Although the official VA Blitz day has come and gone, all three participating entities are still available to you.

Yesterday several members from the Michigan Virtual Assistant Association (MIVA) spent the day in BIGGBY Coffee locations throughout Southeast Michigan. For a suggested donation to Operation Kid Equip (OKE) patrons could request a free 25 minute consultation with a virtual assistant.

The purpose of the Michigan Virtual Assistants organization is to promote Michigan VA’s and to create an environment for networking and information sharing between VA’s. They also have a registry available to businesses and entrepreneurs looking to hire a virtual assistant.

The BIGGBY Coffee located at 1952 Telegraph Rd in Bloomfield Hills was my host for the day. I was very impressed with the staff; they were friendly, helpful and more than accomodating to all patrons. Great customer service seems to be the norm rather than the exception of this fast growing, social media savvy, homegrown chain of cafes.

I set up my table and spent the day working and chatting with the other VA’s via skype instant messaging. I had a couple of appointments show up, far fewer than I’d hoped. I did get to meet with a lawyer I had previously met through Motor City Connect. The other guest was an entrepreneur who owned a renovation company. We talked and then I designed him a graphic for his postcards and placed it on his thumbdrive. I also saved his logo in a variety of formats that he was better able to manipulate.

Another of the day’s highlights was when Menachem Kniespeck of Operation Kid Equip stopped by to introduce himself. Menachem cofounded OKE to ensure every child has the school supplies necessary to learn and succeed with their educational endeavors. The organization is working hard towards building chapters throughout Michigan and the United States.

Although the official VABlitz is over, you can still have great coffee at BIGGBY (locations here), you can still donate to OKE (help here) and you can still call me to schedule a free 25 minute consultation! (248-654-1550)