I was reading a fellow’s blog recently where he was talking about some of the people he was really grateful for in his life. One of the people at the top of his list was a old college professor. He related a story about how one day this professor ripped everyone a big fat new one because they hadn’t done the homework they were expected to bring in that day. Then he stormed out of class and didn’t return at all again that period. So did this guy whine about how “unprofessional” his professor was? Did he wail and moan that people should be treated with more…
Virtual Assistant
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The Gritty Virtual Assistant
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Don’t Waste People’s Time
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am -
It’s Not About the Price
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amAs a Virtual Assistant, if your only selling point is how little you cost or how much cheaper you are than an employee, you’ve already failed in business. I get it… many people are new to business. They just don’t know how to market themselves. They see what everyone else in the Virtual Assistant industry is talking about on their websites and think that’s what they should be talking about, too. Little do they know that most of those people they are mimicking are struggling, making very little money and attracting all the worst kinds of client traits (think… -
2009 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey Update
22 Oct 2009 | 10:00 amThe 2009 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey has been humming right along and I thought I would give everyone a more official progress report. As of this posting, we’ve made it well past the halfway mark with 564 participants. We only need 436 more Virtual Assistants to complete the survey to make our goal of 1,000. This is where your continuing help and promotion will be critical. As you know, all Virtual Assistants who participate will get a free copy of the survey results report. That report will not be compiled until we’ve reached our participation goal. Now that September is… -
Dear Gritty VA: What Is My Compensation as a Virtual Assistant?
21 Oct 2009 | 10:00 amDear Gritty VA: I am just starting my Virtual Assistant career. I have seven years of administrative expertise, but one thing I am unclear about is my compensation as a Virtual Assistant. I know that most charge by the hour or on a monthly basis, but how do I know how much to charge? And considering that I am just starting out so I am taking on side jobs that are here and there, how should I charge for smaller list items? Thanks in advance? –KT My first caution is to always be conscious about the terminology you use. This is important because when you are communicating with others, and… -
Dear Gritty VA: How Did You Arrive at Your Figures?
14 Oct 2009 | 10:00 amDear Gritty VA: I recently purchased the Virtual Assistant business forms offered on your website. I am currently working on developing my business plan for my start-up Virtual Assistant business. In one section of the business plan, you list some industry statistics, specifically an estimated number of established Virtual Assistants. Where did you get that information. I have never attempted any type of market research and analysis before, and to be honest, I am at a complete loss and have been stressing over my lack of knowledge. I don’t even know where to begin. –TD Oh dear,…
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ProVirtual Solutions - Mary Motz
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My Tweet Digest for 2009-11-03
3 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amRT @aliciaforest: Leverage everything – make decisions based on getting 3 uses out of 1 thing (ex. 1 article = ezine, blog post, podcast) # Phillies winning b/c Im not watching… just following along on Twitter. I tend to jinx games I watch. # How I Use Email Newsletters to Drive Traffic and Make Money http://ow.ly/yGlA [ Email Marketing is alive & kicking! ] # RT @DVVAA: Member Luncheon – Moore’s Tavern- Freehold, NJ (14 Nov 2009): Start Time: 1pm http://bit.ly/3my8eO # Craving bologna/chz sandwich for lunch…childhood flashback (what fat grams?). Partridge… -
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… -
Form vs. Function & Your Website’s Cost of Ownership
1 Aug 2009 | 7:46 pmMost of my clients are solopreneurs (like myself), small companies or non-profits. As such, their website development and maintenance budgets are small – so much consideration is given to “bang for the buck” – in terms of function vs. form with initial site development and ongoing maintenance. It wasn’t too long ago that I did only custom designed websites – that they would have to have ongoing assistance to maintain (usually by me). However, the upside was that the client would have a truly unique site that reflects the company’s brand and allow…
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Partnering With a Virtual Assistant
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Julie Cioffi-Brawley of Agape Virtual Assistants
27 Oct 2009 | 4:43 amCongratulations to Julie Cioffi-Brawley of Agape Virtual Assistants, who is the recipient of this week’s VAccolade Business Entrepreneur Award. Julie is a virtual assistant living in Independence, KY. She offers services such as SEO, internet marketing and shopping cart assistance. She has been a valued member of VAnetworking since April 2006. -
Membership Sites Made Easy
22 Oct 2009 | 10:45 amMany online business owners just dream about the idea of creating their own membership site but are stopped in their tracks with the complexity, cost and chaos involved in implementing such a task. However, if you have the content and plans for the make-up of your site, then a Virtual Assistant can fulfill the set-up component using Ning and 1Shopping Cart. Sound too easy; let’s investigate the steps that a Virtual Assistant can take. Set up your Sales Page. If not already in place, a VA can format a web page that explains the benefits of membership in your mastermind group, class or… -
Kris Price of KSP Accounting
19 Oct 2009 | 6:42 amCongratulations to Kris Price of KSP Accounting, who is the recipient of this week’s VAccolade Business Entrepreneur Award. Kris is a virtual assistant living in Houston, TX. She offers services such as accounting services. She has been a valued member of VAnetworking since November 2008. -
Outsourcing Brain Teaser: Where Does Virtual Assistance Go On the Financials?
