http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yvaBookeeping | Social Media | ExcelWed, 04 May 2011 07:00:41 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/1gnyJ/h/Would_winning_a_1_200_computer.htm Dear : Would winning a $1,200 computer help streamline your business? Make you more efficient with daily tasks? Be a great gift to your favorite charity or non-profit organization? Then read on. The day has finally arrived that I mentioned back in December. To those of you who are new to my newsletter list here is a brief recap for you. I was chosen to be one of the bloggers to try out the new Lenovo All-in-One PC M90Z. As part of the program I can also give a unit away to my readers. (that's you!) All you have to do is go here to submit your entry before 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, May 8th. Any submissions received after that time cannot be considered. A huge thanks going out to Lenovo and Ivy Worldwide for allowing me to be part of this program. Get over and submit your entry now! There is also a link embedded into my post that will allow you to 2-click retweet the message as well. (I encourage you to share on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) Again, thanks for being a part of my world. Your feedback is always welcome and all you have to do is hit reply to this email to send me a note. To Your Productivity, Your Virtual Assistant Owner, Michelle Mangen Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mmangen Fan Me: http://www.facebook.com/yourvirtualassistant Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemangen My Blog: http://www.thevirtualasst.com/blog/Wed, 04 May 2011 07:00:41 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/bDBZ/h/It_s_time_for_the_1099_MISC.htm Dear : If you are a business owner you are aware that processing the required 1099-MISC for each year for your service providers can be a cumbersome and time consuming task, especially if you aren't using a bookkeeping software package such as Quickbooks. IRS Regulations require that a 1099 is sent to any non-incorporated service provider that you paid $600 or more in the calendar year (including rents paid). Attorneys get one regardless of their entity structure. You can read all of the requirements here. If you do not have completed W9 forms from your providers you can download it here. Since bookkeeping is one of my primary services offered to small business owners I have the tools available to prepare and print the required forms efficiently and for a fraction of the cost of doing them yourself. The process is quick and easy. Open and download the prep form (this is a fillable PDF form) Type the required data into the form. Save this document with a new file name on your machine. Return to document to me via email or fax. I prepare and print all required forms, including the 1096. Prepared forms can be mailed directly to the recipients or to you (however you prefer) You will receive the 1096 with a pre-addressed, stamped envelope for mailing the 1096 You will also receive copies (the employer copy) for your records If you have any questions I didn't cover in this note please feel free to send me an email by replying to this message. To Your Productivity, Your Virtual Assistant Owner, Michelle Mangen Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mmangen Fan Me: http://www.facebook.com/yourvirtualassistant Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemangen My Blog: http://www.thevirtualasst.com/blog/Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:36:27 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/1tQY7/h/All_in_One_PC_Give_Away_SEO.htm Dear : Before I get to the juicy details of the upcoming Lenovo computer giveaway and other important notes I wanted to thank each and every one of you. Today is my two year anniversary in business, which in today's economy is pretty darn cool if you ask me. Some of you I know well, some I don't know at all except that you found something I shared to be of value and you subscribed. Regardless of how you came to be on my newsletter list I just really wanted to say thanks ~ for your support, your referrals, kind words and just for being a part of my world. My 2011 vision includes adding other Virtual Assistants to my team. If you know of other VA's or someone who would like to become a VA please have them contact me to discuss the opportunities I currently have as well as projected ones. Now let's get to the good stuff! Be sure to read all the way through to get more details on the All-in-One PC giveaway! You've heard about SEO. Maybe you know just enough to be dangerous? Improve your Web site, grow your business, maximize local search and learn how to enhance your blog content (or get started blogging the right way) by using SEO best practices. Thinking Bigger Business Media, V3 Integrated Media and seOverFlow have joined together to offer this three part webinar series at a ridiculously low price of only $77! Starting on December 7th. Learn more and register by clicking here. Enter the code: sk4568 to save 10%. Using Wordpress? Learn how to make simple and powerful product launch pages using WordPress on December 8th through VAClassroom. Learn more and register by clicking here. All-in-One PC Giveaway | Lenovo M90Z I've become part of a user test group for the Lenovo M90Z computer that is one the market. I'm getting into the nitty-gritty of using it for my day to day business needs. What I can tell you right now is it's best described as an iPad on steroids. 