I signed up for the 7  Day Blogging Challenge with Brandy Mychals because one of my clients Kim Schuld was doing it and it sounded like a good idea.  I needed to get more content on my site and thus create some articles for Ezine Articles in the process so I signed up.  I really liked doing this challenge because it kept me accountable to get it done.  I know that there is the chance of winning a prize at the end of the challenge but that doesn’t matter much to me.  Well, what I mean is that it wasn’t the driving factor for why I started the challenge.

I always have ideas about topics for blog posts, I start to blog, get interrupted by a kid and then end up never finishing the post.  This must be why I found 13 draft posts on my blog.   By completing this challenge what I have found is that if you carve out just a little bit of time each day you can accomplish a goal, even if it just to put together a quick blog post.

So on this 7th day of the blog challenge I will rest and know that anything is possible if you just put a little bit of effort into it and keep on blogging next week.

This blog post is part of a 7-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Brandy Mychals. You can participate in the challenge too by going to http://brandymychals.com/mb/7-day-blogging-challenge/

Making money while not working sounds wonderful doesn’t it, but how can you do it?  There are a lot of ways you can create passive income in your business while you sleep, on vacation or being Taxi Mom, like me

Here are a few tips I have found are easy to set up.

Scheduled Tweets & Status Updates

There are a few services you can use for free that will allow you to automate your postings to Twitter and update your status to social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.  The service that I use is called HootSuite and it is super easy to set up and use but you just want to create scheduled update for your Twitter account you can consider using Social Oomph.  I suggest scheduling promotional types of tweets and status updates a few times throughout the day.  What you will want to promote are your own products and services as well as other people’s products through affiliate marketing.

Ebooks

Ebook Are you an expert at something and like to write? You can easily put together an ebook and sell it from your website. You can even have a virtual assistant or graphic designer create a snazzy cover for you to help drive sales. To sell the book from your website all you need is aPayPal account and you can set up a “buy now” button on your website and customers can buy your book. Once they have made the purchase you will receive an email and send the book out to them in PDF format.

Ezine Articles

Writing articles and submitting them to free  to Ezine Articles is a great way to get exposure in your business for free!  You can turn your existing blog posts into articles in a snap!  Being on Ezine Articles will help you also build your reputation and as an expert in your subject.

EzineArticles.com is a matching service — bringing real-world experts and ezine publishers together.

Expert Authors & Writers are able to post their articles to be featured within the site. Our searchable database of hundreds of thousands of quality original articles allows email newsletter publishers hungry for fresh content to find articles that they can use for inclusion within their next newsletter

What are some ways you have used passive income in your business?

© 2011 Sunrise Virtual Services, Dawn Cullo

This blog post is part of a 7-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Brandy Mychals. You can participate in the challenge too by going to http://brandymychals.com/mb/7-day-blogging-challenge/

My kids 5 & 1 1/2 are always grabbing for my phone, using it, dropping it (yikes).  I am a klutz and been know to drop my phone several times, not sure why but this is a habit of mine, I kill cell phones.  I’d LOVE to have Smart Phone encased in a rugged kid-proof case, but yet those don’t exist.  At one time I almost bought one of those heavy duty Nextel phones they use on construction job sites because I was so rough with my phone.

The problem isn’t that I am a cell phone killer, the real problem is that I take a lot of mobile photos, mainly of my kids and when my phone bites the dust so do my photos. The first time I lost my mobile phone photos I was so sad, cute pictures of my 1st kid were gone.  This was before I was on Facebook so the photos hadn’t been uploaded anywhere.  I learned my lesson and figured out how to set up my photos to automatically save on my external storage card, wheew.  Now when my phone is trashed at least I have the photos on a storage card.

How does Google+ factor into all this talk about mobile photos?  It’s simple, they have a featured called ‘Instant Upload’ where you can set up your Google+ mobile app to automatically upload your mobile photos to Google+.  The nice thing is that the photos aren’t automatically shared on Google+, they just remain in your account and saved there for you.  If you ever need the photo saved on your hard drive you can just right click “Save Image As”.  Another nice feature of the Google+ photos is that you can edit the photos by making it black and white or adjusting the contrast.

