I recently saw that Kimberly LeRiche had Tweeted (what a weird word! LOL) "Try this: http://www.typealyzer.com/. it's like Meyer's Briggs for your blog. It will analyze your blog for your personality type".
Being new to Twitter at the time I was completely overwhelmed by all the the "Twittering" and didn't investigate any further (sorry Kimberly ;o) )
Then I was reading a fellow VA's blog - Betty Creek of Ash Business Services
I realised that Betty and taken the time to read what it was all about and I decided to do the same. How I love those personality tests.
This is what it said about my blogging;
ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers
The responsible and hardworking type. They are especially attuned to the details of life and are careful about getting the facts right. Conservative by nature they are often reluctant to take any risks whatsoever.
The Duty Fulfillers are happy to be let alone and to be able to work in their own pace. They know what they have to do and how to do it.
Ok so at first glance it doesn't sound like me at all. But, then it got me thinking......
Responsible and hardworking?? I'm a mum of two babies, holding down a very good secure job and trying to build my VA business....that bit is true.
Careful about getting facts right? in this line of work following direction carefully is a must as we don't have the liberty of meeting face to face.....
now here's is where the lies start! "often reluctant to take Risks" this is sooooo not true!!! I've done lots of daring things, I'm always the first on the scariest funfair ride, my biggest dream is to do a bunjee jump! pah!!!!
but yep, the last bit is also right, I love to work at my own pace without anyone barking down my neck....that's the reason I started my VA business in the first place!
Why don't you try it? http://www.typealyzer.com/index.php?lang=en
Monday, 15 December 2008
Sunday, 14 December 2008
JibJab
The funniest website I've seen so far for sending e-cards!
Turn your friends into an elf or a snowman, put yourself into a classic movie.
So cute!! http://sendables.jibjab.com/
Turn your friends into an elf or a snowman, put yourself into a classic movie.
So cute!! http://sendables.jibjab.com/
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Still struggling to find that perfect christmas gift?
What do you get the child that has everything?
No need to fight your way through the christmas crowds, the answer is here.
http://www.idealpresents.co.uk/ ! no need to register, the service is free.
Simply put in your specifications i.e are you looking for a present for a boy or a girl? what age range?
click the button and hey presto! a full list of ideal gifts for you to choose from!
Now your christmas is sorted, sit back and enjoy the mince pies and sherry
I love to browse......
Do you often spend countless hours looking for that perfect website to make your life a little simpler?
I've brought together a number of my favourite websites for you to enjoy!
I've brought together a number of my favourite websites for you to enjoy!
Friday, 28 November 2008
Introduction to my "place of work"
I'm sure many people wonder what the office of a Virtual Assistant looks like.
Mine isn't wonderful but it's MY office and I love it ;o)
Fancy a look?? 
Monday, 24 November 2008
Practice Makes Perfect Networking - Implement these 2 simple strategies and watch the referrals pour in.
These are the two things you should know about networking:
1. "Practice makes perfect" is not enough.Practice alone is not enough.
It must be "effective" practice. In martial arts, the sensei (master) says, "Perfect practice makes perfect." In other words, if you're just going through the motions, you are not learning and growing. Every time you do a kata (a system of basic body positioning and movement exercises in karate), you must do it as though you were in a tournament, or as though the sensei were there watching you. Only with that intensity of focus does one improve.
The same applies to your networking efforts. If you are applying the techniques halfheartedly, you'll get less-than-acceptable results.
Practicing the skills necessary to become a good networker is important. But would-be networkers cannot expect to become master networkers by just going through the motions. Take, for instance, the 60-second presentation or brief commercial you make every week when you attend many types of networking groups or various other organizations. Most people come to the meeting unprepared and unrehearsed, with only a vague idea of what they will talk about. While others give their presentations, instead of listening, they're thinking about how to say what they need to say. When their turn comes, they stumble through an amateurish, marginal presentation. Yes, they practiced, but it was far from perfect practice, and the results prove it.
If you're a teacher, do you wing your lesson plan? The better teachers set goals and objectives for what they want their students to learn. They spend time planning exactly what they are going to cover in class, sometimes down to the exact wording, and they prepare visual aids and handouts that reinforce the subject matter and facilitate learning.
As a businessperson, you should have similar goals and objectives. Ask yourself what, exactly, do you want your listeners to learn about your business that they can pass along to prospects for a possible referral. If you're vague and unprepared, your potential referral partners are going to leave the meeting without a clear idea of how to refer you.
You also need to practice delivering your message. Winging it is not going to get you what you want. You have to practice it perfectly if your goal is perfection.
2. Good networkers should talk about more than just business.
A referral relationship is much more than just, "I do business, you do business, let's do business." A better approach is to find common ground on a personal level, then relate your business to it.
The longer I've been involved in networking, the more I've seen the power of personal interests in making connections. Networking is about building personal relationships. If you remove the personal from the equation, you limit the amount of business that can happen. In one networking group I worked with, I introduced an exercise I call the GAINS Exchange, in which people share personal and professional information about themselves (including their Goals, Accomplishments, Interests, Networks, and Skills).