23 screen (touch), super space saving without all those wretched cords and has built-in wireless. My 13 year old is in LOVE with it as well and is trying to lay claims on it. One of the perks being involved in this user group is that I will be getting a second unit to give away. Most likely it will be in January (or whenever they tell me). I haven't worked out the exact details of how my contest will run but wanted you to be aware of it as I will share it on Twitter, Facebook and on my website. Last but by no means least - one of my clients, Cherry Woodburn, has recently launched a five week e-course specifically designed for women. As as single mom (single perfectionist mom) I know first hand the elusive struggle so many women are faced with. Cherry's complimentary program is to the point, useful and immediately implemented into your daily life. I encourage you to stop over and sign up for the program. Again, thanks for being a part of my world. Your feedback is always welcome and all you have to do is hit reply to this email to send me a note. To Your Productivity, Your Virtual Assistant Owner, Michelle Mangen Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mmangen Fan Me: http://www.facebook.com/yourvirtualassistant Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemangen My Blog: http://www.thevirtualasst.com/blog/Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:15:44 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/omGd/t/Sneak_Peek_Social_Media_Webinar.htmDear : First my apologies for the fact that I haven't sent out a newsletter in quite some time. There are several things that have contributed to that, mainly because I've been meaning to revamp my newsletter template. I hate to send out things I feel are not quite perfect. However, I am going to send this newsletter out as all text so that you can at least get information on something I feel may be of use to you. Many of you have signed up to my list through my complimentary "Leveraging Your Power through Twitter" ebook or through the blog post I wrote about adding your Social Media Icons to your email signature. Because I know that is where most of you came from I felt you are probably interested in Social Media and learning how to better use it for your business. Two of my very dear Twitter friends, @ShellyKramer and @RedheadWriting are putting on a F.R.E.E. webinar tomorrow at 12 pm CST with @iThinkBigger A snippet from the page: Tune in on Friday, October 15 at 2pm CT for our Sneak Preview session. One hour filled with data and real-world case studies from businesses just like yours (and smaller...or bigger) using social media to reach their audiences. It's a F.R.E.E. session, no strings attached. You can read more about Shelly and Erika and register for the sneak peek preview by visiting: http://bit.ly/dv6jFF And if you can't make the call and are on Twitter - definitely follow these incredible women. Better yet, start building a relationship with them. You will be glad you did. To Your Success, Michelle @mmangen Your Virtual Assistant PS: It is my intent to have a new, improved newsletter template the next time you get something from me. If you have specific things you would be interested in, hit reply on this email and let me know what types of information, tips and tricks you are most interested in. What would be most beneficial to your business? Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:26:13 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/1x7JX/h/Are_you_struggling_with_Time.htm Have you mastered your time or is it mastering you? Do you ever feel like you are running around in circles trying to make ends meet, exhausted because as much as your run you feel like you're getting nowhere? That's actually why I wanted to send this email to you today. I recently found out that Lolly Daskal, Founder of Lead From Within is hosting a series of 10 interviews with some of the world's top Time Masters who are wanting to share with you and me how we can begin to conquer our overwhelm once and for all. Mark your calendars as this series will be airing for only 2 days, April 7th and st- April 8th 2010. The best part is this series will air at No Cost to you on these two days only. Don't worry if you can't make it to hear all the speakers, there will be a chance to get access to the replays as well. During this groundbreaking free event, Lolly Daskal herself will be interviewing 9 amazing time management experts and then share her own strategies with you as well! So if you are looking to get out of that hamster wheel and into conquering your time, register and save your spot for this amazingly powerful event! So don't delay! Claim your spot today. P.S. Even if you can't make it during the event, be sure to register anyway, you'll have a chance to get access to the replays! Are Virtual Assistants