Maryland | D.C. Virtual Assistants Blog

Virtual Assistance Article

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:55:00 +0000

I recently read an article about how virtual assistants are helping real estate professionals. The article was written by Blanche Evans of Realty Times. Ms. Evans tells of how practical it is for real estate professionals to utilize virtual assistants. Without the added expense of employees and the fact that virtual assistants are already computer literate, using a VA instead of an in-house employee just makes more sense.

Ms. Evans also includes a section on how to find and hire a virtual assistant. She mentions StaffCentrix, a website that helps busy professionals find virtual assistants. I haven't had an opportunity to check out that site yet, but I will be going there in the near future.

Seasons Greetings!

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 03:49:00 +0000

Hoping your holidays are the happiest!

Want to be more productive?

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:36:00 +0000

I seen a commercial the other day for a website on becoming more productive. Be More Productive 0ffers tips on increasing productivity. This site also includes a time wasted calculator, which is a great tool to determine where and how you waste time. There is also a section on the top 10 office time wasters. On the home page, there are several videos that can be watched regarding productivity.

Being an independent contractor, it is highly important to be productive. Virtual assistants have many different types of responsibilities for many different clients. VA's need to know how to be efficient and productive in order to ensure their client's happiness and repeat business. Being more productive can make working independently much more attractive.

My misperception

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:50:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 33

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "When people think of networking as TAKING or TRADING, what they get is Single-Sale Networking. Though Single-Sale Networking may result in instant gratification, it's time consuming, and you miss out on the long-term benefits"

How this quote adjusted my thinking: I just had an "Ah ha" moment. I really thought taking and trading were the be all end all of networking. This is why I shy away from networking. I do not want to be in a room full of people who are only there to get their product sold. I do not want to engage in exchanges where I know the only reason the other person is accepting my product is because they want to push their product. I like this new definition of networking. Networking interactions are investments in longer term relationships. Each person sees value in reciprocity. This type of networking I can embrace.

Magazine Article

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:17:00 +0000

I recently subscribed to Entrepreneur magazine and there was a great blurb in the front about an online community. Bank of America has a small business online community where professionals can network with each other, join forums for ideas and/or advice, and and find experts and stories. I joined this community tonight and it looks very helpful. All professionals should at least look into this. As a virtual assistant, networking is very important.

On a personal note, I am so grateful that I subscribed to this magazine. This is my first issue and so far so good. It contains quite a bit of useful information.

My strengths & weaknesses

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:53:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 25

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "My style 'If you like to keep a lot of balls in the air,' it will feel natural to you to collaborate, to give first and give generously, and to learn networking skills and systems so that you feel more comfortable. It will be a challenge for you to stick to your goals, to ask for what you want or need, to tell success stories, to hold up your end of the conversation, and to take your 50 percent of the 'air time'."

How this quote adjusted my thinking: Now this describes me precisely. This quote encompasses my positive attributes and my challenges. Having this quote sums me up neatly. Now I have a reference. I will be able to focus on the new methods that specifically address my weaknesses. I will be able to use it as a measuring stick to note my progress.

On Being Shy

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:58:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 22

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "Philip Zimbardo, who founded the Clinic, found that shy people are less popular, find fewer friends, exhibit lower self-esteem, make less money, say their lives are boring, demonstrate fewer leadership skills, are more likely to be depressed, have less social support and are more likely to be lonely."

How this quote adjusted my thinking: Hmmmmm....I frequently tell people I am shy. This quote puts a whole new spin on things. I would not define or label myself with over half the characteristics listed here. According to this quote I am not shy. When it comes to networking, I feel so insecure. Perhaps it is not shyness I experience, rather timidness or that I am reserved. I am afraid to reach out for fear of "making a mistake." I think "Make Your Contacts Count" will give me the tools I need to overcome my timidness. I am definitely not shy by this definition.

Networking Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:47:00 +0000

There are several networking web sites available now. There are a few that I just love. One of those in LinkedIn. This site allows you to connect with past colleagues as well as classmates. This is very beneficial for virtual assistants and other professionals who wish to expand their networks. Another one of my favorites is Ryze. This site has predefined networks to fit every professionals needs. I have already made a few connections on each site. Joining each of these networks is free but both offer upgraded plans for a fee.

Because networking is very important in the business world, I would recommend that every take advantage of the sources available. Networking can be difficult and intimidating at first but just remember that everyone feels that way. Also remember that netiquette must always be used because people cannot hear your tone or see your body language.

Happy networking!

Networking: Giving without expectation

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:36:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "Give without strings, without expectations of getting-that is the way to create a network that works."