Here is a screen shot of the Google+ Photos, and yes that is my 1 1/2 year old standing ON her rocking horse.

If you are a member of Google+ then the next step to really ensure that your images are backedup is to join Picasa, which is a Google product.  The reason for this is that there are Picasa Web Albums which automatically sync your Google+ albums to Picasa.  Ok, so what is the big deal with that?  Now that your photos are in Picasa you can edit, share and order prints from Snapfish, Walgreens, Shutter Fly, Ritzpix, LifePics, Printed Art and FotoFlot (which is like Fracture Me)

Here is the same photo from my mobile phone, saved in my Picasa Web Album and now in my Shopping Cart at Walgreens Photos. This one will go up in my grandmother’s room at her nursing home because she will get a kick out it that my daughter is standing ON her rocking horse.

As you can see, being on Google+ has benefits for someone like me, who takes a lot of mobile photos and is a busy mom of two girls and always on the go. If being a part of Google+ sounds interesting to you and you don’t yet have an account just send me an email (dawn{at}SunriseRiseVirtualServices.com) and I can send you an invite.  Also, to learn more about what else Google+ can offer you I highly suggest reading Mari Smith’s blog post about it here – http://www.marismith.com/whats-so-exciting-about-google-plus-overview/

You can view my Google+ profile here - gplus.to/DawnCullo and add me to your circle.

If you are already on Google+ what other features or benefits have you found useful?

This blog post is part of a 7-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Brandy Mychals. You can participate in the challenge too by going to http://brandymychals.com/mb/7-day-blogging-challenge/

I have a a few techniques that I would like to share with you today that help me make an effective task.  I make my task list for the next day before I go to bed.  This is helpful because the house is quiet and I can actually have some time to myself to think clearly.  It is almost like journaling, but I call it tasking.  Doing this activity prior to falling asleep helps to clear my mind and I have found that I actually sleep better when I make my task list before bed.

For each item on my task list I assign a number, either 1, 2, 3 or 4.

• The tasks with the number 1 are those that need to be done today.
• The tasks with the number 2 are items that I would be nice if they were done today but not critical.
• Items that are number 3 are tasks that need to be done during the week.
• Tasks with the number 4 are those I want to get done by the end of the month.

If there are any tasks listed as number 2 and are not checked off by the end of the day then they are bumped up to a number 1 task for the next day.

My Monday task list looks like this:

1. Workout
1. Clean Living room, Dining Room & Bathroom.
1. Clean Litter Box
1. Laundry: Bedrooms
1. Back to School Shopping
1. Write blog post about networking.
1. Follow up with Rachel
2. Listen to Teleseminar
2. Call Mom about Summer Vacation plans
2. Read 10 Pages of personal development book
3. Send in Scholastic Book order for Lily
3. Order Birthday gift for Lily
4. Research Nook Color

Your task list should be created on something that you can take with you and be able to look at several times during the day such as your cell phone.  The reason for looking at your list several times a day is so that your tasks and goals are on top of your mind all day.  Keeping up with your list on a daily basis takes a lot of dedication.  When you are aware of your task list throughout the day you will achieve your goals faster because they are on top of your mind all day long.

Most phones have some kind of notepad program where you can list your tasks.  I have the type of phone which has the ability to install applications.  One of the applications is called Executive Assistant.  With the application Executive Assistant I have the ability to sync my Google task list with my phone.  There are so many other features of Executive Assistant, you can check them out here  - http://www.appventive.com/executive-assistant.  Sometimes you can find the Executive Assistant application in the Amazon Marketplace for free.  I am also fond of another application called Springpad – http://springpadit.com/home/

Having the list on your phone is a great idea because when you are waiting in line at the grocery store or sitting your car waiting for your kids to get out of school you can review your list.  You use your cell phone several times a day which provides you an opportunity to check your list throughout the day.  If you put your list on a piece of paper it will more than likely just get tucked into a deep dark hole in your purse or coat pocket never to be found again.

