I am always looking for places to promote my business or to get backlinks to my site.  Listing your business on social media sites is a great (free) way to promote your business and build a loyal following.  And there are many online directories and resources to find just about anything you want.

But my friend and wonderful VA (virtual assistant) Cyndi Papia of Office To-Go Virtual Assistance has developed an online business directory where you can promote your business and make a difference for a charitable organization!  Cyndi has just launched Business Directory Listings (http://businessdirectorylistings.net/) for any business to purchase ad space while making a difference for a nonprofit organization.

I asked Cyndi what prompted her to set up this site, and here’s what she said,

“I honestly want to help small biz in any way I can because that’s the only way this economy will get better and it truly is my way of helping.  I figure they get to take a tax-deduction for advertising expenses, I donate the money to charity because I have “enough.”  I’m not rich but I also know donations go down when money is tight, so it gets put to good use.  The 10% covers website hosting and a tiny bit of my maintenance time having to check out and approve each listing.  I put my name out there on the site to be transparent as a lot of directories are “anonymous” business people.   I’m going to post the cancelled checks as proof of the donations so people know it’s legitimate.”

Cyndi already has several businesses that have jumped on board with her.  How about you?  Want to make a difference for a nonprofit organization and get your business listed in this new directory?  Hop on over to Business Directory Listings and get signed up today!

Please share this blog post, “New Online Business Directory” with your online friends, so they can take advantage of the new directory for their business!

Is your response to this is …ahhhh….that sounds so great! It’s a powerful concept and one that tugs at your heart.  You want to use your talents and skills to earn a living.  You know people that have already done that.

Why not you?

Why not now?

What would an ad for your ideal job read as? What’s your hot button?  What kind of an ad would you respond to quickly, as soon as you saw it?  Write one out for yourself right now…dream big.

Click the Image to Order Your Copy

If you think that that‘s just a dream, then you’re right.  That’s exactly what it is. Understand this first, the future has been and always will be designed by dreams.  All successful people use them, believe in them and stake their future on them.  Your future is waiting for your dream to be designed.  First, in your mind, then on paper; make it real by writing it down.  And lastly  – Make it Happen!

There’s a sense of satisfaction, personal pride and accomplishment that comes with being able to showcase your strengths and abilities.  And where you’re at now may best be described in the book, The Dream Giver, by Bruce Wilkinson, when one of the characters states, “This isn’t what I was made to do…I just know it!”  Does that speak to you?  Good. Then you’re ready.

There are a few things you’ll need to bring to the table, such as passion, the right attitude and tenacity, to name a few.  Passion gives your dream oxygen.  It keeps it burning.  It keeps it alive.   Attitude, well attitude can make or break your dream.  Tenacity makes you keep at it.

With this in mind, are you ready to make a commitment?  Say, “Yes that’s what I really, really want!” But do you know how to get there?  Do you know what to do next?   Do you want some practical guidance, some strategy, some help?

Lorin Beller Blake

Where do I go to get the next step? ……. I’m glad you asked.  I’m hosting the queen of doing what you love and getting paid for it, Lorin Beller Blake, Founder of Big Fish Nation on April 22^nd in my Social Media “T” Room.  You’ll want to be on this call so you can take yourself to that next step.  For more information and to register visit Social Media “T” Room.

Ahhh. …what a delightfully refreshing concept, to get paid for doing something you really want to do!

If you enjoyed “Want to Get Paid Doing What You Love?”

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How do you run your business?  Do you have a business plan?  What about a budget?  Do you rely on a board of directors to help you with big decisions?  I rely on God for my business.  Because without Him I wouldn’t have a business at all.

My friend, Laurie Neumann with Christian Home Business Connections, has just released her new book, Run Your Business God’s Way (affiliate link) and I wanted to share the link for those who are interested in getting a copy.

She’s offering it for a limited time for only $9.95.  This eBook is filled with Scripture verses and insight so that you can get busy running your business God’s way. 

If you like this post, please share it by clicking the links below or retweeting.

I just spent the weekend with about 3000 girlfriends! Man, what a slumber party!

Here are some of my Knoxville girlfriends in OUR limo on our way to dinner.

It was the 9th Annual eWomenNetwork International Conference in Dallas and to say I had a great time is quite an understatement. This event was loaded with incredible speakers, trainers and thought leaders who freely shared their expertise and their road to success with us.

From sessions on finance to personal growth, social media and publishing to how to change your Brain to succeed; these breakout sessions were worth thousands of dollars if attended separately. However, it was a girlfriend’s weekend and it was all given freely. New friendships were made and existing ones were made stronger.

Not to brag (too much!) but one of the highlights of my weekend was the unveiling of the eWomenNetwork Facebook Fan Page that I developed and will be managing for eWomenNetwork! Yea! How exciting! The intention is to have this Fan Page as an outlet for eWomenNetwork members, as well as potential members, to have a voice directly to Founder, Sandra Yancey and President, Kym Yancey. They will both be commenting on the site and will answer questions as they come up.

