This isn’t actually a question that was submitted to my Dear Gritty VA column, but it was an email conversation with one of my members on a topic I thought would be helpful to everyone here… Dear Gritty VA: My main issue around retainers is that toward the end of some months, I’m less than half way through some of my retainers (meaning, clients still have about half their hours unused). Then I get worried that the last week of the month is going to be a flurry of activity trying to get all the hours in. My clients know where they stand with my hours, and they also know that…
Virtual Assistant
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The Gritty Virtual Assistant
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Dear Gritty VA: How Can I Handle Last Minute Requests at the End of the Month?
18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am -
Create More Desk Space with These Organizing Tips
16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amHere’s an article I wrote and published today in “The Portable Business™.” If you’d like to subscribe, go here: Piles aren’t necessarily a bad thing. As long as you are managing them (and not the other way around), they can actually be quite useful. But if you find that they are impeding your progress instead of supporting it… if you are constantly working around your piles instead of with them, it’s time to gain the upper hand. First Things First Understand why you pile. Is your workspace really working for you? Do you need a larger area or more storage? A bigger… -
What Browser Do Virtual Assistants Use Most?
12 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amI’m interested to know what Internet browsers Virtual Assistants are using most. I’m sure the results will be of interest to others so I created a little poll for you to take. After you take the poll, please do tell all your Virtual Assistant buddies so we can get a good cross-section for the results. Thanks! <br /> <a href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2254511/” mce_href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2254511/”>What Internet browser do you predominately use?</a><span style=”font-size:9px;”… -
Don’t Fall for Dangling Carrot Syndrome
11 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am“Incentive-based compensation…” “Good work will lead to more immediately.” “Work on commission and your income is only limited by your effort.” “I pay on percentage… if I make money, you make money.” Work your ass off and maybe you’ll get repaid in proper proportion for all of the effort and value you give away, is how that should read. This is all just more of the same… what I call Dangling Carrot Syndrome. They’re cockamamie schemes concocted by exploitists to do one thing: get out of paying you fairly and… -
Good Client Hunting
10 Nov 2009 | 10:03 amWhile we’re on the topic, I want to talk to you about clients. There are all kinds of clients in this world, more than plenty to go around. As an industry, we have only begun to scratch the surface of all the people and fields we can be helping, and will be helping eventually. And there are way more good people–and clients–in the world than there are rotten eggs. I clarify that lest anyone who hasn’t yet developed their world sense about this industry be discouraged by my vent yesterday. Don’t be. There is still all kinds of potential and opportunity and…
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ProVirtual Solutions - Mary Motz
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Working with A Virtual Professional? Avoid These Costly Pitfalls
14 Nov 2009 | 8:24 pmI work with a lot of virtual professionals (VPs) on a variety of different web projects. Most of my VP clients have their own team of other VAs/VPs that provide a range of services for their clients. The multiplicity of similar working environments provides a lot of experience to draw from when sizing up the effectiveness of the VA team scenario when providing client services. Inevitably, this produces a lot of water-cooler chat. One of the themes that often comes up is how to efficiently provide services to clients when the client is either brand new to working with VAs, or frankly, … -
My List of Must-Have WordPress Plugins
8 Nov 2009 | 6:35 pmOver the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to sample a more than a few of the thousands of WordPress plugins available that expand the functionality of a WordPress blogsite. In case you’re wondering, plugins are simple WordPress add-ons that are easily installed and add additional features – typically a utility (such as backups) or a bell/whistle of some sort. Depending on the WP theme you are using, some plugins are absolutely necessary and add features that, frankly, should already be part of WP (or probably will be in the near future). Some fulfill a specific… -
Deepak Chopra: Physician, Author, Master Twitterer
22 Sep 2009 | 9:03 pmWhen I mention to clients about how useful Twitter is for marketing and brand-building, they usually are surprised, or think I’m just a Twitter addict (guilty as charged!) trying to justify using the latest distraction. However, there are some real-life case studies of successful Twittering that can easily be observed… just by following and watching how the Twitter Masters (as I like to call them) tweet. There’s a lot of great case studies I could point to, but one very famous personality stands out as a fantastic example of how best to use Twitter: physician and… -
Weekend Blog Roundup: Portfolio Careers, Minimalism and Making $$ on Amazon Associates
22 Aug 2009 | 7:59 pmIt’s late on Saturday night, and yes – Im feeling a bit too lazy to write something original, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite blog articles for the week… WebWorkerDaily spotlights a new phenom in the world of career management: portfolio careers. The idea is that many today (including yours truly) have a work life that consists of a string of loosely related projects that could be described as a portfolio. The post mentions the upcoming book And What Do You Do?: 10 Steps to Creating a Portfolio Career by Katie Ledger and Barrie Hopson, in which portfolio… -
Help Email Help You: My Top-Ten Tips to Avoid Mailbox Overwhelm
12 Aug 2009 | 7:17 pmWith all the buzz surrounding social media, RSS, video and every other online outlet… one standby that gets taken for granted is good ol’ email. We all use it (and some of us love it), but it also can be a source of enormous frustration that can eat up a lot of the workday. Much of inbox-related angst is easily avoided with a few simple changes in what you use for email and how you process it. In no particular order, here’s my “Top-Ten” tips for helping email help you… 1. Use a proper email service. Seriously, making a change here can make all the…
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Virtual Regeneration
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Thank You Veterans!
