Tag Archives: virtual assistance

Portable Applications for the Remote Professional

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The new space-hungry multimedia applications coupled with consumer desire for the convenience of external “plug and play” drives have resulted in a host of new possibilities for data portability and ease of use for the remote professional.

The cost to store data is plummeting. In 2007 I saw the price of a 500 gig drive cut in half in a matter of weeks. Having the “space” to store your stuff is no longer the same issue it might have been a couple years ago.

I just picked up an external terabyte drive for under $250 and a portable drive (about the size of a deck of playing cards) that holds 250 gigs of information and cost less than $140. As an “old-time” geek, I find that incredible.

Many of the newer small portable drives don’t even require external power, so a short USB cord is all you need to carry. Simple “lipstick” flash drives with 16 gigs of storage space can be purchased without breaking the bank.

There are a number of Open Source programs that make it possible to plug in an external drive into a host computer and use the hardware (cpu, monitor, video, peripherals) to run personal programs without leaving a “footprint” behind. (For Apple fans, you can even use your iPod or your iPhone to run the software!)

What does this mean for you? You can now buy an external drive of any size that meets your needs and carry it to a client’s site rather than carrying an entire computer. You can also take it on a trip, to a library, or even to a friend’s house. You can plug it in any usb drive to open and run files, perform diagnostics, access your personal data, send emails, look up your usernames and passwords and never leave any trace of your personal information on your client’s computer. You are simply “borrowing” the hardware to view, edit and manipulate your information – the software programs and data reside on your drive.

If you are new to “portable apps” and would like a basic tour, visit http://portableapps.com/ to get an “all in one” package of applications for Windows OS and Mac OS (Linux is coming soon). My favorites from this line-up are:

If you are a rebel and would like to pick and choose your own apps, try any of the following websites to pick and choose your programs for any use:

You may also want to use the portable option to try out new or beta software without risking your main machine’s set up. Lifehacker offers an example on safely trying the Firefox 3 beta from a flashdrive.

If you are interested in running Linux on a portable, check out http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ for more information.

To keep your data secure on these small (and infinitely easy-to-misplace) devices, install a copy of TrueCrypt, a highly-acclaimed opensource “on-the-fly” encryption program – just in case.

Now you know how to work from anywhere by borrowing a computer, rather than lugging your own, without any worry about privacy or confidentiality issues for your data or your client data. And, when you are finished working you simply pull your drive from the USB port and take it with you. Now THAT is portability!

Invoicing Options for Small Business Owners

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Formula on blackboard to illustrate accounting blogI’ve struggled for years to find the perfect accounting solution. I saw a T-shirt the other day that capsulizes my love of math. It read: “English Major – YOU do the math.” It fits.

Can I do it? Sure. I can do lots of stupid stuff… like plucking the hairs off my legs rather than shaving them. Or like calculus for example. Been there, done that. But it’s not my favorite activity. Calculus is tied with root canals on my extensive list of things I enjoy in life — albeit these two contenders are rather LOW on that list. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should — and it doesn’t mean you want to.

At my age, I’d prefer if my math were simple and my books were even more so.

While looking around for easy invoicing options, I found a few solutions that may be of interest to others who are trying to do the same or others who are tired of required updates from Quickbooks, battling with Peachtree or trying to figure out Microsoft Small Business Accounting or the Linux baby: GnuCash.

Maybe you just want an easier way to send and track time and invoices. Or maybe you don’t want to be tied to a particular computer or geographic location. In any of these cases, you may want to check into these online invoicing options: Continue reading →

Improve Your Work Environment

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If you followed the steps from last month’s clutter-busting article, your desktop is clutter free and you can now find all the files you need on your computer. You have probably archived and put away old client files and have found that you are more efficient on a daily basis. Right? Congratulations!

Now let’s talk about making your office as comfortable as it is efficient.

Buy a decent chair

If you spend as much time in front of your computer as I do, the first thing you need to do is buy a quality desk chair. Consider this an investment and take the time to adjust it to ergonomic perfection.

Many chairs are rated for the hours used per day. The higher the hour number, the higher quality the construction. Skip the bargain aisle at your local super-store. Resist the temptation to buy online. You really need to “test drive” your next chair.

A quick guide to selecting a traditional desk chair

  • Adjustable height (your thighs should be parallel to the floor and your feet should be flat on the floor when seated)
  • Back support (you need lower and upper back support to resist the slouching in the back of your chair or slumping forward in it)
  • Properly sized seat (it should allow at least 2 inches on each side of your hips and between the end of your chair and your knees to prevent circulation problems)
  • Fabric and wheels (the fabric should breathe and there should be enough wheels to avoid “tipping” when you lean in the chair — four isn’t enough)
  • Arm rests (these should be adjustable to make them the right height for all tasks to help prevent repetitive stress injuries)

You may cut costs by locating office supply liquidation stores, by checking the local second hand stores and watching the sale and discontinued models at your local office supply or office furniture store.