Two of the participants in this group had known each other for more than a year but had never done business. During the exercise, they discovered they both coached their sons' soccer teams. They quickly became close friends and were soon helping each other conduct soccer practices. After a few months, they began referring business to each other--two guys who had barely spoken to each other the first year because they seemed to have so little in common were now doing business because of a personal connection.
Here's another example of the power of common interests. One of BNI's most instinctive, natural networkers and an avid sailboater, whom we shall call "Bob," found himself sitting in an airport shuttle, very casually dressed, next to a man wearing a shirt with a Nautica label. "Do you sail?" he asked. "Yeah, a little bit," said the man. "Why?"
Bob started talking about his own sailing experiences. It turned out he had won a national championship sailing in the harbor where this man lived. They got into a lively conversation about sailing, the man's hometown, and other common interests and experiences.
After a half hour or so, the man asked, "So, are you a professional sailor?" Bob said, "No, I'm in the training business, but it's a lot like sailing, and here's why." They talked a bit about that, with Bob using sailing as a metaphor for much of what he did. The man expressed an interest in hearing more about it on a professional level. At the airport, the two men exchanged cards and went their separate ways.
If Bob had started the conversation by saying, "I'm a professional trainer," that probably would have been the end of it. Instead, by finding a common interest and starting with that, Bob made a connection that had a good chance of turning into business.
Perfect practice makes perfect, and personal connections lead to business. Entrepreneurs who implement these two strategies into their networking efforts get a lot more business than their competition.
Called the "Father of Modern Networking" by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder and chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. His latest book Masters of Sales can be viewed at MastersBooks.com. Dr. Misner is also the senior partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company. He can be reached atmisner@bni.com.
1. "Practice makes perfect" is not enough.Practice alone is not enough.
It must be "effective" practice. In martial arts, the sensei (master) says, "Perfect practice makes perfect." In other words, if you're just going through the motions, you are not learning and growing. Every time you do a kata (a system of basic body positioning and movement exercises in karate), you must do it as though you were in a tournament, or as though the sensei were there watching you. Only with that intensity of focus does one improve.
The same applies to your networking efforts. If you are applying the techniques halfheartedly, you'll get less-than-acceptable results.
Practicing the skills necessary to become a good networker is important. But would-be networkers cannot expect to become master networkers by just going through the motions. Take, for instance, the 60-second presentation or brief commercial you make every week when you attend many types of networking groups or various other organizations. Most people come to the meeting unprepared and unrehearsed, with only a vague idea of what they will talk about. While others give their presentations, instead of listening, they're thinking about how to say what they need to say. When their turn comes, they stumble through an amateurish, marginal presentation. Yes, they practiced, but it was far from perfect practice, and the results prove it.
If you're a teacher, do you wing your lesson plan? The better teachers set goals and objectives for what they want their students to learn. They spend time planning exactly what they are going to cover in class, sometimes down to the exact wording, and they prepare visual aids and handouts that reinforce the subject matter and facilitate learning.
As a businessperson, you should have similar goals and objectives. Ask yourself what, exactly, do you want your listeners to learn about your business that they can pass along to prospects for a possible referral. If you're vague and unprepared, your potential referral partners are going to leave the meeting without a clear idea of how to refer you.
You also need to practice delivering your message. Winging it is not going to get you what you want. You have to practice it perfectly if your goal is perfection.
2. Good networkers should talk about more than just business.
A referral relationship is much more than just, "I do business, you do business, let's do business." A better approach is to find common ground on a personal level, then relate your business to it.
The longer I've been involved in networking, the more I've seen the power of personal interests in making connections. Networking is about building personal relationships. If you remove the personal from the equation, you limit the amount of business that can happen. In one networking group I worked with, I introduced an exercise I call the GAINS Exchange, in which people share personal and professional information about themselves (including their Goals, Accomplishments, Interests, Networks, and Skills).
Two of the participants in this group had known each other for more than a year but had never done business. During the exercise, they discovered they both coached their sons' soccer teams. They quickly became close friends and were soon helping each other conduct soccer practices. After a few months, they began referring business to each other--two guys who had barely spoken to each other the first year because they seemed to have so little in common were now doing business because of a personal connection.
Here's another example of the power of common interests. One of BNI's most instinctive, natural networkers and an avid sailboater, whom we shall call "Bob," found himself sitting in an airport shuttle, very casually dressed, next to a man wearing a shirt with a Nautica label. "Do you sail?" he asked. "Yeah, a little bit," said the man. "Why?"
Bob started talking about his own sailing experiences. It turned out he had won a national championship sailing in the harbor where this man lived. They got into a lively conversation about sailing, the man's hometown, and other common interests and experiences.
