Undoubtedly we all work to earn money – don’t we? If it wasn’t to earn money then surely that comes under the banner of being a “hobby”.  How do you separate the two?

Here are my views on Seth’s 8 points – what are yours?

1. For the money - Most definitely
   
2. To be challenged - Running your own business is always going to be a challenge however with it being your own business you will only get out of it what you put in.
3. For the pleasure/calling of doing the work - I enjoy my work, I can choose what I want to do and what I don’t.
   
4. For the impact it makes on the world - I doubt anything I do has an impact on the world, but hopefully I do help others run their businesses a little smoother.
   
5. For the reputation you build in the community - I like to think I help build communities on social networks.  Interacting with different people helps stimulate the brain.  Different ideas, varying degrees of application enhance a stronger on line community.
   
6. To solve interesting problems - I do like solving problems, looking for applications that will make any business run smoother.
   
7. To be part of a group and to experience the mission - I have always worked on my own – however when I set up On The Go I had to go networking.  In doing so became part of many groups and enjoy meeting people.
   
8. To be appreciated - If you work right then appreciation will come.

I am just reading The E Myth by Michael E Gerber.  I have only just started it but already I can see where I have gone wrong over the past 3 years.  That reminds me – it will be three years on the 5^th December when I set up On The Go – time flies!

Let me know your reasons – are they similar to mine?

If I join a networking group I want to be able to have choice. If I don’t have a choice then I will have to look outside of the network should I not particularly “click” with the only person in the room providing the service that I need.
The advantage of not adopting a “lock out” policy is all about the variety of characters you meet in the room – hopefully vibrant characters with their own little quirks and idiosyncrasies. How boring it would be to sit in a room where there is only one type of person from each field/service. Now when I say ‘how boring’ I must confess that I haven’t witnessed the situation personally because as I don’t agree with the principle I don’t join those types of group. I have however, often been at networking events where there have been over 5 or 6 Virtual Assistants in the room with each of us providing very different services but still under the banner of “Virtual Assistant”. When this happens, rather than feel threatened, it’s useful to find out what services your competitors actually undertake (that you might not) and use the situation to ask them if they would be willing to promote your services or form a collaboration – which in turn extends the services that you are able to provide.

I was recently contacted by a gentleman who was seeking the services of a Virtual Assistant providing all the services of a PA i.e. diary management, letters, flight bookings etc. As I don’t provide all the services he required I was pleased to be able to pass him on to another VA who does exactly what he was looking for – therefore providing a solution to his request. How disappointed he would have been if I had been the only VA in the group unable to provide the service he wanted!

There are, no doubt, some networking groups where this lock out practice may well work. For example in situations where the attendees are from large organisations and sending representatives on their behalf – so there is no point in having 3 or 4 reps from the same company. However as most networking groups are designed for small businesses let’s keep the new characters coming in and let’s keep the doors open to every sector – allowing everybody more freedom of choice.