If you want to read more on every aspect of desk chair selection, visit ChairWheel, a blog about all things desk chair related including exercise ball chairs, kneeling chairs and saddle chairs.

Bring your work into the light

The last thing you need to add to your work day is more stress in the form of eye-strain. Selecting the proper lighting for your work area will improve your outlook and decrease those squint-enhanced wrinkles.

Don’t begin work in the dark. Make sure that the room light has adequate high-wattage bulbs.

If you need additional task lighting, survey your desk to see if you have room for a desk lamp. If you don’t have room on the desk surface, consider a clip-on style light to attach to one edge of your workspace or a floor lamp if you have the space beside your desk. If neither of these are an option, consider using an adjustable task light option that will hang on the wall behind your desk or on the side wall.

You may also want to consider they type of light you are using. Full-spectrum lights are a blues-fighting option for the winter months, while compact fluorescents are a great green choice to help you cut the electric bill. Halogen and “Eye Saver” bulbs make close work and reading easier.

Whichever type you select, make sure you can adjust the light level for the activity at hand and that any task lamps have casings that stay cool to the touch for easy, safe adjustment.

Soothe your eyes and clear your mind — naturally

Technology isn’t a substitute for the natural world… not even at your desk. When you are working you need to take the time to refocus your eyes, and your thoughts, away from the monitor several times per hour.

You can do this by looking out a window if you are lucky enough to have a good view of the outside world from your desk. Even without a good view, or any window at all, you can still enjoy nature on a smaller scale at your desk.

Add something natural to your workday by pulling in a plant. If you don’t have the desk space for a table-top plant, purchase a potted tree or larger plant that can sit beside you while you work. (I have a vine on the bookshelf next to my desk that brightens my workspace.) I also have a tall, narrow “tank” on one corner of my desk occupied by “Ink” my male beta fish. His home is about 6 inches in diameter and stands about two foot tall, so it takes up very little space on the desk’s surface.
I highly recommend a beta. They require little attention and very little food. Mine is a bit of a character and will “tap” on the glass if I haven’t fed him before sitting down to begin my day (or if he’s bored). A small fish tank will offer you something soothing to watch while you think through a tough project.

Do whatever works for you, the point is to bring a little nature and a little joy to your workday to help remind you to keep your balance and to make your work environment a bit more enjoyable.

Streamline Your Home Office

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When you work for yourself, there’s seldom time to make your office as enjoyable as it is productive.

Organizing, streamlining and “shoveling out” your office can be the key to internal peace as well as improved productivity but finding the time and the energy to handle these tasks is never as simple as clearing surfaces or filing papers.

Creating an optimum office environment requires considering the physical comfort of your office, the “virtual” as well as the physical clutter that invades your space and developing systems that keep you happy and productive.

Physical files

As a remote worker, you probably don’t have to juggle as many physical paper files as a traditional office. You do, however, posess some important papers that you will need to keep.

Banks of physical filing cabinets are opressive. I use a single file drawer for my “finger tip” files. All the other files are archived away from my office. Keeping my physical space clean and clear helps me to think.

At the end of each tax year, I clear out the information that relates to the previous tax year and move it to storage in a less convenient location (my attic). I place these files in plastic bins and label them accordingly. If I ever need the files, I have them, but since I implemented this system, I’ve only had to access my archives a couple of times.

I don’t need more than one drawer to keep my current client files, legal files, tax information, receipts and billing information. Old client file are archived. Current client work (completed during the previous) is archived along with tax information, billing and receipts from the previous year.

I’d like to say I found my perfect filing cabinet solution — but I haven’t. I currently use an open-top bin that slides under my desk. Eventually I will find (or build) the perfect one-drawer file cabinet with two index card drawers at the top and a slide out shelf for my thesaurus with a dictionary on top and a printer cubby. I’ve made several sketches, but I’ve not finalized the design yet.

Desk Clutter

If you don’t have a clear place to work, you don’t work effectively. I find that I’m easily distracted if I let the top of my desk get out of hand. If you can’t dust your desk in under a minute, you have too much stuff there.

  • Get rid of the knick-knacks
  • Eliminate the “piles” of paper
  • Pay the bills and file the stubs
  • If you haven’t had time to look at the magazines and catalogs lounging on your desk by now, you probably won’t — so discard/recycle them
  • Handle the things on your desk ONCE – and put them where they belong — don’t merely “shuffle” the papers

Computer Clutter

Inside and outside of many computers dwells a mire of mess. Outside you have cords, cables, peripherials, connectors and other things that you may or may not even need anymore. (Anything that you haven’t used in the last six months, probably doesn’t need to be taking up valuable space.)