15 Oct 2009 | 10:06 amAs the virtual assistance industry evolves so are the service portfolios being offered by VAs. That is, today’s veteran virtual assistant is much more than a task master; she is an efficiency expert possessing specialized skills and knowledge that enable her clients to do much more than simply “offload” their to-do lists. A good VA does not only free your time, she frees your mind to think, plan and do bigger. Yet I continue to come across business owners who fully expect virtual assistants to charge less than they do. That somehow the price of administrative, creative, and technical… -
Christy Heenan of VirtuAll
12 Oct 2009 | 6:29 amCongratulations to Christy Heenan of VirtuAll, who is the recipient of this week’s VAccolade Business Entrepreneur Award. Christy is a virtual assistant living in Mississauga, Ontario. She offers services such as website design and maintenance, internet marketing and copywriting. she has been a valued member of VAnetworking since June 2008.
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Virtual Regeneration
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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… -
A Must Have New Technology Flow Chart
28 Oct 2009 | 5:12 am -
The Art of Visualization - Session 2
26 Oct 2009 | 4:00 amTowards the end of session 1 and into session 2, Coach Ginny and I really dove into what my vision of the stream meant and what steps I needed to put into place in order to make that peaceful setting my reality. I needed to make some changes in my daily schedule, say no to some things, say yes to others (like "Kristi time"), and to create an atmosphere where I was more disciplined in shutting the home office door at the end of the day and not opening it again untilthe appropriate time on the next day.In essence, we mapped out a life-plan --- what I wanted my life to look like 1-year…
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Virtual Assistant Forums | Virtual Assistant Network
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import/export from one QB to another
6 Nov 2009 | 4:15 pmI have a client that needs me to enter his reciepts then export the files to him so he can download them to his Simple Start QB program. I have imported/exported from Excel to QB and vice versa, but I have never tried to do it from one QB to another. I have Pro 2009 and I will be exporting finished files to him (Simple Start) Any ideas on how to do this? Thanks for any help. -
Tagline Help, Please!
