Author: Pamela

Categories
Work strategies

The right tools for the job.

Having the right tools for the job can make all the difference between success and failure in a new venture.

A month ago I had the opportunity to get a new tabletop projector for my classes. Now I already owned an old InFocus projector that works…fine. Not great, poor resolution, weighs a ton, but workable. The new nifty projectors aren’t cheap, and even at half price for slightly used (one time going out of business thing, so no use asking for my source) it was still a price tag needing serious consideration.

But then I got to thinking, what was there to think about? Was I worried the new venture wouldn’t pan out? Nope. That’s defeatist thinking. I’m passionate, I’m prepared, I’m ready. This is going to work. So really, having the best tools for the job, a good laptop, a spiffy little projector I can actually carry and set up myself, a good relationship with my sites, those things are actually really going to contribute to my success rather than be a burden. They’ll make it that much easier to succeed.

So I bought a portable screen.

Categories
philosophy

Relaunch

Its been quite a while since I posted here. Why? Well, because I’ve been rethinking my business position.

What I was doing wasn’t making happy *or* rich, and that’s when its time to reevaluate your thinking. If you’re going to be self employed your work should be emotionally satisfying and keeping the bills paid. Otherwise you might as well take any other emotionally stultifying, financially unrewarding, stressful job out there and reduce the paperwork.

I don’t know about you, but that’s what I went into business for myself to get away from!

I like working for myself, so I took another look at what I’m good at and what the market really needs and I hope I’ve found the proper niche for me at this moment.

If we’re going to successful at this self employment thing I think the ability to regularly stop and reevaluate the business position is critical. Becoming too emotionally invested in the ‘shoulds’ can prevent you from properly connecting to the realities that are and shifting quickly when the need arises.

Now I’m off to my CMS website where I can adjust my content without needing my web  guy to work weekends.

Categories
philosophy Virtual Assisting

Self employment- The Best things

Most days, I love love love working for myself. Here’s the top reasons.

Dress code: Dealing with an obstreperous client with complete professionalism on the phone while dressed in ragged jammies and fuzzy slippers can really take the sting out.

Office space: I don’t see clients in my office. Therefore I can have a polar bear calendar on the wall, a stuffed bat hanging over my desk, all manner of personal nonsense on my bulletin boards, and a cat bed on either side of the monitor. I also use the most obnoxious neon colored file folders for my few paper files because they amuse me. (Theoretically I could work from the back deck, but effectively if I’m on the deck all I do is enjoy the scenery.)

Client choice: I really think a well developed spidey sense is the most valuable skill an entrepreneur can have. Some will say that signing a client based on a gut feeling is a bad business practice, but I’ll say that for a service provider its the BEST business practice. Working with someone you don’t mesh well with is a recipe for being unhappy with your job. If I wanted that I’d have never left the corporate scene.

Work hours: This probably goes on the list of worst things too, but the best thing is that I can get a lot of my work done in the hours that are best for me. That happens to mean that I start work around 6am. By the time most of my clients get to their offices, I’m ready for a break. Perfect for phone calls and emails. On the other hand, by 2 I’m really dragging and I can leave my home office and go do something completely different like laundry or plan supper or go to the gym to clear my head and get some fresh air.

My job, my way: I’m a Virtual Assistant and normally that means I work from my office on client projects. But I also have a passion for helping businesses get organized as a foundation for growth and sometimes that means going into an office to help get it under control. I get to pick.

Actually, that pretty well summs it up. I Get To Pick.

Categories
quick tips Virtual Assisting Work strategies

Don’t procrastinate. Outsource!

Outsourcing isn’t just bad tech support in India.

Computers and other technology have enabled people who are very good at one certain thing to go into business to handle that one thing for others. Outsourcing to overseas has become popular and was really publicized by Tim Feriss in 4-Hour Workweek, but there are a lot of reasons that might not be the right fit for you. Fortunately, a lot of outsourcing is available right in your own business community.