After a half hour or so, the man asked, "So, are you a professional sailor?" Bob said, "No, I'm in the training business, but it's a lot like sailing, and here's why." They talked a bit about that, with Bob using sailing as a metaphor for much of what he did. The man expressed an interest in hearing more about it on a professional level. At the airport, the two men exchanged cards and went their separate ways.
If Bob had started the conversation by saying, "I'm a professional trainer," that probably would have been the end of it. Instead, by finding a common interest and starting with that, Bob made a connection that had a good chance of turning into business.
Perfect practice makes perfect, and personal connections lead to business. Entrepreneurs who implement these two strategies into their networking efforts get a lot more business than their competition.
Called the "Father of Modern Networking" by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder and chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. His latest book Masters of Sales can be viewed at MastersBooks.com. Dr. Misner is also the senior partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company. He can be reached atmisner@bni.com.
Alternative Places to Network
It's been said that there's a time and place for networking--any time and any place.
"Every minute you're around other human beings is a chance to network," writes charisma coach Olivia Fox Cabane in her article titled, "Plane Speaking: In-Flight Networking." "Self-made billionaires are known for their tendency to network everywhere and all the time."
So no matter what the occasion--whether you're at the yoga studio, your child's soccer game or at a religious event--networking is possible. Here are three entrepreneurs who learned the prime venues best suited to their networking needs could sometimes be found under the most extraordinary circumstances.
Start as friendsCo-founders Mike Scher and Dan McCann's random encounter in a hospital is what eventually led them to partner and start Frontline Selling, a sales training and outsourcing company based in New York City.
Scher, 47, and McCann, 36, met on May 24, 1996--they were at the hospital while both their wives were giving birth to their first sons. Their mothers-in-law started talking and introduced them. They first joked about who had the bigger child; then they scheduled dinner for the following week.
"It became pretty obvious early on that we shared a lot of the same value systems," Scher says. The two also shared a common passion for sales, and they clicked during their first meeting. Over the years, Scher mentored McCann in sales, and McCann would suggest potential businesses to start. They developed a trust and friendship--something that's often omitted at formal networking events.
"You see all these forced places where you go to network and expand, and you always wonder what people's real agendas are when you're there," McCann says. "We weren't [at the hospital] for the business networking, but the business networking came out of that."
McCann and Scher both have the perspicacity to make connections anywhere. In fact, it's a mentality they value enough to teach their sales team.
Scher says if you meet someone in a fortuitous encounter, it's wise to follow up with lunch or dinner. It shows you're investing in that person and getting to know his or her needs. And it's that ability to put yourself out there that Scher says allows "life-changing things [to] happen in the most unlikely places."
Network in high placesWhile Scher and McCann's hospital encounter was rather effortless, Steve Cody, co-founder of Peppercom, a PR firm, had to climb a mountain--literally--to make his entrepreneur connection. Scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro with his son and a group of like-minded adventure-seekers brought Cody together with two corporate lawyers and a CMO from a technology firm.
"I'm somewhat shy and reserved, so I don't necessarily go out of my way to network," Cody says. "But it's interesting that the climbing threw these six or seven strangers together. You had [a] forced, best-of-all-worlds, worst-of-all-worlds experience."
After the seven-day climb, one of the lawyers contacted Cody for PR counsel on a human resources case. It showed Cody that his other extreme hobbies--long-distance bike rides, marathons and even standup comedy--could also be venues to network. He found a niche of entrepreneurs--people like him who enjoyed taking risks in business and risks in their hobbies.
"I think there's something about the shared pain or challenge, the goal that knocks down barriers that I wouldn't be comfortable knocking down [at] a standard cocktail reception," Cody says. "There's some sort of common bond."
Talk to strangersRosalind Resnick, founder of Axxess Business Consulting (and a contributor to Entrepreneur magazine) may not have scaled mountains, but the working mom, who works and lives in New York City, is on the John Hopkins University undergraduate advisory board, and owns a second home in Long Island, is a globetrotter on a weekly basis. "A lot of the best contacts I meet have been with the person sitting in the seat next to me," Resnick says. "Think about it--if you're on a business trip, flying from New York to Chicago or to LA, chances are that most of the other people on the plane are probably going to be business travelers as well."
In fact, Resnick doesn't let a moment go by when she's not scanning her surroundings and the potential peers around her.
"You might think you're getting on that plane to fly to a conference in San Francisco," she says. "[But] maybe at the conference you're not going to meet anybody who's really going to help you. Maybe that person who's going to help you is sitting right next to you on the plane."
A good way to start a conversation on the plane is to ask where someone's going and where he's from. Then, before you talk about yourself and your business, find out his interests and pain points. These conversations create the trust and sincerity that form a strong networking relationship. The bottom line, Resnick says, is simply to take the initiative and talk.
"We're all brought up to believe back in the day to never talk to strangers," she says. "Yet talking to strangers is just about the best networking tip you could have."
Limit your networking activities to networking events and the only thing you'll accomplish is to limit your networking activities. Entrepreneurs don't want to be pushy with their networking attempts, but good things will happen to those who start conversations, listen to other business people and keep their wits about them--even when the oxygen is thin.