10 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm -
The Art of Visualization - What I am learning from My Trees
9 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amStill with me?You are probably thinking I have lost my mind right....actually seeing my future office, with a huge tree and stream in it no less. Trust me - kind of freaked me out too.But stay with me, it will eventually start to make sense. In my posting on Oct. 29th, I told you about a tree that I look at pretty much every day.I had no clue how that tree would play such a big part in my vision planning and be used as such a huge metaphor for my business.Until a few days ago. I'm standing at the bus stop waiting for my daughter like every other day, looking around, and there it was -… -
Open Letter to Verizon Wireless
6 Nov 2009 | 11:20 amTo Verizon Wireless:I just got off the phone with your customer support. I am trying to give you money and she is telling me she cant take it because my upgrade month is not here. What?I want the new Droid phone. I am willing to pay the $199.99 and an additional $29.99 per month (for the unlimited data plan) in order to do it. But she is telling me I cant because my month (04/2010) is not here.Do you realize that you are turning down money because you wont allow people to switch phones in the middle of their contract. I am UPGRADING, not downgrading. I am trying to give you money… -
The Art of Visualization - Taking a metaphor and making it more realistic
3 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amSo how do you take a vision, or a part of it, and make it into something less metaphoric and more realistic?To be honest, I didn't have a clue.How was "my tree" going to help me with building a vision for what I wanted my business to look like in 5-years? Time for another visualization exercise...... This time around, Coach Ginny had me focusing on what exactly did I want my business to look like.The hardest part about doing this exercise is getting out my own way.It's not easy planning out something, doing the "what if time and money were not a factor" game.I… -
The Art of Visualization - Seeing things from a different point of view
29 Oct 2009 | 4:00 amAs I talked about in my first few posts, Coach Ginny took me through a visualization exercise that showed me and my family by a stream.If you recall, I saw myself sitting, leaning up against a tree.My initial vision was a close-up view, so all I could see was a small portion of the trunk of the tree. Before I go any further with this, I need to back up and share with you how every day I sit at the bus stop, waiting for the kids, and stare directly at this huge tree.I have been doing this two times a day for six-years now. I love this tree - in the summer it has lots of leaves, full of life.In…
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Virtual Assistant Forums | Virtual Assistant Network
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Question Basic Facebook Fan Page Url and Fan Base Growth Questions
20 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pmHello, I have a FFan page started and I want to grow the fan base. What is the url that I send people to request that they sign on? The url I find in my browser is so long that I can't imagine sending that long piece of text. Do I shorten that with bit.ly or something similar and use that url? What are some ways to grow the FFan page fan base? I do not want to ask my personal profile friends because I really want to keep my personal separate from my business. Thank you. Janine -
Hello from Denmark!