During my recent string of moves, I’ve noticed I don’t really use the flatbed scanner as much as I thought I did, and that thing is a beast! Ditto for several other external devices. I’m paring those down in favor of an all-in-one printer/fax/scanner.

Get rid of any wires you can. Bundle and tame the ones you must keep. (I use a label maker to tag my cords at both ends so I don’t spend time “following” the cords to figure out where they go.) Also, if you aren’t using a good UPS (uninterrupted power supply) or a high-end surge protector, now is a good time to invest in one.

Virtual Clutter

It’s easy to believe that if you don’t have to physically shuffle the files, that they don’t exist. Computer files that aren’t well-organized are time-sucking annoyances. It not only takes more time to find the files you need, but you spend more time (and money) on your full system backups.

(NOTE: Before you start cleaning out computer files, be sure you have a full system backup. If you are running a Windows system, force a restore point.)

If you want to recapture some space quickly, start with the software programs you don’t use. Getting rid of those will clear up space quickly and easily. If you haven’t used a program in the last year; chances are you won’t. Some of the programs you have used in the last year may be just as easily handled by another program you use regularly. Check. Don’t keep anything installed that you don’t use.

Put the old program disks with your archived paper file folders if you think you may need them again. If not, then donate them to someone who will use them (like maybe a VA that’s just starting out and could use the boost!)

Find a logical way to organize the data files you need on a daily basis for quick access. Whatever works best for you is what you should use. I use custom desktop icons to “visually” organize all my primary files. I find that I can absorb a visual icon quicker than I can read a folder name/description below a typical file icon. I even have mugshots of my clients on their individual folders under my master “clients” folder. It makes it super-fast to find what I need.

I keep all my essential “use them all the time” files under a master folder called “Wicked” — with a witch’s hat icon. This shows how things are organized under that folder:

For files that you may be needed in the future, archive them to an external drive. If you have archived client files on your machine, burn them to a CD or DVD and slip them down in the paper file for that client so you can find them quickly if needed. (You can get stick-on sleeves for file folders at any office supply store to make it easy to retrieve the DVD if/when you need it.)

Organizing your files, eliminating duplicates and archiving old information will make your time in front of the computer a more enjoyable and productive undertaking.

It will take some time — probably more than you realize to get things in shape — but you will regain that time investment in just a few weeks. It’s worth it. And… if you begin this process now, you will be completely organized as the new year begins and your year-end tasks (and taxes) will be easier. Now wouldn’t THAT be nice?

Next time, I’ll cover ways to improve your physical office environment in ways that go beyond merely clearing clutter.

How to Begin: Advice for New Virtual Assistants

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“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If I were starting my business now, with the benefit of the wisdom I’ve gained along the way, I would do a few things differently.

For instance, I’d select my ideal client type first. I wouldn’t try to serve everyone – or anyone – just to get a business started. I would have been pickier in the early, lean months despite my appetite for those first clients and I would have listened to my “gut” when it told me to decline a project.

I know now that if I’d done this one thing, that I’d have developed a healthy, sustaining and profitable online business faster… with far less pain.

I firmly believe that helping others is the best possible way to success. I’m a Karma girl. My business was built with a four-pillar foundation:

  1. I maintained my faith in my own ability
  2. I offered the best individualized service possible
  3. I worked tirelessly (and didn’t give up even when things seemed hopeless)
  4. I stayed abreast of new developments in my industry and my client industries

Recently, I asked some of my peers to share their best advice for those just starting out. I think you will enjoy the following wisdom from those who have “been there, done that” as full-time career outsourcing services providers.

Question: Who should begin this career? How can I know if it’s a good fit for me?

Answer: (Katie Baird of LooseEnds.net)

I guess the first thing I’d ask is: “How comfortable would you be with completely remodeling and building a house on your own?”

If you are able to juggle all those details, you would probably be a good candidate for this career path.

If you aren’t comfortable with that, if the thought of everything coming at you all at once makes you want to hide, you should probably consider keeping a more traditional job or remain a subcontractor and plan to assist other entrepreneurs rather than dealing directly with clients and building your own business.

Question: What do I need to know first?

Answer: (Karen Drebes of CoordinatorGroup.com)

You have to know the products and programs you plan to use to serve your clients. The more you know, the more money you will make and the less time it will take you to complete projects.

Educate yourself about what you want to provide. This career path is not a “wing-it” situation. You need to have the experience before offering services. You can’t learn on the clients time (or on their dime) and you have to bring something to their party.

You can’t just decide to go into business, hang out your virtual “shingle” without preparation and expect to make a living.

Question: How would you recommend I determine out what services to offer?