Expensive? Good question and it's one that I am often asked. First let's review how a Virtual Assistant can save you money. How Hiring a Virtual Assistant Can Save You Money Only utilize services when needed (no need in having an employee that's not kept busy) No Workman's Comp, Health Insurance or Payroll Taxes to pay No Benefits - e.g. vacation time or sick days You are not paying for coffee/water cooler breaks No overhead items to pay for such as office space, equipment, parking, etc. If it doesn't work out you will never be subject to an Unemployment ClaimFrom my research I have found that Virtual Assistants typically range between $15-$85 per hour. {click here to read the rest} To YOUR Success, Michelle Mangen Visit my website Follow me on Twitter Connect with me on LinkedIn Become a Fan on Facebook Social Media Relationships It all started with AJ Bombers' recent success with being the first location in the Midwest to obtain the FourSquare Swarm Badge. Next it was my Twitter friend @JosephRanseth'sSocial Media Adventure of 2010 (#sma2010) that lead to the Tweet-up we had last Tuesday at Milwaukee's Best Burger joint. Click here to continue reading. Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:05:52 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/1v7dk/h/Adding_Twitter_Icon_to_Facebook.htm Adding the Twitter Icon to your Facebook Fan Page I've been creating a number of Facebook Fan Pages for business owners recently and I believe it's important to cross-promote the various social networks we are present on. This post will explain how to add the Twitter icon to your Facebook Fan Page. Other tips to optimize your Fan Page: If you have a newsletter campaign add a sign up form to your left sidebar Add the LinkedIn profile button Create a custom welcome landing page Have blogs that you read often? Automate content to your stream by importing them into your updates using the NetworkedBlogs application If you have other tools you use and like for Fan Pages I'd love to hear from you. 12 of the best free or very low cost tools for business As a Virtual Assistant it's crucial that I do all I can to keep up on the newest, latest and greatest technology out there so I can service my clients in the best possible manner. (we won't even get into a discussion on how it changes faster than we can possibly keep up with!) These are just a few of the tools that I use that I have found to be a life-saver in my business Read more To YOUR success, Michelle Mangen Visit my website Follow me on Twitter Connect with me on LinkedIn Become a Fan on Facebook Social Bookmarking I've been implementing Social Bookmarking as part of my overall social media marketing and I've been quite pleased with the results in the past several months. If you are blogging I would highly suggest setting up accounts at the various sites and bookmarking both your own posts and posts of your friends/peers. According to my Google Analytic reports the traffic to my site has increased by 208%! in just one month. If you don't have time to bookmark your posts please let me know as I am now offering social bookmarking packages. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:10:03 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/1ghCA/h/Understanding_differences_with.htm Understanding Differences with Virtual Assistants Frequently I am asked during consultations with new clients why there are so many variations between Virtual Assistants, especially with pricing. If you own a brick and mortar business compare employees you currently have and have had in the past. When you interview a candidate what makes you chose one person over another? Why do they not all ask for the same pay? Some of the criteria used to determine which employee to hire was probably one of the items on this list: past experience/skills education cost of living (geographical) belief in themselves (confidence) Personality The same holds true for Virtual Assistants. Like any service industry no one mandates what can and should be charged. I know Virtual Assistants who charge $20/hr for bookkeeping and others who charge $65/hr for setting up a Facebook Fan Page. As with a true brick and mortar company you can't always hire one person to do all things. The same holds true when hiring Virtual Assistants. Maybe you interview a VA who cannot help you with email management or handling your Aweber newsletters. Many Virtual Assistants can do much more than what may be listed on their website. When in doubt - ask. If you believe your VA can't perform a specific task ask if she can refer someone she can trust. At the end of the day hiring a Virtual Assistant is very similar to hiring an employee. We are all different, yet our goal is the same....to assist you in growing your business and alleviating any stress and anxiety you may feel with running certain aspects of your business. I welcome any questions you may have in regards to services you may be seeking but have not yet asked me about. My Evolution and Journey We keep hearing how transparency is the new standard of business. I've struggled with this for some time when it comes to blogging. Many have told me that my blog should only be