Have you ever wanted a way to get everything done in a mere 24 - hours a day? How'd you like to actually have time to, oh, sleep, eat, spend time with your family and loved ones? Work with a virtual assistant!
Unlike a regular employee, VAs don't take up any space in your office. We work remotely, over the Internet. We can provide package pricing, depending on your specific needs, or down-to-the minute hourly rates.
What about all that stuff that's taking up hours and hours of your time - entering contact information into your database, putting together an email newsletter to market your business, updating information on your webpage? When is the last time any of that got done? Hire a VA - and get it off your task list.
Are your accounts receivable under control? A VA can help contact your A/R clients, and set up payment arrangements, by acting as an employee of your company.
What about your mail? Forward it to your VA and let her handle it. We can sort your mail for you, respond to routine requests, pay your bills, and forward urgent, non-routine requests to your email for your immediate review.
The best way to use a VA? Use your imagination. We can do nearly any executive-assistant tasks.
For more information,email us. We'd love to talk to you.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Working from Home In the Current Economy
You know, I quit listening to the news. All they talk about is doom and gloom, and yet my businesses are doing better than ever. Amid the notices of job losses are bits of hope - including the fact that working from home is more popular than ever.
When I was just a wee little girl, my parents owned a pest control company in Seattle. Mom ran the office out of a spare bedroom in our home, Dad went on the calls, and we had a great little company. That's where I learned that a woman's place can be BOTH in the workplace and at home. I knew I wanted a career (it was the 70s, after all) and I knew I wanted to be a mommy (I'm the oldest of 8, after all) - what I didn't know was how to be both.
To be sure, working at home, in a virtual environment, requires a bit of discipline. My desk is in a niche of my dining room, just off the living room. I like it that way, especially since I also homeschool. It allows me to be aware of what's going on around me, at least most of the time. I'm close to the door, close to my kids, and more or less aware of the TV.
On the other hand, I still have to get up early, take a shower, and get dressed to shoes. I don't start work until I look like I'm going to the office - hair done, makeup on, shoes on. And I require myself to be "at work" at 9am. My day is generally scheduled pretty tightly - educating my kids, 9 till 12, then the rest of the day is reserved for business. I "close" at 5pm promptly although I tend to continue to work a lot longer. I find that if I keep "office hours," my time is respected.
Now, I work at home because, well, I'm the boss and I designed my companies that way. For those who are employees trying to persuade a boss to let them work at home, try pointing out how it will benefit them. You're able to work a little longer during the day, can be more productive, don't need to take sick days unless you're REALLY sick (like I was last week -- flat on my back in bed, but still answering e-mail), able to be available around kids' schedules, etc. I've been able to do business at the ice rink, at the park, at McDonald's where I took my kids to play for a while (free WiFi, hooray!).
My favorite part of working at home, of course, is being there for the VIPs in my life - my beautiful children.
When I was just a wee little girl, my parents owned a pest control company in Seattle. Mom ran the office out of a spare bedroom in our home, Dad went on the calls, and we had a great little company. That's where I learned that a woman's place can be BOTH in the workplace and at home. I knew I wanted a career (it was the 70s, after all) and I knew I wanted to be a mommy (I'm the oldest of 8, after all) - what I didn't know was how to be both.
To be sure, working at home, in a virtual environment, requires a bit of discipline. My desk is in a niche of my dining room, just off the living room. I like it that way, especially since I also homeschool. It allows me to be aware of what's going on around me, at least most of the time. I'm close to the door, close to my kids, and more or less aware of the TV.
On the other hand, I still have to get up early, take a shower, and get dressed to shoes. I don't start work until I look like I'm going to the office - hair done, makeup on, shoes on. And I require myself to be "at work" at 9am. My day is generally scheduled pretty tightly - educating my kids, 9 till 12, then the rest of the day is reserved for business. I "close" at 5pm promptly although I tend to continue to work a lot longer. I find that if I keep "office hours," my time is respected.
Now, I work at home because, well, I'm the boss and I designed my companies that way. For those who are employees trying to persuade a boss to let them work at home, try pointing out how it will benefit them. You're able to work a little longer during the day, can be more productive, don't need to take sick days unless you're REALLY sick (like I was last week -- flat on my back in bed, but still answering e-mail), able to be available around kids' schedules, etc. I've been able to do business at the ice rink, at the park, at McDonald's where I took my kids to play for a while (free WiFi, hooray!).
My favorite part of working at home, of course, is being there for the VIPs in my life - my beautiful children.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Bookkeeping for small businesses
As I have posted before, I have started a second business that specializes in bookkeeping. As I've been promoting that business, I've started having to un-do a lot of poor bookkeeping. Now, I know a lot of business owners. They are awesome people. They're sharp, they work amazingly hard, and they're great at what they do. So how is it that these intelligent, sharp people aren't "getting" bookkeeping?
One reason is that bookkeeping isn't "what they do." They create marketing videos; frame houses; pour concrete; remanufacture ink and toner cartridges -- they aren't accountants or bookkeepers, they're not necessarily detail oriented, and they hate sitting down to figure out which account this reciept should go under. All the more reason to get a virtual assistant or professional bookkeeper to handle the books on a regular basis. Why try to do it all? It costs money in the long term!
I have worked to unravel more bookkeeping mistakes in the past few months than I had in a long time. Like I said, these people are sharp. They simply don't understand accounting principles. And that's ok. By simply outsourcing tasks they don't know how to do (or don't want to do) they will find themselves able to provide better service to their clients, put systems in place that will allow their business to grow, and create a business that will last beyond themselves.
One reason is that bookkeeping isn't "what they do." They create marketing videos; frame houses; pour concrete; remanufacture ink and toner cartridges -- they aren't accountants or bookkeepers, they're not necessarily detail oriented, and they hate sitting down to figure out which account this reciept should go under. All the more reason to get a virtual assistant or professional bookkeeper to handle the books on a regular basis. Why try to do it all? It costs money in the long term!
I have worked to unravel more bookkeeping mistakes in the past few months than I had in a long time. Like I said, these people are sharp. They simply don't understand accounting principles. And that's ok. By simply outsourcing tasks they don't know how to do (or don't want to do) they will find themselves able to provide better service to their clients, put systems in place that will allow their business to grow, and create a business that will last beyond themselves.
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