Davis Virtual Assistants

Today’s thing-you-must-do is to setup Google Alerts. This link explains the purpose of Google Alerts.

Setup Alerts to monitor you, your company, items and news of interest, and your clients.

Monitor your competition …

Stop procrastinating and do this today.

1. The package was delivered yesterday.

2. My mailcarrier did not ring my doorbell. Instead, she sTUffedaNdcraMMEd the package into my mailbox and by doing so, she broke my mailbox, to the point where the closing mechanism was destroyed.

I’m a chipper person by nature and I won’t let this get me down. Still, I need to find a way to improve the customer service of the USPS. I am on a mission.

Care to join me?

What a great day I had today. I feel really energized and successful (despite horrible customer service from the USPS — and they wonder why I’m using stamps.com), and I hope you can say the same.

So, I was called by three potential clients today: one from southern Virginia, one from Austin and the third from Philly. I believe two of these small business owners will turn into clients. The third was asking for bookkeeping services and goodness knows, I am not a bookkeeper! Here’s why two of the three will turn into clients: I offer to work for them or complete a small project, free of charge. Hold on … hold your horses … I don’t offer to work for a month for free or complete a major DB redesign project. I listen to their needs and offer a nugget, a tease, of what they’ll receive in terms of customer service when they engage the services of Davis Virtual Assistants as a full-fledged client.

I did this for my group of coaches, by redesigning their client intake forms.

I did this for a client in Houston, by designing a newspaper advertisement for him.

I did this for a web designer in the South Bay, by following up with potential leads who came through her website.

While all the folks who call me and inquire about my services do not turn into full-fledged clients, a majority of them do. Listen to what the business owner is saying and turn it around to offer them your services on a very short-term basis. Gratis.

We all have to pay our service providers. But consider how happy you’ll make a potential client if you offer a small bit of your time and attention. If a service provider had done the same for you, how would you feel about that? And, if you didn’t buy something from that provider, would you if they had offered a sampling of their services for free?

Rock on.

Did you see it?

Did you see it?

Did you see it?

Sporting history was set in stone today by a 33-year-old American — Lance Armstrong. Never before in the 102 year history of the Tour de France has any competitor won seven Tours. Keep in mind Lance’s seven wins are consecutive, from 1999 through 2005, and that he’s a cancer survivor.

As much as I want to believe that sport is sport and that it’s pure, I know it’s not. I feel the record-breaking performances by Maguire and Bonds are tainted with steroids. Only they know if they took steroids; I just know how I feel about my 2nd favorite sport. To the millions of kids who elevate athletes to hero status, it’s heartening to see some athletes who rely on natural talent and hard work, and don’t resort to the needle or the pill or the cream.

I received an e-mail the other day — rather sarcastic in tone — where the author was talking about how my “hero” may not win this year. My answer was, and will always be, that my hero in life has never been an athlete. Sure, I’d love to meet Lance and it’s obvious how much I admire him and his achievements. But my hero? Nope. My hero in life is my big brother Scot, not an athlete …

The Tour is over. History has been written.

With high anticipation for 2006 …

How do you leave the game if you’re a 33-year-young man who’s at the top of his game? You go out by winning the last time trial. You go out with respect and love for your chosen sport, your teammates and your rivals. You go out by thumbing your nose at the doubters and naysayers who know the only way you can win is by doping — when you know the only way you win is by doing the work which needs to be done.

The fat lady will sing tomorrow, and I can’t wait!

It’s on-the-edge-of-my-seat time, as The Tour is drawing to a close. Tomorrow is the final individual time trial and if the Prologue was any indication, we can expect at least two Americans, Armstrong and Zabriskie, to kick major ass. I truly feel that Lance would have won the Prologue, had not not stepped out of the pedals at the beginning of the time trial.

Sunday … dare I imagine it … Sunday is the last day of The Tour. Barring injury, illness, stupidity or any horrible mistakes, an American, Lance Armstrong will have made history, for a 2nd consecutive year.

During one of Lance’s most recent interviews, he mentioned he wasn’t worthy of Bernard Hinnault’s shoes (this is obviously not verbatim!). If you’re not in the know, Google Bernard Hinnault, as well as Eddie Merckx. While Lance has set a benchmark — the likes of which may never be surpassed — he knows to give props to The Masters, men who have come before him and laid claim to The Tour.

Here’s what I take away from Lance’s successes:

1. No matter the obstacle, you can achieve your definition of success.

2. Do not let ANYONE tell you “you can’t do that.” What a bunch of crap …
3. Be a kick ass team player. Lance didn’t win the previous 6 Tours on his own. Even though he’s the team lead and he’s most visible in the spotlight, he shares the love.
4. Be respectful of others. Lance knows the competition he has in Basso and Ullrich.

I’m waiting for Sunday, Channel 408 on CableVision here in the Boogie Down Bronx. If you hear screams of joy at the conclusion of the race, well, you’ll know it’s me …

This is my favorite time of day: hubster is asleep (he works nights); my non-electric alarm clock has done her thing, putting her nose on mine so I’ll wake up and open the door; and all is quiet on Arthur Avenue in The Bronx. Later today we’ll drive the few miles to my sister-in-law’s home and enjoy a relaxing day with the fam. As usual, heated games of Spades, Scrabble and chess will go down, and I have no doubt I’ll win all three …

So, I’m here and you’re there and I’ve got to know:

What do you want?

And then I want to know:

How are you going to get it?

I wanted control over my work life, I wanted to not have to commute and I wanted to be able to set my own hours.

I got it by starting my own business, working harder than I’ve ever worked before, doing research and asking questions. Now, I work from home and I’m happier than ever.

I wanted to be a homeowner.

I got it by saving my money, changing my spending habits and limiting our extracurricular activities (movies, dinner, etc.) to only once a month. Now, we’re homeowners AND we don’t have a mortgage.

I’ll ask again: what do you want? Do you want college? Do you want to become a teacher? How about traveling the world for a year? Whatever your dreams and your desires, you must know you can make them reality.

How are you going to achieve your independence?

I do know that Mr. Armstrong continues to wear the Yellow Jersey.

Being busy is good, but I sure do miss my TdF fix every morning!