After the challenges I had this week with my computer, I thought I would share with you some of the things I could have done to make my life easier. I'm sharing them here because 'why learn from your own mistakes, when you can learn from others'?' I'm hoping the information here will assist you in your own operations in your business. I've had the occasional computer hiccup in the past 13+ years but nothing which upset the apple cart as much as this one. I was literally unable to do much … [Read more...]
Looking for the silver lining…
Today was one of those days I'd like to start all over again, but that's just not possible. The morning started out ok until I rebooted my computer as I hadn't done it the night before (my usual nightly ritual). That's when the day came unstuck. My computer got into an eternal loop trying to start back up again and got stuck consistently at the same spot and kept trying again. I've experienced similar before so decided to power down the computer and let it sit for awhile before starting it … [Read more...]
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
We were having a discussion on our VA forum the other day and one of the newer VAs spoke of the challenge she was having in getting her business up and running. There were a lot of things demanding her attention and it was a busy time in her life but she was concerned that she might be losing focus and sought ideas from the group for things that she could be doing. Which was a good thing to do as many of us have 'been there' and were able to advise what we did to keep us moving forward. When … [Read more...]
The VA Blogging Tour Goes Down Under
Hi Kathie, This is my first stop “down under†and I am honored to be a guest at your blog. I know I will have a great time visiting all my Australian VA associates during this drive to promote the VA industry and leading up to our Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC). So Kathie, what do you have in store for me? 1. How do you know if a VA is brand new or experienced? I have to think deeply about this question. My initial response is: a) If a VA has difficulty … [Read more...]
A Client Has Asked Me To Do Something I Haven’t Before – Should I?
I guess one of the key things here is - is the client brand new or is the client an existing one asking their VA to provide another service? The answer to this question may give a clue to what should be done. I wouldn't start providing a service I know nothing about for a brand new client as it's bound to get me in hot water and it is best onforwarded or sub-contracted to another VA who already knows how to do that particular item. However, if it's an existing client that I've been … [Read more...]
Fridays vs. Mondays
I knew there was another reason why I left the corporate world. I love working at home and this might help explain why. My husband sent it to me and I couldn't resist sharing it. To get an appreciation of what I'm talking about: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! KMT work from home, Kathie Thomas, virtual assistant, work at home … [Read more...]
What You Pay For and so on….
On one of the VA forums I moderate we periodically have discussions about the use of free software versus paid software. In many cases it makes sense to pay for decent software and after all, we are running businesses aren't we? Sometimes going cheap means you pay for what you get - something that's 'cheap and nasty'. This doesn't only apply to software but also other products and services. However, another VA forum was discussing the type of software that VAs use and amongst those items were … [Read more...]
Finding out what to charge
Periodically on the VA forums to which I belong, a VA will post a question, asking what is the 'normal' rate for a particular service. There are a number of reasons why that question will cause challenges for them and I'll explain it here. Firstly, the VA forums have members from all over the world so the cost of living in the areas in which each VA lives and works will be quite different to that of many of the other VA members. Secondly, the skills and experience of each of the VAs will also … [Read more...]
Happy Anniversary To Me, Happy Anniversary To….
Today is the 13th anniversary of the registration of "A Clayton's Secretary". A milestone in small business as we all know and have heard the statistics so many times of the number of businesses that make it to the end of the first year, the second, the fifth and the tenth. So, I just couldn't let this day go past without letting people know about it. The simple typing and data entry secretarial service I started all those years ago, just so I could be home for our 5 young daughters, has grown … [Read more...]