This blog post is part of a 7-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Brandy Mychals. You can participate in the challenge too by going to http://brandymychals.com/mb/7-day-blogging-challenge/

© 2011 Sunrise Virtual Services, Dawn Cullo

I still clean my house, I am not yet at that point in my career where I can afford to have someone clean it for me.  So until that day happens I need to find the quickest way to get it all done.  One thing that I found helpful in conquering my household chaos was to create a cleaning routine for my house, a laundry routine and a specific day for errands. I don’t schedule a specific day to work on household chores I will end up cleaning the house for hours because I haven’t clearly defined a starting and stopping point.

I group together areas of the house that can be easily cleaned together. For example, on Monday the living room and dining room cleaned because they are right next to each other and are pretty easy to clean. I make sure to include the bathroom as well because no one likes to clean the bathroom so it is best to get that done on the first cleaning day. Then on Tuesday I tackle the kitchen and the office, Wednesday I clean the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom, Thursday is the master bedroom and bathroom and Friday is the playroom.

To create a cleaning routine, walk through your house and figure out how you can group areas of your home which would be easy to clean together. If you have two story house, it would make sense to clean those rooms together and leave the vacuum upstairs for a few days.

Abigail Dusting

The laundry is on a routine as well. I wash all the bed sheets on Tuesday, the kids clothes on Wednesday, casual items on Thursday and my husband’s work clothes on Friday. When putting together a laundry routine, think about when the clean clothes will be needed. For example, I do my husband’s work clothes on Friday because he has casual dress day on Friday and does not need to wear his normal work attire so it can be washed on that day. His laundry is done before the week starts and he doesn’t need to scramble on Monday morning to find a clean shirt to wear. I still include all of these items on my daily task list so that I don’t forget to do them.

I also have the kids help me with the chores, they love to use the duster and help me sort the laundry, they think that it is a lot of fun too!

What types of routines do you have for your household?  I’d love to hear what creative ways you use to conquer your chaos.

© 2011 Sunrise Virtual Services, Dawn Cullo

This blog post is part of a 7-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Brandy Mychals. You can participate in the challenge too by going to http://brandymychals.com/mb/7-day-blogging-challenge/

Here are 5 tips on how to grow your Online Business.

1.    Ask for help from other people when you are getting started with your business.  If you don’t ask for help then it will just take you longer to get where you want to be.  Today, I help out potential Virtual Assistants by giving them advice or even adding them to my team for a few months to help them learn the ropes of working virtually.  I feel that the helping hand that was extended to me when I was just starting out is a gesture that I would like to pass on as often as I can.
2.    Delegate out work that you don’t like to do, it will free up time for you to work with more clients.  If you don’t like to do the bookkeeping then you need to hire a bookkeeper, or if you don’t like to do your article marketing then you need to delegate this task out to a Virtual Assistant.
3.    Network to build relationships with potential clients and colleagues. The networking needs to happen not only online but in local networking groups such as eWomen Network, BNI and your local Chamber of Commerce.
4.    Find a mentor or hire a coach.  Mentors and coaches are great people to surround yourself with because they have already paved the road in your industry, they know the bumps to steer clear of and they can give you advice that is relevant to your business.
5.    Join a Mastermind group with like minded business owners.  I am in a Virtual Assisting mastermind and it is great because we can help each other and give advice about our business struggles and successes.  You can find a mentor in your industry pretty quickly buy just doing a Google Search or asking for recommendations from other colleagues.

What are you going to do to grow your business?

© 2011 Sunrise Virtual Services, Dawn Cullo

This blog post is part of a 7-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Brandy Mychals. You can participate in the challenge too by going to http://brandymychals.com/mb/7-day-blogging-challenge/

In 2005 I worked as an Administrative Assistant and my job was going nowhere. I had enough of the office gossip, politics and games that people play in Corporate America.  It is such a waste of time, I don’t understand why people who work in cubical land think that this is how the work environment needs to be. Thankfully, I soon became pregnant and felt that this was my ticket out of Corporate America and the start of being a full-time Mommy.  However, after crunching the numbers my husband and I came to the conclusion that I would need to go back to work after the birth of our daughter.  I was deflated, my dream of being a stay-at-home mom was never going to happen.