How to do itCharisma coach Cabane knows it's not always easy to strike up conversations with strangers. In her article, "Plane Speaking," she offers a useful step-by-step guide.
Select your flight neighbor. If you have a choice in seating, Cabane recommends boarding the flight late and scanning the passengers. Choose to sit next to someone who's dressed in a suit and reading a book, presumably a businessperson who's not buried in his or laptop or hovering over a report.
Greet your fellow passenger on first sight--otherwise it makes the conversation "awkward if you haven't acknowledged each other's presence from the outset."
Start a conversation by either commenting on the airline service or complimenting something she's wearing, such as a piece of jewelry or a pin. "Ask the story behind it," Cabane says. "The word 'story' is important to use because it has certain associations with the human psyche."
Ask questions, and mirror her actions and facial expressions. Cabane says even synchronizing your voice--copying the tone, volume and speed--will help you build rapport with your flight neighbor. According to Cabane, people like people who are like them, and behaving similarly is the best way to achieve this.
Most importantly, Cabane writes in the "Art of Mastering Conversation," make that person feel like the most interesting person you've ever met. Not only is this easy to do since it takes the focus off yourself, but also it prolongs the conversation so you can build a quick and easy rapport. "Keep the spotlight on them for as long as possible," Cabane writes. "It's the one subject most people find the most fascinating of all."
"Every minute you're around other human beings is a chance to network," writes charisma coach Olivia Fox Cabane in her article titled, "Plane Speaking: In-Flight Networking." "Self-made billionaires are known for their tendency to network everywhere and all the time."
So no matter what the occasion--whether you're at the yoga studio, your child's soccer game or at a religious event--networking is possible. Here are three entrepreneurs who learned the prime venues best suited to their networking needs could sometimes be found under the most extraordinary circumstances.
Start as friendsCo-founders Mike Scher and Dan McCann's random encounter in a hospital is what eventually led them to partner and start Frontline Selling, a sales training and outsourcing company based in New York City.
Scher, 47, and McCann, 36, met on May 24, 1996--they were at the hospital while both their wives were giving birth to their first sons. Their mothers-in-law started talking and introduced them. They first joked about who had the bigger child; then they scheduled dinner for the following week.
"It became pretty obvious early on that we shared a lot of the same value systems," Scher says. The two also shared a common passion for sales, and they clicked during their first meeting. Over the years, Scher mentored McCann in sales, and McCann would suggest potential businesses to start. They developed a trust and friendship--something that's often omitted at formal networking events.
"You see all these forced places where you go to network and expand, and you always wonder what people's real agendas are when you're there," McCann says. "We weren't [at the hospital] for the business networking, but the business networking came out of that."
McCann and Scher both have the perspicacity to make connections anywhere. In fact, it's a mentality they value enough to teach their sales team.
Scher says if you meet someone in a fortuitous encounter, it's wise to follow up with lunch or dinner. It shows you're investing in that person and getting to know his or her needs. And it's that ability to put yourself out there that Scher says allows "life-changing things [to] happen in the most unlikely places."
Network in high placesWhile Scher and McCann's hospital encounter was rather effortless, Steve Cody, co-founder of Peppercom, a PR firm, had to climb a mountain--literally--to make his entrepreneur connection. Scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro with his son and a group of like-minded adventure-seekers brought Cody together with two corporate lawyers and a CMO from a technology firm.
"I'm somewhat shy and reserved, so I don't necessarily go out of my way to network," Cody says. "But it's interesting that the climbing threw these six or seven strangers together. You had [a] forced, best-of-all-worlds, worst-of-all-worlds experience."
After the seven-day climb, one of the lawyers contacted Cody for PR counsel on a human resources case. It showed Cody that his other extreme hobbies--long-distance bike rides, marathons and even standup comedy--could also be venues to network. He found a niche of entrepreneurs--people like him who enjoyed taking risks in business and risks in their hobbies.
"I think there's something about the shared pain or challenge, the goal that knocks down barriers that I wouldn't be comfortable knocking down [at] a standard cocktail reception," Cody says. "There's some sort of common bond."
Talk to strangersRosalind Resnick, founder of Axxess Business Consulting (and a contributor to Entrepreneur magazine) may not have scaled mountains, but the working mom, who works and lives in New York City, is on the John Hopkins University undergraduate advisory board, and owns a second home in Long Island, is a globetrotter on a weekly basis. "A lot of the best contacts I meet have been with the person sitting in the seat next to me," Resnick says. "Think about it--if you're on a business trip, flying from New York to Chicago or to LA, chances are that most of the other people on the plane are probably going to be business travelers as well."
In fact, Resnick doesn't let a moment go by when she's not scanning her surroundings and the potential peers around her.
"You might think you're getting on that plane to fly to a conference in San Francisco," she says. "[But] maybe at the conference you're not going to meet anybody who's really going to help you. Maybe that person who's going to help you is sitting right next to you on the plane."
