Holly, At Your Service

Great way to live- a quote

2012-08-13T20:36:00.000-04:00

I was clearing out my "to read" folder at the office today and came across an excerpt from a book sold by www.walkthetalk.com (great motivational resource by the way). The item that stuck out for me was the following quote by Thomas Huxley and I wanted to share it with you. Hope it resonates with you the way it did with me.

"Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not."

Have Outlook 2010?

2012-08-12T12:55:00.003-04:00

PCMag.com has some great ways for you to improve your Outlook experience in "Ten Forward-Looking Microsoft Outlook 2010 Tips".
Check it out here:
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,3253,l%253D253443%2526a%253D253441%2526po%253D1,00.asp?p=n

2012-05-28T06:53:00.001-04:00

"Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them." - Ann Landers

Ah yes...

2012-01-29T09:45:00.002-05:00

"When you come to see you are not as wise today as you thought you were yesterday, you are wiser today."

Anthony de Mello

Which is more important to you?

2012-01-18T06:54:00.000-05:00

"The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want at the moment."

Author Unknown

Just do it!

2012-01-08T17:27:00.004-05:00

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.

-Samuel Johnson

Happiness...

2012-01-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

-Dalai Lama

Remember this!

2012-01-05T06:57:00.001-05:00

"You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don't. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly."

Mevlana Jelalu'ddin Rumi

At Your Service Recommended Site: Get Rewarded for what you do already!

2012-01-03T21:17:00.002-05:00

Do you read e-mails? Do you shop online? Would you like a little reward for your time and money?

I have been a My Points member since 2005 and have loved the experience from the very beginning. Unlike other reward programs, with My Points you have no obligation to make purchases. While I do shop through their link ups to many of the sites I already frequented and get the bonus points, most of my earning comes from clicking on a few e-mails a day. Over the years I've earned gift cards to Borders (I miss you!), Walmart, Target and my recent fave- gas stations.

The e-mails are not overwhelming, I have never noticed an increase in spam and you can customize your experience. Special offers and discounts are made available to you by e-mail and website. You can even print grocery store coupons and earn points for using them. Quick point opportunities are available on the website and there are frequent, fun promotions.

The only downside I have found to the program is when redeeming rewards. I personally like to enter a point range and see everything I could earn within that range pop up. The My Points system does not allow for ranges. You can scroll through all rewards to find one that matches the points burning a hole in your virtual pocket, or you can choose by category and find something you know you'll love. There are gift cards to big name stores, specialty boutiques, restaurants, gas stations, even for charitable donations. My Points now even offers the chance to convert points into cash, deposited into your PayPal account.

The best part of the program? It's free to join! Check it out today at www.mypoints.com . Tell them Holly sent you!

What is a virtual assistant?

2012-01-01T21:53:00.000-05:00

I'm often asked to describe the role of Virtual Assistant. This is one of the easiest questions to give a quick response to and yet one of the hardest for traditional business to understand. In essence, a Virtual Assistant can provide any sort of business help you need. Some VAs offer web building services, some telephone communications. Some focus on bookkeeping. Others, such as myself, can handle just about anything Microsoft Office based.

Projects range from 15 minute quick tasks to long-term complex projects. I have completed training manuals, designed presentations, created flyers and customized publications. I format, type, design, develop and analyze data. I work with direct-selling moms and professional corporations. Thanks to experience gained over many years, there is little I am unable to accomplish. This is a great way to increase my income while working around my work and home life schedule.

Benefits to clients include improved time management, reduction of in-house staff equaling reduced cost in benefits and equipment, and increased confidence that your work is getting the attention it needs. Hiring a virtual assistant is a way to promote your business flexibility and use your resources wisely.

Here is a quick definition of Virtual Assistant as found at Wikipedia:

A virtual assistant (typically abbreviated to VA, also called a virtual office assistant)^[1] is generally self-employed and provides professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office.^[2]^[3] Because virtual assistants are independent contractors rather than employees, clients are not responsible for any employee-related taxes, insurance or benefits (except in the context that those indirect expenses are included in the VAs fees). Clients also avoid the logistical problem of providing extra office space, equipment or supplies. Clients pay for 100% productive work, and can work with Virtual Assistants, individually, or in multi-VA firms to meet their exact needs. Virtual Assistants usually work for other small businesses.^[4] It is estimated that there are as few as 5,000-8,000 or as many as 25,000 virtual assistants worldwide; the profession is growing in centralized economies with "fly-in, fly-out" staffing practices.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Common modes of communication and data delivery include the Internet, e-mail and phonecall conferences,^[8] online work spaces, and fax machine. Professionals in this business work on a contractual basis and a long-lasting cooperation is standard. Typically 5 years of administrative experience in an office is expected at such positions as executive assistant, office manager/supervisor, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, information technology, et cetera.

