Volume 2
Issue 11
October/November 2007

What's Inside?

• Michelle's Musings
• What's Up with TVN?
• Featured Article
• Upcoming Events
• Marketplace
• Resources

What's The Vision?

The Vision is the monthly ezine published by The Virtual Nation™. Our twice a month ezine is packed full of complimentary resources, tips and trends for the savvy Virtual Professional. Check out our past ezine editions.

The Virtual Nation™ (TVN) is an educational destination for Virtual Professionals from the world over. As an education-based community, it is important to learn about cutting edge technologies, the latest trends and ways to hold on to the passion and motivation that started you on the path of being a virtual professional in the first place.

Michelle's Musings

Dear Friend,

I spoke with a new VA this about a week ago and shared my 'business journey' story with her. I don't know about you, but everyone I talk to these days says that business is booming! My business is not any different. This was certainly NOT the case when I first started my business about five years ago.

In fact, I thought I would offer the same services I performed in my last J-O-B as an Office Manager, Payroll Manager and Human Resources Director. I knew I could tackle those types of tasks and could do them well. So, when I actually started my business that is exactly what I did. I offered all of those types of services and didn't enjoy my business very much.

Little did I realize that starting my own business would take me on two journeys: one of professional development (I expected this) and one of personal development (I didn't expect this). I often refer to myself as a reformed shy person because I had such horrible anxiety over speaking or presenting in front of groups. Not many people would associate 'shy' with me much anymore. The growth that I have experienced has changed my life from one of shyness and hesitancy to vibrance and engaging. I love engaging and connecting with others now. It's fun and I meet so many new people.

The personal development still continues and I love learning, so finding out who I am and where I fit in this world is still evolving and changing, just like the services I now offer. I didn't set out to learn all I could about ecommerce and become a business and internet marketing strategist, but here I am!

Recently, I held a teleclass with Matt Best, a business coach over at www.somedayisland.com. We had a personal one-on-one coaching session on one of my favorite new topics, Entreprenurial Attention Deficit Disorder. Starting a business is like having potato chips; you can't have just one! I have several and managing all these tasks and businesses has been daunting. Matt and I spent an hour digging deep into my obstacles. He helped me focus, learn how to prioritize more efficiently, and learn how to repurpose many of things I do in each business segment. I now have a starting blue print to help me on my professional journey that I feel confident in.

Not only has Matt helped me more in one day than I could have figured out on my own, but I also work with another business coach, Donna Gunter, who has been invaluable to me. Sometimes, I wish I had started working with her long before now, but the timing seems so perfect now. I don't know whether it's being in business almost five years, focusing my niche of business and internet marketing strategist, the direction I envision for me and my business or the combination thereof, but I am on fire! Donna keeps me grounded by asking me the right questions at the right time and offering her sage advice on aspects of my business that I haven't quite figured out yet. She is amazing! Thank you Donna.

Just because I am finding my way, doesn't mean I know everything or know exactly how I am going to get to my destination, but I feel confident in the help and support I get from my coaches, colleagues my best friend, Sharon Broughton and my family. I feel so grateful for the journey I am on and the people I meet along the way.

If you'd like to share your journey with me, I would love to hear it! Send me an email or give me a call.

Here's to your success!

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich

What's Up with TVN?

Featured Article: eCommerce on a Shoestring Budget - Part 2

By Michelle Ulrich

eCommerce on a Shoestring Budget Part Two is geared more toward the entrepreneur who is ready to their business to the next level.

eCommerce is basically selling goods and services online. Are you thinking that you don't have anything to sell? You just don't know what you have to sell, then! You do not have to do it alone either. You can collaborate with others and either share the profits or each sell individually on your sites. You can make more M0NEY and increase your passive revenue streams with a few ideas you may or may not have ever thought about.

• How to Guides
• Best Practices Guides
• Directories of websites on specific subjects (See our products above for three great examples)
• Audio products (interview an expert or if you are the expert, you can lecture on your own specialty)
• Video or webinar products (instead of uploading to YouTube, you can offer these as part of a membership site)
• Create a membership site for your particular specialty (create your own community)

These are just a few products you can create. You get the idea that you already know something, it's in your brain and now you need to get it out to create your product.

I will share a list of sofware with you to illustrate how easy it is to create and sell a product online on a Shoestring Budget. The following three presentation tools are either low-cost or no cost at all.

• CamStudio Pro
  Low-cost, highly efficient utility to produce flash training videos. Screen-capture software allows you to make a video of your computer screen as well as record your voice at the same time. Internet marketers use this type of software extensively! Internet marketers have been able to unleash the power of screen-capture videos to increase their bottom line.