I loathed going to work each day and the thought of having my daughter in daycare while I was in an environment that I didn’t like.  While I was on maternity leave I decided to figure out how I was going to work from home, this became my personal challenge to find a solution. I had seen advertisements for medical billing or doing transcription but those jobs didn’t interest me.   I knew there were people who owned their own businesses and worked from home besides those types of jobs, but what would I do?  I was determined not to go back to Corporate America and I only had a few weeks left to figure out my game plan.

One morning I was folding laundry and my maternity leave was almost over.  I had the TV tuned to a local news show but not really paying attention to it.  Then I saw a local mom of two girls talking about how she owned a Virtual Assisting business and how she was able to work from home yet still be available to be a stay-at-home mom.  This was brilliant and I instantly took notice of the show as I had never heard of a Virtual Assistant before.  She continued to illustrate to the reporter how she was able to help clients remotely with their bookkeeping tasks, Excel Spreadsheets and Word Processing.  Instantly, I was scrambling for my phone, I called my husband at work and said “ I know what I can do from home to make money, I can be a Virtual Assistant”.  His reply was “What is a Virtual Assistant?”  and I said “ I have  no idea but I know they work from home, I will find out more  and get back to you”.  I located the Virtual Assistant who was on the TV show, I emailed and called her, I was desperate and I needed to find out how I could be a Virtual Assistant.  Within a few days we were working together and I was stuffing envelopes for her.  Ok, so this wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned I’d be doing, but I didn’t care.  I was making money from home and I knew that in time it would take me somewhere. Within a few months we were helping a handful of clients with their Word Processing and Spreadsheets tasks.

After working with her for about a year I decided to take a huge leap and start my own Virtual Assisting firm that helps women business owners with their Internet Marketing.  I invested in myself and enrolled in a training course on how to use WordPress, I received my certification in Internet Marketing & Social Marketing Specialist from VA Classroom and soon my company was open for business.

When did you decide to become an Entrepreneur, what were your roadblocks and how did you overcome them?

© 2011 Sunrise Virtual Services, Dawn Cullo

This blog post is part of a 7-Day Blogging Challenge hosted by Brandy Mychals.  You can participate in the challenge too by going to http://brandymychals.com/mb/7-day-blogging-challenge/

Virtual Assistants, are you ready to step it up and play a bigger role with your clients?  I am and I have enrolled in the Online Business Manager Certification program taught by Tina Forsyth.    We just started our Summer School portion of the program this week and are learning about Internet Marketing by jumping into the book Pink Spoon Marketing.  After the first class I have so many ideas brewing in my head and I can’t wait to make them come to life.

If you’re in the Virtual Assistant field, it’s critical that you read through this blog and educate yourself on this trend in the virtual support industry.

Why?

Because as online based businesses continue to grow and thrive many business owners find themselves ‘tapped out’. They simply can’t do it all themselves anymore and are desperately seeking someone to help them manage their business – they are looking to hire an Online Business Manager (OBM).

It’s no secret… Online Business Managers are not easy to find! There aren’t many out there yet and the few that exist are already busy and don’t have room to take on new clients. So business owners are left hanging…

To meet the demands of keen business owners as well as top notch Virtual Assistants, I’m super excited to tell you about the Online Business Manager Certification Program. It is a 16-week Intensive Training Program for aspiring Online Business Managers led by my friend and colleague Tina Forsyth.

Most online business training programs are directed to the business owner (how to start and grow your own business), however this is truly the only training that is specifically and purposefully taught from the perspective of being the OBM for these business owners.

What’s even better is that with this training and support, there is a community of Online Business Managers who are ready to offer support to each other through the training and beyond.

What does this mean to you?

As a Certified Online Business Manager, it means that you can position yourself, demand higher rates, build amazing relationships with your ideal clients and do what you love every day.

Learn more about this elite program and consider whether you are ready for this commitment I suggest checking out Tina’s Book Becoming an Online Business Manager Playing a Bigger Game with your Clients (and Yourself)

What are you going to do to start playing a bigger game with your clients?