A good way to start a conversation on the plane is to ask where someone's going and where he's from. Then, before you talk about yourself and your business, find out his interests and pain points. These conversations create the trust and sincerity that form a strong networking relationship. The bottom line, Resnick says, is simply to take the initiative and talk.
"We're all brought up to believe back in the day to never talk to strangers," she says. "Yet talking to strangers is just about the best networking tip you could have."
Limit your networking activities to networking events and the only thing you'll accomplish is to limit your networking activities. Entrepreneurs don't want to be pushy with their networking attempts, but good things will happen to those who start conversations, listen to other business people and keep their wits about them--even when the oxygen is thin.
How to do itCharisma coach Cabane knows it's not always easy to strike up conversations with strangers. In her article, "Plane Speaking," she offers a useful step-by-step guide.
Select your flight neighbor. If you have a choice in seating, Cabane recommends boarding the flight late and scanning the passengers. Choose to sit next to someone who's dressed in a suit and reading a book, presumably a businessperson who's not buried in his or laptop or hovering over a report.
Greet your fellow passenger on first sight--otherwise it makes the conversation "awkward if you haven't acknowledged each other's presence from the outset."
Start a conversation by either commenting on the airline service or complimenting something she's wearing, such as a piece of jewelry or a pin. "Ask the story behind it," Cabane says. "The word 'story' is important to use because it has certain associations with the human psyche."
Ask questions, and mirror her actions and facial expressions. Cabane says even synchronizing your voice--copying the tone, volume and speed--will help you build rapport with your flight neighbor. According to Cabane, people like people who are like them, and behaving similarly is the best way to achieve this.
Most importantly, Cabane writes in the "Art of Mastering Conversation," make that person feel like the most interesting person you've ever met. Not only is this easy to do since it takes the focus off yourself, but also it prolongs the conversation so you can build a quick and easy rapport. "Keep the spotlight on them for as long as possible," Cabane writes. "It's the one subject most people find the most fascinating of all."
Friday, 21 November 2008
My very first podcast!
Thanks to Darlene of D. Victoria Virtual Assistance I have been very fortunate to take part in my very first podcast!
Someone who hates public speaking, I was very nervous and apprehensive, thinking "oh god what if it makes me sound stupid"? I'm yet to hear the podcast so this may well be the truth ;o)
Anyway, watch out for the holiday podcast due out on the 23rd November! I will post a link here as soon as it goes live (bites nails eeeeeeeeeek!)
Someone who hates public speaking, I was very nervous and apprehensive, thinking "oh god what if it makes me sound stupid"? I'm yet to hear the podcast so this may well be the truth ;o)
Anyway, watch out for the holiday podcast due out on the 23rd November! I will post a link here as soon as it goes live (bites nails eeeeeeeeeek!)
Sunday, 19 October 2008
New guidelines published for homeworkers
As working from home is becoming more popular in the UK, new guidelines published by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may help people who are self-employed claim business expenses, Business Zone reports.According to Paul Webb of Robert James Partnership, a firm which specialises in small business tax, self-employed workers who work from their homes may be entitled to claim back fixed costs - including a certain percentage of mortgage, interest and council tax. He added that fixed costs refer to costs that are required to run a home and do not include consumables - light, power and heat - although a portion of these costs may be offset as separate expenses.Mr Web further asserted that the new guidelines may clarify what has previously been a "grey area" and could lead to an increased number of claims from people who are self employed and working from home.HMRC is the UK's customs and tax department. Self-employed people can use the HMRC website to register their employment and claim their tax repayments.
Saturday, 18 October 2008
Virtual Help for Real Entrepreneurs
Learn the many roles a virtual staff can fill to help grow your business.
By Pattie Simone October 14, 2008
If you're like most entrepreneurs, you've got piles of paper cluttering your office and to-do lists that seem to be multiplying like rabbits. The good news is that many of the tasks that keep you from being as productive (and profitable) as you could be can be outsourced. You may not think you can afford to hire help, especially in these economically turbulent times. But the fact is you can't afford not to.
Today's Profit FormulaThe internet lets you access scads of talented folks with a click of your mouse. And while some tasks, such as filing or greeting clients, might require on-site work, many administrative, marketing and sales functions can be handily accomplished using the services of one or more Virtual Assistants (VAs).
Having a VA frees you up to do what you do best. The smart profit formula for lots of successful entrepreneurs (whether they're a firm of one or many) involves a little front-end investment for maximum returns.
For example, Danny Bradbury, a Canadian freelance writer with clients in his home country, the UK and the Middle East, has seen his workload decrease by 25 percent and business increase 30 percent since using a VA for administrative tasks, such as scheduling interviews, transcribing interviews, tracking down contacts, doing back research and registering him for webinars. Sounds like a darn good deal, right?
