Is your blog focused???

It is very easy for your blog to go off focus, I am as guilty of this as anyone. It helps to have a clear idea of who you are writing for. You need to remember his and work out what you then want to say to them, for example this blog is intended to my clients and potential clients useful information for their businesses, things that are going on locally that are relevant to them and also give them an insight into me and what interests/stimulates me.

This last point may seem a little frivolous, particularly when I have talked about my love of shoes on here (see this post), but it tells you about my personality and you may even then recognise me from my shoes should we meet in future (believe me, this has happened!). People do business with other people and this is one way in which you can find out about me as a person.

So to keep your blog focused:

• know your audience
• know what you want to say to them
• being a visual person I also like to use Wordle's (above is my one for February) - they highlight the most frequently used words on your blog so you can see at a glance if you are staying on topic
• periodically re-read and re-evaluate  your blog (as I am currently doing) to see if that's what you want to talk about, is relevant to your audience and whether you need to change it.

Creative Coffee Club - If you're there today...

Today from 10am to 12 noon at Phoenix Square its the ever brilliant Creative Coffee Club. I haven't managed to go due to childcare and other commitments for the last couple of meetings but today that all changes!!!

If you're there today please do say hello! I am interested in making some new connections, talking about art, creativity and anything interesting basically. I am also looking for another speaker for Mums the Boss Leicestershire in July and for anyone who wants to feature or contribute to Creative Boom Leicester.

I now have a Business Coach!!

Due to a pretty random and fortuitous set of circumstances I now have a wonderful Business Coach called Liz Archer. I have my first proper session with her tomorrow and this has made me think about RRVA in more detail than I have for quite some time.

I decided it would be good to work with someone who will make me stay focused, who will question my goals, my dedication and mostly my methods of how I'm going to achieve these targets I have set myself. It is not that I do not believe I can succeed ( I really do think I am well on the way to that) but that I am aware that I can be too easily sidetracked by interesting ideas and that I NEED someone to keep me motivated. I also think that it is a good thing that the person who does this is not a member of my family or one of my friends. I need a dispassionate and businesslike viewpoint on what I am doing to grow and maintain my business.

This has led me to evaluate the business goals I set myself in January 2009 when I first started conceiving of RRVA, I actually set it up in April 2009, before I go and meet her for the first time. I have been in business for nearly a year now and upon reflection I have achieved the 3 of my original 4 goals that I set myself for my first year and I'm rather pleased about that. I have also achieved 1 of the goals I set myself for my second year which is going full time as a creative VA! 

I hope she thinks well of this and helps me realise new successes and areas to work on as I approach my second year in business.