and a less stressed
Mom.
The example I always use is office filing. We let it
stack up because most of us hate filing. When we
finally get to the much maligned task, it's overwhelming
because there is so much. It takes hours to finish and
we put it off again because it was so unpleasant.
If we do the filing as we go along, or even once a day,
the task is easier, faster and less painful. Try to begin
a new habit.
...till next month !
My Mission »
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Hot Tips |
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If you suffer a bee sting, sprinkle meat tenderizer on
the sting area. If you're allergic to bee stings,
immediately follow the emergency procedures you've
created with your physician. If you are allergic and
don't have an emergency procedure, get one now. Talk
to your doctor.
If a minor burn is the problem, use Colgate or Crest
toothpaste on the burn.
If you have any helpful hints, please e-mail me.
Perhaps you'll see them in an upcoming Yours, Mine and
Hours newsletter.
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Fraud Alert Specifics |
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If your wallet is stolen file a police report immediately in
the jurisdiction where it was stolen. This proves to the
credit providers you were diligent and is a first step
toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
If critical information is stolen, call the three national
credit reporting organizations. They will place a fraud
alert on your name and social security number. The
alert means any company that checks your credit,
knows your information was stolen and they have to
contact you by phone to authorize ANY new credit.
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 Experian: 1-888-397-
3742 Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
Social Security Administration Fraud Line: 1-800-269-
0271
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Free Inspirational Concert |
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Four professional musicians, known as GAUDEAMUS, will
perform in concert at Corpus Christi Church on Friday,
May 14, 2004 at 7:30 PM. A reception will follow the
concert. All are welcome.
A free-will donation will be taken that evening. All
contributions will benefit The Wellness Place for the
cancer community to assist them in providing cancer
support services at no cost to patients and caregivers.
Kids' Korner, a new pediatric cancer program began at
TWP in September of 2003.
You are welcome to enjoy beautiful music,
refreshments and the satisfaction of doing just a little
to help patients and families affected by this
devastating diagnosis.
Corpus Christi is located at 900 Sumneytown Pike,
Lansdale, PA 19446. Call 215-393-9105 for further
information.
The Wellness Place for the cancer community »
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A Sigh of Relief after April 15th |
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"The taxpayer -- that's someone who works for
the federal government but doesn't have to take the
civil service examination."
-Ronald Reagan
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Is an E-newsletter for you? |
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What better way to keep your business in the minds of
your clients than visiting them regularly? If you're
thinking about a list service, I highly recommend
Constant Contact. It's a simple and effective service
that not only saves your e-mail list but also provides
an array of reports to assist you in tracking your
business.
For a free 60 day trial, click on the link below.
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Copyright |
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© 2004 Deborah Stanek Reast - Yours, Mine and Hours
Personal Assistant and Concierge Services
WANT TO USE THIS INFORMATION IN YOUR E-ZINE OR
WEB SITE? You can! Just ask permission first by
sending an e-mail to deb@yoursmineandhours.com. I'll
give you some brief information to include at the end of
the article.
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