Bookkeeping:

This service is one of the most popular for outsourcing. Taxes, payroll, those are mysteries that most of us would be happier never delving into. Fortunately there are many, many options for this that can be more affordable than the traditional hiring of a full time accountant. There are specialist book keepers who will keep your Quickbook files up to date and pay your bills. There are tax accountants who will handle only your taxes once a year. There are payroll specialists who will take your timesheets and produce everything from the paychecks for your contractors to your monthly or quarterly IRS documentation. Figure out what your needs are and take a look around.

IT support:

This is another one that too many people try to do themselves thinking its cheaper. How cheap is it when its costing you the time you could be generating billable hours for a client? How cheap is it when you spend hours on it and it still doesn’t work properly? What good is a network or computer that’s always down? If you live in a metro area check with your local Chamber of Commerce, I bet there are several businesses who handle anything from setting up your entire office IT pathways to cleaning viruses off your kid’s computers. A lot faster than most of us, and without the frustration.

Phones:

As business picks up, are you still trying to handle all your calls yourself? This one really depends on how big your business is and what kind of service you offer, but there are really excellent answering services out there. Some of them will answer as if it were your own office and can handle simple things like calling up a quote or setting up an appointment. Some can handle very detailed customer support. Some just take the traditional message and text your phone with it. How much would your productivity increase if you weren’t being constantly interrupted, even if those interruptions are really important? Could they wait 50 minutes if you check your messages once an hour? Could they wait until noon? Only you can judge the needs of your business, but give it some thought.

Web Development:

Having a spiffy professional website is as much about having the right tools and knowledge as it is having fresh interesting content. Unless you have training in coding, and graphics, and copywriting, you could probably use professional help with some of the pieces. Systems like Joomla are designed to make it easier to handle some parts, but easier is relative. How much knowledge do you have to start with, and what is the time it will take you to really figure it out worth when balanced with time you could be doing things you’re really good at. Ones that generate revenue? Web developers are a dime a dozen out there. Look at their websites, but don’t just look at the graphics or colors. Do you like what they have to say? Do they have actual content on their site? How do they feel about designing a website with a CMS system so you can adjust the content to suit yourself without having to wait on the developer and pay web developer fees to change simple text? Ask a lot of questions. How long have they been programming? Can they write a store system from scratch? Can they set up your web forum? Do they have customer testimonials or references to offer? Websites are an integral part of business now. Take the time and spend the money to have it done right, once.

Copywriting and editing:

The first rule of writing and editing is to always have someone else read it before it goes out. Even the best editors can and do make simple mistakes in their own work. Do you write well? Is your grammar correct? Does your style enhance your business? A good copywriter will take your ideas and set them out clearly and concisely. One document can be revised into several kinds of content. Often your written presentation is your first impression, either your website or your brochure. Are you making the right kind of impression?

This is just the beginning. Almost every possible task has someone that is devoted to doing it well as an independent professional. Think about what parts of your business you don’t enjoy or that don’t have a high enough return on the time investment and see about outsourcing it.

A growing outsourcing profession is the Virtual Assistant. A profession near and dear to my heart. So they’ll get their very own entry.

Categories
philosophy quick tips Work strategies

Filing is boring

There’s just no getting around it. Filing is boring. Which is why it piles up into mammoth unmanageable heaps and unsteady piles and threatens to take over your office.

Paperless is best where you can, but somethings you just can’t. Phone bills, utility bills, in some places those can be delivered electronically, but mostly they still come by mail.

When you must, you need a system. A nice low key system that doesn’t make you crazy.

Today I did nuisance filing dating back to October. A little embarrassing for someone who’s life work is helping people get organized, but I’m as human as the next non-filer. But I did it this morning in 45 minutes.

I have a file folder that sits on top of the filing cabinet. It gets all the bills as they’re paid, and other things like insurance statements and (rapidly dwindling) investment statements, none of which need to have anything done to them, but I do want to have them available if I need them.

When the folder inevitably gets full, I put ‘filing’ on the schedule, pick a time when I have the office to myself, crank up the music. Then I sort everything in to piles all over every flat surface. A very few things get put into chronological order. Everything else I assume I can sort them on the very off chance that I actually need one.

