Virtually Speaking
August 2002 - Issue 5

In this Issue:
Food for Thought
July Event Highlights
Upcoming Events
Five To Grow On
Record Keeping: How much is enough?
Online Marketing Basics
NVAS Steering Committee Contact Information

Food for Thought

"I may be the world's worst writer, but I'm the world's best rewriter."
- James Michener

The Growth Guild – July 11th

This month’s topic was "Learning to Work Virtually" presented by Katie Bivens of ASAP Solutions.  Katie covered the basic needs of a home office, the characteristics you need in order to be successful working from home, financial considerations, and a Q&A at the end of the presentation.

Due to the interest in this event, we plan to conduct a similar presentation in the near future. Please keep an eye out for more information.

If you would like information on the workshop, you may email us at info@nvas.org.

If you were unable to attend the meeting, we hope to see you at the next one!

The Gathering

The Gathering schedule has changed. We are now holding the mixers bi-monthly. There was no mixer held in July, the next one is scheduled for August 28th.

If you weren't able to attend, we hope to see you at our future events!

Upcoming Events

Things to keep an eye out for…

The Growth Guild

August 8th from 9:00 am - 11:00 am
"Do I Need a Website?" presented by Adrian Martinez of Web World Wizardry
4130 E. Van Buren, Suite 150 (just south of Loop 202 & west of 44th Street) in the small conference room at the ASBA office. Please RSVP - theresa@nvas.org.

August 22nd from 9:30 am - 11:30 am
"Happiness in Business" presented by Magnolia Lee
4130 E. Van Buren, Suite 150 (just south of Loop 202 & west of 44th Street) in the small conference room at the ASBA office. Please RSVP - theresa@nvas.org.

September 12th from 9:00 am - 11:00 am
"Managing Yourself Within Time" presented by Valerie Simpson of Organize-U Consulting, Inc.
4130 E. Van Buren, Suite 150 (just south of Loop 202 & west of 44th Street) in the small conference room at the ASBA office. Please RSVP - theresa@nvas.org.

The Gathering

Networking Mixer
August 28th from 5:00 pm - 7:00 PM
Radisson Phoenix Airport Hotel - 3333 E. University Drive, Phoenix
Come join our Cocktail Hour Party in the lounge at the Radisson Phoenix Airport Hotel. We will have our own private area for your enjoyment. Enjoy hors d’ oeuvres and happy hour prices all night long.
$10 for members and guests of members (members - be sure to bring a friend!), $15 for non-members - payable to NVAS by cash or check, payable at mixer or mail to 2149 E. Crest Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85024. Please RSVP by August 27th - theresa@nvas.org.

Check our calendar for more detailed and updated information... information will also be included in our meeting reminders.

Take advantage of our discounted membership rates & enjoy discounted events, workshops, & training sessions. Basic membership is only $15 for the first year until August 31st (after August 31st the basic membership is $25 annually). Other membership levels are available. For more information, check out our website at http://www.nvas.org/membership.htm. The memberships form is downloadable & contains all of the discounted rates. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@nvas.org or call us at 480/515-5055.

Five To Grow On
By Janet Drez, A Perfect Solution

Your business is up and running. Sales are increasing, your customer list is growing. You realize the time is right to grow. But are there some traps you need to avoid? You bet there are. Here are five thoughts that offer some insight to help you plan for your business growth:

1. Remember Why You're In Business
If you didn't write a thorough business plan when you started your business, now's the time. Well, at least to write down some basic elements, including the reason you started your business in the first place. Why did you venture out on your own? Why did you leave your steady paycheck? Time with your family, freedom, flexibility, potentially more money? Write it down!

2. Bigger Isn't Always Better
Here's the first place where that reason why comes into play. Ultimately, as your business grows you need to be sure that growth fits in with WHY you started your business. Bigger can mean more stress, more time away from home, more people to oversee. It also doesn't necessarily mean more money. Be sure you're growing wisely and according to your own personal reasons for being in business.

