Win a Virtual Assistant for One Year!

After reading "The Four Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferris, I have been fascinated with the idea of having a Virtual Assistant. Someone to handle the minutia in my business life. Helping me to focus on the further development of QuickPlanner Plus and meeting the needs of our growing number of users.

If you, like me, have wondered what it would be like, now is your chance! Elance, a very reputable company that links freelancers with companies needing service, has a new contest. You can Win a Virtual Assistant for One Year! Here is the information from their website:

What If You Had a Virtual Assistant?

Do you have big plans for your business in 2008, but not all of the resources you want to make a big impact? Dream big, because you could win a Virtual Assistant for 2008!

Travel Plans, Data Entry, Word Processing, Transcription, Market Research, Event Planning, Presentations, Calendar Management, Online Marketing
How to Enter the Contest
Answer this question: How would you use a virtual assistant to grow your business or improve your personal life?
Send your answer—in video, written or audio form—to Elance via email or snail mail: 441 Logue Avenue, Suite 150, Mountain View, CA 94043. Written entries must be 500 words or less, and audio and visual entries must be one-minute or less. Entries must be received by January 25, 2008 11:59:59pm PST.
Remember, the contest is open to all registered Elance Members who have an Elance Account in good standing at the time of entry, so if you haven’t established an Account yet, establish one now—it's free!

PRIZES:

One Grand Prize Winner will receive Elance promotional credit redeemable for the purchase of $5,000 in services on Elance.
Three Runner-up Winners will each receive Elance promotional credit redeemable for the purchase of $500 in services on Elance.
Ten Honorable Mentions will receive a copy of best-selling business productivity book The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss.

The full information on this contest is available by CLICKING HERE.

Tim Ferriss and "The 4-Hour Work Week"

I wanted to take a moment and recognize the man who inspired me to create QuickPlanner Plus - Timothy Ferriss. His book, The 4-Hour Work Week (4HWW) was an interesting and eye-opening read.

Now, mind you, I am not the kind who is looking to live like the "new rich" and be able to travel the world and not worry about my companies, but I am intersted in creating automated income with online businesses so I can use my freed time to pursue my own personal passions which include the US Navy Reserve and Through the Mind, a non-profit I started that provides free mental health services to returning war veterans, helping veterans overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

So 4HWW was inspiring for me. I have always been an entrepreneur and while I was programming web-pages in pure HTML in 1995 before I found any WYSIWIGs to use, I can honestly say that I have never been on the cutting edge of the web revolution.
Most of my graphic design clients simply wanted a website for the digital brochure aspect, not the Web 2.0 possibilities. And I have never had the time to really research the web and see what great opportunities there are out there now for creating a successful business.

4HWW changed all that. It was like being a vegetarian and then getting your first taste of a ribeye from Ruths Chris Steak House. Your first thought is WOW - where in the #%$&! have I been?

QuickPlanner Plus is my first product since reading 4HWW and I am very thankful for your support. Since then I am working on two other concepts, one that is a supplement and another that recently launched a trial run called NeighborHoodlems.com. A neighborhood-based clothing company. Not an original idea, but I am filling a gap not seen in the higher-end product markets.

BTW, I will be posting my plans as prepared by QuickPlanner Plus in the User's Only area of www.QuickPlannerPlus.com in a week or so.