57931

America is a nation of self-disclosers, amiably acceptant of our weaknesses. Celebrities, family members, coworkers and friends think nothing of admitting their compulsions and dependencies on alcohol, street drugs, prescription medications. We enter rehab programs, clean up, dry out, and go on with our lives: beating our problem or entering a long series of relapses and treatment episodes. Except, perhaps, for politicians or ministers, there is little social stigma attached to such mistakes unless there are criminal overtones that may lead to incarceration.

Television and films have educated us on the dangers and side effects of dependence upon alcohol, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, designer drugs, steroids, pain pills, cannabis and opium. We had to coin the term chemical dependency (CD) to completely cover the broad and ever-growing field. We approach individuals ensnared in their abuse as victims of a disease, to be educated and helped as long as they have a willingness to change and are prepared for the painful journey that owning responsibility for one's own self-destructive behavior demands.

But the most widespread, self-destructive, dangerous addiction afflicting America is never discussed: FOOD.

The treatment of overeating is extensive: diet clinics, fitness programs, fat farms, plastic surgery. We collectively spend billions of dollars on weight loss aids and fitness equipment. We decry the epidemic of obesity that is overtaking our population to an enormous (literally) degree. We investigate metabolism and hormonal effects. We debate the comparative merits and flaws of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and roughage. We develop new vitamin and mineral formulae. Diet books, support groups, internet clubs, and television shows trumpet tips, techniques, special aids and hundreds of weight control regimes that promise inevitable weight loss with the right combination of "tasty" and "delicious" foods, guaranteed to ensure that our comfort levels remain high and our self-discipline minimally challenged.

We fail to confront the irrefutable fact that obesity is caused by food addiction. Excuses and metabolic rationales aside (No, Virginia, no one ever walked out of a Nazi concentration camp or a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp fat -macabre but true) our out-of-control overweight is a direct result of our obsession with, and dependency on, too much food.

You may disagree. After all, the other CD addictions are for substances we can totally banish from our lives whereas we have to eat to live.

Consider the problem from a slightly different perspective. In the United States, an "all or nothing" society, the goal of the typical CD treatment program is total abstention. The alcoholic is taught that one sip of liquor is never acceptable and constitutes a full relapse from which recovery must start over. In Europe, and many other parts of the world, moderation is considered more realistic than abstention. The goal is to lower the level of usage to the point where it has no deleterious effects on the user's life and the problems - work, relationships, mood, productivity -are resolved.

Such a model can more easily be applied to food. Our bodies require a certain level of sustenance to thrive. It is when the intake becomes excessive that problems arise: appearance, the inability to be active, fatigue, depressed mood, and strains on the internal organs. If we can temper that level of intake, we can avert the consequences that follow overindulgence in anything.

Such is indeed the focus of many weight control programs. However, they are missing one vital ingredient: acceptance of personal responsibility. At a 12-Step meeting, members repetitively admit to the group: "My name is B and I'm an alcoholic." Imagine, if you will, the different atmosphere that would be engendered if a member were to state: "My name is B. I drink a lot because I inherited the genes from my drunken parents and I can't drink, like all my friends can, without overdoing it. It's so unfair that everyone else can enjoy a drink and I can't."

Such a statement sounds ridiculous coming from an admitted problem drinker yet that is exactly what we allow from our problem eaters. It is far more likely that we will tell a close friend: "M, I think you have a problem with alcohol and I want you to get help," than we will tell an equally close friend: "G, I think you have a problem with too much eating and I want you to get help."

We remain silent about overweight because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. We use euphemisms like "heavy" and "queen-sized" to avoid the word "fat." When a very overweight friend asks plaintively, "Don't you think this dress makes me look slimmer?" we quietly agree, refusing to give the honest answer that nothing in the world will make her look slimmer except losing 60 pounds of avoirdupois!

One lesson learned over decades of CD research and treatment is that the problem must be acknowledged before it can be addressed and beaten. CD clients are notorious for making excuses, playing mind games with those around them, and shirking self-responsibility whenever they can. If we can bring ourselves to acknowledge that we are addicted to food, it allows for eventual movement into a process of change, bypassing the excuses and rationalizations at which overeaters excel -- to an extent that their CD counterparts would admire.

Confrontation of the problem requires that we drop the faade of politeness and euphemistic phrasing. As a society, we need to look at others and ourselves and call it as we see it. If I'm fat, I'm fat, and it's my responsibility to not only admit that honestly, but to also admit to myself and the world that it is my fault: I am the one who made myself fat. No one else forced food into my mouth. Like the recovering alcoholic at the bar, I can always say no or drink a plain club soda. Like the recovering cocaine addict who learns to stay away from certain street corners or drug houses, I can stay away from bakeries, fast food outlets, and pizza parlors.

