Tools of the Trade #6: Collaboration tools

This is the last post in my Tools of the Trade series.  This week I’ll focus on collaboration tools.  Online collaboration tools provide ways of easily sharing information with clients such as files, task lists, calendars, and contacts.  This is great if you have a long-term relationship with a client – you can work together as easily as if you were in the same office! 

FREE products include:

• Microsoft Office Live Workspace – share documents, coordinate schedules, and manage to-do lists in your own password-protected online workspace. 
• Google Docs and Google Groups –  share documents and manage to-do lists
• ClientSpot – project collaboration and time tracking.  It was designed with Virtual Assistants in mind.  The free version allows you two active projects and five users, then monthly prices go up from there.  You can sign up for the free version without commitment.      
• Virtual Assistant Manager is a system that was designed specifically for Virtual Assistants.  This online system allows you to share documents, manage to-do lists, keep communication in a central location, and record time spent on tasks.  It is $39 per month, and you can try it for free for 15 days.  

That is the end of the Tools of the Trade series!  Now get on your party hat and get ready to welcome in 2009!  You won’t want to miss my next post!  I am going to tell you exactly why Virtual Assistants will be critical to small business success in 2009.  I will include specific, powerful selling points you can use to tell prospective clients exactly why they can’t live without you in the year ahead!  

Wishing you all the best in 2009!

Tools of the Trade #5: Bookkeeping, invoicing, timetracking

Welcome to week #5 in my Tools of the Trade series…all the trusted and FREE tools and resources a savvy VA needs to get her job done!  This week I’m talking about bookkeeping, invoicing, and time tracking.

Bookkeeping and invoice system

You will need a way to keep track of your income and expenses, produce year-end reports, and send invoices to clients.  Some VAs use the popular package QuickBooks (http://quickbooks.intuit.com).  You can use the Simple Start version for free, or the online version for $10 per month. 

 Also check out… FreshBooks at http://www.freshbooks.com.  It is an online tool for tracking time and sending invoices, and allows you to easily accept payment via PayPal.   The free version allows you to manage up to three clients, then monthly pricing goes up to $14+ per month. 

 BUT… I definitely believe in starting small and growing your systems as you grow.  I suggest starting with the old-fashioned method of using a Microsoft Word template to create and send your invoices, and a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to keep track of your monthly income and expenses.  

Time tracking 

As I just mentioned, I believe in starting simple and creating more complex systems as you see fit.  You can record your hours in a Word or Excel spreadsheet and manually send that to your clients monthly.  That system worked well for me for a long time!

If you would like to explore a free option that is more automated, check out MyHours at http://www.myhours.com.

Next week is the last in the series and I will talk about collaboration tools.  Then we’ll kick off 2009 talking about small business trends and how a VA can make herself an invaluable partner.  Have a merry Christmas!

“Tools of the Trade” #4: Websites that post jobs

Welcome to Week 4 of my Tools of the Trade series, where I cover the latest and greatest of everything a savvy VA needs to get her job done!  This week I am talking about websites that post jobs for Virtual Assistants.

I am going to first list all of my cautionary words of advice and bits of wisdom, then list the websites at the end.  So you have to stick with me here!

If you are just starting out as a Virtual Assistant, or are in between current projects or clients, then looking for jobs advertised online is a route that you *may* want to consider.  These websites are a good place to start, and they have been successfully used by other Virtual Assistants, but you will need to PROCEED WITH CAUTION.  

• An important distinction to remember is that you are using these sites to look for *jobs*, not long-term clients.  A job or project may turn into a long-term client, but not necessarily.
• Competition for projects is fierce.  I’ll say it again – fierce!  In most cases you will be bidding on projects against people from around the world.
• Bids are typically won at ridiculously low hourly rates.   You are competing with people who may live in countries with a lower cost of living than ours.  If you bid at a low hourly rate and win the project, be prepared to work for that rate for that particular client for at least a year, or else you have set unfair expectations.
• Be bold: Consider bidding at a rate that is in line with standard VA industry rates ($20-$40/hour).  Remember, you are offering a level of service, quality, and expertise that is much higher than anyone willing to work for less than standard rates.  The types of clients you will attract will recognize your value and be more interested in forming a long-term partnership. 
• Take the time to create a compelling profile page, if applicable.  This is your primary way to project your highly skilled, professional image.
• Depending on what type of account you select at these websites, there may be monthly or yearly subscription fees involved.

Okay, fair enough?  Here are the sites primarily used by other Virtual Assistants, listed in no particular order:

Guru

Elance

oDesk

GetAFreelancer

And do not forget to check out your local Craigslist under “jobs” or “gigs”.

Happy project hunting!  Next week I’ll cover free tools for time-tracking, invoicing, and record-keeping…oh my!

“Tools of the Trade” #3: Social networking

Welcome to Week 3 of my Tools of the Trade series, where I cover the latest and greatest of everything a savvy VA needs to get her job done!  This week I am talking about social networking.

