I hope you caught the Today Show this morning.  In the Money 911 Segment, they discussed legitimate ways to learn extra money at home and topping the list was become a Virtual Assistant.  The Virtual Assistant Industry is getting major press today, mainly because of the fact that it IS the perfect business to start today.

Our book Virtual Assistant The Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA has been helping others start their business for the past several years.  There’s never been a better time.  Email me for our free chapter.  Also, email me for our free informational package.  Also, stop by our forum at www.virtualassistantstartups.com.  Also, CALL me if you’d like a free 10 minute coaching call to see if starting a VA business is right for you.  (954) 971-4025.  I want to see you succeed.  Here’s an article you might find beneficial as well.

VIRTUAL ASSISTANT TIPS TO SUCCESS

Virtual Assisting has become one of the most exciting and rewarding home-based businesses.  What a privilege it is to be a part of such an evolutionary industry that continually grows and offers new opportunities and rewards for those coming into the business and those veteran pros as well.  Marketing your Virtual Assistant business can be a rewarding adventure, providing you with permanent clientèle and additional profits.

Here are some ideas you might want to explore:

Tip #1 - Fill a need.  Be aware of what your clients need even before they tell you.  What can you do that will make their business better?  And don’t limit yourself to just a few services, always be open for something new.  For example, there are a lot of viruses going around the Internet these days   Do you specialize in getting rid of these pesty things?  That’s really filling a need.

Tip #2 — Find a mentor or a coach.  (Shameless plug there).  But I find when helping those I coach that even 1/2 hour a week can get them on the fast track to success.  If you want to find out about our coaching, e-mail me.

Tip #3 - Market to Your Existing Clients:  Your existing clients already know the caliber of work that you do so let them market for you.  Always do your absolute best for them and they will keep you around for a long time and they will tell others.

Continually tell them of new services or features.  Send out a newsletter or even a tip of the week to keep your name in front of them.  And when was the last time you called or emailed them “Hey, how are you doing?  How’s business going?”  A personal, “What’s been happening” call can or email can make a very favorable impression

Tip #4  - List Tips on Your Website:  One of the ways to prove your expertise is to list on your website the things you know.  This shows your clients and potential clients that you know what you are talking about.  If you check out my site at www.virtualassistantstartups.com you can see some tips there.  Also, check out the forum!  We’d love to have you.

Tip #5 — Add a P.S. to your Signature Line:  We all know how important that signature line is for your business success. Here’s a simple way to make it even more profitable–Add a P.S. to your e-mail messages.  You can offer your clients additional discounts or let them know about a new service.  Did you just get a new VA certificate?  Tell them! This can be a perfect opportunity to perhaps toot your horn a little.

Market your way to success in your business!  And lastly, enjoy your marketing.  When clients see that you enjoy what you’re doing, they want to do business with you.

Diana Ennen, Author of numerous books on starting a Virtual Assistant Business.  http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com.

Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains intact.

Laurie Hurley always knew what she wanted, a family, a nice home, and a business that afforded her the opportunity to enjoy the finer things in life.  She worked in the hotel industry where she found herself shaking hands with two Presidents and escorting the Ambassador to the United States and the First Lady to functions at the famed Waldorf-Astoria hotel.  During her professional life, she was one of two women in upper management.  She lived the glamorous life in Manhattan, attending many celebrity functions at famous museums and restaurants, but almost always in an official “work” capacity, representing the hotel.

However, as many of those in Corporate America know, success in the Corporate world sometimes came at great personal sacrifice.  This included 12-15 hour work days and very little, if any, time to enjoy the wonderful city in which she lived.  There was also the struggle of working so effortlessly for someone else, watching them achieve enormous wealth, while watching your earnings increase only slightly each year.

Hurley knew that with her skills and experience, there had to be something better out there.  And so began her journey into self employment.  A journey that would lead her into a multiple six-figure income and also the opportunity to help others achieve this dream as well – all based from her home office.