Three More Takes Regarding VA's…Laurie Macomber, president of Colo.-based Blue Skies Marketing, an SEO company serving clients across the country, uses a team of virtual workers from different areas (including Canada) to handle diverse functions. Her VA, Melissa Silva, runs Alchemy Virtual Office Solutions out of her Georgia home. She accomplishes an impressive list of tasks for Macomber, including:
Team management and communications
Scheduling and tracking jobs
Setting up virtual password protected communications and file sharing system
Sending presents to clients for referrals, writing and sending out handwritten thank you notes
Research
Proofreading and "prettying up" documents
According the Macomber, aka the Google Guru, along with the benefit of having time to run her business, she loves that she doesn't have to deal with any personnel or HR issues typically associated with a part-time or full-time employee.
"At first I thought it was outrageous when I discovered the cost would range from $30 to $35 an hour, but their hour is so efficient," Macomber says. "Their 15 minutes is another person's hour."
Michael Katz, chief penguin of Blue Penguin Development, an electronic newsletter relationship marketing firm in Massachusetts) concurs. He went back to work with a VA after a three-month stint with a less productive employee. His L.A.-based VA, who works for Ohio-based Coaches Marketing Source, handles behind-the-scenes tasks that include the mail server and shopping cart, as well as projects related to spell checking and what Katz calls "important detail work."
Katz found his VA through a friend's recommendation. Katz says his VA experience has been purely positive. "She allows me to be more effective. I know that there's a direct connection between the increased income I see coming in," Katz says, adding it covers the expense of paying his VA.
Kim Beasley is the owner and senior developer of several businesses, including CustomizeWordPress and Agape3 Business Services, a five-year-old web design and business consulting firm in St. Louis. She has clients all over the world, including Australia and Canada, due in no small part to her team of VAs. Unlike Katz, who prefers to utilize his VA for back-end tasks, Beasley assembled a VA team of professionals with specific skill sets that directly handle many of the services she offers. Her three VAs take care of graphic design, content management, audio and video editing, as well as a range of internal administrative work like managing Beasley's calendar, scheduling webinars and training, putting networking information on Facebook, etc.
"I believe in using the strengths of my VAs, and those things I feel I can outsource, I do," Beasley says.
Because of the web and the various business-related portals and programs (such as Basecamp, GotoMeeting, Twitter and Facebook) these entrepreneurs can do everything a traditional brick-and-mortar does, and more; including client prospecting, account management, selling products and providing services. Effective VAs are worth their weight in gold.
Saturday, 11 October 2008
I'm back!
It's been a while I know, and that's not good for the readers. I have to apologise, a few things have been going on in my personal life and I've lacked a bit of inspiration to keep my blog updated.
Anyway, I've just completed another project, for a new client. I've built a database for a very importance 4 day conference event, along with a user manual.
I thought I would display some screen shots for you to see what I've done.
Sunday, 14 September 2008
How I got here....my background
Education
1991 – 1996 Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
GCSE’s Maths, English, Welsh
1996 – 1998 Ystrad Mynach College
Advanced GNVQ in Business
2003 – 2004 University of Sunderland
Post Grad Certificate in Health Information Management
Training
2000 – 2002 Charter Housing Association – South Wales
Lettings Administrator/Void property inspector
Full time position. Duties included asses housing application forms, see people in reception, liaise with external agencies to give detailed housing advice and information both face to face and over the telephone.
Inspect vacant properties within target times, order routine works prior to re-letting of properties, control keys to vacant properties, input data and keep records up-to date, issue decoration vouchers according to policy. Ensure all properties are let to incoming tenants at the standard consistent with the Association’s policies.
Graphic design was also an integral part of my job. I produced marketing material for difficult to let properties, leaflets and questionnaires for the lettings team.
2002 –2004 Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
LIS Training co-ordinator / Programme Administrator
Full time position within the IT department. Day-to-day duties included the co-ordination of the training programme and the Management of 4 trainers and one administrative assistant. Ensuring all relevant members of staff were placed onto training courses with accordance to the hospitals targets.
Sending out Training needs analysis to members of staff to identify any training needs.
Ensuring all records were kept up to date for statistical purposes.
Other day-to-day duties included setting up accounts for the use of the Internet Café, and training staff to log on and off the system correctly.
I was also the departments Programme Administrator. My main duties were to support the Programme Manager with the day to day management of on-going and up-coming Programmes. This involved preparing meetings, the setting up of Operational Standards and Procedures and monitoring the departments expenditure budget.
2004 – 2007 Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
Lead administrator – Partnership Services
To provide a high level secretarial, operational and administrative support to the Deputy Programme Manager (Partnership Services) and Service Managers (Information Governance, Web Development, Technical Infrastructure and IT Training Service) within the Sunderland Health Community Partnership Services.
Main duties include, assisting the Deputy Programme Manager and Service Managers with the co-ordination and Management of the Strategy Groups and Boards. Research and collation of the NHS guidance, strategy and general information relevant to the scope of the services. Also the organization of service team meetings and events, organization of travel, attendance at events/conferences on behalf of the Partnerships services programme manager.
