Summer is literally around the corner and it can be an interesting time for a Virtual Assistant. It can be extremely slow, or on the flip side, extremely busy, depending on one’s clientele.

This is the time many clients take a vacation from their own businesses or projects so the VA life can be a bit slow at this time of year.

On the plus side, by nature of having a home-based business, is the ability to schedule your day to  enjoy the sun (hoping it will be sunny!) and to work after hours. 

But…. it’s also a great time for clients to use this quieter time of year to start up new projects, finish old ones that have sat on the back-burner or hand off projects to a Virtual Assistant that regular staff can’t complete because they’re on vacation, or the office is too shorthanded.

If you’re a VA, or any other online entrepreneur, and business is a bit slow at this time of year, look at it as the perfect time to get a marketing routine started up and try out new approaches.  And, it’s a good idea to start a summer marketing campaign back in the spring in anticipation of the upcoming quieter months.

Great Virtual Tip for today: www.gotomypc.com - Access your own or a client’s PC.

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As I mentioned in my last blog, the best laid plans can go awry, but often for the best. A service for which you thought there would be a spectacular demand just isn’t, but ”out of the blue” a client may ask for a service that you hadn’t given any thought to providing. By viewing this request as an opportunity, one can stumble onto a whole new path with exciting results. Such was the case for me when a company asked me to provide personalized computer training for its employees.

Not being a “stand up in the front of a class and teach” type of person, I was initially tempted to decline, however I re-thought the idea and this has evolved into an opportunity to provide one-on-one personalized computer training, teaching 1-3 people at a time, based on each person’s needs, beginning with the basic basics of how a computer works. 

This is an ideal service as I’m able to share my knowledge of computers and Microsoft software programs that I’ve gained during my years in the Virtual Assistant profession, and personalize it to the student’s abilities. The shortcuts and tips I share are particularly well received. One-on-one tutoring has proven particularly effective as the student tends to feel more comfortable asking questions in this setting. More effective learning is accomplished in a single session than in a classroom full of students with varying levels of skill because students don’t feel too intimated to ask questions.

Great Virtual Tip for today: www.ccleaner.com - A free optimization and privacy tool that removes unused files from your system.

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Well, here I am again! After writing my last blog about the art of procrastination, I proceeded to do a brilliant job of doing just that…..procrastinating. So now that  I know I have a talent for procrastinating, I shall try to be equally as capable of producing a blog on a regular basis. After all, the virtual world is counting on me to share my wisdom.  In retrospect, I think my hesitancy came from feeling I had to write the “perfect” blog each time and at the end of a busy work week, when the old Outlook reminder popped up to let me know it was time to write my blog, the inspired words just weren’t there.

Now, this is not to say this is how I handle client work. Completely the opposite, I become consumed with completing a project on time and prefer to actually finish well ahead of schedule to suitably impress the client.

I’ve recently re-directed my business to focus on projects, as well as personal assistance. I’m loving this new direction as I’m able to schedule my time so much better and I’m so not tied to my desk all day. I can work in the evenings, the mornings, weekends, whatever works best for that week.

On this note, I’d like to recommend flexibility as key to providing Virtual Assistant services.  No matter how well thought out one’s business plan is, often fate sends you a client with a request for a service you hadn’t even contemplated offering, but it sounds so interesting, you can’t resist. More on that next time!

Great Virtual Tip for today:  A free PDF creation tool -  www.pdf995.com

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Everyone suffers from procrastination to a degree but it’s especially a stumbling block for entrepreneurs working in a home office. There’s no one looking over your shoulder. To be sure, a client’s deadlines are first and foremost, and a tangible milestone to reach. However, focusing on tasks that involve one’s own business, such as expansion plans or marketing initiatives are easy to put off until the next day.  There’s always  ”busy-work” to be found that’s more appealing or phone interruptions to delay taking the time to attack these tasks in-depth. It brings back memories of leaving homework to the last minute at school.

One of the best ways to approach this problem is to break each task into chunks and each chunk into bite-size pieces. For instance, if you have three major projects you want to complete, don’t work on just one project for hours. Instead, schedule one hour for each project. This way you’re making a dent in each project, feeling a sense of accomplishment for having tackled all the projects and enjoying some variety as well.

Here’s a link to a podcast from Career Joy with Dr. Tim Pychl, an expert on procrastination, with more great ideas. http://www.careerjoy.com/index.php?q=node/340

Great Virtual Tip for today:  A very useful screen print tool -  www.snagit.com

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As a Virtual Assistant, my posts will tend to lean towards my experience gained from providingVirtual Assistance. However, I hope that I will also provide useful information and tips for any e-business utilizing the Internet to conduct business.

First things first,  everyone knows that as with any business, there’s lots of work involved in starting an e-business and of course the first step is creating a business plan. There’s a tremendous amount of research, analyzing, chatting with competitors and daydreaming to define your unique service or product. But…..I can’t emphasize enough….the most important criteria is a passion and enthusiasm for the business you’ve chosen to create.  If you thinking about an area of business for any number of reasons, i.e. it’s the “trend” of the moment, it seems like a big money-maker or you have a bit of knowledge in the subject area, BUT it seems to be mostly drudgery to create that business plan and it’s just not flowing out of your fingers, this may not be the ideal business for you.

Great Virtual Tip for today:  Free online software training with the HP Learning Centre - http://h30187.www3.hp.com/

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Thank you for stopping by to read my first blog post.  I’ve been a Virtual Assistant, a Canadian Virtual Assistant, I might add, for almost six years. During that time I’ve learned so much about conducting business, providing services and communicating with clients online (virtually). I’m sure most of you have heard of Virtual Assistants by now, a truly amazing service for any business to utilize on an “as-needed” basis.  And….we don’t take up any space at all! 

So back to all this knowledge I’ve gathered through the years. I think it would be a good idea to share with others some of what I’ve learned in hopes of shortening the learning curve for some of you and add a little efficiency to your life.

Blogging is a new experience for me and in the process of learning, within this blog I hope to share some tips, shortcuts, techy thoughts and to point you towards some great software available on the Internet that will make your virtual life easier.

I’m often asked for advice by new Virtual Assistants just starting out and I’m happy to help out. But this blog is written not only for other Virtual Assistants, but also for any e-business owner out there who runs their business using a computer, email and the Internet.

There is a wealth of information on the Internet that could take hours to research so I hope this little blog will become your resource for a quick tip or two to make your life easier.

Stay tuned for the first tip. Have a great day!

*To receive this blog in your inbox, please email tana@virtualofficeservices.ca