Over the last few weeks we’ve focused a lot on the topic of the bursting point  — we didn’t really plan it this way to be honest, but the response from so many of you has proven that it was something we needed to help you with little more.

We originally started with describing the bursting point and then continued on to how to turn the experience into a positive.  We even hosted a Future of Virtual Assistance call specifically on this topic just last week.  What we haven’t  covered so far is how to navigate through the bursting point — how to get through it without actually suffering a breakdown and closing down the business, but instead coming away actually appreciating the experience.

So how do you do it?  How do you make the time to deal with the things — your clients, too much work,  etc. — while figuring out how you’re going to get through this situation at the same time?  How do you ensure that you come out in a better situation at the end?

There are seven steps that I recommend when it comes to navigating through the bursting point. They’re simple, yet effective.  And they can mean the difference between  breaking down, continuing to work in misery, or a fantastic learning lesson that you look back  and appreciate because you’re in a much better place now.

Here’s a brief summary of the seven steps you need to work through.

1. Identify why you started this business in the first place. (i.e. more flexibility in   your work, allow yourself to work from home while raising the kids, simply wanted to ‘be your own boss’)

2. Identify your situation.
   How many clients are you working with?  How many hours are you working each day?  each week?  each  month?  Is there really enough hours in a day to meet the commitments?

3. Identify your revenue.
   How much are you bringing in each month?  When you break this down based on the number of hours you are  working - how much are you REALLY working?

4. Identify your wants and needs. What do you want more of?  What do you want less of?  If you could design  the perfect business — with the kind of people you want and the kind of work you love to do - what would it look  like?

5. Identify what needs to change. Will you ‘remove’ some clients to make room for people you really want to work with?  Will you increase your rates?  Is it time to specialize?

6. Identify your action plan. Now that you’ve gone through the steps above, what action steps will you take to  make the changes you want and need to make?

7. Identify how you will continue to grow. Once you get rid of the ‘clutter’ and have made it to the other  side of the bursting point - what will you do?  How will you continue to grow?

Each of these steps above is absolutely critical to get through to the ‘other side’.  Don’t rush through or attempt to skip  a step … it really won’t benefit you in the long term.

To help you with navigating through the bursting point, I created a short assessment to help you  confirm where you are currently. Are you far from hitting the bursting point, are you nearing it or are you already in it?  Take a few minutes to take this assessment and you check out the special offer you can also take advantage of.

Take me to the ‘Navigating the Bursting Point’ Assessment

We know so many of you are dealing with the bursting point OR you’re getting close to reaching it.

To help you we decided to set up a way to help YOU:

1. prepare for this challenging situation

2. get through the stress, frustration and more, and

3. understand the opps and growth you will experience on ‘the other side’ of the bursting point.

You might ask yourself WHY we’re so focused on this topic and offering various kinds of  support.  It’s an easy question to answer really — we’re tired of hearing VAs struggle with this situation, we’ve been there and we want nothing more than to share our  experiences and stories, to help you feel that you are not alone and that, if dealt  with properly, can lead to an extraordinary business for yourself.

So here’s what we’re going to do:

Over the course of four sessions (within two weeks), we’re going to take you through the exact steps that you MUST take to navigate through the bursting point and get to the other side reaping the rewards of the business you want, filled with the people, work and revenue that you want.

We’ve priced this program so low that it really would be quite ridiculous to not consider joining us.  For less than 2-3 hours of billable time, you can join us and learn specific steps and strategies that you really won’t find anywhere else. These exact steps will get you from point A to Z.  If you ever encounter what may feel like the bursting again later on  in your business, you just simply follow the steps all over again and voila — you’re ready to continuing growing some more.

The “Navigating the Bursting Point” program starts Tuesday, June 22nd at 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern.

Over these 4 sessions, we will support YOU to:

• clarify exactly what you want to achieve for your business

• take inventory of your current business

• develop a plan to support client changes, restructuring and more

• implement very specific strategies to allow for future business growth

• mentor you to create the business you want, with the clients you deserve

Will you join us?

>>> I want to learn more about the ‘Bursting Point’ program

It’s been a little while since our last ‘Future of Virtual Assistance’ call but we’re excited to let you know that we officially have one scheduled for later this month.

While we knew the ‘bursting point’ was a common challenge faced by Virtual Assistants, we didn’t realize the need to address it and support Virtual Assistants with how to get past it.

We’re openly talking about it and we want to hear more from you.

We’re calling Virtual Assistants to join us on Thursday, May 27th at 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern for an open discussion on the “Bursting Point”.

Let’s start the conversation …

• Do you feel you’re getting close to hitting the bursting point or have you experienced it already?

• How will you handle it or how did you handle it?

• How will you allow this experience to impact you and your business or how did it impact you and your business?

We’ll also share our thoughts on how to deal with bursting point and turn the challenging situation into a very positive one.

Date: Thursday, May 27th
Time: 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern
Dial-In: Sent to you as soon as you register

Save your spot by entering your details below:

It seems that all our talk lately about ‘bursting point’ has struck a chord in the VA community!  I’ve received many  personal emails and direct messages from Virtual Assistants everywhere who can either relate to my story or are  currently in the midst of their own bursting point.   Others who haven’t reached the bursting point yet are trying
to figure out how to avoid it.