• ProfCast.com (for Mac users only, Windows version is in the works)
  ProfCast is a versatile, powerful, yet very simple to use tool for recording presentations including PowerPoint and/or Keynote slides for creating enhanced podcasts. ProfCast provides a low cost solution for recording and distributing lectures, special events, and presentations as podcasts. ProfCast offers an integrated workflow that makes creating, recording, and publishing podcasts easy. It's as simple as Launch, Load, and Lecture!
  
  ProfCast provides live presentation recording, synchronization of slides with audio, Keynote and PowerPoint support, RSS generation, and publishing support. All elements of your presentation, including slide timings, bullet point builds, and voice narration, are recorded. ProfCast allows you to record your presentation as you give it, using either Apple's Keynote or Microsoft PowerPoint! ProfCast also helps you publish your recorded presentation as an enhanced podcast, complete with RSS.
  
  ProfCast is the perfect solution for professionals and educators looking to provide more flexible, richer media to supplement traditional pedagogical tools such as books, course packs, or notes.

• Thumbstacks.com
  No cost webinar presentation tool. This is for PowerPoints or various incarnations of PowerPoint only.

Then, you have to get the word out about your new product or service. Sending out an ezine or electronic newsletter at least once a month or more frequently will get your readers thinking.

• Ezezine
  Ezine delivery program with reporting features and double opt-in/out features. HTML and text ezine capability.

• Ezine Director
  Ezine delivery program with reporting features. HTML and text ezine capability.

• iContact.com
  iContact.com $9.95/month for up to 500 subscribers; 15-day free trial. Non-profits receive 20% discount and may pay by check monthly, quarterly, or annually. Includes templates or design and paste HTML code, Surveys, and Auto Responders.

Of course, you have to be careful how you've obtained your list and abide by the CAN-SPAM laws.

• Spam Laws
  Summarizes CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 for each state.

• Spam Laws Federal
  Summarizes CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

Lastly, you'll need a website to sell your products and services. If you can copy and paste, you can do this yourself. If you aren't sure you want to venture into the website arena, you can certainly outsource this to someone who is a website designer and also knows marketing. These two professions are merging more and more everyday. It's super important to have someone knowledgeable in both, otherwise, you might get a pretty site with no traffic. If you go for someone who knows more marketing and not enough web design, you could get an ugly site that gets lots of traffic. Someone with knowledge of both will be a winner for you!

Here are some tools for those of you who are brave and want to try this yourself.

• Bravenet
  Free web domain and hosting, packed with lots of free web tools

• Google Page Creator
  Make creating your own web pages as easy as creating a document in a word processor. Google Page Creator is a free tool that lets you create web pages right in your browser and publish them to the web with one click. There's no software to download and no web designer to hire. The pages you create are hosted on Google servers and are available at http://yoursitename.googlepages.com for the world to see.

• Office Live by Microsoft - FREE
  Microsoft Office Live Basics is the easy way to get started on the Web. If you have always wanted your own Web site, Microsoft Office Live has just made it easier — much easier.

• Free domain name and Web hosting
• Easy-to-use Web site design tools
• 500 MB of Web site storage space
• 25 company-branded e-mail accounts
• Web site reports
• Search advertising tool with $50 credit*

For more tools on optimizing your website to get the most traffic, analyze your traffic and start learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you can check out our additional resources.

To everyone with the courage to venture out in teh eCommerce world, I applaud you. You are taking the first step in repurposing your expertise and sharing with the world while also creating another revenue stream for your business.

Next time, we'll explore more tools to help you create those products! Until then, you can check out our entire collection of resources.

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Upcoming Events

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Marketplace

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Check out our full line of advertising options.

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Resources

 

TVN has a lot of other incredible resources to choose from. If you are in need of forms, templates, information on starting a business in California, where to go to find great books, printers, and more, it's all on the website. Click here to have a look.

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Advertising Disclaimer:
The Virtual Nation™ does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisements above or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. You are responsible for handling your own due diligence before purchasing any product or service.

Thank You for Joining Me!

**IMPORTANT**
You are receiving this ezine because you subscribed on our website or purchased one of our products or services. If you've received this ezine from a friend, don't forget to sign up for this ezine on our website. We changed ezine delivery company several months ago, so you may need to sign up again at http://www.profcs.com/app/join.asp?merchantid=96717

With Gratitude,

Michelle Ulrich

Want to share your gratitude? Mosey on over to the Gratitude Club and check it out.