I just read that it has been decided that BlogHer 2009 will be held in late July in Chicago – now just to figure out if I can go or not! They are combining the BlogHer Business Conference with the BlogHer Annual Conference, which is a great idea! I think attending the conference will be a great way to network for my virtual assistant business, as well as to meet some fellow mom bloggers.  Oooh, gonna have to do some searching now to see who else is going to try and attend!

My husband would love to go to Chicago, and we could make a family trip out of it, although at the same time I’d love to go just by myself so I’m not torn between family and work as I often seem to be. Do you prefer to combine work and pleasure when traveling for conferences or do you keep everything very separate? I’d love to hear from you!

Are blogs really last year, last decade, pointless? That was the message I got when I read a recent article in Wired magazine entitled Kill Your Blog. Paul Boutin seems to have been reaching a bit too far in the article though, at least in my opinion.  And I’m a huge Twitter fan, which is one of the platforms Boutin advocated as a replacement for blogging.

I had picked up Wired last week while on a grocery run and the article really surprised me.  But Halloween and sick kids made life a little hectic these past few days and I didn’t have a chance to blog until now, when I was reminded by a post on the subject over at Real Lawyers Have Blogs. I totally agree with Kevin, as useful of a networking tool as Twitter is or sites like Facebook, they do not offer one the chance to truly establish oneself as an expert in a particular niche.

For example, I am working on setting up a Facebook page for my business and I think it is an interesting tool, and a place to connect with either other virtual assistants or potential clients. I think it works best though in conjunction with my blog, not as a substitute for it!

I think blogs offer a great hub for a business.  They are a place to communicate, provide important news and information about your business, and to provide proof that you are still operating not some business that doesn’t even exist anymore.  I also think they are a place to establish your expertise in your niche, which as Kevin had pointed out in his blog, is a significant benefit for a lawyer who chooses to blog. So I do not agree that you should “Kill Your Blog”, there is a lot of life left in it!!

This week I read some great blog entries by some of my fellow virtual assistants, and I just had to share them all with you.  I love the virtual assistant community, and am so glad I can network with these great people!

Over at VANetworking’s new blog, was a great post by Jaime Lee Mann.  Jaime said she originally posted it on her own blog, but didn’t get any comments.  Too bad, it’s a great article!! Glad I found it now.

Tina of Clerical Advantage shares an interesting spin on virtual assistant services in her post Here Comes the Bride’s Virtual Assistant.

April, someone I am happy to work with on the NAVLA site, had a great post this week, which included reference to the list of 50 most powerful and influential women in social media. She delved into the topic of focus, something I need to work on too!

Another must-read post of the week comes courtesy of one of those top 50 women, Alyssa Gregory, from her VA Secrets Revealed book blog.

Finally I’d like to share an incredible post from Stacy Brice of the Virtual Moxie Blog, an industry leader in the world of virtual assistance. This post will be immensely helpful to any VA getting her practice up and running right now. For that matter, if you’ve been a virtual assistant for a while but are struggling, this post could really help you out.

Stacy’s post was part of the Blog Action Day event this week. I posted my own poverty related post over on my mom blog.

Have a great weekend everyone, and happy reading!

Thanks to @moanderlawfirm I read this interesting article in the Wisconsin Law Journal (written by a new Twitterer @janepribek).  It’s got a nice description of setting yourself up on Twitter and shares info from Chris Moander about how using Twitter has helped his solo law practice. He’s gained clients and done plenty of networking.  I’ve also gained clients from Twitter and have to say Twitter is a fabulous networking tool in my opinion.

I also need to point out though that I don’t agree with Chris’s suggestion in the article that you weed out people who “discuss weeding their gardens”. I like to hear the personal and business stuff. Actually, the only people I unfollow are ones who are TOO business oriented and clearly only there to self-market.  Twitter really is a conversation.  I want to hear about your kids, terrible traffic and even your garden!! I like a real mix – and I get it on Twitter!  Otherwise I’d say stick to regular blogging, then you don’t have to interact if you prefer not to, just spout your own message. The best networking contacts for me have been ones I can establish something in common with (maybe even a love of gardening).

I’d love to hear from any of you? Do you use Twitter for marketing, networking, just personally? Which types of Twitter people do you follow or unfollow?

That’s it for now, tweet you later!! Oh and make sure you follow me @halosecretarial!

You know when you get excited and passionate about an idea and you want to do everything all at once?  I felt that way about starting my virtual assistant business, but I quickly realized that you have to start with small steps, and work your way up to having everything you want.

So here are my simple suggestions for some good small steps to take for any aspiring entrepreneur.

1. Make a list of everything that you think needs to be done.
2. Break your list down into manageable tasks – for example, instead of draft business plan as one big step, try breaking it down into parts and list each part as a task
3. Prioritize your task list. Which things do you have to do to meet your legal obligations in relation to start-up? Which steps do you have to take to get the paperwork rolling?
4. Make a budget and a financial plan
5. Find a support system – whether you hire some help or find a mentor, don’t try to go it alone!
6. Work your way  through your task list a little at time. DON’T get hung up when there are things you can’t do immediately – just move on to the next task and go back later!

I’m only a couple of months into really running my business, and there are still things I’m working on. But by taking small steps I’ve been making progress every single day. Today, I networked, planned some blog posts, search for VA job postings and worked on my Elance profile.  Tomorrow I’ll do even more!

This weekend one of the main themes in my twitter account was BlogWorld Expo 2008. I enjoyed all the information that was shared by BlogWorld attendees, via Twitter and of course on the many blog entries that have already been posted – and I’m sure there will be many more this week! My faves so far:

• All the coverage from Sparkplugging!
• This from Freelance Writing Jobs
• Missy Ward’s post incl the joys of BWE on crutches
• Rick Moran from Pajamas Media has a really detailed discussion on the changes in blogging, based on his experiences from BWE

I have only been seriously blogging since this summer, so I wasn’t aware of how exciting this conference would be – I sure hope to attend BWE 2009 though!

On the subject of conferences, I really believe they are a great way to do some in person networking, as well of course as learn some great information during actual sessions.  What do you think are THE conferences to attend during the year?  Do you prefer regional ones or ones like Blogworld that attract attendees and speakers from all over the world? Do you stick to your niche only or mix it up a little?

I think ideally I’d attend a couple of big conferences a year – one for virtual assistants maybe, or something with a legal focus, plus something like BlogWorld or BlogHer.  I also need to get out and do some networking locally, and fortunately that is easily affordable!!

I was on Twitter earlier today, checking out some new followers and I have to send a quick thanks out to a couple of the lawyers I noticed following me today (yep that’s you Stephanie Caballero, Gerry Riskin and Adam Dlin)!  It’s nice to think I’m starting to reach some of my target audience!  (**found out that my new followers are courtesy of this great post at JDScoop!)

Also on Twitter today I found this article about Twitter!  It’s a great read, especially if you are new to my favorite microblogging/social networking platform.  There is one point in particular I think we all need to remember when using ANY new tool, it takes time to see results.  As noted in the article:

many professionals consider Twitter pretty much worthless on first look. But those who stay for about a month start understanding the value. I didn’t think much of Twitter for 60 days, until my casual mention that I was in Boston landed me a dinner with a nearby friend who saw my post. Since then, I have been invited to speaking engagements in five countries and even get to write a guest column for a prestigious old media publication.

Remember that old, old saying – good things come to those who wait.  Twitter is definitely like that – you don’t get 1000 followers in your first week (not usually anyway!) and you don’t make sales left, right and centre.  But if you interact with your customers and have some patience Twitter will be good for business!

If you are interested check it out and feel free to follow me on Twitter!