6 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pmI have been in business since March, but have always thought I needed a tagline and haven't been able to come up with one for myself. I seem to be able to help others...but when it is for me, I just don't seem to get anywhere. I am running an ad in the local shopper and would really like something that would catchy but not too corny. I have had success in this paper before, but want to add something new to catch other's eye. My business name is Blue Water Business Services. I offer Bookkeeping and Administrative Support, but don't do Income Taxes. I would appreciate any help you all are… -
Logo
6 Nov 2009 | 10:08 amHi, I was wondering what companies you guys used to do your logo? I actually already created my own but I need it to but printed on letterhead, biz cards, etc, then I want to include it on my website. Any suggestions? Thanks:thumbsup: -
SEO, Internet Marketing...HELP
6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amIt's everywhere! SEO, Internet Marketing, etc. The jobs are out there but I have NO experience. I've googled the subject several times and get more confused each time. Does anyone know of a decent website that will help me learn this new technology? Thanks. -
Problem Wordpress: Can't seem to get twittertools to shorten post urls in twitter posts
6 Nov 2009 | 6:34 amI have a wordpress themed blog. I installed twittertools and set up the API from bit.ly Everytime I post a new entry, the title of the post goes out to twitter but the link is not shortened; in fact it is not highlighted to be clickable from twitter. It shows just the title of the post. Does anyone have any solutions? Thanks, Janine
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Discussion Forum - FindVirtual.com
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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. -
Affiliates
Hi everyone Have you got clients who would like a WordPress site, but you are not offering that service? or does your client need support for their existing WordPress site? I offer, and would lover to pay you, a 20% (of their initial purchase) payment for referrals to my services. You can check out my services at: http://www.thesavvyva.com/savvy-services/
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blog.looseends.net
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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… -
Steeks & Felts, giving new life to timeworn objects
14 Sep 2009 | 2:25 pmFall is in the air and that was the inspiration for a weekend of “what was old is new again” projects in the LooseKnit workshop. Perfect for some quick knits for gifts and then overhauling some rather forlorn items. Project 1: Steeking a sweater that was never right for me to begin with. As a knitter myself, I rarely purchase knitted items. On a trip with my mom to Orcas Island a few years ago, I spied a beautiful fair isle sweater that I could not resist, and my wonderful mom chipped in with me to help me buy it. It was right in color, but just enough too big and bulky that it…
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virtual-assistant « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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I love Hootsuite! http://hootsuite.com
6 Nov 2009 | 11:56 pmI love Hootsuite! http://ping.fm/9ZSZY via Ping.fm -
What Can A Virtual Assistant Do For You?
6 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pmWhat can you delegate to a Virtual Assistant? Tips Provided By: http://www.cosmicxpress.co.uk/ Are y -
Goodbye Vista, Hello Windows 7
6 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pm—– Sent from mBox Mail Hotmail for iPhone and iPod Touch http://www.fluentfactory.com/mboxmail WebProNews Home About Feedback RSS 11.06.09 WebProNews Installs and Demos Windows 7 Watch The Video | Comment Actor Kevin Pollak’s Ability to Be Timeless and Limitless The days of time constraints and censorship are over, thanks to the Internet…. Watch | No Comments ER’s Dr. Greene Now Saving Real Lives According to well-known actor/director Anthony Edwards, his role as a doctor on… Watch | 5 Comments British Singer Takes on Social Media For the English… -
Goodbye Vista, Hello Windows 7
6 Nov 2009 | 1:56 pm—– Sent from mBox Mail Hotmail for iPhone and iPod Touch http://www.fluentfactory.com/mboxmail WebProNews Home About Feedback RSS 11.06.09 WebProNews Installs and Demos Windows 7 Watch The Video | Comment Actor Kevin Pollak’s Ability to Be Timeless and Limitless The days of time constraints and censorship are over, thanks to the Internet…. Watch | No Comments ER’s Dr. Greene Now Saving Real Lives According to well-known actor/director Anthony Edwards, his role as a doctor on… Watch | 5 Comments British Singer Takes on Social Media For the English… -
The Greener Side To Strategic Planning
6 Nov 2009 | 8:49 amThere is much to be said about the way that companies operate today. Going green is a must for many and a good way to take your business for the better. Especially in a recession going green is the way to go for improvements that lead to success down the road. Subscribe in a reader When clients look for a company to meet new & emerging needs, they need ways to distinguish your company from the others. If you are best at meeting their needs, its all in your strategic planning. It’s about the way that you present your products & services. Making your greener initiatives…
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Melodee's Virtual Assistant Blog
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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… -
Free Report from Discover Your Dharma!