A far cry from the bright lights of the big city, Laurie moved to sunny southern California and found her happiness as a tutor broker.  A career she had never in her wild dreams imagined.  A close friend of hers had started a similar business in Florida and told Laurie how satisfying it was to be able to provide in-home, private tutoring services to students in need of supplementary education. Realizing she would be fulfilling a much-needed niche in the educational industry, Laurie did her research and has established herself as the one to call when a parent needs help.  Hard work, dedication and providing exceptional tutors to families has earned Hurley sales in the six-digit bracket, far exceeding her salary in the hotel industry.  In the past seven years, Laurie has visited with more than 1000 parents and students and “matched” the perfect tutor.

In 2005, Hurley found even greater success when she began selling her business model to other entrepreneurs like herself – people who had either become disillusioned with a traditional full-time job, teachers who saw a need for more individualized instruction or stay-at-home parents who decided to return or enter the work force. Home Tutoring Business was born, www.hometutoringbusiness.com,

One amazing benefit Hurley discovered with the tutoring industry, is that no matter what happens in the economy, parents are always looking for convenient, affordable ways to supplement their children’s education.  Therefore, the potential isn’t reliant on today’s economy.

Want to know how to start your own home-based tutoring business?  Hurley shares her top seven tips on earning a six figure income starting a home tutoring business below:

1) Be realistic when defining the area you will service.  You can always expand once your business takes off. Since you will be home-based, a good rule of thumb is to offer your services within a half hour drive or 30 miles from your home office.

2) Keep your overhead low.  There is no need to rent or lease office space. Compare prices on phone service, a good computer, Internet service, etc., and budget accordingly.  Whether it’s a hallway with a desk or a spare bedroom, be sure you have the necessities to conduct business from your home in a professional, comfortable way.

3) Shop around for a web designer that will optimize your site for maximum “hits” and exposure.  Prepare for approximately 75-80% of your business to be web-generated.  Be certain your website provides detailed information in a simple, friendly, informative way. Let your target audience get to know you by browsing through your site – your personality should be reflected throughout your web pages.  Make sure one of your web pages is devoted to “press.”

4) Shop your competition frequently to ensure your rates are not the highest, but not the lowest either.  Charge a modest one-time registration fee.  Adjust your rates accordingly based on supply and demand; secondary math tutoring will always command a higher rate than elementary school tutoring.

5) Avoid turnover amongst your tutors – interview thoroughly and be sure you are comfortable with the people who will be representing your company in the field.  Find a background check company and utilize their services to verify your prospective tutors’ identity as well as criminal records, etc.  Better safe than sorry when it comes to sending tutors to your clients’ homes.

6)  Get lots of press.  Be sure to toot your horn.  Write articles and press releases, get press coverage locally, sponsor a local sports team, and get your name out there! Order magnetic signs for your automobile, carry your business cards with you at all times, join a networking group that is comprised of parents with school-age children.

7) Focus on delivering excellent customer service – take care of your clients and your tutors. If you show you care about them, they will refer you and talk about your company in a positive way.  Send out thank you cards when you land a new client or receive a referral from a client.  Keep track of your students’ and tutors’ birthdays and send them a $5.00 gift card to a bookstore.

Owning a tutoring business is a rewarding career in many ways.  Flexible hours, the ability to be home-based, and the ability to enjoy a lucrative six-figure income is a wonderful alternative to commuting and reporting to someone else.

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Laurie Hurley lives and works in Newbury Park, California with her husband and two daughters, ages 10 and 13.  For more information on how to start your own tutoring business, contact info@hometutoringbusiness.com or visit www.hometutoringbusiness.com for a complimentary consultation to see if your skill set is a good “match” for this business.