20 Nov 2009 | 10:45 amHello! My name is Simona Stavrova. I am a student in the Aarhus School of Business, Denmark, studying Marketing & Management Communication. I am looking forward to spending a lot of time here and, of course, learning a lot from you guys. -
Scented Business Cards
20 Nov 2009 | 4:16 amHi All I am thinking of adding a couple of services to my Business and Scented Stationary is one of them. I know you can get flavours like roses, chocolate, lavender etc and I think that there could be some great potential. Do you know any printers that I could get further info from? I am in Australia though not many people do it here at all, and I guess at the moment I am just looking for all the info on it before I make a final decision. Thanks for your help Erin -
Article Ten Signs You Need to Refuse that Project
19 Nov 2009 | 7:58 pmAnother great article in this morning's email from Freelance Folder. I thought in light of some of the recent discussions here at VAF that it was particularly relevant. Enjoy! :) Ten Signs You Need to Refuse that Project | Freelance Folder -
Awesome FREE Newsletters
19 Nov 2009 | 2:03 pmI've been using Mad Mimi for my newsletters lately, after it was introduced to me by one of my clients. It's fun and simple to use, and if you decided to upgrade to a pay account, it starts at only $8 per month. :thumbsup:
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Discussion Forum - FindVirtual.com
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English Spanish Translations
Hi all! I have been a member of FV for almost a year now, but have not introduced myself yet. I am a professional English Spanish translator located in Spain. I can handle almost any type of files (excel, word, powerpoint, html, xml, txt). I will be happy to collaborate with you in any project that requires translation into Spanish, either Latin American/US/Castilian Spanish. Lately I have been translating a lot of websites, but ebooks are also very popular. If you need anything done in Spanish let me know! Lizette -
Virtual Career Training Program: Sharing The Good News
I am so excited! The Virtual Career Training (VCT) Program has been approved by Utica Community Schools Training & Development Center for their Winter/Spring semester. This means, I will be instructing on campus. And by their recommendation - I am planning to offer the same program through Michigan Works (Government agency that helps the unemployed learn new career skills). What sets the VCT program above other VA programs is that it is an authentic "professional certification" program, which is sponsored through Hess Business Professionals & Associates LLC. The participants in this… -
Training Classes
I have a new class starting soon on Expert Ezines. Even if you already do HTML ezines for your clients, you will learn a whole lot more! www.Expertezinesclass.com 4 Module Class on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two weeks. Tuesday, November 10 Thursday, November 12 Tuesday, November 17 Thursday, November 19 from 9 am to 10 am Pacific/12 noon to 1 pm Eastern This class is perfect for you if you want to: * learn a new skill and keep up with the times * charge more per hour * be seen as an expert * feel more confident as a virtual professional How many times have you said, "Sure, I can do ezines."… -
Medical Transcription
Anyone needing a medical transcriptionist to outsource to? Contact me and I will hook the two of you up. -
Anyone belong to Mom Masterminds?
Lately I've gotten hooked on Totally Free Tuesday podcasts with Kelly McCausey. Each year I like to join a new group or association. For 2010 I'm considering Mom Masterminds. If you belong please share your likes, dislikes and benefits. It really sounds like a good group to join but I have to pick and choose from what others are saying in the VA industry.
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blog.looseends.net
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Please Mind Your Manners
16 Nov 2009 | 9:18 amPlease bear with this veteran VA while she spouts off on some assaults on common courtesy she’s noted of late. Lots of us who work in home offices find we have far fewer opportunities to attend meetings in public places these days. The proliferation of online meeting options has saved us time and money, enabling us to pop out to get a cup of coffee or let the dog out while participating with our colleagues in a virtual meeting room. The convenience and relative newness of virtual meeting spaces is the reason that the protocols aren’t yet firmly in place. I’ll assume that the… -
Climate change and the 6 Americas
14 Oct 2009 | 7:55 amWhat do these things have in common? 1. failure to use a condom 2. volcanic eruptions 3. buying imported foods 4. the earth’s tilt 5. leaving the lights on when leaving a room 6. wildfires 7. running unnecessary errands in your car Though some are natural events and others intentional/unintentional human activities, all can engender consequences which contribute to climate change. Whether or not you believe climate change is happening, and regardless of your stance on this subject as policitically polarizing (or not), here are some data, courtesy of the World Resources… -
Your blog’s role in your professional visibility
12 Oct 2009 | 11:11 amEver wonder where blogging is headed now that social media web sites have become mainstream tools? If you’ve decided that blogs are so 2008, think again. I just watched a great 8-part video series on Build a Better Blog, presented by Denise Wakeman of “The Blog Squad” fame. The series is called 5 Tactics for Small Business Blog Success. Check it out! Speaking of this, here are some earlier posts from the Loosely Speaking Archives: Has your blogging post waned? How to convert a static web site to a WordPress blog site Choose Wisely: your blogging platform, that is Does anyone… -
Whoops! What now?