business related. However I have always wanted to include personal things in posts. This past weekend I decided that much of my personal side affects who I am as a business owner. Therefore, I am going to share that side of me. Like each of you reading this; our personal lives, preferences and beliefs has a part in defining our business values as well. Why are we told not to share that? I have created a new blog category on my website called My Journey. In these posts I will share personal stories, insights and triumphs that will reveal more of who I am and how it relates to my business. My first post there was published yesterday. I'd be honored if you read it and shared your thoughts. Why I don't blog more often - Part One. To YOUR success, Michelle Mangen Visit my website Follow me on Twitter Connect with me on LinkedIn Become a Fan on Facebook Opportunity for Military With the recent passing of the eight year anniversary of 9/11 I felt I should include this short note. The challenges faced by the spouses and dependents of military personnel are different from the vast majority of us. Relocations can be frequent and this can make obtaining a steady income difficult. I am honored to be part of the group who just released a training program specifically for military spouses and dependents. This course is designed to provide the skills necessary so that you can create your own portable career. Click here to read more and please pass this onto any military person you feel may benefit from this program. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:25:10 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/1TiyM/h/The_right_Coach_can_change_your.htm How two coaches have changed my business... I first got involved with a life coach several years ago and quite honestly it changed the course of my entire life and career. My first taste of coaching was with Jan Payne (Attracting Possibilities) and a 16-week Brian Tracy program. I found having someone holding me accountable to my vision was priceless. My (then) boss saw so many positive improvements with my Management skills that they ended up reimbursing me for 1/2 of the cost of the coaching program. (a very pleasant and unexpected surprise!) I'll never forget the day when I called Jan about two years after the initial 16 week course to proudly announce to her that I had decided I was starting my own business. Of course, I was terrified at losing the security I had in receiving a monthly paycheck. To this day I will never forget her words and I frequently share them with others. If you aren't living on the edge you are taking up too much space! Since starting my Virtual Assistant business I have had the pleasure of working one on one with a Certified Book Yourself Solid coach, Matt Walker with Matt Walker Coaching. As a direct result of the program I have found myself much more selective with the clients I chose to work with. Additionally Matthew has been instrumental in the service changes as outlined on the right sidebar. In both cases the investment in myself has made a huge impact in my life and career in ways too numerous to mention here. What are you missing in your life and career by not having a coach? If you've been considering working with a coach touch base with both Jan and Matt as I highly recommend both of them! P.S. If you haven't read Michael Port's book - Book Yourself Solid - check it out. I assure you that your business mindset will change. Twitter, LinkedIn and FaceBook tips Twitter Just yesterday I discovered a great Twitter application that will scan your followers for potential spam or bad accounts. I was shocked to find I had 600+ marked as potential spam accounts. Go check it out here. Another favorite of mine for some time has been BackTweets. With this cool free service you enter in your website address and it will automatically email you anytime someone tweets your website. The first time I ran it I was very pleasantly surprised to find out people had been tweeting about my website without my knowledge. LinkedIn Do you write blog posts in WordPress? You can integrate your blog posts into your LinkedIn Profile. Click here for instructions. FaceBook Fan Pages Four things you should consider adding to your FaceBook fan page: Newsletter sign-up form Twitter badge LinkedIn badge Integrate your blog posts into your FaceBook stream To YOUR success, Michelle Mangen Visit my website Follow me on Twitter Connect with me on LinkedIn Become a Fan on Facebook New Services Due to my coaching program with Matt I am now proud to announce new service offerings at Your Virtual Assistant. Aweber (newsletters, e-courses, etc.) WordPress site management Social Bookmarking (bookmarking your blog posts for increased site traffic) PowerPoint presentations Social Media ManagementVery shortly I will be offering local Twitter workshops on how to use Twitter for Business. Additionally within the next week or so I will be announcing a F*REE e-course on inbound marketing. When it's ready for release I will let you know so you can sign up for it. Contact me today to discuss how I can assist you with the new services I am now offering. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:54:04 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/1fdVE/h/Are_you_limiting_your_own.htm Are you limiting your own growth? Most of my clients are small business owners and they frequently ask me for tips on how to grow on Twitter and ways they can use a Virtual Assistant. I've realized over the past several months that the combination of being a Virtual Assistant and Social Media Consultant meld perfectly with my passions. As a Virtual Assistant I am quite passionate about Twitter because without it I would not currently have clients in seven different states. Today I met with @LynnKoves who just took a Marketing position with Paul Davis Remodeling and Restoration. Paul Davis has three local offices and is preparing to launch their Twitter presence. (fun side note: It is because of Twitter that @LynnKoves landed the position with PDR.) While in the meeting they asked if I felt they should be more concerned with local followers because their service area is geographically limited. Without hesitation I replied that there is really no reason to care where your followers live as you never know when you will be approached with a joint venture or opportunity that may not have otherwise come your way. As I was driving home from my meeting with Paul Davis Restoration I received a phone call from John Sternal (@SternalPR) with UnderstandingMarketing. John and his wife, Chrisanne, are the creators of weekly #smbiz chat on Twitter. This coming week's topic is to educate small business owners how to utilize a Virtual Assistant for their business. Find out more about the #smbiz chats here. John had done a keyword search and had discovered I am a Virtual Assistant. He invited me to be on the expert panel for this coming week's chat. The chat will be on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 from 7-8 p.m CST. This is an opportunity I quickly agreed to participate in. The other two featured experts will be @VirtualRaven and @DawnTrenee. What excites me most about this opportunity? @SternalPR is in Flordia, I am in Wisconsin, @VirtualRaven is in Texas and @DawnTrenee is in Illinois. Together with business owners across the United States (and further?) Dawn, myself, John and Raven will bring insight and direction to small business owners that may be considering utilizing a Virtual Assistant but are not sure how to do so. Geographical boundaries should not matter on Twitter. Regardless of the services or goods you provide, there are people across the entire world that can benefit from your knowledge. You have knowledge - share it! You aren't sure what Twitter Chats are and are curious how to do it? Well, this explains it. Join us this Tuesday, August 4th at 7 p.m. CST and learn more about how a Virtual Assistant can help you grow your business. My Links LinkedIn Your Virtual Assistant Follow Me on Twitter! Interesting Blog Posts No Excuses! 6 Reasons you resist Online Marketing Bookkeeping Top 10 Sanity Checklist #FollowFriday on Twitter-Why not recommend someone now! Your Virtual Assistant Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:40:04 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/welcome-yva/18ezA/h/Promote_others_on_Twitter_to.htm Promoting others on Twitter to grow your own business If you follow me on Twitter you know that I am quite passionate about the power of using it for business. For me, Twitter has allowed me to reach new clients in ways I never would have been able to. As of this writing I am currently working with clients in seven states and one in Brussels. These people connected with me on Twitter and as a result of the value I provide and who I am as a person they have chosen me to be their Virtual Assistant. Here are my own opinions on how Twitter has helped me grow my client base. 1. INTERACTION: I am engaging and conversational - I quickly un-follow people that only broadcast their widgets and never converse with others in the Twitterverse. 2. PROMOTE OTHERS: I frequently promote others by using any of the following methods. Recommend to Mr Tweet - I've been recommended to Mr Tweet numerous times and I get several followers a week based on that. Want to know how to recommend someone to Mr. Tweet? Go here: http://bit.ly/riw5w If you know two people that would benefit from knowing each other - make the connection and tell them why you are doing so RT (retweet) things that you find of value for your audience. This is especially helpful when you RT items for a new person on Twitter - we all were new once on Twitter and getting the followers in the beginning is a slow process. Even if you are in the same industry operate from a level of abundance. There is more than enough money for everyone so it doesn't hurt to promote a competitor. #FollowFriday (#FF) - if you do engage in Follow Friday (something I have weaned myself off of) do the person a favor (and your stream) by being specific as to why you believe someone should follow the person you are promoting - it's much nicer to get #FollowFriday @mmangen because she is great with Excel and QuickBooks than it is to say #FollowFriday @mmangen -- with the first example your stream knows exactly why you are making the