Saturday, May 31, 2008

80% Employed VBA's

From the beginning, AAVBA's goal was to have 80% VBA's working by the end of 2008.

We knew we had to do something different in order to make this happen. It could no longer be "business as usual".

We looked around and spoke to many attorneys and VBA's prior to setting up our organization. We wanted to know why weren't attorneys calling VBA's? We wanted to know what marketing methods were being used by VBA's to advertise their businesses? We wanted to find out the "proven" methods VBA's were using to get attorneys to call.

This is the result of our poll.

Why weren't attorneys calling VBA's? Attorneys told us they had no idea who or what is a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant.

What marketing methods were being used by VBA's to advertise their businesses? This is an industry secret only available to AAVBA members. I can say that since using these methods, we have more VBA's working in the last two months than in the two years the VBA industry has been in existence.

What proven methods were VBA's using to get attorneys to call? Again, this is an industry secret only available to AAVBA members.

This past week was very busy for the members of AAVBA. We had some really great success stories to share.

As the CEO of AAVBA, I take my responsibility to our members very seriously. I want everyone to be successful. And I will do all I can to make this possible for them. I've been through this journey with them and I've experienced their disappointment and disillusionment of this business not going the way they had hoped. It's a desperate feeling to lose hope.

For them and for myself, I knew this had to change.

If we keep going the way we are, we are sure to have our 80% of VBA's working by the end of 2008.

And we can only have one way to go from there. All the way to the top!

It's hard to imagine being close to a large membership group such as AAVBA, but I am. I feel as if I know them personally. That is why, when one VBA gets a job, it's as if I get the job too! Their success is my success.

I could never imagine being successful if our membership group was not successful too. It doesn't make sense. At least not to me.

The day I stop caring about whether our membership group is working or not, is the day I stop doing this business. I'm no good to them if I don't do my absolute best for them.

In return, I know they will do their absolute best for their businesses and also for AAVBA.

There's always time to get on board with this great group of men and women who have decided to take their businesses and their lives to the next level.

To join AAVBA, simply go to www.aavba.org and click on Join AAVBA. Rest assured, you won't be disappointed.

Vikki


Saturday, May 24, 2008

NACBA Convention (May 15 - May 18, 2008)

Recently, AAVBA (American Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants) attended NACBA's annual convention in Hollywood, CA.

As CEO of AAVBA, it was very exciting to be an Exhibitor at the largest gathering of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

As a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant, I was happy that our industry was finally getting the exposure it so badly needed.

I have to admit, when I first arrived at the Exhibit Hall, I was nervous. I had never taken part in a convention as an Exhibitor, let alone a large convention such as NACBA.

As it turns out, the Director of NACBA said this years' convention was the largest and best convention to date.

The Convention took place at the Renaissance Hotel and Hollywood and Highland Center. You can feel the excitement of being in Hollywood. We met people from all over the U.S. and also; one vendor whose office was down the street from AAVBA offices.

The weekend was busy. Many attorneys visited our exhibit and asked many questions. The new attorneys who had just started their businesses, were excited about the prospect of being able to start their law firm without hiring full time employees.

The seasoned attorneys saw this as an advantage to their firms. No longer will they have to hire "temp" workers to fill in for vacationing staff. This never worked for them anyway, most of the temp workers didn't know how to prepare a petition.

In the end, my goal to market to attorneys on behalf of AAVBA members was realized. What better venue than a Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney convention?

The goal of AAVBA for 2008 is to have 80% VBA's working and 100% by the end of 2009.

Wishing you prosperous days,
Vikki

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Imitation is the highest form of flattery

When I was a new mother, many, many years ago, I wondered how my child would develop. What would his personality be like? What would his character be? Would he be a caring person? Would he be frugal? There were so many questions, that, at the time scared me to the bone.

But now, here we are 25 years later. He's a wonderful human being. He has many friends, from all walks of life. He's graduated from college and holds down a responsible position at his job. A job he appreciates. He knows this is not his final destination. He's a theologian; and as such, continues his studies to complete that part of his education.

You're probably thinking, "what does Vikki's son have to do with this post?". I'm glad you asked.

I knew that, for our son to grow up to be a responsible, productive human being, his father and I would have to lead by example.

So too, with the VBA Industry. For this industry to be successful, its' leaders need to lead by example. If the leaders do not behave in a way that is above standard, then we as an industry will fail.

If the VBA's who have been doing this career from the beginning, do not set a high standard in preparing petitions and running legitimate businesses, then the industry suffers. For themselves and for those who come after.

You can take 100 VBA's who are working and doing an excellent job for attorneys. But I tell you, it takes one to destroy it for everyone.

A wise man once told me, "you must command respect, not demand it". To be successful, this is the secret.

Lead by example. If you're a parent, you understand this. You know that when you are trying to get your kids to listen to you, you don't yell at them, if you do, they don't listen. But when you speak in a calm but stern voice, you will definitely get their attention.

Lead by example. Command respect, don't demand it.

By helping others gain position, you automatically win the respect of those who are looking up to you.

Vikki

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Education

I am a strong believer in education. For me, knowledge is power.
If you have started your business as a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant, you know that you should stay on top of all that is happening in bankruptcy.
If you've been doing this since October of 2005 when the law changed, you know it's a lot of hard work.
If you are new to this field, you'll soon find out that running a business from your home is not going to be easy.
In this business, you should be proficient in computer skills. You are, after all, a VIRTUAL Assistant who specializes in bankruptcy.
If you got into this business thinking that all you have to do is data entry, you are mistaken. Bankruptcy petition preparation is so much more.
Also, if you want to be successful in this business, you should have other talents to bring to the table besides petition preparation.
One skill that you must have when contracting with attorneys is proper English.
One way to test your English speaking and writing skills is to take the Expert Rating exams which can be found at the AAVBA website. Once you log in, go to Resources and click on Typing Test Certification, you will be directed to the Expert Rating website. Once there, Click on Tests and Certifications, scroll down to English Language and there you will find 8 categories in English Language.
You should also know the legal aspects of running a home business.
Do not get into this business (VBA) unless you are prepared to do the work. It is a lot of work and it takes training.
If you feel you need more training, be sure and do all you can to set aside the time it takes to get the proper training. It will benefit you and your business.
Continued success
Vikki