I know that to be successful in business we must be willing to provide some services that aren't as appealing as others. I would like to know what some of your favorite services are to provide? Which are your least favorites? And finally, which services are most commonly requested by your new clients?

What a great question!

Let's see...

Favorite services:
*Anything design related (business cards, websites, newsletters)

*Consultation (small business development, internet impact, marketing, SEO, website development etc.)

I honestly haven't had any requests in the past few years for anything I really dislike. Though early on there was one short-term client who wanted to me to go around to all of the job listing websites and gather specific information from a certain type of listing. It was *endless* and had no room for creativity in any direction - I had to approach it a specific way...that one was hard The repetetive, always ongoing things can get tedious but there are also times I really appreciate those kinds of tasks...

My most commonly requested services (by new clients) are:
*Newsletter management (custom template design, content editing/creation, mailing list setup, account management, etc.)

*Research (various industries, purposes, etc.)

*Website overhauls/updates/additions

*SEO consultation/implementation (both on the website itself and off)

*PR and media (public relations, press releases, media relations, making contacts/connections with specific media segments)


What are you anticipating will be your own favorites and least favorites?

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I REALLY enjoy doing bookkeeping, I like word processing, building forms, building databases, doing research - just about anything "secretarial." I only offer services I like to do; life is too short to be miserable in your job! My clients mostly request bookkeeping as that is my specialty.

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

lol - those are great! I think that my favorites will be services where I have to figure things out. I LOVE any process where I have to implement a structured process that will WORK. It's all reflective of my desperate need for there to be a plan! I think that my least favorites will be anything involving design. Not that I don't like it, but only because there are waaaay too many options to choose from and I am far too indecisive to be efficient at that

I've gone through a range of things over several years. I started out just typing and data entry and then went through a phase of bookkeeping, transcriptions, secretariat work. In the process of doing these things I found what I didn't enjoy doing and would pass on all new clients wanting those services to members of my team and eventually settled with doing website design and management, including setting up blogs, database management, broadcast emails, setting up shopping carts, formatting ebooks and so on. Mostly web based work which I really enjoy.

Hey there,

Early on, I would do whatever work came my way. I found out very quickly that if I took on work I didn't like, it always went last on the priority list and didn't end up getting done in a timely manner. After a very embarrasing apolog to a client, I decided that I would refuse to take on work that sounded boring AND I'd let the client know right away if I found myself NOT wanting to do the work. It really narrowed down the kind of work I accepted, which helped me focus my business.

Now, I have a team that does the work they ENJOY doing. I don't do the work, but we still haven't expanded back into those "boring" things I was asked to do in the beginning. Most of what I do now is what I'm best at...strategizing, prioritizing and advising the clients. There are certain tasks I enjoy doing; graphics manipulation, some research, playing with new technologies, social networking etc... I occasionally take on those tasks when my clients are quiet and I have a few moments.

The tasks my clients usually come in wanting are:

Designing a newsletter and setting up the autoresponders

Ecourse setup

Article Marketing

Social Networking setup and management

Blog design, setup and management

Website redesign and managment

These are all processes in tasks that I love working with.

Create a great day!
Kristen Beireis

I love design work - of any type. I almost never turn it down. I also really enjoy blogging and writing articles for other's blogs. And I love anything to do with website maintenance. I'm such a nerd!

I HATE database management. Anything having to do with mailing, calling, updating a database or working in ACT! or MS Access. I no longer accept that kind of work now that I don't have to. Man, being your own boss ROCKS!!

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Brianna Young, VA and Graphic Artist
www.virtualsolutionsadmin.com
"It's not the piano that makes beautiful music. It's the person sitting AT the piano!"

This is the best question! Not that I personally have the work (as of yet) to like or dislike. But I see how the query gets at everybody's real strengths. It's fun to read these answers!

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

Good question!

My favorite services are desktop publishing. I love creating flyers, postcards, etc.

My least favorite service is payroll (which is what I specialize in). I plan on eliminating it completely in 2008, because I no longer enjoy doing it.

My most requested services is telephone support, which I don't, won't, can't provide. I'm just not a telephone support person.

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Yolanda
http://www.OffsiteAdminSupport

I LOVE the responses so far. What really intrigues me is the number of people who have, or intend to, stop providing the services that they don't enjoy. That's where I want to be!!!!