Weight control can be simple - eat only what you need to survive - but never easy. The fallacy of many diets is that we can lose weight without suffering. Stopping or minimizing CD abuse is always painful and a craving for chocolate, ice cream, or the urge for sugar (no one seems to crave vegetables) can be as overwhelming to the dieter as the addict's emotional need for his drug of choice.

Naming our national weight problem for what it really is, a plain old addiction to food, releases us to start the process of rehab and recovery that has been so completely developed in the CD field. Honesty, and the willingness to work through pain to reach our goal, allows us to not only accept our responsibility for our problem but also to relish the triumph of our eventual success.

Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic. She specializes in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. The author of The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a free ezine, The Worker's Edge, she recently completed a psychologically-based weight control book: Diet with an Attitude:A Weight Loss Workbook. She can be reached at http://www.DietWithAnAttitude.com

posted by 46124  # 4:19 PM 0 comments

What's really most important when hiring a virtual assistant is doing your due-diligence before you make the hire. just like anyone else, virtual assistants come with their own personality, life issues, and family situations. Making sure they mesh with what you need are paramount to ensuring smooth sailing after youve finally agreed to work with the VA.

Virtual Houdini - The Virtual Assistant Disappearing Act

Yes, it can happen. Back when you worked in the retro bricks-and-mortar world, how often did someone simply not show up for work? They quit, right? Unfortunately this can happen with virtual assistants as well. Perhaps not as often as in the bricks-and-mortar world but it does happen. Why do virtual assistants quit, disappear, move on? The same reasons they quit, disappear, and move on in the bricks-and-mortar world. Maybe they needed more money. Maybe they became ill and could no longer work. Maybe a better offer came along. Maybe they didnt like the work. You cant entirely avoid the situation itself but there are things you can do to minimize the damage if and when it does. Protecting yourself ahead of time for when it does and realizing that it could happen is your best defense.

Online files. Not only does putting your files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) online facilitate working virtually, but it also protects you if and when a virtual assistant leaves. Simply change the passwords then shes locked out and you dont lose any files or have to go hunting them down.

Pay withholding. Why not put something in your contract with the virtual assistant that says you reserve the right to withhold pay until work files are returned?

Passwords. As soon as a virtual worker leaves or is let go, remember to change your passwords on everything he or she had access to!

What I Say Versus What I Can Do

Would you hire someone to watch your children just because they say theyre capable of doing so? I didnt think so. Then why would you hire a virtual assistant (or anyone for that matter) without first finding out what they can do and if they can do what they say they can do? I recommend several steps be taken to test a new virtual assistant contractor before contracting with them. These steps are modeled after our own companys interviewing process, which has evolved over the years. Its a lot of work on your part but very worthwhile. If you dont want to take all of these steps then look for a good virtual staffing agency, like Team Double-Click who does all of the work for you.

1) Job posting. In your case you'll either need to make a posting on a job board, such as CareerBuilder, monster, or Craigs List. Or you can search those boards for virtual assistants looking for work.

2) Typing test. You want to know your new virtual assistant can typeaccurately, right? Send him or her to typingtest and ask for the results back. Look for a high level of accuracy coupled with high speed.

3) computer skills test. Again, you want to know your virtual assistant can use Word and Excel. Send her to expertratings, ask her to take the free Word and Excel (and any others you want to know about) tests and send you the scores.

4) First interview. Agree on a time and date for the first telephone interview. Then give the potential virtual assistant your number and have her call you. Have your questions ready. Did she show up on time? Did she answer your questions to your satisfaction? Do her skills still fit?

5) Work personality. You simply must know if the person you are about to contract is honest, has a high level of integrity, is a team player, and so on. We recommend totaltesting, where you can ask the potential virtual assistant to take such a test. now this one costs a few bucks. Its up to you whether you want to pay for it or require the virtual assistant to pay for it. just remember if you ask her to pay for it and you dont hire her shes not going to be a happy camper.

6) Second Interview. The cool thing about Total Testings work personality tests is that they give you another set of questions to ask the candidate during a second interview. Have a friend, spouse, or colleague interview this person the second time. Compare notes. How does each of you feel about this person? Will she work out?

7) Contract. If youre ready to contract this person its time to pull out the non-compete, non-disclosure contract we discussed in the last article. Send it to the virtual assistant for review and signing. Be absolutely sure this is signed before putting him or her to work.

8) EIN and W9. We also discussed, in the last article, requiring the contractor to obtain a (free) EIN (employer identification number) to further protect you from possible employer/employee claims later on down the road. Nows the time to ask for this, along with a completed W9 form.

This is the abbreviated version of our process. We throw in a few things like setting up a company email account, and we have a review process, which each virtual assistant goes through. A team of three HR pros discuss each candidate and determine if a contract will be offered. Because were a staffing agency, your screening process will look a little different from ours.