9 Oct 2009 | 5:08 pmThere are many scenarios that can derail your well-oiled SOHO operation. These’ll getcha, just like a change up in baseball. And next thing you know, you’re out. Kids home for the summer or holidays. New baby. New pet. Extended visit from family or other house guests. Illness or death. Adult Child returns to the nest (that one just happened here at Loosely Speaking, in fact). Uninvited guests (termites, mold, etc.) Acts of God, like floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes. Some variation on this theme will likely affect your business operations at some point. So, how to… -
Prepare now for when business picks up again
7 Oct 2009 | 12:54 pmHere’s a list of things to do now, if you are in a work slowdown, so that when things pick up again you’ll be ready! 1. Recommit to your core services It’s easy to get off track when you are slow. Requests for charitable work or even paid projects that lie outside the area you love to work in is enticing since it represents much needed income or exposure. The problem with accepting too many such requests is that it’s work that takes longer to do since it’s not routine. Or, even if you can turn it around expeditiously, if it’s a killjoy you’ll come to…
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virtual-assistant « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Looking for Serious Bidders on Elance? Then Offer a Serious Wage
19 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pmIt never ceases to amaze me when I hear from folks who say they can’t find decent help online. When I ask what they are offering in terms of compensation, invariably they will quote some ridiculouslylow price… a price that no one in North America could live on, not even as a part-time supplement. They go to places like Elance and Guru and other job sites and try to find someone who will work for less than $5 per hour and then lament that “Good help is hard to find.” Excuse me? I recently put out some feelers on Elance for my own transcription business. I offered… -
Going Green - Switchover & planning your plan of action
19 Nov 2009 | 9:38 amHello, and welcome to our 2nd installment of our Going Green series. The first installment explained the benefits of adopting a paperless system. To catch-up, click here. When adopting a new system into place, it’s essential to plan out your plan of action – and get a date of when you will switch over to the new system. This obviously differs from company to company – for the larger companies it may take 6 months to a year for switchover to take effect; for smaller businesses and freelancers it make take a few weeks to implement. You may prefer to stagger switchover by saying… -
19 Nov 2009 | 3:28 am
19 Nov 2009 | 3:28 amGetting Started with Social Media. Facebook. Flickr. Twitter. YouTube. View more documents from jsmithdesigns. -
30 Days of Thanks - Day 18
18 Nov 2009 | 3:56 pmI am thankful for Stacy Brice of AssistU. Stacy has made it possible for people like me, administrative assistants, graphic designers, executive secretaries, and other professionals, to be able to use the skills we have gained over the years and use them to further our careers. This allows us to help individuals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their business with the help of trained Virtual Assistants (VAs). AssistU has enabled me to live my dream and is a source of continued growth as I learn new skills in my internship training and through the… -
Dr. Greenberg-Winter promotions (and check out my new website and blog!)
18 Nov 2009 | 11:54 amFrom: “dr greenberg” drlaurengreenberg@gmail.comSubject: Winter promotions (and check out my new website and blog! BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK! FOLLOW MY BLOG (sign up via twitter or rss feed on my website ) LOOK AT MY BLOG DEDICATED TO BODY POST BABY http:// www.bodypostbaby.com https://twitter.com/LGreenbergMD http://www.facebook.com/search/?init=srp&sfxp=&q=lauren+greenberg#/pages/Palo-Alto-CA/Lauren-Greenberg-MD-Cosmetic-Plastic-Surgeon/151903667843?ref=search&sid=1195764108.2690231755..1 to unsubscribe, email us at drlaurengreenberg@gmail.com
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Melodee's Virtual Assistant Blog
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Conversations About Delegation on Blog Talk Radio
16 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pmYes, I’ve been absent from the blogging world lately. I’ve been crazy busy setting up my new company: the Home Page Construction Company! I want to thank everyone who participated in my Name My Company Contest. Some wonderful names were entered, but for one reason or another (mainly because the domain names weren’t available) I didn’t choose any of them. Instead, I put everyone’s name into a hat (a baseball cap, actually) and …drumroll, please… the winner of 25% off a custom-designed website is Becky Nelson of Becky Nelson Ink! Congratulations, Becky! -
Name My Company Contest!
