I'm delighted to let you know that I recently graduated after doing the Sustainability Business Program that the Yarra Ranges Council puts on for businesses in their region. This is a govt subsidised program so it has the backing of the Australian government. Why would I participate in such a program? Because I saw it as adding value to my business and alerting more people to the VA industry as a whole. While Virtual Assistants already know and understand the benefits of operating virtually … [Read more...]
IVAA Australia
With everything that's been going on in the past few months (AVAC, a holiday, my husband's accident and the list goes on) I've not been as active here as I normally would be and haven't been telling you everything that's been going on. IVAA has set up an Australian division to give Australian VAs a not-for-profit that has their industry at heart. As IVAA has already gone the rounds in the US with managing an NFP identity for our industry, they are well placed to do the same here. I am happy … [Read more...]
My absence
Apologies to my regular readers and others. My absence hasn't been intended and I know it's been an important time for our industry just in the past week with OIVAC and International VA Day. I was supposed to be involved. A couple of posts ago I shared that my husband had had a serious accident and is in hospital. He's not expected to return home for some weeks yet and will have ongoing physiotherapy and other rehab things happening for months to come. This has naturally drained me for the … [Read more...]
Be careful when giving advice
I've seen it on blogs, in newsletters and on forums. Well meaning people giving advice that is ok for some people but not for all. Be careful that when giving advice to others that you're not steering them in the wrong direction. Particularly if that advice relates to your region and not others. The web IS world wide - it's not just in your state or your country, it goes beyond your shores. So, if you're giving out advice relating to how something should or shouldn't be done, clarify that … [Read more...]
Working at home has other benefits
I don't wish anything bad upon you at all, but I do wish to share my own experience with you, and the reason why my posts suddenly stopped their usual 2-3 times a week. I had preposted when my husband and I were away on holiday with intentions to write more once I was back in my office. However, my husband had a serious accident at the end of Easter and ended up in hospital and I was in somewhat a stressed state - understandably. The past week has been a blur of visits in and out of a … [Read more...]
Always moving onto the next thing…
Have you found that? It's only April and so far this year I've organised and run a Conference for the VA industry (with help of course). The lead up and the wrap of the event, not to mention attending it, tended to take away time from working with clients. I did let them know in advance and organised help for them in my 'absence'. I hosted a US delegate for the conference in my home and took her to see some Australian countryside and wildlife the day before the conference started. Only a … [Read more...]
Work your database and it will work for you
Virtual Assistants! And small business owner operators! Do you have a database? You do? Do you use it? I'm a keen advocate for networking, both online and offline, as it's important to keep meeting people and to keep letting them know you exist. You need to be visible - not invisible. What amazes me is that people go out and network, and most of them admit to wanting new work, but then you rarely hear from them afterwards. What are they doing with my business card, and the cards of others … [Read more...]
Tools Virtual Assistants love to use – Dropbox
File storage and backup is an important part of the life of a Virtual Assistant. It's something we discuss regularly at the VA forums and a question that is frequently asked by those new to the industry. Enter Dropbox. I first discovered Dropbox when looking at online facilities for photosharing and storage. I wanted to be able to showcase photos I'd taken at mountain bike (MTB) races so that the participants could view their images and choose which ones to buy. The photogallery system is … [Read more...]
Tools Virtual Assistants love to use – Gmail
I began using gmail in 2009 when I knew I was going overseas for a Virtual Assistant conference. I wanted to manage my email in a web based facility and because I have several email addresses and domains, I didn't want to be logging in and out of several sites. Research indicated that Gmail could do what I wanted - pull all the emails from several locations and store it in the one place for me to review, read and respond to, and still making it available to download on my computer back at home … [Read more...]