There’s always a few things that don’t yet have a home. I save those for last. I either decide they should go somewhere loosely related related or I pull out a nice new colored folder and make a brand new one. I try very hard to never let myself put anything back into that folder once I’m sorting. Really I do.

Poof. Six months worth of annoying paperwork done in 45 minutes.

Categories
quick tips Work strategies

How low can you go?

How close to completely paperless can you get?

I know that certain professions, realtors come immediately to mind, have huge stacks of government mandated paperwork they can’t escape.

For the rest of us, an easy way to stay organized is through keeping as much as possible on the computer. Folders, and sub folders and sub-sub folders, and as many as you need as often as you need. No running out of folders, no stacks of paper, no papercuts. If your electronic files aren’t organized, just put on your favorite music in the background and create folders and drag files around until you’re pretty sure you’ll be able to find things. If you realize the system you’re using doesn’t work quite as well as you’d like, you can try a different one in a matter of minutes.

My professional paper files consist of one drawer of government mandated tax paperwork of various kinds, and one drawer of customer files that contain a hard copy of the signed contract and any notes I took in a notebook. (I think better with a pen in hand than typing. I think it goes back to being in college pre-laptop.) I invoice by email.

Of course, if you’re going to have a paperless office, you need to have an excellent back up strategy with both on and off site copies. I’m hoping to get a guest poster in to write about that. Just remember it isn’t optional and absolutely not worth the risk. Back up early, back up often.

Categories
quick tips Work strategies

Do you know who you are?

The very first step to getting truly organized is knowing how you think and how you work.

Are you a morning person? Night? Doesn’t matter?
Think carefully. When are you the smartest? When are you the most social? Diagram your day to take advantage of your best times and your down times so you can maximize your productivity.

I’m a morning person, so I do things that are hard for me like quarterly tax paperwork or learning a new skill first thing in the morning. 1-3 are slow points in my personal day, so I get up from my desk and take care of other things like laundry or filing during those hours. My husband is definitely not a morning person, so he starts his day with email and customer support before he gets into code crunching after lunch.

Do you need a perfectly clear space? Or do you work better with everything to hand?
Ever seen a picture of Einstein’s desk? It was piled high and looks like he’d never find anything. My desk often looks like that, but I know that I can find everything I need in an instant. For me, getting up to get something in the middle of a project is a distraction. For others, having a messy desk is a distraction and an irritation. It isn’t about what work theory is currently popular, its about what actually works for you. But don’t kid yourself. Saying you like everything to hand doesn’t work when you can’t actually find things.

Do you need a lot of variety, or do you prefer to get into a certain mindset?
Its important to schedule your day and your week based on how you work best.
If I have a big project, I like to dive in and mostly stay there until its done. A few hours here and there isn’t best for me. I schedule meetings on certain days and know I won’t get much else done that day. But that’s me. Some of my clients work best by doing office work in the mornings, switching to client meetings in the afternoon, and use evenings for brainstorming and making plans. Fighting with your natural inclinations just wastes energy.

How does your week look?
Personally, I hit the ground running first thing Monday. I do hard things, set up projects, make lists and plans. By Friday I’m answering emails, tidying my desk and ready to quit early. Many others like a slower start. Monday is for filing, answering mail, and outlining the week. Tuesday is a much more productive day. Think about how your week flows, and work with it, not against it.

Once you know what your work habits really are, instead of what you’d like them to be, you’ll be able to work with them to make the most of your strengths and take the next steps to organizing.

Categories
philosophy Virtual Assisting

Virtual Assistants, what we are and what we aren’t.

I love my job, but here in my local area the title ‘Virtual Assistant’ draws a lot of blank looks. So here are a few highlights.

Virtual Assistants are a growing niche of service providers. The definition I like is:

A Virtual Assistant, (VA), is an independent entrepreneur who provides administrative, creative, and/or technical services virtually from a home office on a contractual basis.

If you’re thinking that’s a pretty broad definition, you’re right.

What we are:

Independent contractors. We handle our own overhead. We make our own decisions. We are professionals who work in partnership with other business professionals.

Skilled professionals. A good VA will have at least 5 years of corporate brick and mortar experience before she strikes out on her own. She’ll have a good handle on all the basic administrative tasks, and will probably have specialized knowledge in some area like bookkeeping, document generation, or even marketing that she builds her client roster around.