Answer: (JJ Murphy of WriterByNature.com)

Base your services on what you know and what you most love. I would recommend that you attempt to subcontract first to get an idea of what the industry standards are and what’s expected from you by successful peers and future clients.

This would also help you identify your strengths, your weaknesses and you get a “built in” mentor for the people that you are helping with overflow. It’s a great learning experience and helps you to build important professional relationships. In this way you can also find out what services are hard to secure and which ones are in highest demand in your choice industry.

Join a networking group of people who were already successful. That’s what I was told to do and it’s what I did – and that made all the difference.

Question: What should I know about selecting equipment for my office?

Answer: (Jeri Winkler of TheSecretAssistant.com)

Having the right equipment for your area of expertise is important. Since I do a lot of mailings, a good printer and paper folder are essential for me. Of course you need a good phone (which is easier said than done) and a good computer (one that is up-to-date, not something that’s a hand-me-down). Treat your business like a business from the beginning.

The one thing that I couldn’t live without now is my wireless router. Now I can take my laptop outside and work in my Gazebo or anywhere else in (or out of) the house – without dragging wires along behind me.

I work long hours and it’s difficult to sit at my desk all day long. The router makes me portable and comfortable.

Question: How can I fast-track myself for success as a new provider?

Answer: (Evy Williams of BrochuresByDesign.com)

Networking with other outsourcing providers and associations is the most important thing you can do. When I networked with others, my business bloomed.

Get your name out there and talk to people, volunteer, and stay visible to enjoy the quickest way to success. For me, it was like a domino effect and I am still feeling the effects of that from when I started four years ago!

Question: What else do I need to know to be successful?

Answer: (Judy Vorfeld of EditingAndWritingServices.com)

Know yourself. Know what you have to offer. Be passionate about your career and nail things down by analyzing yourself and your goals. Create a good business and marketing plan that projects 3-5 years into the future. Take the time required to promote your business, so others know you and know what you have to offer.

Networking is key. I’ve learned so much from fellow virtual assistants over the years and have done my part to help others. I’ve hired other VAs, have shared clients and have been hired by peers. These days, things are changing too fast for people to try and go it alone.

Be willing to analyze your target market, and then when you open for business, always give clients more than they expect. This is sometimes difficult, but there are always life lessons that may be of value later. Keep a good attitude at all times.

Continue to improve your skills and always make time for a balanced personal life… away from the office.

Question: What about pricing my services? Any suggestions on how to do make a real living as a virtual assistant?

Answer: (Lynne Norris of NorrisBusinessSolutions.com)

Don’t under price your services. In the beginning, I took work I didn’t really want for less money than I should have because I was desperate – or I thought I was. The problem was long term, because it’s difficult – and sometimes impossible – to get those early clients raised to a proper rate later.

I wish I had taken more time to determine a living wage from the beginning, that took into account the cost of doing business, the non-billable hours required to run the business and the actual value of the time I was spending to serve clients.

Don’t give up. These days, I turn away work, but it took almost four years for me to wise up and make the decision to work with only those people I adore and accept only those projects I really love.

Question: What about doing the books? Do I have to do them myself?

Answer: (Kimberley Thomas-Catanzaro of On-LineSecretary.com)

You need to be organized. You should not procrastinate in doing essential tasks, especially things like your books. If you don’t have the time or desire to do the tasks that need to be done, hire someone. Learn to delegate. Keep excellent records.

The biggest problem I see is people trying to do their books themselves, and (come tax time) it has to be reentered, recreated from scratch, or reviewed for errors – all under a time crunch.

Question: What’s the secret to being happy working as a VA or freelancer?

Answer: (Bronwyn Robertson of TheArtsVa.com)

Know your clients. That’s most important. You have to know who you plan to serve. Beyond that, my best advice is to set a livable wage and stick to it and make sure you have a good contract. And the one that was the toughest for me in the early years… always decline work that doesn’t appeal.

Question: How do I know if a client is a good match?

Answer: (Jodi Diehl of SunfrogServices.com)

Do an interview to make sure you are comfortable before entering into a relationship. Do not accept every project that walks in the front door. It’s ok to say no. No matter how hard it is to get clients in the beginning, you shouldn’t accept just any client. Success depends on synergy and compatibility.

Question: How can I make a living serving only those clients that “appeal” to me?

Answer: (George Montgomery of BusinessAndTaxPlanning.com)

Keep track of the income and where your clients and customers come from. Fill their needs and keep them happy. Determine your skills and make sure that they match.

If that’s not what you really want to do, transition your business to serve what you enjoy. Take the business where YOU want to go and do what YOU want to do.

We all hope our experiences will help you as you begin your own path as an entrepreneur. If you are ready to start your business, there’s no better time than now.

“Leap and the net will appear”
- Zen saying