20 Oct 2009 | 11:23 amAffordable, easy-to-maintain blogsites are here! Gone are the days of paying webmasters thousands of dollars for a custom-designed, search engine optimized website with a matching blog. With state-of-the-art WordPress themes, it’s never been easier or more affordable to create a website/blog combination (or blogsite). I’m not talking about your run-of-the-mill WordPress theme, but a special foundation-type theme on which to build your blogsite. With easy-to-use design options, your blogsite can be built quickly and with much less need for HTML coding and custom css files. The best… -
Great New Book: The Commonsense Virtual Assistant
6 Oct 2009 | 7:02 amSue L Canfield recently released her book, The Commonsense Virtual Assistant – Becoming an Entrepreneur, Not an Employee. Today, she’s stopped by my blog. Why did you write this book?My husband, Joel D Canfield, and I co-authored the book to help newer and aspiring virtual assistants understand what it takes to run a successful business. Over the last two years, I found that many newer and aspiring virtual assistants were asking for and following my advice on how to run their business. Though they had the skills to be a virtual assistant, many had no idea how to run a business,… -
I’m QuickJumping and Togglin’ Along
30 Sep 2009 | 7:17 amSince I’ve got a little time while Vanessa thinks about her next e-book and Mrs. Malapert is researching her next tutorial, I want to talk about a couple of great productivity tools that I’ve found. The first one is called QuickJump and that’s the perfect name for it cuz that’s exactly what it does. With a few keystrokes, the QuickJump screen pops open, you enter in a few letters of the folder you want to get to, hit enter and voila!- you’re there! And it works for “File Open” and “Save As” windows in any application. I’ve just… -
Vanessa Determines Her Services, Niche and Rates
27 Sep 2009 | 10:40 amVanessa Andruz and I are excited! Book 4 of “The Adventures of Vanessa Andruz, Virtual Assistant” is now available. And it’s a doozy! Ever wonder what types of services Virtual Assistants can provide? Or how to find your niche? Or, and this is the BIG question for most VAs – how to decide what to charge for your services? Vanessa had those same questions when she was starting her VA business. Each VA is different – there’s no absolute answer that will apply to all, but reading how Vanessa answered those questions may give you some help in answering them for…
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The Virtual Wire
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National Family Caregiver's Month
19 Nov 2009 | 6:42 pmLast November was the first time I recognized "National Family Caregiver's Month" and it nearly slipped by me this year. You may recall, I posted about my findings here Perhaps, you'll enjoy revisiting last year's post as I highlighted a few Web sites and organizations that those in the role of caregiving for aging parents might find useful. This year's theme is "Safe and Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps." With the holiday season nearly upon us, the memories of my former caregiving years are quite vivid. Mom and Dad around the Thanksgiving table and so many visual… -
Can I get it all done?
17 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amAs I launch a new side business (my training academy) I am finding myself overwhelmed with so much to do. I have to look at my “to do list” with the criteria of “which project HAS to be done NOW?” I really hate that feeling of perpetually being behind and it isn’t like me. My clients love me and I don’t want to disappoint them but how do I get it all done? I do have a couple of tricks that I do so I stay organized and on target for project completion.The first one is my promise sheet. I take a sheet of paper (sometimes I just print the week’s blank calendar from Outlook). I make… -
Are you transparent?