14 Sep 2009 | 6:26 amGwen Orwiler of Discover Your Dharma, is a life coach for Boomer Women seeking their ENCORE career path. As many of you know, I’ve had a few ENCORE career paths, but I think my career changes would have gone smoother if Gwen had been steering me along the way. She’s very passionate and enthusiastic about everything she does. And I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who laughs as much as she does Gwen got in touch with me a couple of months ago because she was looking for success stories to include in her free report: TOP 10 SENSATIONAL REASONS Why NOW is the Perfect Time…
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The Virtual Wire
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First Friday Pep
6 Nov 2009 | 2:48 pmThis month's inspirational First Friday pep is all about giving thanks. I am not American but I intend to get into the thanksgiving spirit this month and have committed to join the 30daysofthanks and give thanks each day. So I start today, and share with you a couple of quotes that hope would at least encourage you to start this month by giving thanks for who you are. Here is a recent “Message from the Universe!” (and of course I encourage you wholeheartedly to sign up for your own messages) Yes, I am thankful for being me, for being as great as I am, and having the skills that I do, and… -
I don't have time ...
5 Nov 2009 | 4:42 pmTruly, I didn't think I needed to read yet another post about using Twitter, nor did I feel I wanted to take the time. I'm pleased I took a moment to review this blog post today by Drew McLellan: How to make time for social media: Twitter, and wanted to share it with you, too. Drew gives practical reviews of several time-saving Twitter tools, and offers smart tips about how to implement them (which is a great benefit). A couple of the tools he mentions, I've been using for a while, and they have been great time savers indeed: HootSuite and Saved Searches. I think I'll check… -
Change is in the air
3 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amThe past couple of weeks have been tumultuous for me with so many things happening in my personal life. Last week my youngest daughter, E, was on a school field trip and gone for 5 straight days—boy did I miss her. During that same week my middle child, L, was invited to go to Disneyland for three days with a friend—boy did I miss her. Then Sunday night, my son, C, was assaulted at the local skate park because someone wanted to steal his bike—boy was I scared. That necessitated several hours in the emergency room, police reports to fill out and general worrying. Tonight my son asked if… -
No distance
1 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmFor a few days between last week and yesterday, I was away on an annual trek (something like a mini-vacation). I was able to hold court with great, loving friends. You know the type: brilliant minds, compassionate, supportive. Like sisters and brothers. And very much like what I've always experienced in the virtual assistance field.The idea for this post came from that trip, and the reason has to do with distance ... or lack of it.While the formal, corporate business model has been somewhat successful in adapting to what is truly a wave of many magnitudes in terms of how we now communicate… -
Business Growing Pains
30 Oct 2009 | 6:09 amGrowing pains is a fact of life!! I mean a butterfly has to go through a 4 stage growth process that is complex and leaves them vulnerable, but oh boy when they reach maturity the end result is truly spectacular. Maybe this is not a good analogy, after all the butterfly might not think this growing process is painful, but it surely looks challenging to poor old me. What I am alluding to is that in all areas of our lives we experience the pains of growth.And it is up to us to decide whether we accept it, even welcome it as a natural part of our development or whether we struggle, worry and…
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Halo Secretarial Blog
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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”… -
Time Tracking Tool
1 Sep 2009 | 6:38 amI was recently given the opportunity to review Chrometa, and the review is now up over at Alyssa Gregory’s Small Business Idea Generator blog. You may note that it is a “sponsored” review, simply because Chrometa gave Alyssa (who then gave me) one full license for Chrometa in exchange for the press. The review is 100% my honest opinion though – so please take a look at it! I am pointing the review out on my blog, though I have no obligation to do so, because I truly believe Chrometa is a tool that can help lawyers and virtual legal assistants who charge clients on an…
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Clerical Advantage Virtual Assistance Services
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Virtual Paralegal Interview Series