Individuals. If we’re going to be working together, please take the time to be sure we’re a good fit just as you would hiring a permanent executive assistant in house. Perfect skills aren’t going to help if there’s constant miscommunication due to different work styles.

Virtual. Meaning that we have our own offices that we work from. You don’t have to find a place to put us in your home office.

Team players. How well your business does matters to us. We want to play an integral part in helping you succeed. Its about building relationships with our clients and getting an in depth understanding of how we can help you.

What we are not.

Lackeys. We’re seasoned professionals who make a living handling projects for other businesses. If you need absolute control over a project or change your mind constantly, then a Virtual Assistant is not going to be the right choice for you.

Employees. This means we handle our own overhead, but it also means that we’re professionals running a business. We’re not always going to be able to handle last minute emergencies. We’re not always going to be immediately available by phone. We’re not usually going to be willing to work in your office.

One size fits all. It is very important to find a VA who has both the right experience and the right personality to work with you and your business. We have a huge variety of skills, and often we specialize in the things we do best, even though we’re qualified to do other things. If you need a book keeper and a copy writer, look around. You may find the perfect fit in one assistant. You may find a copy writer you love who doesn’t have the book keeping skills you need. Keep the copy writer and hire a different VA to handle your book keeping. By figuring out the specialties you need, you can get more for your money.

I’m sure you can find an exception for each and every one of those points, but they’ll get you started if you’re thinking about adding a Virtual Assistant to your team.

I think once you do you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

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Uncategorized

Catching up on my reading.

As I read twitter posts and blogs I like I’m always opening links to other blogs and articles to go back and read later.

For some lucky articles, today is later!

I think “Permanent Link to Little Known Ways to Brand on the Cheap: 99 Tips for Poor Web Startups” has some great content. Its slanted towards web companies but anyone with a strong web presence and an interest in search rankings and web 2.0 marketing is likely to find something useful.

This is an excellent list of books about social media marketing and web 2.0.

And there’s the usual interruption.

Categories
philosophy quick tips

How’s your website?

This is 2009. If you don’t have a website for your business, you’re missing a lot of opportunities. If any part of your target market is under 40, chances are when the need a good or service they’re going to head to the web and Google up their need and see what comes up. Personally, I only use the Yellow Pages when I need to double check the address or phone number. For new things, like a business insurance provider, or the right carpet cleaner, I’m going to check the web. (Well, yes, as a business owner, I’ll also check with my network, but I’m still going to want a website to confirm a recommendation.)

It’s the cutting edge. There will never be fewer people online than there are right now.

Are you using the full capabilities of the web? A web designer of my close acquaintance likes to say “Putting your brochure on your webpage is like putting your radio ad on television.” The web has an amazing capacity for interactivity that a lot of businesses are missing out on.

Do you have a blog that connects to your site? Are you establishing yourself as a subject matter expert? If you provide a ‘soft’ service like consulting, you should. If you provide a ‘concrete’ service like carpet cleaning or plumbing you may not need one, but you should definitely provide some tips on how to choose a provider in your field (which oh-by-the-way proves that you’re the best choice).

Does your service lend itself to a forum? If you offer any kind of service that lends itself to a community of regular members, it could be the value added that launches you to the top of the Google rankings and increases your word of mouth.  Offer your clients a members-only forum where they can discuss things with each other as well as with you. Some kinds of information can be sensitive, like budgeting or financial advice, but with the current internet security capacity, there’s no reason anyone but you the site owner ever needs to know who they really are. Use the anonymity offered by the internet to your advantage and the advantage of your clients.

Is your content up to date? A website isn’t something you can slap up and ignore. People want to know the content is fresh and the site isn’t a place holder for a business that went under last year. Add a thought for the week, a seasonal special, and make sure that the copyright dates are current. Show that you’re an active presence. If you have a blog, post regularly, or post about that vacation you’re taking for 3 weeks and all the things you’ll have to share when you get back. Be current and be present.

And of course, your website should connect your other social media endeavors. but that’s a topic for another day.