16 Nov 2009 | 7:43 amLife is a funny old game!It is so interesting how one experience can shed light on another totally unrelated issue.I am talking about transparency!! My blog post is coming to you 3 days late because one of my student boarders had a succession of very violent fits on Friday.It was a totally horrendous and frantic experience which I won’t go into detail that brought to light one thing – he is epileptic.The thing is his epilepsy was not indicated anywhere on his admission papers, either with his school or with me as his UK host parent. In addition to this, this student has decided not to… -
Practice can make the difference
12 Nov 2009 | 7:20 pmHow do you manage difficult times? Have you found a sure-fire method for weathering the storms? Life has a way of providing plenty of practice to hone those key skills for surviving and thriving despite the circumstances. Several months ago, I wrote here about the choice I was making to stay open to the possibility of good things. I'm revisiting this topic today, simply because I need the reminder. With all that's stirring around me ... in current affairs, in my VA practice, in the daily whirlwind of activities ... it's critical to stay appropriately focused and remain open to… -
Giving Thanks
10 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amWith the American Thanksgiving holiday almost here (the Canadian Thanksgiving was last month), I wanted to spend a moment and talk about what I am most grateful for. Lots of my friends are blogging about 30 days of thanks or gratitude and I just don’t have the time to do it over 30 days. I am an “I want it now” kind of girl so I thought I would post my entire list of 30 things that I am thankful or grateful for. I hope I don’t bore you with the usual things and I hope I amuse you with some of my other things. So here goes. I am most grateful and thankful for: My family (almost goes…
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Halo Secretarial Blog
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Can You Access Your Documents From Anywhere
9 Nov 2009 | 10:04 amI can! When I first started operating Halo Secretarial, I realized how critical a proper backup system was going to be. I owned an external hard drive and was in the habit of using it semi-regularly to backup important information, but found it to be a time consuming process and was worried it wasn’t reliable enough by itself. A lot of research led me to believe that my best choice would be a backup and syncing setup, as I have two computers and wanted access to files on both computers from anywhere, plus I wanted to protect my data in case of computer failure or natural disaster. Now,… -
Quick Virtual Assistant Tips
3 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pmThere are so many things to learn when you are starting a new business, and there are some things I really wish I had known when I started my virtual legal assistant business! Whether you aspire to be a virtual assistant or you or thinking about working with a virtual assistant, I thought I’d share some quick tips I’ve learned and would have benefited from implementing sooner: Be clear from the beginning on your preferred method and hours of contact (applies to both client and VA). Discuss the “finicky” things right off the bat: font type, font size, paragraph… -
Value of Legal Dictation
19 Oct 2009 | 11:52 amI have had plenty of experience with transcribing documents, especially prior to starting my virtual legal assistant business, when I worked in a number of law offices. Dictation was standard for the majority of lawyers I worked with, as it was accepted that it was a more valuable use of time for the lawyer to quickly speak their instructions than to type their own materials up. In my very last law office, I noticed a trend toward lawyers who didn’t know how to use dictation machines or who didn’t feel they provided much value. These lawyers often simply sent instructions by email… -
New Hours for Halo Secretarial
7 Oct 2009 | 3:28 pmI’ve talked before about how challenging it can be to run a business from home, especially when it comes to taking phone calls! Currently I have an intentionally vague listing on my website for my availability, but I encourage clients and potential clients alike to contact me by phone. A year in business has taught me a lot though, and I think it’s time to put a small clarification in place. I am still going to be easily available by email and I will still work somewhat irregular hours, but as far as phone calls go I will only be available from 9am to 3pm MST. I also prefer to… -
Parenting at the Law Office
21 Sep 2009 | 9:59 pmI read a great article thanks to a tweet by @lisasolomon today about a law office where parents can bring their babies to work with them – not just occasionally either!! Now that’s work-life balance for sure. I’ve heard of some pretty wonderful sounding law offices ever since I started my virtual legal assistant business and had my eyes opened to alternative ways of doing things within the legal profession, but I think this is definitely near the top of the list in my opinion. It’s a small change, and yet it is HUGE for people who want that elusive “all”…
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Clerical Advantage Virtual Assistance Services
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6 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Clients From Your Website–#5
