I am a big fan (if you can call it that) of referrals when it comes to working with someone virtually. Most of my clients are referred to me by former or current clients. Its also a mutually benefical process because it gives each person an idea of what to expect from the other if they do get into a work relationship.
Its also one of the best (and least expensive!) forms of marketing you can do. There’s no trick to it, it doesn’t cost anything, you don’t have to worry …

I ran across a post at The Blog Herald about hiring a blog designer and even though the post is a year old, its still very relevant today.
Feel free to go read the post in its entirety but I wanted to highlight the major points:

How to get the designer you want:
1. Be clear, concise, professional and friendly in your initial contact.
2. Explain your project in enough detail to pique the designer’s interest.
3. Give them adequate time to respond (at least 5 days). You can then follow up with an e-mail …

Over the past few years, many business owners and entrepreneurs have discovered the value and importance of outsourcing various aspects of running their business. I’ve spoken to many successful entrepreneurs in a variety of fields - coaching, Internet marketing, blogging - who have all said the same thing: outsourcing was the best investment they’ve made in their business.

If you’ve experienced firsthand the benefits of outsourcing, you may have found yourself in a position where you don’t just have a virtual assistant, you have a virtual TEAM. You may have a …

One of the first things you should do when you’re considering hiring someone - whether its a virtual assistant, online business manager, blog designer or writer - to help you with any aspect of your online business is check their website and portfolio.
Anyone with an online business knows that their website is a reflection of their business and part of their professional image. Even though the type of job you may need done isn’t the type of service this person provides, you can still get a feel for the quality …

“I can’t find the words to express how proud I am of you for the great job you did on my blog. You are a godsend! And you’re stuck with me now!”

Wouldn’t you like to be able to say that about the person you hire to manage your online business? That’s an actual, unsolicited quote from a client of Advantage Online Solutions.

You’ve already heard about the advantages and benefits of working with a Virtual Assistant but there are also some drawbacks.
When you’re working with people online, whether its a coach or consultant, a blog designer, a virtual assistant, or a JV (joint venture) partnership, you don’t always have the benefit of meeting them in person. Without that opportunity to talk face to face, you’ll need to rely on other methods of deciding if this person is someone with whom you want to work.
Referrals
If you’re searching for a virtual assistant, blog designer …

My friend (and occasional client;)) Carrie Lauth of Natural Moms Talk Radio just told me about a special offer she’s got going on for the next TWO days.
She’s offering a free 20-minute coaching session to anyone who purchases her Natural Mom Business Guide. But, like I said, its only for TWO days so don’t wait too long to grab it!

If you’re interested in launching your own “natural mom” business, Carrie is definitely the perfect person to help get you started. She knows her stuff! She was even on MSNBC recently …

When someone decides to start their own business, that perpetual wish list most of us carry around in our minds looks a little different for an entrepreneur. The work-at-home mom would rather have a powerful all-in-one printer than a designer purse. The recent college grad who wants to be CEO of his own company asks for a BlackBerry instead of a Nintendo Wii.
But what do you think the odds are that, if you were to ask the busy business owner in your life what they really want, their answer might …

Over the years, I’ve held various professional positions that involved implementing or managing some sort of planning system. I’ve had to design an entire organization system for a scatterbrained owner of a marketing firm. (No, I’m not insulting him. He proudly refers to himself as a scatterbrain and considers it a side effect of being a creative genius.) I’ve revamped an entire medical billing process after taking over a supervisory position from someone else. And I’ve worked for several attorneys who all have their own methods of functioning and staying …

This week I have the pleasure of hosting a regular feature of Home Office Warrior, “Tips and Hints” which runs every Friday and provides links to resources, articles and blog posts relating to working from home.
Links for this week:
DoWAHDiddy posted an interview by Mary with yours truly entitled “Do You Need a Virtual Assistant?” (Short answer? Yes, you do!)
And from Home Office Warrior’s own Grant Griffiths From Cubicle To Home Office - Essential Questions To Ask Yourself
From Elizabeth Pott Weinstein’s The Wealth Spa, “How to Delegate: Why Are You Doing …