Ever since Tim Ferriss wrote and published The 4 Hour Work-Week, there has been hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurial lifestyle fanatics looking to creating what Tim calls, their ‘muse’. Some have succeeded, some have failed – terribly. I wanted to write this quick post to be able to point out some simple things you can utilize virtual assistants for, when kick-starting your muse creation empire!
It doesn’t really matter what kind of muse you’re creating for yourself to be able to create passive income streams and capture that 4 Hour Work-Week dream. It can be an eBook, it can be an eCourse, it can be a software download, it can be a membership site—it seriously doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you’re making the move; you’re taking the step to be able to become more of a passive income generating entrepreneur. Will it lead you to a 4 Hour Work Week lifestyle? Maybe. Maybe it won’t. But the most important thing is that you’re taking that first step to be able to try and create your muse, get it up online and get people spending money on it.
So when it comes to utilizing virtual staff to be able to create that muse and get it out there, there are a number of different ways you can utilize the support they bring to the online business-building table.
Get Them to Work Hard, While You Work Smart
The first thing to do straight off the bat is competition research and keyword analysis. And a virtual assistant can do that for you very, very effectively. I have people working for me full-time here in the facility, checking this stuff out for me, as I write this post – but, you can do it with anybody anywhere in the world.
Once that research is done and you’ve figured you want to give it a go, it’s time to register your domain name. If you struggle on this, brainstorm with the people around you to come up with ideas for that all-important domain name. I have credited my wife, Ercille, on many occasions and in many interviews to naming the blog you’re reading right now! Obviously, you’re going to want to make sure it’s related to the product that you’re going to be creating and selling in some way shape or form.
Your domain name registration and coming up with ideas can also be done with, or by your virtual assistant as well. Once that goes into effect you’ve got to develop your online portal, or your blog. You can do that yourself but it’s going to take a long, long time to customize, for instance a WordPress theme. I tried it myself on my first blog or two. I did achieve it, but it took forever (especially as I am a bit of a perfectionist!) and I’m just too busy for that kind of stuff nowadays.
Get Them To Do The ‘Techy’ Stuff
Get anybody with PHP and/or WordPress knowledge and experience and it’s a slam dunk all the way. Virtual assistants are perfect for this type of stuff – plus, if you don’t want to hire a full-time developer, just pay them for the project itself.
Graphic design. Now this is obviously not just for your online side of things, but offline, too. Like laying out and designing an eBook, or producing a video, 3D graphics that you are going to be using in the video side of the product that you might be putting out, etc. You can also look at hiring a virtual staff member to be able to handle the editing of your videos as well – both for the short and long-term.
Get Them to Network For You
Something else that you can really utilize virtual staff for is networking. Networking online through Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace—although it’s not talked about nowadays – that sort of stuff is perfect for a virtual assistant, because a lot of it can be put on autopilot. It is, however, very time consuming, so don’t waste your time on Twitter all day long!
Bottom line here is that as long as you’ve given your virtual assistant good directions, they can do almost all of your online networking for you, saving you a boatload of time, so you can focus on other money-making tasks!
One of the other big things you can use virtual assistants for to great, great effect – and this is something I’m a big fan of – is online research. Get them to research the living daylights out of any kind of business model that you might be thinking about pursuing, someone you might want to JV with, or a website you want to review, etc.
So, there are a few different ways to utilize a virtual assistant to create your muse, just as Tim Ferriss has done. If you have had success in working with VA’s to help you do this type of stuff online, please share your experiences below – share the wealth, guys – it’s good karma!
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Hi Chris
Excellent post.
Even though the book is now a few years old the message is still very relevant I feel. Especially the passive income parts.
I have tried, without much success to launch a couple of my ideas. Not that I was ready to give up but this article kinda shows me what is possible with the [right] help.
I might just give it another go. Thanks Chris.
Sam
Hi Sam
Yes, even with the extended edition at the end of last year, it does indeed seem like quite a long time ago that it was released. But, like you say, the message is extremely relevant. And with all the people that HAVE gone off and done their 4HWW thing, it just makes that message even more real.
Keep plugging away on your muse ideas. it’s rare to succeed on the first try – in ANY business… And I am speaking from personal experience here, too!
Good luck and keep us up to date.
Best regards,
Chris
This is excellent advice Chris, really great. The only catch for me is the cash to pay said VAs. That said, this information that I will definitely log mentally as ‘come back and read again’ once I have things up and running and a bit of positive cash flow
Hi El
Keep working hard – you’ll be there soon, I know it.
If only they’d work for free, huh!?!!!!
Lol.
Chris
Yes, it was 2am when I replied. But, that’s the end of my ‘work day’ normally…
Great place to live, the Philippines. But, a pain when it comes to doing business in the USA and the UK, because of the timezones! I’ve basically gotten used to it though.
Sounds like some good things to do. Is there a onestop shop to find us one?
Samurai
Hi Samurai
Thanks for the comment…
Stay tuned, buddy – announcement on a new service I am launching coming VERY soon!