In recent years Virtual Assistants have also worked their way into many mainstream businesses and with the advent of VOIP or other services such as Skype it has been possible to have a Virtual Assistant who can answer your phone remotely without the end user's knowledge. This allows many businesses to add a personal touch in the form of a receptionist without the additional cost of hiring someone.

In Non-Stop Inertia, Ivor Southwood analyses the role of virtual assistant as the epitome of the contemporary phenomenon of precarious work. Through this mode of employment, which combines supposed flexibility and autonomy with actual lack of human contact, "home itself becomes a kind of non-place in which we are all either willing or reluctant jugglers”.^[9]

Consider the use of a Virtual Assistant in your business. There is no job too small or too large; the right Virtual Assistant is out there waiting for you!

Flat fees now available!

2010-10-16T09:38:00.000-04:00

I recognize that for the small business owner it is sometimes difficult to budget necessary projects. While our hourly rates offer great value for the services provided, I have decided to offer flat rates on several of our more popular specialties. This eliminates any concern a client may have over costs and turnaround and enables them to take advantage of services to help their business.

Flat Rate Items

Pull tab flyer- a full-color custom flyer with tear off tabs at the bottom with your contact details. Place these on bulletin boards in your area and find new customers who want your services. Fee includes design, copywriting and conversion to a pdf file you can print from as often as you wish. $15

Gift certificate- Custom gift certificate design that you can update with recipient and $ amount details. Fee includes design, copywriting and conversion to a file you can update and print from as often as you wish. $10

Labels- Personalized labels in any standard label size, from return address to full page. Includes the addition of logos or other graphics. File will be provided to you for printing. $7

More flat rate items will be added soon, such as newsletters, coupons and more. As always, printing is also available for an additional charge. My hourly rates are still available for other projects. Contact me at atyourserviceoffice@gmail.com for more information.

Get out of your office and get back to your business!

Services for Direct Sellers and Service-based Clients

2010-07-11T09:46:00.000-04:00

At Your Service Office is available for any size business and has the skills and talents to meet any need. Often, smaller businesses such as direct sellers, landscapers and other personal service providers have unique advertising and communication needs.

Here are a few samples of what At Your Service offers clients for person-to-person advertising. These items can be provided electronically for printing at your convenience, or can be printed for you in any quantity for an additional fee.

Get your information out to multiple people and give them a way to contact you. The pull tab flyer is perfect for posting on bulletin boards and in public areas to attract attention to your business or event.

Want to send an e-mail to current or prospective clients with your current offerings? Or perhaps you wish to advertise on a yahoo or other internet group? Try a "solo ad" style e-mail. These can also be printed and used as flyers or package inserts.

Have an important event that needs a professional invitation via e-mail?

What about keeping your customers informed with an informational newsletter via e-mail and/or print?

These are just a few examples of past works and current services from At your Service Office. To learn more about these and other products, contact AtYourServiceOffice@gmail.com

Direct Sellers and Sole Proprietors

2010-06-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

“I’m just a one-person business,” you say. “What could At Your Service Office possibly do for me?”

Money is tight and you work to take care of your family, not to spend what you earn on someone else’s products and services. But you also know that time is money and never more so than when trying to run your own business. Balance is the business owner’s biggest dilemma!

Here is an important key lesson for all small business owners: Focus on your HPA! HPA stands for High Payoff Activities. If an activity directly brings you income, it is an HPA. Customer relations, vendor shows, home parties…these are all HPAs. The majority of your time should be focused on these activities.

Yet there are so many other tasks that need to be done and they use up time without bringing in profit. These necessary but unprofitable tasks include mailings, advertising design, data entry and order processing. It is easy to become so burdened by these tasks that one day you realize- you’ve been spending all of your time on these and no longer bringing in the income you work so hard for! Work often begins spilling over into family time too, leaving you drained and your family feeling left out and possibly resentful.

Sound familiar?

This is where At Your Service Office becomes your “knight in shining armor” and can give you back your life and business. Skilled in all areas of administrative support with years of background in small business and direct sales, Holly Pia and her staff can take the burdensome office tasks off your plate so you can get back to the business (and income) you love! With a focus on just your administrative and advertising needs, At Your Service Office provides a solution in less time it might take you, saving you precious time and giving you the opportunity to take your business to the next level!

Items like thank you notes, customer newsletters and holiday mailings can bring you more attention from your customers. Catalog stickers, flyers and e-advertising can bring in new clients. Customer database management can help you keep customers informed of sales that tailored to their special interests. At Your Service Office does it all!

Contact me today and let’s discuss whether investing in At Your Service Office’s skills and resources can help you grow your business and increase your profitability, while bringing you more time for yourself and family!