As with most conferences there was an exhibit area where vendors gave away samples and promotional items. They were all great. I stopped by the Best Buy/Geek Squad booth looking to charge my cell phone because I had left my charger at home. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a charger to fit my phone (which is one reason I’m getting a new one), but they asked me to drop my card in for the 42″ Plasma TV they were giving away. So I said, OK, but I never win anything.

After I got off the plane and was driving home, I checked my voice mail and heard a message from the Geek Squad that I had WON the TV! Now that was too cool!

So overall my weekend was Great! I gained many new friends, some awesome ideas on maximizing my business and a new TV. Can’t get any better than that!

As a women business owner, I knew that in order to grow my biz, I had to grow. About 6 months ago I joined Big Fish Nation.

It is a Women’s Entrepreneurial Development Program, founded by Lorin Beller Blake, that combines teleclasses that I participate in from the comfort of my desk three times per month with two private coaching sessions I do at a time that works for me. The exponential growth that comes from both educational programs, learning to get out of my own way and having to be accountable is enormous.

There are bonuses that I never considered, now I have ‘big fish friends’ that I know all over the country that I can lean on both personally and professionally. We know each other well. We know the tools that we each have in our hip pockets and we can support each other in ways that I never even knew was possible.

My life and business is so different than it was before I started with Big Fish. I was struggling with what direction I wanted to take my business and where I saw myself in the next few years. Through the Big Fish Program, I now have clearly defined goals and expectations for myself as well as my business and I know how to achieve Wild Success!

I know that ‘anything is possible’ now that I have the tools and the support! I highly recommend becoming a Big Fish. It will change your life. There is a new year-long program starting in September.

Want to Swim with the Big Fish? Email Lorin or visit Big Fish Nation for more information about the program.

As a small business owner and entrepreneur, tension is in the job description. You are tense about getting clients, then you’re tense to complete the work in a timely and accurate way. You’re tense when your equipment doesn’t work properly and stressed when the end of the day comes and you haven’t accomplished what you set out to do.

It’s nice to find people who can help us with releasing tension and living our life more fully. My friend, Melanie McGhee of Illumined Life, LLC is celebrating her birthday today and she is giving instead of getting gifts. On her blog, Peacefruit you can download a free meditation recording and she is beginning a local class for anyone in the Knoxville or Maryville TN area on Meditation. Click this link for a flyer on the class and what you can expect to gain by attending.

I do want to release my tension and appreciate my life more, so I’ll be listening to Melanie’s gift and breathing a lot.

Calgon, Take Me Away!

I had the opportunity to attend a teleseminar this morning by L. Drew Gerber CEO & Partner of PressKit 24/7. It was part of the Big Fish Nation program I am a member of. Big Fish empowers women entrepreneur’s to take their business to the next level through hard core business skills with a spiritual approach to success. Today’s teleseminar focused on Online Press Releases.

Drew shared with us that he defines PR as, Your Relationship with the Public and that you should begin using PR from the onset of your business. It will increase brand recognition, and boost your sales of products and services. 90 percent of reporters are getting their information from the Internet, so an Online Press Kit is essential to your Online Business Success!

As part of his company, PressKit 24/7 he has established a source to bring potential media opportunities right into your Inbox. PitchRate.com is the name of this site and it’s completely free! You can register, include a profile, select your area of expertise, along with subcategories and daily you will receive a digest of media opportunities. You can also search on the site for keywords relative to your business.

Drew loves games, and so do I! So he has offered the participants of today’s teleseminar an incredible prize for the person that gets the most people to sign up for PitchRate. That’s where I need your help! If you would like to get daily feeds of media opportunities and grow your business through online press release marketing, please sign up for this free service. And then send me a quick email to (terri.avirtualbiz@gmail.com) and put your name in the subject line. And of course, I’d love to get your feedback to share with Drew.

It’s very important that you send me an email, otherwise, I won’t know that you signed up and can’t count you in my group. I’ll follow up and let you know if YOU helped me win!

They will make a day for just about anything! I haven’t checked my Send Out Cards system to see if there is a greeting card for this special day, but I will. hehe

If I could get a different name what would I choose? I’ve always liked Alexandria, I don’t know why really. I don’t anyone with that name personally, but I’ve always liked it.

Lots of my online friends know me as “avirtualbiz” that’s my username on most of my social media profiles. So I guess in a way, I have already gotten a different name. In order to build up my brand name, I wanted people to know my business, A Virtual Business Solution, through my username of avirtualbiz.

What about you? Do you have a brand name? If not, today’s a good day to get one and starting marketing it for your business.

And if you just hate your birth name, go ahead…change it. Today’s the day!

Hugs & Kisses,

Alexandria (for today)

As I learn more and more about WordPress and the enormous opportunities that this platform offers, I get so excited. I currently have WordPress loaded up for my blog and I am working toward using it for my main website and for a new product launch for later in the week.

If you aren’t seriously looking at WordPress for your Online Business presence, I would highly recommend that you do. It’s jam-packed full of options, called “plugins” and there are so many free themes available that you can never review all of them.

So take the plunge and dive into WordPress. Even if your not a “techie” you can handle WordPress. But if you get lost, just give us a call, we’ll help you out.