Teachers and educators, are you finally ready for a change? You have successfully handled a classroom full of rambunctious kids all year and successfully taught them their lesson plans and how to do their ABCs and math. You encouraged, taught, and showed them exactly what it takes to learn and to be the best they can be. But now it’s your turn. Time to put yourself first and start on your journey to do what’s right for you. Time to finally begin your entrepreneurial dream of starting your own business or perhaps adding a supplementary income to your teacher’s salary. Time to do something just for you. And with summer right around the corner, the timing couldn’t be better. Plus, parents will spend over $4 billion nationwide this year on academic tutoring, with a predicted growth of 12 to 15 percent a year. You can see that now is the perfect time for teachers and others to consider starting their own home-based business in the hot educational industry.

The problem is finding the right business. One that can use your expertise and skills and will afford you the opportunity to not only make a great income, but feel the personal growth and satisfaction that comes with owning your own business. You want a business with a proven track record of success and one that can easily help you achieve a six-figure income. But perhaps the most important component of becoming an entrepreneur is finding a business that gives you the same personal satisfaction that teaching does, allowing you to help others, especially children. You know you can make a difference and you want that same feeling of gratitude and pride to continue outside of the classroom.

Is there such a business? The good news is, there is. Starting a home tutoring business is a perfect match for teachers and educators, women or men entering the workforce after staying home to care for family, or people who worked in Corporate America for many years and want a change. Whether you want to earn extra money or leave teaching all together and start your own business, starting a home tutoring business is the right choice. There is nothing better than being your own boss and making great money, even surpassing the income you made when employed by someone else – all from your home office on your own schedule.

So what exactly is involved in starting your own home tutoring business? Here are some of the facts, but we also encourage you to stop by our site, Home Tutoring Business, http://www.hometutoringbusiness.com for additional information.

By starting your own home tutoring business, you become a tutor broker, where you manage a network of professional teachers and educators, matching them with students in need of one-on-one in-home tutoring. In a sense you are establishing a home tutoring referral network in your community. The owner of the business, you, becomes a matchmaker, or broker, matching qualified tutors and teachers with children in need of individualized tutoring. Revenue is earned by splitting the fee for tutoring services with your tutors and teachers. The more hours you bill, the more income you will make. The potential for making money is virtually only limited to the amount of students for which you are willing to provide tutors.

All of the tutoring is done in the privacy of the child’s home. Clients love the convenience of this service because they do not have to drive anywhere to have their children tutored. Kids love it because there is no peer pressure to perform. They are in the comfort of their own home with the undivided attention of a dedicated teacher/tutor. Our experience has been that children learn better from individualized, private instruction. One does not get that at a busy learning center. You will be taking the time to get to know the student and family and matching them with a tutor who can help them with their academic needs, personalities and learning styles. This one-on-one attention is effective and offers parents the convenience of not having to drive their children anywhere to get quality, individualized tutoring.

The tutors you hire enjoy it because you have it all set up for them. They don’t have the expense of advertising for students, they can work with families that have signed a tutoring contract and have been “pre-screened” by you. The tutoring is consistent (we suggest at least one hour a week per subject per student) and they can pick and choose their clients and make their own schedules based on how far they want to travel and what subjects and grades they can tutor. Tutors love the flexibility and the constant stream of business being offered to them. It’s a win/win for all.

Laurie Hurley, the president of Home Tutoring Business, has been matching tutors with students since 2001 connecting over 150 qualified tutors with pupils throughout Southern California, and successfully assisting hundreds of students by matching them with dedicated professionals. During the peak school months, Hurley’s list of qualified instructors is extensive, and her clientele upwards of 200 kids tutored on any given evening during the school week. And, since 2005 Hurley has been offering her Home Tutoring Business Package to entrepreneurs wanting the same opportunity, to start their own tutoring referral business. Hurley offers entrepreneurs a program that provides all the necessary tools including a website and access to a customized accounting software program, as well as a detailed business manual.