20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amIf you’ve been following this series of posts, you’ll know that we’ve been discussing reasons you may not be getting clients as a direct result of your website or blogsite. The first three reasons had to do with your content/copy and yesterday’s reason was all about how easy you make it to contact you from your site. Reason #5? You aren’t promoting your site. I’m not talking about SEO (search engine optimization) here, I’m talking about good old fashioned telling others about your site. When you speak to someone about what you do, do you always… -
6 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Clients From Your Website–#4
19 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amOver the past three days we’ve explored some things that might be keeping you from gaining clients from your website/blogsite. All of the possible reasons we’ve addressed so far have been related to your content and copy. Today we’re going to start looking at other possible problems spots. I would list Reason #4 as making it difficult for people to contact you. It may sound silly, but make sure you have made getting in contact with you as easy as possible. As hard as it may be to believe, I still occasionally come across sites with no contact information. But… -
6 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Any Business from Your Website–#3
18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amYesterday, in our quest to find out why your website isn’t bringing you clients, we examined whether we were talking to or at our target market. We learned that showing potential clients how we can help is better than telling them how great we are. So what’s next? The third reason you may not be getting clients from your website? Reason #3-You aren’t doing anything to bring your visitors back. This one often accompanies reason #2. Just as many businesses believe that visitors to their website want to see an impressive list of accomplishments, awards and experience, they… -
6 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Business From Your Website–#2
17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amIn the first post in this series I discussed one of the reasons your site may not be bringing you clients, aiming your content at the wrong market. The number two reason also has to do with your content. Once we’ve reviewed the site and looked at the content to determine who is being targeted, our next step is to see if they are talking to them or at them. Sadly, the majority of businesses talk at their target market. What do I mean? They give them a sales pitch, explaining what they do, why they’re good at it and try to impress potential clients with their education, experience,… -
6 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Business From Your Website-#1
16 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amAs I mentioned last week, the number one complaint I hear from business people is… “I’m not getting any clients from my website/blog.” And just in case you missed Friday’s post, I mentioned that when I take a look at these websites, the reason they are having this problem tends to be caused by one or more of 6 common issues. Today we’re focusing on #1. So just what is reason #1? You’re speaking to the wrong audience. The first thing I do when I visit someone’s site is to see if I can tell from the content, who their target market is. Sounds…
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Second Self Virtual Assistance
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Help Make Terminally Ill 5-Year-Old Boy’s Wish Come True
8 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amThe Cosmic Cow’s Carra Riley sent me a message on Facebook from one of her other Facebook friends telling me about this heartbreaking/heartwarming story that I wanted to pass along to everyone else in hopes that you, dear Active Rain members, will help this little boy and his family create a legacy of help and hope for other little kids. Little Noah Biorkman is a typical 5-year-old boy: he loves Christmas. However, what is atypical for this little guy is that he has been fighting cancer since he was 3 years old. When it went into remission in late 2007, the family was overjoyed. … -
I Don’t Need a Blog…Period!
26 Oct 2009 | 10:12 pm“I don’t need a blog…period!” These are the actual words spoken by one of our clients as she was being informed that, while SEO is great for working her site, social networking was an even better tool with even bigger results. She wasn’t buying it. (Notice the “period”, just in case we didn’t understand how much she meant it.) No matter how many times or how many ways we told her how important social networking is in a Web 2.0 world, she didn’t budge. If Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! understand the importance of social networking… -
Full Moon at Halloween
25 Oct 2009 | 9:17 pmI knew you couldn’t resist! You’re naughty, naughty children and need to spend time in the naughty chair. I hope you have a Happy Halloween! Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around! -
You Know it’s Hot When…
25 Oct 2009 | 8:54 pmAs a tribute to my Lake Havasu family and since there’s been alot of chatter about the weather amongst my Facebook friends today, I thought I would present: You know it’s hot when… 1. You have to bring your CDs into the house with you because they will melt if left in the car. 2. You need to use oven mitts to buckle your seatbelt and drive the car because the steering wheel and stick shift feel like you’re taking a roast out of the oven. 3. You brush your teeth with hot water because that is the only thing coming out of the cold water tap. 4. You can’t even hop… -
Are You Marketing Your Blog?
