Mumpreneur Conference - 3rd October in Birmingham

Yesterday I was at the Mumpreneur Conference in Birmingham, hoping for an award for Best Start Up (which I will hopefully be in with more chance of next year!) but the best part was meeting all the other lovely business mummy entrepreneurs at all stages in their business. Lots of whom I have been tweeting with for a while! It was a very inspirational experience to have met so many other passionate, dedicated and successful women and mothers. Women driven to succeed but not at the expenses of their families.

My favourite seminars were the PR Secrets from Antonia Chitty, Linda Jones and Lesley Singleton, and The Mum-Ultrapreneur from Susan Odev. The first was very rounded, giving all sides of the press release cycle, the importance of having a thick skin, the benefits and down sides to celebrity endorsements and general good promotional advice. The second was soo enthusing and I was able to recognise myself, my struggles (with my own self belief that I can do this and with juggling everything without detriment to my family) within the women showcased in the book that it helped my resolve to succeed. I shall be getting that one when it comes out later this year! It was also fascinating to me that it is co-authored by a man, who thinks mums who set up in business are to be admired.....when we generally think its a practical solution. That alternative perspective is one I shall look forward to reading as it is always good to get other view points.

I met some amazing women, made a lot of useful contacts not just for myself but for my clients and hope to see them all again next. What was a success from my perspective was to be recognised from Twitter, asked my advice on social media uses and being asked for my card so that they could follow me on twitter as 'everyone seems to and you're fun". What a compliment.

Next year I plan to win an award, offer a seminar myself - maybe in social media uses and tips and be a full time VA.

Plus I got to meet Nadine Hill of the Dream PA, writer of the VA handbook who I admire hugely. And my shoes were the best at the conference!

Great visualisation tool

This is today's Wordle for this very blog!!!!

Wordle is a wonderful visualisation tool that I have been using for a little while. It creates beautiful word clouds from any web page or text that you want. The more prominent the word the more often it has been mentioned.

It's a great, visual way to check whether you are on topic and staying focused on what you're blogging about and I think my key words of work, business, VA and people are bang on topic....although I may have to work on not saying 'just' quite so often...and maybe shoes too. I do a wordle every month to make sure I'm just about in the right area which I will be posting on my Facebook fanpage here, if you'd like to check up in me! Please let me know if you think I ramble too much!!

Think I'll check my Twitter stream too now although I'm not entirely sure what that will throw up!!!!

Help!! Need more clients to feed my shoe habit!!!!

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will already be aware of my..um...slight shoe problem. Its starting to border on an obsession! Firstly there were these

then

and the latest edition is these amazing creations from Irregular Choice...


Now they're not cheap and I have to pay the tax man too. Plus I have 2 children to clothe and feed so I should start reminding myself why I became a VA in the first place...and it wasn't to buy shoes!!!! (Well, not really anyway!).

I became a VA so I could work with people who are as passionate about the arts, good design and creativitiy as me. To have flexibility to work around my children and to utilise my expertise and organisational abilities and learn new skills. To be more in control of my own destiny and earn some money whilst I'm about it all.

But the shoes are sooooo lovely!!!!!

I need more clients so I can justify more shoes! Can you recommend me to anyone, really....please??? You see I have my eye on these....

Is Second Life old hat now, or still worth exploring??

I was chatting with some fellow VAs on our skype support group the other day when the conversation turned to Second Life. One other VA and I have used it previously, I've let it slide as a 'more for recreation rather than business' kinds'; thing whereas she has taken it forward. In the end an off forum messaging conversation took place that culminated in a meeting in SL between us (well our avatars!) and it has made me re think my preconceptions.

What I consider a bit passe is being taken up by businesses and utilised as a way to have an office space in which to do business, that is not tied to a real world geographical location. People are making money in there, real money too not just Linden Dollars!

Her ideas are forming, and despite my initial reticence (and the fact I REALLY need to practise making my avatar move around some more!) I want in!

I know we are moving toward web 3.0 but don't discount 2.0 technologies just yet. Its another skill I have to offer my clients that I hadn't really thought about before and which sets me apart in my skill set.

So if you want to connect with me in Second Life, just let me know.

DeeVAS, on the plinth for the UK VA industry!

My good friend and colleague, Dee Uzoka is currently on the 4th plinth promoting the VA industry. I have never actually met Dee in person but interact with her a lot via Skype through the VA Support Group (of which she is a founding member) and on twitter. She and I just knowing each other and considering ourselves colleagues highlights just how well being virtual can work.

Dee is also recovering from a nasty chest infection and is doing great dealing with the shouting on the plinth and showing just how a Virtual Assistant can work from anywhere and help YOUR business with our professional and flexible approach to work. text her on 07792 144 916 or tweet her @DeeVAS

Well done Dee!!!!!
www.oneandother.co.uk