The Power of Silence

One can often "say" more by saying less. I found this article today recommended by IAAP's OfficePro. I've found this is often a good strategy in meetings or networking gatherings.

I don't know it all -- But I can find the answer and/or solution

Working alongside clients to handle their administrative needs -- the roles, tasks, and functions that keep a business rolling along -- I often must find hi-tech products or services to fulfill a need. Often the solution is found in contacting experts I personally know and trust.

I admit to being extremely proficient in most administrative skills, however, there are instances when it is more efficient skillwise and economically to call on experts from my network. Sure I could learn "everything" but that would not be the best use of my time. I'm in business to get things done in the best way for the client not to prove I'm a master of all.

For instance, I can set up and maintain extremely good databases in Filemaker or Access. However, I have a client who had a need for very specialized reports generated from a very detailed and ever-changing Filemaker database. While I could have come up with the "macro" eventually, we hired a Filemaker expert, Gordon Johnson, who provided it in about one-half hour. His hours are more expensive than mine, but his 1/2 hour against my 6 or more hours of learning time -- well do the math.

Aloha!

One of the perks of working is getting away. My getaway this year was for almost three weeks with family who just happen to live in Honolulu. The weather was perfect every day. The flowering trees were beautiful, and the variety of colorful birds unending.

Pictures: (1) Approaching the Arizona monument, (2) Damage from Japanese bombing of barracks still visible. Repainting is allowed but repairing holes is not, (3) At the Dole Pineapple plantation, (4) Rainbows every day in Oahu and you can see both ends!

Keep ahead of the internet gremlins

Updates to protecting yourself online.

Veteran internet users are savvy about not opening unknown attachments. However, those that create and traffic in phishing, viruses, and malware keep evolving their craft. This article gives updated direction on keeping yourself safe.  4 Security Tips Spurred by Recent Phishing.

"Back Office" revealed

After seeing or hearing a definition for "administrative" or "back office" tasks, people often ask for more details. So glad to oblige - following is an incomplete list of what a VA would likely do for a client:

• Handle email or US mail, handling most and forwarding to you just those which need your attention
• Make appointments, keep a schedule
• Personal/business paperwork
• Make/receive phone calls/inquiries
• Send/receive faxes
• Research of all sorts
• Plan meetings and events
• Plan parties (business and   personal), weddings, reunions
• Make travel arrangements - business and personal Renewing passports Dining reservations (local and while traveling) Golf tee time reservations Theme park tickets Site seeing tours Worldwide weather information Turn-by-turn driving directions
• Handle reservations for seminars given by clients
• Coordination of web design/hosting
• Mailings
• Writing
• Proof reading
• Copy editing
• Canceling, creating, renewing subscriptions
• Desktop publishing, Newsletter publishing (print and internet)
• Coordination of web design/hosting
• Mailings
• Buy/send gifts/cards for customers of clients
• Addressing holiday cards
• Reminder service
• Transcription and Dictation
• Advocate for billing disputes
• Complaint handling
• Create/maintain databases
• Relocation services help and research

Of course everyone has a unique business and may need only a few of these tasks done, or there may be details to handle that others may never encounter. In any case, when you work in partnership with the Virtual Assistant who understands your business goals and approach to them, you have someone who works professionally and creatively to help you business succeed.

The Idea is My Ideal Clients

We all want that Ideal client, but do I know who that is? Recently while preparing to go to a networking function where I'd likely meet people who are looking for a Virtual Assistant, I asked myself that question. Looking in my oft-neglected business plan, I found this section on my ideal client. It really reflects those clients who have been the best. I'll share it to give you some ideas in case you're trying to define what is important to you.

My ideal clients

My ideal clients will be entrepreneurs and small business owners. Here are many of the characteristics I will look for in my Ideal Client:

·            He/She loves what he does

·         He is good at what he does

·         He is not looking for a mom with admin skills

·         He conveys his support needs and guidelines then lets me do it in the ways I do best

·         He does not micromanage

·         He gives realistic lead times and deadlines

·         He is available/reachable if I have questions or concerns

·         He shares some of his personal life and is interested in some I may share

·         However, he does not inundate me with all his personal life, nor does he grill me on mine

·         He listens and considers suggestions I may have to enhance his business

·         He thanks me for what I do

·         He uses me as a sounding board

·         He can afford my rates

·         He pays on time

·         He is ethical

·         He is a person of integrity

·         He is flexible and adaptive

·         He views me as his business assistant, not an employee

That cloud is not a pirate ship!

When I was a little girl, we spent many summer days laying back on the lawn and watching clouds float over. We'd yell out "That's a pirate ship," "That's a dog,"or "That's a turtle."

Today, I hear almost daily "To the cloud!" However, we are no longer imagining ships and animals. The "cloud" today refers to working with and storing information from a computer or communication device to offsite locations.

Until I did some research, I was very intimidated by the very term cloud. I found that I am already using the cloud daily with my Yahoo-driven e-mail, my banking institutions, my Dropbox, and many other sites/tools.

I invite you to read Wikipedia's explanation to better understand the cloud concept and find its potential advantages and disadvantages.I believe the technology will be around for quite awhile, so educating ourselves about it can only be an advantage for our businesses.