Hurley states, “When I started out I made some mistakes, learned from them, and developed a distinct style of marketing myself and my business. At times I learned the hard way what didn’t work. It often cost me money, but I used every opportunity to improve upon my service and expand my home-based business. In the Home Tutoring Business Manual© I share my successes and failures and give the buyer the knowledge and business ideas to build a successful company. One of the hardest aspects of starting a new business is feeling like you are doing it alone. With HTB, our business packages provide on-going support and advice, which is like having a personalized business coach and mentor to help you grow your business.”

Home Tutoring Business Packages provides the personal accomplishments and financial freedom of being a business owner with its easy step-by step format. You don’t have to be a tutor or have any background in education. HTB gives you the entrepreneurial edge to create a lucrative tutoring service, matching qualified educators with students for private in-home tutoring. Hurley has been featured in various periodicals from Entrepreneur Magazine and Woman’s World Magazine, to Inside Business Newspaper to name a few and is receiving national recognition for her works.

One tutor broker, Jane Saeman, from Orange County, California had this to say about the program, “I was looking for a business that was “All ready to go” and all I had to do was implement it and continue to work it, but that I wouldn’t have to pay monthly franchise fees. Another requirement was not to pay an enormous amount for the business that I would be starting. Add in an ability to create my own flexible schedule and an unlimited amount of money I could make (depending upon how much time I wanted to put into the business) and I had found what I had been looking for. Now that I have bought and implemented the business, I am very much impressed by how thorough Laurie has been in putting it all together. The concept, the manual, the forms, the website, the marketing materials and suggestions and the ability to know that any question I need answered is “just an e-mail away” have all contributed to my being able to build a substantial business that is continuing to grow.”

Resolve to make a difference this year and fulfill your dream of being more financially independent by owning a business that contributes in a positive way to your community. Don’t wait any longer to make your dreams come true. Home Tutoring Business may be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. For additional information contact us today at www.hometutoringbusiness.com.

Laurie Hurley has been featured in national magazines including Entrepreneur Magazine’s Summer Start-Up Guide, Woman’s World, Family Circle, Family Fun, Parenting and more. Her site at http://www.hometutoringbusiness.com/ offers detailed information on getting started in your own tutoring brokering business. For additional information contact Hurley at info@hometutoringbusiness.com. Article is free to reprint as long as author’s bio remains intact.

Every child can learn. There are no problem learners, only problem learning programs and systems. With proper learning techniques, learning can a pleasure, even for those facing difficult learning challenges. If we teach to the way children learn best, through movement, play and language expression, we achieve better results. We discover that no matter how many times we repeat a learned task, if a better way is presented, we can learn that way, and a new pattern is developed. This is true learning. The results bring better health and wellness, intelligence, and more fulfillment, both personally and professionally.

Learning is that magical thing that takes place in a split second and changes us forever. And who knows more about true learning, than international award-winning learning expert Paul E. Dennison, Ph.D. Dr. Dennison received his doctorate in education in 1975 from the University of Southern California for his research on reading and cognitive development and is the founder of the Brain Gym Program. This program has received astonishing worldwide media attention recently with media spots on CBC Radio’s 1 “Ontario Today” and City TV, “Breakfast Television” with Jill Hewlett, and a full-page article in Woman’s World Magazine, May 8th edition. The Woman’s World article talks about how beneficial the Brain Gym program is for those who are stressed or forgetful. It states by following these simple techniques, you can give your brain a workout and help achieve a calmer you. In fact, Deborah Bebb, who was interviewed for the article, states, “Brain Gym is so easy, anyone can do it. And it works! Now I feel calmer at home and at work. I can remember everything and get more done. It definitely made my brain work better.”

The Woman’s World article also provided the following Brain Gym exercises to boost your brainpower:

1) Double-doodle – Using both hands like a conductor, “draw” large, free-form mirror-image shapes in the air.

2) Lazy 8’s – In the air or on paper, “draw” figure 8’s with your right hand, following the movement with your eyes. Then do the same with your left hand, and then, with both hands at once.