How this quote adjusted my thinking: I stumble on this quote. I think I understand what she is saying. She is saying if you go to a networking event where the only reason you would give is so you will get in return. What makes me grapple with this quote is I am the type of person that always gives without expectation. At what point do I cut my losses because I am giving more than I receive? I struggle with finding balance.

Network now, not when you need it...

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:04:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 19

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "Absolutely the worst time to begin networking is when you need to-after you decide to changed jobs or lose your job."

How this quote adjusted my thinking: This is sound advice. If people sense you are desperate they are wary that you are networking for one purpose. Once you reach your goal-obtaining a job-you will move on. Then people feel used. You got what you wanted and did not stay to help others. However, when you network before you need the job you get the opportunity to showcase your skills, invest in the group by helping others and you prove yourself.

Another exciting website

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:13:00 +0000

I was on Bnet last night looking over a few things and I noticed a link at the bottom for Entrepreneur Assist. I had to check it out because virtual assistants are entrepreneurs. There are some great features on this site, such as Entrepreneur's Library, planner, and forms and templates. In the library, you can browse books and even download them. A screen shot is on the left of what the dashboard looks like. Because this site is presented by Visa, Visa also offers some business resources. There are great forms and templates available, from accounting to office management and more.

I'm glad I found this link. There's no charge at all for this site so there's nothing to lose if you don't like it.

Definition of Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:54:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 17

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "Networking is the deliberate process of exchanging information, resources, support, and access in such a way as to create mutually beneficial relationships for personal and professional success."

How this quote adjusted my thinking: I like starting with a definition because all too often I march into a situation thinking I know what I am doing only later to find out I could have had more positive results if I had understood the definition. For example, marketing. I thought marketing was making a logo, buying some advertising and calling it a day. I have since learned "marketing is telling people what you do over and over." (I learned that from C.J. Hayden's book Get Clients Now)

So networking to me is a time when I have to listen to one sales pitch after another. I think of a networking event as a chance to see a new product, learn about a new book in a presentation format. In other words, I am in the audience and I am watching a demonstration.

I never thought of networking as a deliberate process. I never thought of networking as a support group. Now, I am intrigued to learn more about what networking really encompasses.

Free Online Courses

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 02:13:00 +0000

I came across come very interesting information a few weeks ago. I found out that HP offers free online courses on their website. I am currently enrolled in 2 right now and they're great. These classes offer marketing and advertising tips and tricks and much more. They're perfect for virtual assistants who aren't quite sure which direction to go in. HP also offers programming, web design, and general business courses. At the end of each completed class, you will receive a certificate stating you have completed your course. I haven't gotten one yet so I don't know exactly what they say. For more information, visit HP's website and search for the HP Learning Center.

I think these courses are an added benefit to all virtual assistants. I know that I'm definitely going to take advantage of all that HP has to offer.

My networking assessment...

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:32:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 15

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "If you find that you were stymied by a majority of the statements, you may decide to start at the begining of this book and read straight through to the end."

How this quote adjusted my thinking: I will read the book from cover to cover instead of jumping from chapter to chapter. I completed all the assessments in Chapter 1 and my networking skills are below average. "Being Strategic" and "Observing Netiquette" are the areas where I need the most improvement.

In keeping with Make Your Contacts Count

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:49:00 +0000

I was reading Bnet today. I came across this post. It struck me as applicable to my journey of making my contacts count. If you are building a web site or updating your web site do not forget that this is a form of connecting with your clients. Make sure every word deserves to be on your site. Do not just throw words or content on your web site so you have a lot of words or content on your web site. The golden rule of web site development is: quality over quantity.

clipped from www.bnet.com

Following the Guiding Principles of Content Management

Content management is about getting the right information to the right person at the right time—at the right cost. By using the Internet as its primary publication medium, content management affords people much greater access to the information they need. When approaching content management, keep in mind that your Web site needs to organize, classify and store digital content efficiently so that it is easy for visitors to access that content.

The first step...

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:56:00 +0000

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 8

Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

Which quote: "You have limited hours and dollars to spend in the marketplace, and - without a plan - you'll sink down into aimless activity that doesn't amount to anything."

How this quote adjusted my thinking: This is my starting point. I feel like I am engaging in aimless activity. Honestly, I am not sure what I have to show for it. I am reading Make Your Contacts Count so I can develop a plan for more productive or meaningful networking. Having a plan will make my progress towards my goal happen in larger steps instead of the baby steps I am taking now.

The launch of my self improvement journey

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:03:00 +0000

I really want to contribute to this blog in a purposeful way.

After giving this a lot of thought, I decided to take you on my journey to improve my networking skills. I am new to the virtual assistant profession. I have plenty of business experience. This is my first time being a business owner. On the various association discussion boards the most consistent advice seasoned virtual assistants give the newer virtual assistants is network, network, network. I have a vague idea of what "networking" means. However, I lack the technique and skill to actually network.

