14th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: Vacations

I’ve written previously about my love of western Ireland specifically the Cliffs of Moher. You can read it again along with viewing an awesome video clip here: http://cmjoffice.com/blog/2008/03/03/the-clune-family-from-tierlaheen-county-clare/.

For this edition, I am writing about my desired vacation to Ireland.

Yes, I have been to Ireland several times. However, I’ve always travelled to and stayed with my cousins on the farm that my grandmother was raised on. My dream vacation is to be able one day to travel to Ireland with my husband and three children. I want to show my children Ireland especially where their ancestors once walked.

I have a couple of places in mind:

1. The Cliffs of Moher (of course)
2. Ennistymon (Tierlaheen – my Clune, Larkin, Hogan, and O’Loughlin families)
3. The Burren
4. The Knock Shrine, County Mayo (my Donahue family)
5. Longford County (my Larkin, Reilly, McWade and Degnan families)
6. Monaghan County (my Finnegan and Boyle families)
7. Rock of Cashel

Above represents the absolute ‘musts’ for my family dream trip to Ireland. Of course, along the way I plan to see the green, eat the chips, take in some hay, get some perfume in the Burren, say some prayers in Knock, visit with friends and family, do some Finnegan research, and watch my kids enjoy themselves! Someday this trip will come true. I can’t wait.

Colleen Degnan Johnson

Great question in my opinion.

There are so many individuals scattered about on the web claiming to be experts at one thing or another. Some are and some are not. Tread the waters carefully.

I believe most are piranhas. One of the easiest things to do if you cannot make it within your industry is to hang a sign out stating that you are an expert. Once they make that claim, these vultures charge a person for their advice whether it’s good, bad or already widely known.

So, how does one decipher through the garbage and scams?

1. Make sure the program, lecture, article, book, etc., is not outrageously priced. I’m sorry; but if something is out of the ball park, the game is over and these people are looking for you to pay their way through life.

2. Research this so-called expert. Make sure they are who they say they are within their industry. Do they have the right to claim they are an expert?

3. Read what they are offering. If the offer is something that you don’t need, don’t bite.

4. Think about what you’re paying for and decide if it is truly worth the cost. Is the value there?

5. Avoid the hype. Don’t jump on board just because others are jumping. Listen to your inner voice. In other words, don’t be a follower.

You can find experts on the web. Usually they share some valuable information along with their wares. Once you see and understand that they have valuable knowledge, you should move forward and reap the benefits.

Colleen Degnan Johnson
CMJ Office

I had a client spooked by their family tree.

Why?

It was rumored that the great grandparents were first cousins. This truly horrified this individual. Well, you can’t look at this fact from this day and age. You must look at the past.

What do we know about the past?

Transportation wasn’t as it is now. Communities were smaller. Families were tighter and living close by each other. It was a different world.

So, don’t be too spooked if there is a first cousin marriage within your family. It happened.

I haven’t discovered this within my own family but boy did they push the limits. My family members just grazed by this rule multiple times.

This was proven to be a fact and not just a rumor. I discovered that the great grandmother was sent to live with her uncle and aunt as a teen with her younger brother after her mother and father passed away. Very sad news indeed but did explain an unknown tragedy within the family. From there, you can gather that her uncle’s eldest son and her fell in love and married.

I think the client was still spooked by this fact but the unearthed tragedy lessened the blow.

Do you have a first cousin marriage in your family tree?

Colleen M. Johnson, CMJ Office

I’m a believer in credibility. I am credible. My abilities, experience, work history, testimonials and awards make me so; but my membership at VACOC proves it. The VACOC can show a business that a virtual assistant has an administrative strength and knowledge within the field.

I was recently told, “So what. A business isn’t going to know that or care.”

Why wouldn’t a business care about credibility or competency?

The biggest selling and marketing point for me regarding the VACOC is the fact that members must meet and pass the criteria for membership. It demonstrates professionalism and ability.

Again, someone might throw out that phrase, “So what”?

Let’s say a business owner finds a virtual assistant and believes what they see at face value. Can they feel completely confident that they have partnered with someone competent? I don’t think so unless they have found this VA through word of mouth or a peer referral.

“The VACOC is the association for the virtual assistant who:

• Has at least 5 years upper level administrative experience (e.g., secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, etc.).
  
• Is highly skilled before entering the profession.
  
• Offers support that is primarily administrative in nature.
  
• Operates a committed, legitimate business (not freelancing on the side).
  
• Operates a solo practice (we do not represent telecommuters, secretarial services, virtual teams or virtual staffing agencies).
  
• Believes in ethics, honesty and integrity in business.
  
• Is serious about the profession, and committed to building a successful business.”*
  

So, as a business owner, wouldn’t you feel better about working with a virtual assistant that has established themselves, has the experience, and has passed certain criteria that proves the VA is competent? My answer is, “Yes”.

There are certain niche fields that virtual assistants market too. The underlying experience and abilities remain administrative. So, if you are searching for a credible virtual assistant, my experience has taught me that the place to find the best is at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce.

This blog post has been graciously submitted to BizzyWomen by Colleen M. Johnson.  She is the owner of CMJ Office, a virtual administrative and genealogical research business.   CMJ Office provides top quality virtual administrative assistance for business owners and individuals.

She offers many services including proofreading, blogging, MS Office applications, admin support, database maintenance, mail services, internet research, and genealogy research.  She holds several memberships including VACOC, IVAA, VANetworking, NEHGS, and DCWW.  If you need assistance, please contact her or view her website information at http://www.cmjoffice.com.

Trust.

A big word when you’re dealing with a small business.

So, how do you trust a small business that provides a service?

Here are some of my tips:

1. Communicate. Whether it’s through email or phone conversations, you need to communicate. Discover through these communications if your styles/personalities mesh.
2. Research. Do your homework and research the background of the business and the owner. Learn if the company and owner are qualified to provide the service(s) you’re requiring.
3. Testimonials. See if the testimonials that the company provides are factual. If you’re on a web site or social network group, follow the link provided. Request phone numbers to contact past clients if testimonials are not provided or get the customer base from the company.
4. Organizations and Affiliations. See if the company is associated with any organizations and affiliations. If they are, check them out.
5. Credentials. Investigate the credentials thoroughly. Is the business certified properly to provide the services they are offering and at what level?
6. Insurance and License. Make sure the business is licensed and insured. This is to make sure that your business is covered.

These are just some tips to help you trust a small business that is service based. You can trust them if they pass the test.

Does that mean you will be happy with the service they provide to you? No, but maybe you will be. There are never any guarantees.

If you follow my tips, you can be sure that you can trust the small business.

This blog post has been graciously submitted to BizzyWomen by Colleen M. Johnson.  She is the owner of CMJ Office, a virtual administrative and genealogical research business.   CMJ Office provides top quality virtual administrative assistance for business owners and individuals.

She offers many services including proofreading, blogging, MS Office applications, admin support, database maintenance, mail services, internet research, and genealogy research.  She holds several memberships including VACOC, IVAA, VANetworking, NEHGS, and DCWW.  If you need assistance, please contact her or view her website information at http://www.cmjoffice.com.