As a Virtual Assistant, I love exploring new programs but am sometimes skeptical towards some until I hear from others of their own personal experiences. Free programs I do view warily until proven otherwise, I don't want to get caught with something I wished I hadn't downloaded. However, recently my team were discussing a photo storing program called Picasa which is a free download from Google and it is worth checking out. It does a full scan of your computer or will only scan the sections … [Read more...]
Taking The Plunge!
Some call it 'diving into the deep end', others call it 'stepping out in faith', but whatever it is leaving a (secure) job and moving full time into your own business is a big scary step and it's hard to know when is the right time to do it. There are some guidelines that can help you with that decision. If you cannot afford to do without the income you are receiving at a full time position, then you need to consider building your business part time (after hours and weekends) until you are … [Read more...]
Working In The Front Line
I'm a firm believer that it's important to get involved in local community and local groups. Even as a virtual operator, there is still the need to get to know local business people and others around me. Not all my business has to come from online methods and it's true that there are people down the road or around the corner who could also use my services. But how do I let them know I'm here? I join a local networking group. Currently it's the local Chamber of Commerce but in the past it has … [Read more...]
Let Them See The Benefits!
I was having a morning tea a few days ago with some of my team. It's always good to get together with a few at a time to enjoy a cuppa and cake, and a good old-fashioned chat face-to-face. We all have families at different stages of life and it's fun to share ideas and compare how we manage things. My kids are older than that of the ladies that were there that day so I was able to talk about things that took place during their teen years, as my business was developing and opportunities arose. … [Read more...]
Any VAs in Japan?
My husband and I are planning our next trip. We have a daughter working in Nagaoka in Japan and so we're going over to visit her for a couple of weeks Aug/Sept. I'm wondering if there are any VAs in Japan that I could meet whilst I'm there. We're planning to also visit Tokyo, Kyoto and hopefully take in a day of the world athletics in Osaka. If you know of any VAs in Japan, please do encourage them to make contact with me as I would love to meet them. When we travelled to Ireland, UK and … [Read more...]
Sponsorships – Exposure For Your Business
I was driving to a breakfast today not far from home. It's Saturday and normally I wouldn't be going out, especially not early in the morning - it's my day for relaxing at home but this breakfast was special because I was a sponsor for the event. Sponsorship is often an overlooked opportunity for gaining exposure for your business. Whenever people hear that word they immediately think $$ - lots of it - and dismiss the idea but it really is one worth considering. Not all sponsorships require … [Read more...]
Ethics in Business
Recently I've attended a business breakfast, a sponsor lunch and participated in a forum at TV show website, all of which have been discussing the topic of Ethics in Business. And then just this week a presentation at the OIVAC about Business Ethics. The fact that this topic is being discussed in many places recently indicates to me it is something that is at the top of people's minds of late. It is probably always there but so many things have been raising their heads globally that it's got … [Read more...]
When Should You Quit Your Day Job?
I was reading one of Des Walsh's latest posts at Thinking Home Business and he was referring to a blog post he had read by Darlene McDaniel (blogging seems to do that - lead you from one to another!) and the question had been raised as to when people should quit their day job when establishing their own business? That's an interesting question and the answer can be very different for a number of people. The reality is that if you are depending on the income from your day job, that the time to … [Read more...]
Websites for Virtual Newbies
One of my new team members was asking about the process for setting up a website. I tried to outline it as simply as possible for her and then thought it would be good to share it here. Setting up your website - there are a few components to this: 1. Purchase a domain name - if you haven't got one already you can go to www.acsdomainservices.com for a domain. If you are in Australia I encourage you to go to https://www.domaincentral.com.au for probably the best priced domains that are .au … [Read more...]
