I was watching Sunrise whilst putting in a bit of time on the treadmill this morning and it highlighted a recent news article that I heard over the weekend but hadn't really thought about. They had an expert talking about the importance of getting sunshine on a regular basis to prevent Vitamin D deficiency. They mentioned people most at risk are those who are constantly covered up (perhaps due to cultural or religious reasons) and the long-term sick, or the aged who stay indoors all the … [Read more...]
Google is Quick!
I did a post on a newspaper article about our industry yesterday and then heard that another newspaper had published the same article. So I did a Google search to see who else had and was amazed to see my blogpost on the first page of Google in 4th position less than 3 hours after I published it. Now that was fast. … [Read more...]
What is a Virtual Assistant For?
I was alerted to an article by the Sydney Morning Herald titled "The Rise of the Virtual Assistant". The author has evidently experienced some challenges with their contact with a VA and has written about it. What was obvious to me straight away is that the article confused a VA with being sales staff or a receptionist, handling phone calls. Whilst it is true that some VAs might provide this service, I can say that the majority do not and it's important that prospective clients recognise this. … [Read more...]
Check It, Before Passing It On!
We all get numerous emails on a daily basis but when we get something that's a warning and seems like it's important, the urge to forward it on to as many people as possible prompts us to do so. But I'd like to encourage you to stop and think for a moment and do something else first. Put the subject heading into your search engine and see what comes up. More often than not you'll find sites like Urban Legend, Symantec's list of hoaxes, Hoax Busters and others at the top of the list. Ok, so … [Read more...]
Exploring Picasa
As a Virtual Assistant, I love exploring new programs but am sometimes skeptical towards some until I hear from others of their own personal experiences. Free programs I do view warily until proven otherwise, I don't want to get caught with something I wished I hadn't downloaded. However, recently my team were discussing a photo storing program called Picasa which is a free download from Google and it is worth checking out. It does a full scan of your computer or will only scan the sections … [Read more...]
Taking The Plunge!
Some call it 'diving into the deep end', others call it 'stepping out in faith', but whatever it is leaving a (secure) job and moving full time into your own business is a big scary step and it's hard to know when is the right time to do it. There are some guidelines that can help you with that decision. If you cannot afford to do without the income you are receiving at a full time position, then you need to consider building your business part time (after hours and weekends) until you are … [Read more...]
Searching For A VA?
There was a great post by David recently at Webby Online. David lists himself as an Internet Entrepreneur and he was on the search for suitable support for his business. He'd done the usual search in places such as elance.com and had to work through a number of rather varied bids but then came across vanetworking.com and placed an RFP there. He actually explained what things meant, even what a VA is and then the processes he went through. He has now found a VA who 'has a real penchant for … [Read more...]
Working In The Front Line
I'm a firm believer that it's important to get involved in local community and local groups. Even as a virtual operator, there is still the need to get to know local business people and others around me. Not all my business has to come from online methods and it's true that there are people down the road or around the corner who could also use my services. But how do I let them know I'm here? I join a local networking group. Currently it's the local Chamber of Commerce but in the past it has … [Read more...]
Let Them See The Benefits!
I was having a morning tea a few days ago with some of my team. It's always good to get together with a few at a time to enjoy a cuppa and cake, and a good old-fashioned chat face-to-face. We all have families at different stages of life and it's fun to share ideas and compare how we manage things. My kids are older than that of the ladies that were there that day so I was able to talk about things that took place during their teen years, as my business was developing and opportunities arose. … [Read more...]