Other major tasks include, the controlled receipt, identification and issue of all project documentation for service utilisation (ePSO). The provision of information as to the status of all programme and project documentation for Partnership services, to number, record file and distribute programme and project documentation as appropriate for Partnership services.
Other day to day duties also include the supervision of other administration staff within Partnership services, delegating tasks as necessary.
2007 – to date South of Tyne and Wear Primary Care Trust
Admin Team Lead – Dental Service
To provide day to day leadership and overview of the activity within allocated areas in the team. To provide an effective customer focused administration and secretarial service in line with agreed standards. To maintain information systems and manual records where necessary, collecting data ensuring accuracy at all times.
Main duties include, the supervision of 9 administration staff, carrying out regular appraisals and personal development plans. Monitoring sickness absence and monitoring departmental expenditure.
Other duties include, occasional transcription of letters, development of information systems to record required statistics.
1991 – 1996 Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
GCSE’s Maths, English, Welsh
1996 – 1998 Ystrad Mynach College
Advanced GNVQ in Business
2003 – 2004 University of Sunderland
Post Grad Certificate in Health Information Management
Training
· Prince2 Project Management Overview
· Prince2 Practitioner
· European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)
· New to supervisory management
· Access for advanced users
· Excel for advanced users
· Time management
· Introduction to customer care
· Equality and diversity
Experience
1998 – 2000 D.T.D Damproofer Ltd – South Wales
Sales invoice clerk/Secretary
Full time position with a small firm. Duties include processing sales and purchase invoices, typing detailed reports, answering the telephone, taking and relaying messages. Photocopying, typing, allocating tasks to the company damproofers, writing out job sheets and chemical data sheets and placing the information onto the health and safety records.
My day-to-day duties also included booking appointments, processing incoming and outgoing payment, issuing guarantees and tax return forms.
2000 – 2002 Charter Housing Association – South Wales
Lettings Administrator/Void property inspector
Full time position. Duties included asses housing application forms, see people in reception, liaise with external agencies to give detailed housing advice and information both face to face and over the telephone.
Inspect vacant properties within target times, order routine works prior to re-letting of properties, control keys to vacant properties, input data and keep records up-to date, issue decoration vouchers according to policy. Ensure all properties are let to incoming tenants at the standard consistent with the Association’s policies.
Graphic design was also an integral part of my job. I produced marketing material for difficult to let properties, leaflets and questionnaires for the lettings team.
2002 –2004 Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
LIS Training co-ordinator / Programme Administrator
Full time position within the IT department. Day-to-day duties included the co-ordination of the training programme and the Management of 4 trainers and one administrative assistant. Ensuring all relevant members of staff were placed onto training courses with accordance to the hospitals targets.
Sending out Training needs analysis to members of staff to identify any training needs.
Ensuring all records were kept up to date for statistical purposes.
Other day-to-day duties included setting up accounts for the use of the Internet Café, and training staff to log on and off the system correctly.
I was also the departments Programme Administrator. My main duties were to support the Programme Manager with the day to day management of on-going and up-coming Programmes. This involved preparing meetings, the setting up of Operational Standards and Procedures and monitoring the departments expenditure budget.
2004 – 2007 Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
Lead administrator – Partnership Services
To provide a high level secretarial, operational and administrative support to the Deputy Programme Manager (Partnership Services) and Service Managers (Information Governance, Web Development, Technical Infrastructure and IT Training Service) within the Sunderland Health Community Partnership Services.
Main duties include, assisting the Deputy Programme Manager and Service Managers with the co-ordination and Management of the Strategy Groups and Boards. Research and collation of the NHS guidance, strategy and general information relevant to the scope of the services. Also the organization of service team meetings and events, organization of travel, attendance at events/conferences on behalf of the Partnerships services programme manager.
Other major tasks include, the controlled receipt, identification and issue of all project documentation for service utilisation (ePSO). The provision of information as to the status of all programme and project documentation for Partnership services, to number, record file and distribute programme and project documentation as appropriate for Partnership services.
Other day to day duties also include the supervision of other administration staff within Partnership services, delegating tasks as necessary.
2007 – to date South of Tyne and Wear Primary Care Trust
Admin Team Lead – Dental Service
To provide day to day leadership and overview of the activity within allocated areas in the team. To provide an effective customer focused administration and secretarial service in line with agreed standards. To maintain information systems and manual records where necessary, collecting data ensuring accuracy at all times.
Main duties include, the supervision of 9 administration staff, carrying out regular appraisals and personal development plans. Monitoring sickness absence and monitoring departmental expenditure.
Other duties include, occasional transcription of letters, development of information systems to record required statistics.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
The benefits of using a Virtual Assistant
There are many reasons why using a VA is beneficial. Here are just a few of them:
- They are orientated to meet your personal needs
- They treat your business as if it was their own i.e. become very involved
- Minimal training required
- You only pay for their time and materials used: you are not liable to pay tax, national insurance costs and benefits, as you would when taking on a new employee
- You have the peace of mind that any deadlines will be met
- You will not have to make room in the office for an extra person, or relocate completely if it was necessary!