recommendation and can quickly determine if that is indeed a person they want to follow. Take time to review the bio on a new follower and publicly ask them questions about their bio, what they do, what they are passionate about 3. Be genuine and always, always take the time to thank someone who has RT'd your message. By following the steps I have outlined above I have grown to over 9,000 followers in just over six months. I don't actively spend time finding new people to follow....most come to me on their own. In a future newsletter I will go over some of my favorite applications and tools to help make your time on Twitter more efficient. If you don't have time to participate in using Twitter but you want to leverage it's power. Feel free to contact me to discuss options available to you. www.Twitter.com/mmangen Local Business Shout Out Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling receives prestigious GEM Award Appleton, WI - Matt Everett,owner of Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling with offices in Fox Valley, Central Wisconsin, and Northeast Wisconsin,along with his office team recently received the Paul Davis Restoration GEM Award for superior work along with altruism and compassion shown in his franchise office territory. This year, during the Paul Davis Restoration annual convention which was held in Huntington Beach, CA, Everett received the honor with more than 400 of his peers in attendance at the annual awards banquet. The GEM Award is not necessarily presented each year, however it is only presented to a Paul Davis office owner who exhibits exemplary achievements and heads up a team of professionals who participate in ongoing service performed in the community. The award is voted on by Paul Davis Restoration corporate leaders and franchise owners for exceptional customer service and demonstrating care about those who live in the communities served. The award brings value to all of us and sets an outstanding example to those in the Paul Davis Restoration network and to those who live and work in the local territory. The honor also helps to improve our brand in the marketplace through good work and true leadership, said Everett. Everett and his wife and business partner Renee, established the company in 2002and expanded its territory to include three locations in the region. In addition to outstanding community and professional service, Everett and his office team also donate time, labor and funds to an American Red Cross program that supports a grassroots community service initiative where local businesses and others pledge to raise funds for the local Red Cross chapter and help victims of disasters. Through the American Red Cross Heroes program, the Paul Davis office donates its staff time to provide counsel and recommendations for next steps in times of devastation and disaster. In addition, the office won a statewide Better Business Bureau's Torch Award for model ethics in the workplace and on the job performance. The winning votes with commentary were tabulated from industry peers, local businesses and organization leaders. The company won the honor in the category of businesses with 5 to 50 employees and was judged on business practices, service, reputation, honest advertising, peer recognition, management practices and employee training, plus long-term success. We are honored to have Matt accept the award with support from the Paul Davis network. Matt is an inspiration to us all and we appreciate his unwavering work on behalf of those in need. We applaud and recognize his many kind attributes and humanitarianism, said Mike Dooling who presented the award. Dooling serves as president of Paul Davis Restoration's Sales and Marketing Committee and he is a franchise owner in St. Louis, MO. Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling specializes in providing comprehensive emergency mitigation,restoration, reconstruction and remodeling services, as well as contents inventory tracking and recording for residential and commercial insurance claims. For more information, contact Allan Degner, Marketing Director at 920.882.9287 or email adegner@pdr-foxvalley.com. Visit the website at www.pdfoxvalley.com, www.pdrestorationnortheast.com and www.pdrestorationcentral.com. ### Paul Davis has been a leader in residential and commercial loss mitigation, reconstruction, and restoration services since 1966. As a national full-service restoration expert, Paul Davis Restoration has franchise office locations throughout North America. Virtual Assistant Series: Tawnya Sutherland is well-known for her knowledge and expertise in the Virtual Assistant industry. If you are a Virtual Assistant or thinking about becoming one I would highly recommend you attend this series of virtual seminars. 28 of the best VA's are working with Tawnya to bring you tips and tricks on how to be the best VA possible. Amazingly this is being offered for only $27! Sign up now!!! And, of course, I will be one of the Virtual Assistants featured and will be discussing record-keeping and booking made easy. Still not sure? Go here to read more information. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:13:06 -0400