Regards,
Chris
Yeah, I think I just sent you an e-mail on this very subject. Did you crank out this post just for me? Just kidding!
Very cool stuff, just what I needed to hear!
Hi Randall
Just coincidence, buddy – but, hey, if the timing is that good… Awesome!
Glad you enjoyed it, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Best,
Chris
Great post, Chris. I think this is something lots of people want to know about, since most of us have ideas but have yet to take action and start a muse.
And it’s also why I had you do the guest video post on the topic.
Thanks again Chris.
- Eric
Hi Eric
And it was a pleasure doing it for you, my friend…
Hope everything is going well on your own 4HWW mission, too.
All the best,
Chris
Hey Milt
Glad you liked it, bro.
Communication is key, of course. You’re right. The good thing, also, is that most VAs absolutely DO speak great English. However, I have also worked with a few that didnt – however, they could READ English excellently and therefor ‘got it’. But, it doesnt always happen that way, I guess.
Thanks for the comment, much appreciated.
Chris
Chris,
Thanks for this. I took the plunge and hired a VA. He has done wonderful stuff technically but I want to make sure that I get the most from him. In the beginning it seems like I have to work hard with him. I hope that settled down to creating a good team.
Hi Ralph
First up, congratulations on the beginning of your Virtual Business Lifestyle – welcome to the club, formerly.
Working with a new VA is just like working with any new member of staff. It needs to be worked at and you need to invest. The challenges faced are normally down to the distance between the two of you. One thing you can try is to get your VA working YOUR timezone (if he isnt already) for the first month or two. This will enable you to spend more time with him, and get things moving faster.
Keep at it, and let me know if you need any pointers on any specific subjects. They might make good blog posts!
Chat soon, buddy.
Chris
He is 9 hours away but seems to be a night owl so we do intersect often. Thank heaven for Skype. I am having to get used to things being changed on me. Looking forward to getting to the money making part to pay for this investment.
Just remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day… And neither is an awesome full-time employee.
Stick with it – you’ve made the first move, thats the most important thing!
Keep us up to date with things.
Chris
Hi Chris/everybody
You write, as so many other people say too, that the most important thing is to make the first step. I know this very well and have long agreed 1000% with that as I am in this agonizing state myself, i.e. having some ideas and just not doing this ‘so important first step’.
I was made aware of an article about ‘The superstar effect’ which some of you may have read, in case you are subscriber to Tim Ferriss’ blog. It made me think that it does indeed need some caution with the first step and that always when somebody says: ‘do the first step’ you should at least question yourself if you have done enough to say to yourself that this the first step doesn’t lead into complete darkness, hoping that you’ll be able to find the light at the end of the tunnel soon.
Here’s the article on Tim’s website in case you want to check it out:
http://tinyurl.com/373gesb
Best regards to everyone with the muse and the first step/s!
David
Hi David
Thank you kindly for this very insightful comment.
Youre right, standing back, taking a look and asking a couple of ‘tough’ questions is always a good idea. Ultimately though, the difference in life between the successful dudes and the not-so-successful dudes are those that do have the Richard Branson mindset of “Screw it, lets do it…”.
Nice to see you commenting for the first time, and please do look around, I’m sure there’s more stuff here that would engage you enough to drop another couple of comments to the growing VBL Community.
Thanks again,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I share your opinion that at some point there needs to be this ‘screw it, let’s do it’-moment. Finding this moment can be difficult, for sure. You never know when you have ‘enough’ information gathered and enough preparation done to be able to say: now it’s the time. One needs to constantly tell him/herself that the timing is never perfect and you can only do so much.
Still, I do think that people who don’t prepare well enough and do the first step without at least knowing that the worst case is unlikely and that if it happens it is nothing serious or irreversible, these people will in most cases fail – and not get up anymore due to the severity of the damage…
Anyway, I guess this discussion is out of place for your article here about VAs and muse creation
Regarding the article: thanks, glad you posted that and reminded me how VAs can make our lives easier
I am in this phase of wanting to start a blog (surprise, surprise) and am not really much into all this tech stuff so it will probably be worth to spend some € (yes, I am one of your European followers 
) on that.
Of course, the difficulty is that one never knows how much it is going to cost you in the end – probably one of the major reasons that hold people back to use a VA. Especially when you’re just starting with something like a blog that could, in the end, end up as a passive source of income, you think that it will be much cheaper doing it yourself than paying some VAs for it. Which, only looking at the € value you spend, is true but doesn’t take into account any frustration you might experience, time you spend for that etc etc…
I have to keep reminding myself about this
Long life entrepreneurship!
David
Hi David
Thanks for such a great follow-up comment. And yes, you do need to ask yourself ‘is this worth it’, especially in the beginning. If finances are limited, do it yourself, for the time-being – get some experience, and then when some $$$ starts coming in, start delegating, my man!
European ‘fans’ of the blog are always welcome – thanks!
Look forward to seeing you with us again soon.
Best,
Chris