To be honest, I’m not so sure is avoidable.

I see the bursting point as a somewhat necessary experience that allows us to:

• think back to why we started this business to begin with,

• force us to make changes to re-align our business with our goals

• make positive changes so we get back on track

• experience growth and positive results

While it can be a very difficult time, the bursting point really is a positive thing - once we get past it.  The key here is to get past it and use the experience to contribute to our growth.

Each time I hit the bursting point (yes, I’ve hit it more than once!), I made changes  that positively impacted my business, as well as my confidence as business owner.

Without these experiences, I would not be where I am today.

And while it was a very difficult time, once I got beyond the emotional side of things, thought back to why I started my business to begin with, everything became clearer  and I knew exactly what to do.

When you hit the bursting point, you have two choices.  You can allow it to:

• help you grow your business, by making much needed changes OR

• destroy your business and everything you have worked so hard to achieve.

Which will you choose?

We’re going to talk some more about the bursting point later this month in the ‘Future of Virtual Assistance’ call and in future issues of the V-Scoop.

Let us know about your specific challenges … we want to hear from you and in turn help you and many others who  share the same emotions, frustrations and more.

Please share your thoughts below on how we can help you beat the `bursting point`

Introducing the First-Ever:

Virtually Successful 90 Day Bootcamp

Do you wish it was easier to find great clients?

Or maybe you’re overwhelmed with the idea of marketing yourself and your business?

And do you sometime wonder if you can really do this … build the long-term, successful business that everyone seems to have but you?

I’m here to tell you, you CAN.

And with the right kind of support, you WILL.

I’m tired of hearing about virtual support professionals who are struggling.  And it makes me sad to think of all the people who have thought of, or who have actually closed down their business because they felt they couldn’t ‘cut-it’ in our virtual world anymore.

What drives me even more crazy is the growing number of business owners out there that are  literally dying to find the perfect VA … yet can’t.

So I’m taking a stance …(many would say “Cindy, it’s about time!”) and starting my very own Virtually Successful 90-Day Bootcamp.

Over the course of 90 days, I’m going to mentor you to creating the business that you want.  The business you originally set out to build.  The one that you think everyone else has but you.

We’ll uncover topics that you’ve heard about, but didn’t listen to because you didn’t think they would really make a difference.

We’ll take action on strategies that you didn’t take action on because you know how …  or maybe you were just lazy.

We’ll prepare you to build the business you originally set out to create … but didn’t because you didn’t know the right direction.

Over the course of 90 days, we will connect via:

• 9 Training Calls

• 3 Q&A Calls

• 3 30 minute personal 1-to-1
  calls (with me)

• all kinds of resources

you WILL listen, put into action and build the business you wished you had.

You no longer need to be envious of those out there that you admire … you can join in their success and feel confident about your position in this growing industry.

We start Monday, May 3rd.

Will you join me?

Learn more at www.VirtuallySuccessful.com/bootcamp

Since my bursting point story came out last month, I’ve had Virtual Assistants email tell me they relate to my  experience … and others have asked me “Cindy, how do you know when you’re nearing the bursting point?“

I remember when I first hit my bursting point … I didn’t really know what I was dealing with.  I just knew that I was stressed, sad, angry and ready to close the door to my office, never to return.

But how do you distinguish between a bad day and the actual bursting point?  Here’s a few signs that you are at the bursting point (from the book Becoming an Online Business Manager by Tina Forsyth)

• You don’t have enough hours in the day to get your work done, and you are falling behind on many of your
  commitments

• You are feeling overwhelmed and are starting to dread hearing from your clients

• Clients are starting to get upset with you as the work is coming late, is not complete or is incorrect

• Your family and friends are asking “Why do you work so much?” or “Are you on that computer again?”

• You don’t have time to say yes to any new and exciting projects or clients that come your way
  (including those that pay a higher rate)

• Work has become a drag; you aren’t enjoying it anymore and may even start to avoid it or get depressed
  (this is a big sign of burnout!)

Does any of this sound familiar to you?  If yes, you may very well be at the bursting point in your business.

To those of you who have not had the ‘privilege’ of experiencing the bursting point … don’t worry … you will! 

And to those who have … you’ll likely experience many times to come.  However, each time it gets a little easier to deal with.

One thing that I fully believe in is sharing my experiences - both good and bad.  I want others to learn from what I share … not because it will prevent you from going through it yourself, but because in our virtual world, we may often feel that we’re the only ones dealing with certain things.  Let me tell you … you’re not!  So if you can gain even a teeny bit of comfort in knowing that I’ve been there too … I’ve done my job.

And quite honestly, I’ve hit the bursting point many-a-time.  Just ask my partner-in-crime Tina … she’s been at the receiving end of my venting and thank goodness for me that she was. I’ve hit the bursting point when I:

• had too many clients

• over committed myself and took on too much responsibility

• couldn’t say no to ridiculous requests

• didn’t stay true to myself, my family and the real reason I set out to build my business

Have you hit the bursting point and are willing to tell us about it?
Share with us below .. .we’d love to hear from you.

Haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing the bursting point yet?  What has impacted you most from the details I (and others) have shared with you about their experience? Please share your comments below.

Holy Smokes …. 2010 is flying by!  Can you believe we’re already into March?

My objective this year is to become much more comfortable with creating videos to use in my business. So here’s my official welcome message video for this edition of the V-Scoop.

It’s been a crazy few months!  Just last month Tina Forsyth ran her Online Business Manager training program — a comprehensive 3 days that included a TON of  information as well as appearances by Andrea Lee.   I think there was Twitter overload as many participants continuously tweeted what they were learning and words of wisdom that hit close to home for them.  I made note of so many quotes myself ….here’s just a few:

“The thing that drives you the most crazy about your clients is the thing they need you for the most.”

“The OBM is the coach for the business, not the coach for the business owner.”

“You don’t need to know everything but you need to know where to find the answers!“

ahhh … so well said!

I’m super excited for this issue of the V-Scoop … want to know why?

Because we’re re-launching an updated version of the “101 Ways to Boost Business With a VA” document to the “200+ Ways to Boost Business With a Virtual Assistant“. Click through to get your hands on it.

Have you heard about everything that’s coming up for us here at VirtuallySuccessful?  There’s always something going on … we can’t stop!   Hopefully you received our “keep the date” email last week … if you haven’t already, you really do want to keep the dates of April 12 to 16th in your calendar for the “Virtually Successful Telesummit“  More information to come soon!

Also, the Ecommerce Specialist Training Program will be starting on Monday, March 23rd.  This is our ‘flagship’ program at HotSkillsVATraining.com and really is imperative for all VAs who want to work with any business owner – whether ones that do business online, or the traditional businesses that will be forced to start to build online in the near future.  Check out the details
website for details.

Next week we’re all going to be gathering in Vancouver at Andrea Lee’s Event - The Wealthy Thought Leader. I know the information that will be shared is going to be exquisite … combined with meeting people face-to-face that I’ve been only talking to via phone for years is even more awesome.   Interested in joining us?

Enjoy!

– Cindy, Tina and Andrea

Got something you want to share or request for future issues? Let us know… email
us at news@virtuallysuccessful.com.

As you may already know, the HotSkillsVATraining.com “Ecommerce Specialty” training program is coming up soon.  Starting on Monday, March 23rd, we’ll be connecting with a select group of Virtual Assistants who have invested in themselves to learn and become experts in the area of ecommerce.

I’ve been thinking a lot about ecommerce lately and how it affects both the VA community as well as the business community.

Here’s the reality:

Online based businesses can’t not thrive (or survive) without ecommerce.

And traditional businesses that will be moving to the online world in the future, will require ecommerce.

So … as a Virtual Assistant … you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think you need to know about ecommerce. 

There’s still room to join us for this training.  Over the course of 12 sessions (over 6 weeks), you’ll learn everything you need to educate, implement and manage the ecommerce side of a client’s business.

Will you join us?

>>YES I want to learn more about the ‘Ecommerce Specialty” Training Program!

It was a couple of years ago that Tina and Andrea emailed me saying “Cindy, we need something from you that business owners can use to help identify how they can build their business with the help of a Virtual Assistant.  And by the way … we need it tomorrow because we’re leaving for the live conference in the evening.”

Anyone that knows me even just a little bit knows that I work best (unfortunately) under a little bit of pressure.

Off I went … within 3 hours, I had a list of just over 100 ways business owners could boost business with a Virtual Assistant.

The report was a huge success … both business owners and Virtual Assistants requested to use it in their own work.

Well guess what … it’s been updated and now includes 200+ ways that Virtual Assistants can help business owners.  Remember, business owners, really can’t make it all happen and achieve success without all of us and our expertise!

Curious what’s in there?  Take a second to fill out the form below and download it immediately.

Now there’s a cautionary note I’d like to add.  While these are all ways Virtual Assistants CAN help clients, in no way is it to set the expectation that as a Virtual Assistant you need to know how to do ALL these things.  Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed with feeling you need to do it all.

While I love to share this with you … there are two things I’d like to have you share with me in the comments section of this blog post:

1. Your feedback on the updated report “200+ Ways to Boost Business With a Virtual Assistant” and
2. Your thoughts on additional tasks that can be added to this document. 

Can we get it to 500+ ways or even 1000+ ways?  I’d love and could use your help.  I’ll take care of updating the document, if you provide me with your insight.

Just post your comments/additions at the bottom of this blog post … can’t wait to hear from you!

>>> Download the newly revised “200+ Ways to Boost Business With a Virtual Assistant” by completing the form below:

It’s coming … and it’s going to be GREAT!  The Virtually Successful Telesummit is about a month away and we couldn’t be more excited about it!  We have a fantastic line up and can’t
wait to share more. 

Be sure to save the dates April 12 to April 16th in your calendar … you’ll be sorry if you don’t!

Stay tuned for more information coming up soon.