Welcome to the launch of my self improvement journey.

Several months ago Lynne Waymon was the presenter at an online seminar I attended. She is so knowledgeable. Her examples, her way of speaking, her demeanor were inspirational. She opened my eyes to the truth about networking. Immediately I bought her book Make Your Contacts Count.

Everyone can afford to brush up on their networking skills.

Grab your copy and read along. You can watch me stumble, blunder and succeed as I learn how to network. Cause let me tell you - I have no CLUE what I am doing!!!

Microsoft Office Live

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:01:00 +0000

I was on Microsoft Office Live over the weekend and there are great features to be found here. You can create a Windows Live ID in order to chat with other professionals via Windows Messenger. This site also offers workgroups, which are great for professionals and virtual assistants. I had to sign up while I was there. I didn't want to miss out on this opportunity. You can sign up for 3 different plans. The basic plan is free and go up to $39.95 per month from there. Even to sign up for the basic free service, a valid credit card is required. Don't worry; Microsoft doesn't charge your card, they just use it to verify your identity.

This truly is a great service from a corporation that is highly trusted.

Innovators step outside the formula

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 01:54:00 +0000

There are a lot of people out there selling formulas for success on the internet. To all the followers of those formulas, take a look at some innovators who stepped outside the formula. This is a really strong blog post. Well worth your time to read it.

clipped from atank.interlogy.com

Homepage Strategies for your site:

If you have a web application, give them the meat. Don’t ask for registration or login. Let them use your application right on your homepage.

If you are a content site, give them the most popular and recent content. Slashdot became a success using this formula and now Digg and Reddit are following the path.

If you have a subscription site give them screenshot or movie tour. But that’s not enough, you should still provide some meat on your homepage. Depending on the type of content you are providing, you must still provide some meat on your homepage.

If you are a matchmaking site, let them search profiles without registration.

If you are selling software, give them the free version right there up front.

If you are selling books, give them excerpts to read.

If you are an online radio, let them listen from your homepage.

Seven steps to Freelance

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:08:00 +0000

A recent article was brought to my attention. It was in The Daily Times, a local paper for me. The title of the article is Seven steps to Freelance and it talks about how to work on your own. I thought this article was perfect for the VA industry because that's what we do.

The seven steps are:

Specialize in a growing niche
Nurture your network
Join a service
Build referrals
Subcontracting
More is good
Establish yourself as an expert

To elaborate a little one some of the steps that are a little vague, join a service refers to web sites that connect independent contractors with employers. I've come across a few of these sites, such as Odesk, Guru, and Sologig. Step six, More is good, refers to the amount of prospects. The article states, "The more qualified prospects you reach, the more clients you will have."

This article is a great resource for anyone who is interested in becoming an independent contractor.

Virtual Assistant Software

noreply@blogger.com (Creative Business) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:21:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

I have just come across some pretty interesting software for Virtual Assistants. It's called Virtual Assistant Manager and it's designed to help Va's and clients keep in touch. You can visit their website to see a demo and get a 15 day free trial. If you decide to purchase the software, the purchase price is relatively inexpensive. For 1-5 assistants, the price is $39.00 per month.

Here is how it works:

Purchase the software and set up your account
Set up your clients and assign them a user name and password
Clients can log in to the virtual assistant manager and create a task request

This software makes communication easy. This software is also partnered with Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA). The software is very user-friendly and it also tracks your time.

Yugma: Free Teleconferencing

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:13:00 +0000

I was online participating in a workgroup. I was listening to one member try to explain to the group how our organization's Joomla web site was mapped. Another person was asking questions indicating they were not on the same page as the speaker. The speaker said, "If only there was a way you could watch me as I navigate the site…"

Seeing this as my opportunity, I immediately said we all could follow by using the free online conferencing tool, Yugma.

This group is highly productive and technologically savvy. Everyone agreed to give it a try. I was the host so I set up the conference room. Sounds so sophisticated, but all I did was click the "Start Session" button at the Yugma site. Once the session was running, I sent everyone in my workgroup an invitation by email.

They followed the link, downloaded the necessary application, entered the conference ID number and were in the conference room.

In less then ten minutes, we were watching the speaker navigate through our web site. Everyone commented about the ease of using Yugma. They also felt more productive because they could see what the speaker was seeing. Before, they were trying to follow along by separately logging into the administrative side of the web site in their browsers and listening to the speaker describe the adjustments or layout that needed to be worked on. Even so, only one administrator could view a page. Everyone else had to wait for them to log out before entering the page and viewing it for themselves.

