I think you can have the best of both worlds. I've seen quite a few of the VA sites here that are professional, yet they reflect the owners personalities. Thats the best route to go in my opinion!

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Shaheda J

Jules, thanks for sharing the manifold meanings you biz name has for you. I appreciate your generous sharing! And now you can just forget about the name, take it for granted, and get on with finding lots of clients!

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

Originally Posted by virtual writing

Jules, thanks for sharing the manifold meanings you biz name has for you. I appreciate your generous sharing! And now you can just forget about the name, take it for granted, and get on with finding lots of clients!

Aw, thank you, Mary. I was hesitant to share so much about myself, but I have been doing great since the awful "big-C" entered my life back in 2002.

So far, I have three contracts with other VAs, with one of them putting me to work on a regular basis. Boy am I lovin' my career - all those years of experience in the "outside" world just make this ideal for me. I'm still working on my site, and haven't SEO'd it yet, so no clients other than subbing for other VAs at the moment. But, SEO-ing is on my list to get finished up this week. Did have one guy contact me quite awhile back, but I think my rates scared him off - and my site was in the beginning stages back then, LOL.

Yup, I've forgotten about the name and being personal or professional...just being me on my VA site, so it's a mixture of both. I'm also slowly working on another "sister" site that will be a whole different look, designed with X/HTML and CSS instead of Wordpress. I'm going to conduct an experiment to see which site gets more "business." More to come about that in the future.

Thank you, Mary!

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Jules, SunRise Virtual Solutions - WordPress Customization & XHTML/CSS Web Sites

I aim for more on the professional side of things; but a bit of personal is good as well. It lets people know that there is a human being behind it all.

Originally Posted by Business-Bytes

I had to chuckle about the initials thing...my initials are "JAB." If they were anything but that, I sure would consider it.

LOL. My initials are "ART". And I am in no way, shape, or form an "artsy" person! I chose Firefly VA as my business name...because there's something about fireflies that are appealing to me. I also considered using my last name.... I have a long last name though (Testerman), so I didn't want anyone to have issues with spelling, etc.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Jules,
I had the very same problem. It was between Carter Administrative Services, oHour, or My Point Assist. I really liked the idea being able to use my last name. To me it also gives a professional feeling as well as personal. But we all know how common "Carter" is and I didn't want to get into a problems with it. Your last names is beautiful and unique and has a great ring to it. I personally think it's a winner.

I definitely think PROFESSIONAL. People are trusting their business to you. You want to demonstrate to them that you are not just some fly by night scammer, but a true business professional.

Hope this helps,
Julie

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Julie | Virtual Resource Services, Inc (VRSI)
http://www.vrsioffice.com

I like the personal one because it identifies you.

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lisa

For me, I wanted something that showed a bit of creativity, since I'm focusing on writing and communication. I don't think your business name needs to be so professional that it's "stuffy" but at the same time, you don't want something so silly that potential clients won't take you seriously.

For your name, I think what you've picked is a good choice. It shows you and your personality but still conveys that you can do the work.

I am still trying to nail down my name. Thought I had but then,,whammo.....can't get it. I'm still leaning towards professional tho.

Professional means confident to me.