25 Oct 2009 | 8:51 pmAre you marketing your blog or are you just writing it? Yes, Word Press, Blogger, TypePad and Active Rain allow for a certain amount of “Google juice”. But, are you simply posting your blog on one of these platforms hoping that someone reads it…sometime? Or are you actively marketing your blog to those readers surfing the internet, hungry for the knowledge you know that only you can impart? If you aren’t actively marketing your blog, you may be missing one of the greatest opportunities to get your voice heard. There are several great blog directories that you…
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The Virtual Fast Lane
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From handshakes to hugs
3 Nov 2009 | 12:50 pmIt doesn't take long for folks you run into at business functions to morph from introductions, to passing acquaintances, to referral partners, to full-blown friends. I've seen it happen in three events, tops. -
Book Tour: The Commonsense Virtual Assistance
22 Oct 2009 | 2:31 pmSue L Canfield recently released her book, The Commonsense Virtual Assistant – Becoming an Entrepreneur, Not an Employee. Today, she’s stopped by our blog. We’re especially excited to see this book published because tips and quotes from Rescue Desk are featured on a few of the pages throughout the book Why did you write this book? My husband, Joel D [...] -
When the Winds of Change Blow
3 Sep 2009 | 5:39 amWhen an opportunity for the new and different rears its head, pay attention to what you do with it. You can ignore it, go with it, fight it or embrace it. -
Exploring A Career As A Virtual Assistant – Virtual Book Tour Stop #6
24 Aug 2009 | 9:14 amMy VA colleague, Jessica Maes, has just launched her book Exploring A Career As A Virtual Assistant and she is currently on virtual tour to promote it! Jessica operates a busy Virtual Assistance practice from her home office in Madison, WI. Additionally, Jessica has taught a class at the University of Wisconsin through the Minicourse department [...] -
What would the dog do?
20 Aug 2009 | 6:31 amMy pup, Sophie, is the first and only dog I’ve ever had, and she’s everything I’d ever want in a dog. I rescued her from the local shelter a few years ago and, surprisingly, she came fully loaded — she’s fully trained, fully mannered and fully loveable. She is easily the best dog ever. She gives [...]
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Second Self Virtual Assistance
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Help Make Terminally Ill 5-Year-Old Boy’s Wish Come True
8 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amThe Cosmic Cow’s Carra Riley sent me a message on Facebook from one of her other Facebook friends telling me about this heartbreaking/heartwarming story that I wanted to pass along to everyone else in hopes that you, dear Active Rain members, will help this little boy and his family create a legacy of help and hope for other little kids. Little Noah Biorkman is a typical 5-year-old boy: he loves Christmas. However, what is atypical for this little guy is that he has been fighting cancer since he was 3 years old. When it went into remission in late 2007, the family was overjoyed. … -
I Don’t Need a Blog…Period!
26 Oct 2009 | 10:12 pm“I don’t need a blog…period!” These are the actual words spoken by one of our clients as she was being informed that, while SEO is great for working her site, social networking was an even better tool with even bigger results. She wasn’t buying it. (Notice the “period”, just in case we didn’t understand how much she meant it.) No matter how many times or how many ways we told her how important social networking is in a Web 2.0 world, she didn’t budge. If Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! understand the importance of social networking… -
Full Moon at Halloween
25 Oct 2009 | 9:17 pmI knew you couldn’t resist! You’re naughty, naughty children and need to spend time in the naughty chair. I hope you have a Happy Halloween! Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around! -
You Know it’s Hot When…
25 Oct 2009 | 8:54 pmAs a tribute to my Lake Havasu family and since there’s been alot of chatter about the weather amongst my Facebook friends today, I thought I would present: You know it’s hot when… 1. You have to bring your CDs into the house with you because they will melt if left in the car. 2. You need to use oven mitts to buckle your seatbelt and drive the car because the steering wheel and stick shift feel like you’re taking a roast out of the oven. 3. You brush your teeth with hot water because that is the only thing coming out of the cold water tap. 4. You can’t even hop… -
Are You Marketing Your Blog?
25 Oct 2009 | 8:51 pmAre you marketing your blog or are you just writing it? Yes, Word Press, Blogger, TypePad and Active Rain allow for a certain amount of “Google juice”. But, are you simply posting your blog on one of these platforms hoping that someone reads it…sometime? Or are you actively marketing your blog to those readers surfing the internet, hungry for the knowledge you know that only you can impart? If you aren’t actively marketing your blog, you may be missing one of the greatest opportunities to get your voice heard. There are several great blog directories that you…
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Your Savvy VA
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Google Testing a Permanent Search Sidebar
20 Nov 2009 | 9:18 amvia mashable.com Posted via web from YourSavvyVA -
Oprah Ends Talk Show: Twitter Erupts with 8,000 Tweets Per Hour
20 Nov 2009 | 9:17 amvia mashable.com Well that just stinks now doesn’t it! Posted via web from YourSavvyVA -
With Chrome OS, Google Intends to Destroy the Desktop and Microsoft
20 Nov 2009 | 9:16 amvia mashable.com Posted via web from YourSavvyVA