At the end of the work session, everyone wanted to know if they were attending a session because I had an account.

I told them anyone can start a session.

I described one example here. You can share your PowerPoint presentations or give a demonstration. Yugma is a great tool to add to your online resource kit.

Online Resource: Skype

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:04:00 +0000

Have you heard about Skype? Are you not sure what all the hype is about?

Skype is one of today’s most valuable communication tools. Skype is a voice over internet provider. The application download is free. In addition, to use Skype between users is free. There are millions of Skype users. Chances are you already know many Skype users.

So let us say you run a business out of your home in

Ocean City, Maryland and your client is in Ontario, Canada, as long as you both have a Skype account you can talk for free. There are no special rate packages to talk internationally like some services.

My favorite feature about Skype is the instant notification.

Suppose your client would like to know what percentage of McDonald’s profit are generated from the sale of happy meals. Back in the day, you would have had to pick up the phone, consume 20 minutes or more of your time to give a simple answer. Now, with Skype all you have to do is type your answer (40% by the way) into the chat window. Your client instantly receives an alert. When relying on email to send your response, your recipient may forget to check their email. Then, when they do check they have to sort through all the other emails received.

Skype notifications are one to one, highlighted on your desktop and available to you as soon as you need them.

Skype also offers many other features, such as whiteboards, desktop sharing and other plug ins. If you want to expand your usage of Skype paid plans are available. For example, if you want to call from Skype to a non Skype user or a landline you can purchase a plan for outbound calls. There is a separate paid plan for receiving incoming calls. This is rather a nice option because you are paying for what you will use.

Now let us be honest, technology never operates without error 100% of the time.

Skype is like every other technology where it has its moments.

Yes, I have lost calls in the middle of an exchange of vital information. Yes, on occasion reception has been less then audible. However, I find the benefits to using Skype far out way the once in awhile-typical technical glitch I would experience with any other technology I use. After all, I am running Microsoft Vista on my computer. Ok, ‘nuff said.

Small Business Online Resource: Collaboration Workspace

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:05:00 +0000

Having an online collaborative workspace is very beneficial to your small business. There are times when you are traveling and you need to access information. There are times when you want to share data with vendors. There are times when you want to brainstorm with clients. There are times when you want to set up tasks for your employees. An online collaborative workspace is the one stop resource for you to coordinate information you want to share with employees, clients and vendors.

I compared all the features, options, bells and whistles of over 25 online collaborative workspaces, including WebEx, HyperOffice, and Basecamp.

I chose CentralDesktop. It fit into my budget. I liked the user interface. It was the right size for my business.

I am in the start up phase of my business. CentralDesktop offers exactly the features I need, such as task list management, calendar, document sharing, database. Now, these are the buzz words of features for online collaborative workspaces. Every application will tell you they offer task list management, calendar, document sharing, etc. CentralDesktop appealed to me above the others because for the price, I got what some of the bigger name more expensive applications offered.

CentralDesktop is easy to use, sophisticated without being overwhelming, and customizable to suite my needs.

One of my favorite features is the ability to link within the pages of my workspace.

I can set up a task in my task list, inside the description of the task, I can set up a link to a document in my workspace. Now, I can click on the task then click on the link to take me right to the document I need to work on. I do not have to waste minutes searching for the document I want.

Another feature on my list of favorites is a Firefox plug in.

When I am surfing the web I might come across a web site with valuable information related to a project I have in CentralDesktop. All I have to do is click on the plug in on my Firefox tool bar and the web site link is saved in my workspace at CentralDesktop.

Even though my business is small at the moment, CentralDesktop is versatile enough to expand as my business grows. They have pricing plans to match your need. CentralDesktop also offers custom price plans.

I recommend you invest in an online collaborative workspace for your small business.

It will keep your business efficient.

The Top 100 Ways a Home Office Warrior can utilize a Virtual Assistant

noreply@blogger.com (Lara Nieberding, The Data Digger) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:10:00 +0000

If you are a real estate agent, do your administrative tasks fee like they have taken on a life of their own? Does your small business start up seem like an untamable beast? If you want to outsource but are not sure then check out this blog. This post gives a concise list of reasons to hire a virtual assistant.

clipped from homeofficewarrior.com

I don’t know about you, but I get sucked into those VH1 Top 100 countdowns all the time. So I thought it would be fun, as well as informative, to do our own here at the Home Office Warrior. The Top 100 ways that a Home Office Entrepreneur could use a Virtual Assistant to benefit their business. Like the musical counterpart, this countdown will come to you in four installments, one each week for the next four weeks. At the end of the four weeks I think you will have found at least a few ways a virtual assistant could fit you and your business and at the same time you will have learned a bit more about the world of virtual assistance.