Would a Virtual Assistant Be Useful To Me?
If you can relate to any of the following scenarios, then it may be worth using a VA:
- You generally need a personal assistant
- Delegating work to existing staff will affect their ability to meet current deadlines
- You need to 'free' some of your own time to concentrate on other areas of the business
- Your current staff does not have the skills to complete the task(s) in question
- You have limited funds to purchase equipment (e.g. PC's) to complete certain tasks
- You want a business e-mail account but do not have a PC and/or on-line connection
- You need a contact person for times when you are away
- Your premises does not have enough space to accommodate another person
Biz4help.com
Monday, 8 September 2008
This is what inspired me
One day I was really bored (two kids under three and bored??? ha that's funny!). They were both aleep and I had some time to kill, so I started reading the news, for some strange reason there was nothing of interest in the news that day so I started going through the archives of the BBC website and stumbled accross a wonderful article in the Business section.
You can view the article in full by following the link provided (it's the header if you're still looking! ;o) ) but I'll quote some sentences to give you a little taster...
"VA"s work from home, offering services for businesses which might not have enough work to justify employing their own full-time administrative staff" Now this is good! I thought to myself, a lot of businesses are struggling at the moment with the ever increasing costs so i thought I could cut down their overheads and provide them with their very own assistant, but only when they need to. There's no ongoing weekly/annual salary to pay, no sick or maternity leave to pay, all they pay for is ME! well the work I do anyway. how good is that?
"You can work to your own timetable,"
"You don't have to be in at nine o'clock and leave at five. If it's a lovely day you can sit in the garden and do the work in the evening." Now this is the bit I loved! childcare costs are enormous and with two children to pay for at a private nursery, having the flexibility to work from home, at weekends, during the evening would be ideal for us all. It would not just be of benefit to me though, my potential clients might prefer the flexibility of my hours, knowing that I'm available out of the "normal" office hours might be appealing.
"If a businessman can be out of the office doing something he actually wants during the day, knowing his VA will be there to talk to him in the evening if he wants, it will make a great deal of difference to everyone's lifestyle." Exactly my way of thinking!
You can view the article in full by following the link provided (it's the header if you're still looking! ;o) ) but I'll quote some sentences to give you a little taster...
"VA"s work from home, offering services for businesses which might not have enough work to justify employing their own full-time administrative staff" Now this is good! I thought to myself, a lot of businesses are struggling at the moment with the ever increasing costs so i thought I could cut down their overheads and provide them with their very own assistant, but only when they need to. There's no ongoing weekly/annual salary to pay, no sick or maternity leave to pay, all they pay for is ME! well the work I do anyway. how good is that?
"You can work to your own timetable,"
"You don't have to be in at nine o'clock and leave at five. If it's a lovely day you can sit in the garden and do the work in the evening." Now this is the bit I loved! childcare costs are enormous and with two children to pay for at a private nursery, having the flexibility to work from home, at weekends, during the evening would be ideal for us all. It would not just be of benefit to me though, my potential clients might prefer the flexibility of my hours, knowing that I'm available out of the "normal" office hours might be appealing.
"If a businessman can be out of the office doing something he actually wants during the day, knowing his VA will be there to talk to him in the evening if he wants, it will make a great deal of difference to everyone's lifestyle." Exactly my way of thinking!
I asked the same question!
Virtual Assistant? What on earth is that?
Whilst on maternity leave with my second son (who is now 1 by the way), I was desperately looking of ways to bring in some income but still be able to stay at home. I did a lot of reasearch and realised 99% of offers out there are scams. So that put a stop to that.
What next I though? Well I started to think about how I could utilise the skills I have and still stay at home with my boys like I so desperately wanted.
Once again I trawled the internet for some inspiration, or would that be a miracle?
I can accross the term "Virtual Assistant" I was slightly confused at first, but I then started to get exited about what it all meant.
It meant that I could do what I do best, from the comfort of my own home, at the pace I want and be my own boss.
I could provide high quality admin support for businesses accross the world (potentially)!
oh boy I found my destiny!
Whilst on maternity leave with my second son (who is now 1 by the way), I was desperately looking of ways to bring in some income but still be able to stay at home. I did a lot of reasearch and realised 99% of offers out there are scams. So that put a stop to that.
What next I though? Well I started to think about how I could utilise the skills I have and still stay at home with my boys like I so desperately wanted.
Once again I trawled the internet for some inspiration, or would that be a miracle?
I can accross the term "Virtual Assistant" I was slightly confused at first, but I then started to get exited about what it all meant.
It meant that I could do what I do best, from the comfort of my own home, at the pace I want and be my own boss.
I could provide high quality admin support for businesses accross the world (potentially)!
oh boy I found my destiny!
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