Give Me All You Got

Never send a virtual worker a ton of materials (letterheads, envelopes, brochures, etc.). Its just a safeguard. While it is very rare that someone would leave and not return those materials to you, if they did, how much money would you have tied up in replacing all of those expensive printed materials? Its just better not to do it in the first place. Send a virtual worker slightly more than what they need to perform the task at hand.

The Five Finger discount - Identity Theft/Credit Card Number Theft

One of our clients biggest concerns has always been identity theft and credit card number theft. In all the years weve been staffing virtually, weve never seen this happen. It may be that the work personality profile is weeding out the people who might be tempted and our HR department is further ferreting out those who are less-than-desirable, but the other half of it is the contractor mentality of a virtual assistant as opposed to the employee mentality of anemployee!

You can minimize your risk by not giving out your credit card information to a virtual assistant. If you need to give the virtual assistant a credit card number for ordering products or services on your behalf, get a separate card that is used for nothing but items the virtual assistant orders for you. Its much easier to check over your bill for erroneous charges this way.

Hours availability

When hiring a virtual assistant, not only do you need to make sure their skills and abilities mesh with you and your business, but you must also be sure the virtual assistant has enough time to take care of your needs. Very simply ask the potential virtual assistant how many other clients she has, how many hours per week she is working, and how many hours she has to devote to you. Does it work with what you need? If not, move on.

The rate

I dont know about you, but Ive never bought something without first knowing what it was going to cost. Important questions to ask before contracting a virtual assistant:

1) What is the rate per hour?
2) Are there different rates for different tasks?
3) If so what are they?
4) Do you round to the nearest hour or the nearest minute? To the nearest minute is the most desirable.
5) Is there a start up fee?
6) If so, how much?
7) Is there a termination fee?
8) If so, how much?
9) Is there a minimum usage?
10) If so, how much?
11) Can you work within my budget? In other words, if I can only afford 10 hours per week, what happens when youve reached 10 hours? How is that handled?
12) What are your future plans? How long do you intend to be a virtual assistant? Is this a career for you or a short-term venture for some extra cash?

My philosophy when hiring anyone, virtual assistants included, is to hire slowly and fire quickly. Trust your gut. If you dont feel that a virtual assistant is working out, let her go immediately and dont look back. Your gut is probably right. But do take your time hiring. Go through the paces to determine if he or she is the best fit for YOU; itll minimize the risk that he or she wont work out for you later.

Gayle Buske is the founder, president and CEO of Team Double-ClickSM, the countrys foremost virtual staffing agency. As the head of a virtual staffing agency with over 19,000+ virtual professionals in its pool, Ms. Buske is uniquely qualified to aid clients growth through virtual outsourcing as well as speak to the ins and outs of the industry. Gayle enjoys spending her free time with her husband, business and life partner, Jim, their daughter Madison, practicing Yoga, reading, off-roading, hiking, flower gardening, and playing with the familys three dogs and two cats.

Team Double-Click, Inc. provides virtual assistance for small and home-based businesses. Visit Team Double Clicks Web site at http://www.teamdoubleclick.com or phone 888.827.9129. Click to receive your free report, 101 Ways To Work With A Virtual Assistant.

posted by 46124  # 10:22 AM 0 comments

So you are thinking about buying a vacation home in orlando, FL? You will not find a more perfect great destination. There is just so much to see and do, and climate wise it is comfortable all year round. The most popular attractions include:

walt disney world: Everyone has heard of Disneyworld. It is the most popular vacation spot on the planet! Four gigantic theme parks make up an area roughly the size of boston. People mistakenly think that Disneyworld is just a place for kids. It offers a bit of something for everyone.

Season passes are surprisingly affordable if you consider all that you get with it. Disneyworld is so huge that it would take a very, very, long time to see everything. Disney is even more enjoyable during the off-season. You can't beat the short lines and cooler climate! The best part is the attractions run year round.

You could also consider owning a home that you travel to during the off-season, and then rent it out during the summer. The money you would make on this would pay for your home!

Universal studios, orlando: Universal studios is made up of two large themeparks. one park focuses on the movies that Universal has put out while the other is more of a traditional "thrill" park. There is also an adult section called "Skywalk" that features night entertainment and dance clubs. The parks are comparable to Disney in terms of scope and frills.

wonderful florida Beaches: orlando is just a skip away from Florida's many beautiful beaches. Even tampa is a car ride away. The best part is that the climate allows you to enjoy the beaches almost year round.

orlando florida Nightlife: There are tons of adult themed places and activites in the orlando area. Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe, in addition to Universal and Orlando's offerings are just some of the many available places.

I hope you will consider owning a vacation home in orlando, FL. There is just so much to see and do!

Kathy Warner is an experienced and caring parent. Did you know you can save 50 to 75% on flights and hotels by using "travel agent only' rates? Check out http://www.familytravelingtips.org

posted by 46124  # 3:36 AM 0 comments