6 Nov 2009 | 8:47 amI recently had the honor of participating in a project with The Paralegal Mentor, Vicki Voisin. Vicki is also the Co-Host of The Paralegal Voice with Lynne DeVenny of the blog Practical Paralegalism (and guest poster here). The very comprehensive interview I did with her is now part of an amazing information product for virtual paralegals and those interested in becoming virtual paralegals. It’s called the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series, a one of a kind 4 CD set that includes not just my interview, but also the interviews of 5 other experts in the virtual paralegal industry. I… -
Just Call Me Excuse Buster
3 Nov 2009 | 10:37 amI often find myself talking to people about what I do. When I mention helping businesses with their internet presence, blogs and active websites it usually grabs their attention. When I talk about the mistakes that many businesses make with their websites and the steps they could be taking to increase visibility and attract clients they listen intently. So you’d think that when I ask them if their own sites are working for them, they’d jump at the chance to make changes right? Wrong. The most common response I get are excuses. Tons and tons of excuses. I don’t have the… -
What I Learned About Business from Monday Night Football
30 Oct 2009 | 8:08 amYou may or may not know that I’m a huge football fan. Being from New England originally, the New England Patriots were ‘my’ team before the winning seasons and Super Bowl rings. Last month, there was a lot of hoopla about the return of Tom Brady from his injury last season when they appeared on Monday Night Football. But my focus was on Wes Welker. Why Wes Welker? After all isn’t Randy Moss the star wide receiver? Maybe to some, but I’ll take the less high profile guy. You want to know why? Because he’s the guy who’s heart beats football, who’s… -
The Cure for Business Paralysis
22 Oct 2009 | 3:38 pmIn our businesses, oftentimes we know that we need to make changes in order to become more successful but find ourselves missing the opportunity because we don’t take action quickly enough. I was reading a great article at Strategic Profits about becoming paralyzed by information overload. We have access to more information than one can imagine, piped directly to us via the Internet, smart phones and netbooks. One no longer has to hope that the local library hasn’t already checked out that book we need, we can just Google what we want to know and we’re given thousands, if… -
Do You Really Want That Quick & Easy Website?
20 Oct 2009 | 6:50 amI recently saw a commercial for Intuit quick and easy websites. Their sales pitch was perfect, promising that anyone could use their templates to build a great professional looking website in no time. They even offered a free trial for 30 days. After the 30 days you’d be charged $4.99 a month. Still, $60 a year doesn’t sound bad for a website does it? Wait. Have any of you listened to what I’ve had to say about a ’static’ website? The secret behind the ease of building a website with Intuit (or any other template based website service or application) is the fact…
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Second Self Virtual Assistance
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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… -
Whoa, Cowboy! Check the Facts Before You Forward That Email
14 Sep 2009 | 7:30 amWhoa, cowboy! You may want to check the facts before you forward that email. Have you received an email about any of the following in the past: Nostradamus predicting the 9/11 tragedy, women need to watch out for the rapist hiding under their car (usually heightens around Christmas shopping season), a 9-year-old girl named Penny Brown is missing (same girl, same name, same photo, same info circulating for the last 8 years) and a large beverage distributor pulling their product from an Arab-owned convenience store because they were celebrating the fall of the twin towers on 9/11. Most of…
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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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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… -
Whoa, Cowboy! Check the Facts Before You Forward That Email
14 Sep 2009 | 7:30 amWhoa, cowboy! You may want to check the facts before you forward that email. Have you received an email about any of the following in the past: Nostradamus predicting the 9/11 tragedy, women need to watch out for the rapist hiding under their car (usually heightens around Christmas shopping season), a 9-year-old girl named Penny Brown is missing (same girl, same name, same photo, same info circulating for the last 8 years) and a large beverage distributor pulling their product from an Arab-owned convenience store because they were celebrating the fall of the twin towers on 9/11. Most of…
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Your Savvy VA
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20 of the Best Resources to Get Your Startup Off the Ground
5 Nov 2009 | 10:40 pmvia mashable.com Posted via web from YourSavvyVA -
BREAKING: Rollout of Twitter Retweet Feature Has Begun [PICS]
5 Nov 2009 | 10:39 pmvia mashable.com Posted via web from YourSavvyVA -
Listiti: Google Alerts for Twitter Lists
5 Nov 2009 | 10:38 pmvia mashable.com Posted via web from YourSavvyVA