3) Cross-crawl – Slowly march in place, bringing your opposite elbow to your knee each time. Doing just a few of these will increase your focus.

Additionally, Dennison received a rave review from Reader’s Views, where Professional Reviewer, Debra Gaynor states, “Brain Gym should be mandatory reading for all teachers, as Dennison has successfully returned the pleasure of reading by presenting his lessons in an easy-to-understand format.” Additionally Gaynor reports, “What I came to realize is that, for educators, effective teaching isn’t about presenting the information and letting the student passively take it in, but about connecting the information to the movement of the body in an active way.”

So how does the Brain Gym Program work? This movement-based system introduces simple physical activities to enhance a learner’s ability to process information, and effectively respond.
The Brain Gym learning program is based on five basic premises known as the Five Principles of Educational Kinesiology.

These include:

1) Draw Out: Intelligence Is Inborn
2) Focus: Attention Follows Intention
3) Notice: We Learn What We Actively Experience
4) Move to Learn: Growth Is a Search for Balance, and Imbalance a Search for Growth
5) Interconnect: Each One of Us Is Affected by Every Other

Brain Gym was created to assist people in all facets of daily life. Brain Gym is also based upon three simple premises:

1) Learning is a natural, joyous activity that continues throughout life.
2) Learning blocks are simply an inability to move through the stress and uncertainty of a new task.
3) We are all learning-blocked to the extent that we have been conditioned to inhibit our movements.

Who benefits with using brain exercises? Everyone. For students and educators they can experience increased levels of focus, organization, communication, self-confidence and positive attitude towards learning and then the added bonus of 20 to 50% higher test scores. Parents and clinicians benefit as well, as it directly impacts readers’ motor, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, visual, and reading skills. Business professionals benefit, as it is a highly effective performance management tool, which empowers individuals to thrive in the workplace, increasing employee satisfaction and productivity.

The lessons, such as coordinating your brain and body together to “walk your talk,” help people think and communicate clearly, improving individuals’ memory, focus, organization, and concentration. Brain Gym is now practiced in more than eighty countries’ schools across the world, and the book sales have toppled over 415,000. Teachers and their pupils benefit from the Brain Gym tools, as everyone can experience increased levels of focus, organization, communication, and self-confidence, along with positive attitude towards learning.

To learn more about the Brain Gym Program go to Dr. Dennison’s website at http://www.braingym.com . Dr. Dennison’s Book, Brain Gym and Me: Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning (ISBN #0-942143-11-6, 266 pages) is available on his site as well as through Amazon, and through Unique Books Wholesalers and The Distributors Wholesalers. Dr. Dennison is also available for media interviews, speaking engagements, and workshops. Contact Publicist Diana Ennen, at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com for media inquiries.

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Dr. Paul E. Dennison and his wife Gail E. Dennison through their visionary insight into the learning process developed the Brain Gym Program, http://www.braingym.com. The program is taught in a variety of settings, including schools, corporations, and athletic training programs. The Dennisons have coauthored a series of books and manuals including their latest, Brain Gym and Me: Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning. For additional information please contact publicist, Diana Ennen, diana@virtualwordpublishing.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains.

Every child can learn. There are no problem learners, only problem learning programs and systems. With proper learning techniques, learning can a pleasure, even for those facing difficult learning challenges. If we teach to the way children learn best, through movement, play and language expression, we achieve better results. We discover that no matter how many times we repeat a learned task, if a better way is presented, we can learn that way, and a new pattern is developed. This is true learning. The results bring better health and wellness, intelligence, and more fulfillments, both personally and professionally.

