Mel Spier 2.0

Even though this WAHM says she ’stinks’ at Web 2.0 stuff - I see her excelling in her internet business and am pleased to introduce you to Mel Spier.

Mel, when did you first decide to look for a way to work from home?

I started looking for a way to work from home in 1999, after getting tired of spending more time at work than at home. However, it wasn’t until 2002 that I actually took the plunge, gave up my job and began working from home.

How did you sort through your ideas for a work at home business?

I looked at quite a few business opportunities as well as basic work-from-home jobs when I first started. Every where I turned, there were people praising this opportunity or that one and the more I read, the more confused I became. So I ended up taking some work-from-home jobs because that seemed like the simplest solution. These jobs were ok but the pay was low, the schedule is crazy and the work flow unpredictable. To earn extra money, I helped family and friends with tasks that I had done in my out-of-the-home jobs like; tax prep, bookkeeping, media relations, etc.

One day, a friend and I were talking and she mentioned that I should start my own Virtual Assistant business since I was doing many of the same tasks that a VA would do. So I started researching what a Virtual Assistant was, what was needed to start and operate that kind of business, and so forth and I found that it was exactly the kind of business I had been looking for. There were very few start-up costs, I could control the workflow and offer services that I felt comfortable doing.

Where did you look for inspiration?

Much of my inspiration came from other women who were successful business owners. It didn’t matter if they were virtual assistants, internet marketers or if they held presentation parties and sold physical products from their living room. I saw these women earning a good living from home, being considered top go-to women in their market and that encouraged me to keep working towards my goals.

Is there anything that you’ve tried that you would say didn’t work for you?

This may seem odd considering some of the clients I have, but I tried my hand at affiliate marketing and found it wasn’t right for me. I do promote a few products that I feel confident in, that I’ve personally used or that I completely trust the person offering it, but other than that, I don’t promote other people’s products.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with affiliate marketing but it just wasn’t right for me. I’m uncomfortable recommending a product that I know nothing about and to be honest, I don’t have the time or inclination to try tons of products just to say “yeah, it’s good, you should buy it”.

Who knows though, I may take another stab at it down the road sometime.

What do you love about what you are doing to work at home today?

There is so much to love about being a VA. I enjoy being able to help business owners create a new products, update their websites, ensure their customers are happy. Helping others has always been a high priority of mine and being a VA allows me to do it from the comfort of my home.

A big bonus for me is not having to put on business attire, commute to work and schedule appointments around a 9-5 job. I love having a job where every day is different. Where one day I might handle customer support all day and the next I’m working on websites or creating products or any number of other tasks.

I love having the opportunity to be home with my children and watch them grow up. My son graduated & recently moved away from home and my daughter will be graduating in just a few short years, so having the extra family time with them has been great and has helped create a solid bond with us.

How are you applying Web 2.0 tactics to your business?

Ok, you got me on this one. I stink at the social networking aspect of Web 2.0.

I do have a myspace, ryze & hub page, but never use them. I don’t twitter, use facebook, squidoo, social bookmarks or any such things. Truthfully, those tactics just don’t appeal to me. I’d much rather spend my time working on website tweaks, writing an article or helping a client or someone who wants to be a VA.

That being said, I do have some things in the works. I’m working on a total site-redesign and will be implementing some audio and video into it. I’m finally going to start a blog after dragging my feet for what seems like forever. Once those are implemented, my next idea is to learn the art of podcasting. At that point, I might take a bigger interest in some of the other aspects of Web 2.0.

What are your hopes for the future?

Overall, I think it’s what most people want, financial security as well as personal growth and empowerment.

I hope that through my new virtual assistant membership program (Virtual Assistants Mavens) that I can encourage and assist others who want to become VA’s; that I can share my knowledge with them so that they might have an easier, more clear and defined path to follow to a becoming successful VA.

I also have a couple goals that are based around my family. I’d like for my husband to have the option to retire within the next 3 years. I don’t think he will want to stay home full-time but I’d like it to be an option. He has worked hard for his family for many years and I’d like to see him relax some. I would also like to train a manager to handle my business for a short-time so that I can take my daughter on an extended vacation for graduation in a couple years.

What advice would you give a new work at home mom?

There is no such thing as “easy money” and if someone tells you there is, they are wrong. It takes a lot of persistence, hard work and dedication to have a successful business. Once you get established, things do get easier but you still have to work at improving and growing your business.

In addition, your actions speak louder than words. It doesn’t matter what you say, if you’re your actions don’t back it up, your business suffers. Your customers are depending on you to do what you say you will do. If you don’t follow through, you lose their trust and their business. And as with anything, bad news spreads faster than good news and soon nobody will want to do business with you.