3. Use Sub-Contractors
Before you decide you need to hire employees, try farming out certain parts of your business responsibilities. Payroll is often the largest expense a company has and puts a lot of pressure on the company "to make payroll." Product delivery, errands, bookkeeping, accounting, organizing, database, cleaning, marketing, etc. can all be done by other small or home-based businesses that you'll only have to pay for the job they are doing. It'll free you up to do what you do best without the increased paperwork and stress that go along with hiring employees.

4. Whenever Possible, Develop a System
A system for how you handle incoming phone calls. A system for writing proposals. A system for invoicing. A system for marketing. A system that can be duplicated over and over will help you to know what needs to be done today and how to get it done. It eliminates stress and helps you to be able to work ON your business, not in it. I highly recommend the book, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. His insight on systems will be tremendously helpful.

5. Keep Pushing
Don't assume your competition will sit still. They won't. They are planning to regain the market share they lost to you. You still need to spend time, energy and money on new marketing strategies, networking opportunities and ways to make things run smoother. Don't assume the market won't change. It will. Keep listening to your customers, keep looking for enhanced opportunities and keep taking logical growth steps.

Janet Drez is owner of A Perfect Solution, the Home-Based Business Council founder and chairwoman, author, speaker and coach. Her passion is helping women start and successfully grow ANY imaginable home-based business. Her recent book, "Putting The Pieces Together: A Christian Woman's Guide to a Successful Home-Based Business," is a "must-read" for any woman looking to succeed in a home-based business. Visit her site at: http://www.aperfectsolution.com

Sponsored By:
ASAP Solutions
Virtual Business Services
"Creating Quality Solutions"
http://www.asap-solutions.com
info@asap-solutions.com
480-515-5055

Record Keeping: How much is enough?

Depending on the specific needs of the business, government regulations determine to what extent offices need to save documents. Trying to keep the office clutter-free, while balancing the necessity of keeping required records can be tricky. It helps to classify your documents as necessary – those to be retained, unnecessary (those to be thrown away), and useful (those to keep in an off-site storage area or, if office space allows, a dedicated area in the office).

Here are some general guidelines for documents that should be retained:

Keep permanently: records of business accounts, property deeds and mortgages, insurance records, credit history, year-end financial statements, stock and bond records, employee and sub-contractor contracts, medical and retirement plans, certificates of incorporation, company bylaws, minutes of shareholders’ meetings, list of stockholders, trademark registrations, patent certificates, copyrights, canceled checks, receipts from important payments and purchases, accountants’ audit reports, and property appraisals.

Keep for 8 years: expired contracts and leases, canceled checks relevant to taxes, expense records, payroll records, personnel records of former employees, inventories, purchase and sales records, accident reports and claims, tax returns.

Keep for 3 to 5 years: correspondence, employment applications, internal audit reports.

Keep for 1 year: monthly bank statements, deposit slips, all canceled checks, purchase orders, receiving sheets, stockroom withdrawal forms.

Online Marketing Basics
By Theresa A. Martinez, ASAP Solutions

It is now estimated that as many as 30 million people use the Internet now, and many more start daily. Creating a basic web page or website for your business can be very simple and inexpensive marketing tool. You can find affordable domain hosting services which will allow you to have a customized domain name (e.g. - www.yourbusinessname.com) and there are other means to hosting a web page or website if you don't mind having an address that includes the name of the company hosting the site for you (e.g. - www.companyname.com/yourbusinessname)

The development of your web page or website may warrant professional services in order to present a professional image to your visitors. Updating your web page or website is fast and easy and can generally be contracted at a lower rate when using professional services to maintain your site. Sometimes you can have your website design and development service train you to update your web page or website on your own for a minimal fee. This way your site can always be up to date.

It is important to make sure that you have a good marketing plan once you have your web page or website developed, in order to get the most from your web presence. Make sure you discuss the options with the website design and development company when outlining your needs.

So, gather your brochures, price list, and other marketing material and set-up your online presence... get ready for a great marketing tool!