Learning is that magical thing that takes place in a split second and changes us forever. And who knows more about true learning, than international award-winning learning expert Paul E. Dennison, Ph.D. Dr. Dennison received his doctorate in education in 1975 from the University of Southern California for his research on reading and cognitive development and is the founder of the Brain Gym Program. This program has received astonishing worldwide media attention recently with media spots on CBC Radio’s 1 “Ontario Today” and City TV, “Breakfast Television” with Jill Hewlett, and a full-page article in Woman’s World Magazine, May 8th edition. The Woman’s World article talks about how beneficial the Brain Gym program is for those who are stressed or forgetful. It states by following these simple techniques, you can give your brain a workout and help achieve a calmer you. In fact, Deborah Bebb, who was interviewed for the article, states, “Brain Gym is so easy, anyone can do it. And it works! Now I feel calmer at home and at work. I can remember everything and get more done. It definitely made my brain work better.”

The Woman’s World article also provided the following Brain Gym exercises to boost your brainpower:

1) Double-doodle – Using both hands like a conductor, “draw” large, free-form mirror-image shapes in the air.

2) Lazy 8’s – In the air or on paper, “draw” figure 8’s with your right hand, following the movement with your eyes. Then do the same with your left hand, and then, with both hands at once.

3) Cross-crawl – Slowly march in place, bringing your opposite elbow to your knee each time. Doing just a few of these will increase your focus.

Additionally, Dennison received a rave review from Reader’s Views, where Professional Reviewer, Debra Gaynor states, “Brain Gym should be mandatory reading for all teachers, as Dennison has successfully returned the pleasure of reading by presenting his lessons in an easy-to-understand format.” Additionally Gaynor reports, “What I came to realize is that, for educators, effective teaching isn’t about presenting the information and letting the student passively take it in, but about connecting the information to the movement of the body in an active way.”

So how does the Brain Gym Program work? This movement-based system introduces simple physical activities to enhance a learner’s ability to process information, and effectively respond. The Brain Gym learning program is based on five basic premises known as the Five Principles of Educational Kinesiology.

These include:

1) Draw Out: Intelligence Is Inborn
2) Focus: Attention Follows Intention
3) Notice: We Learn What We Actively Experience
4) Move to Learn: Growth Is a Search for Balance, and Imbalance a Search for Growth
5) Interconnect: Each One of Us Is Affected by Every Other

Brain Gym was created to assist people in all facets of daily life. Brain Gym is also based upon three simple premises:

1) Learning is a natural, joyous activity that continues throughout life.
2) Learning blocks are simply an inability to move through the stress and uncertainty of a new task.
3) We are all learning-blocked to the extent that we have been conditioned to inhibit our movements.

Who benefits with using brain exercises? Everyone. For students and educators they can experience increased levels of focus, organization, communication, self-confidence and positive attitude towards learning and then the added bonus of 20 to 50% higher test scores. Parents and clinicians benefit as well, as it directly impacts readers’ motor, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, visual, and reading skills. Business professionals benefit, as it is a highly effective performance management tool, which empowers individuals to thrive in the workplace, increasing employee satisfaction and productivity.

The lessons, such as coordinating your brain and body together to “walk your talk,” help people think and communicate clearly, improving individuals’ memory, focus, organization, and concentration. Brain Gym is now practiced in more than eighty countries’ schools across the world, and the book sales have toppled over 415,000. Teachers and their pupils benefit from the Brain Gym tools, as everyone can experience increased levels of focus, organization, communication, and self-confidence, along with positive attitude towards learning.

To learn more about the Brain Gym Program visit Dr. Dennison’s website at www.braingym.com. Dr. Dennison’s Book, Brain Gym and Me: Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning (ISBN #0-942143-11-6, 266 pages) is available on his site as well as through Amazon, and through Unique Books Wholesalers and The Distributors Wholesalers.

###
Dr. Paul E. Dennison and his wife Gail E. Dennison through their visionary insight into the learning process developed the Brain Gym Program, http://www.braingym.com. The program is taught in a variety of settings, including schools, corporations, and athletic training programs. The Dennisons have coauthored a series of books and manuals including their latest, Brain Gym and Me: Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning. For additional information please contact publicist, Diana Ennen, diana@virtualwordpublishing.com.