Have you explored this avenue of networking yet?  If not, social networking is all about finding and connecting with people online.  Networking online is advantageous for virtual assistants because it is all about exposure for your business.  Exposure for your business leads to potential clients, and potential clients become paying clients.  And where else can you get the same, free exposure as other big businesses?  Online, of course!  There are millions of people using these sites. Social networking is also another great avenue for VAs who are at home with children and have limited ability to get out in the “real” world.   There are three major websites that professionals might use: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  

Just to give you fair warning: social networking is time-consuming, and you may not see an immediate payoff.  On any of the sites, you need to create an account, personalize it with information about you and your business, establish connections with others you might know off the bat, and spend time on it daily or weekly.  That is precisely why it is important to remember that social networking should be only one component of your overall networking and marketing plan.  That being said, it can be a useful tool for your business and many VAs have found clients, established relationships with other VAs, and followed industry trends using these sites.

Where do you begin?  Pick one (MAYBE two) of the following websites and dig in!

• Facebook Although not entirely accurate, it could be said that MySpace is for kids and Facebook is for adults.  On Facebook, you can create a profile page for your business.  This profile page is basically a combination of your website, business card, blog, and online.  You should keep it fairly simple so it will be obvious within seconds what you do and how to find out more about you.  Other Facebookers can become “fans” of your page.  While you are there, see what my page looks like and consider becoming a “fan”!  There is a great website devoted specifically to utilizing Facebook for business called Why Facebook with a lot of great, free how-to guides.  
• LinkedIn LinkedIn helps professionals find and connect with one another through a network of connections.  The primary purpose is to look for business leads and industry information.  You will set up your profile which contains information about your current business, previous jobs, college education, and other experience.  Then you will search out people with which to be “LinkedIn,” and invite others to join.  While you are there, join a networking group just for Virtual Assistants.  
• Twitter Twitter is unique in that the whole point of it is to post, in just a sentence or two, your answer to the question, “What are you doing?”  Virtual Assistants use it to post relevant items such as links to interesting articles, sites, or blog posts.  

I look forward to “seeing you” around!  Next week I will talk about popular sites Virtual Assistants use to look for jobs and clients.

“Tools of the Trade” #2: Phone and fax options

This is part 2 in a series of 6 blog posts in which I am reviewing and recommending the best, most popular, cheapest tools and resources that every VA should know!  Today’s topic is phone and fax options.

Phone options – can quality and cheap co-exist?

Yes!  I recommend that you select one of two options for your VA business.

1. Use your cell phone.  VA’s are, well…virtual.  Yes, we DO talk on the phone, but not enough to justify the added expense of getting another land line in your home.  And I will bet you currently have a cell phone for personal use.  Try using your cell phone as your business phone for awhile, and watch your minutes to make sure you do not go over your plan’s limit.
2. Use Skype. Skype is a popular phone option that uses the internet to complete your calls (referred to as VOIP, or Voice Over Internet Protocol).  The software is free to download, and you can make and receive calls using your computer with a headset, or your cell or home phone.  Calls to other Skype users are free, unlimited calls to non-Skype users are $2.95/month, or you can buy Skype credit and pay as you go.  It offers free voicemail, pay-as-you-go faxing, and there’s a button you can add to your website or email signature to allow someone to click on it and call you instantly.  Skype is very popular with Virtual Assistants, although some have reported unreliable quality.

Fax options – go green by going paperless!

I *used* to recommend buying an all-in-one printer that could scan, fax, and copy.  No more!!  Most new printers can scan and copy, and faxing is now done online.  Here are FREE services to check out:

• FaxDigits.  You can sign up for a FREE incoming fax number.  You can receive an unlimited number of incoming faxes, and they will be sent right to your email as a PDF file.
• FaxZero.  Using FaxZero, you can send up to 2 FREE faxes per day up to  pages each.  If you have larger faxing needs, consider using the pay-as-you-go feature in Skype.
• EchoSign.  A lot of VA’s just need a fax to get signatures on contracts.  This can all be done online now using EchoSign.  It is FREE to collect up to 5 signatures per month. You upload your document, enter your client’s email address and a note, and once the client receives the document by email she can decide if she would like to e-sign or print/sign/fax back.  In the end everyone receives by email a signed PDF copy of the document.

Next week I will review Social Networking options for your Virtual Assistant business.  Stay tuned!

Tools of the Trade #1: Website development

Welcome to the first post in a series called “Tools of the Trade.”  For 6 weeks I will summarize and present the latest, greatest, most popular, and most reliable tools and resources every VA should know!  This week I’m focusing on website development.

If you are a techie, you may have your favorite web host or development software.  But there are a lot of us who just need to know the basics of how to get a website out there as a marketing tool for our VA business.  Maybe we don’t need lots of bells and whistles.  Maybe we don’t want to spend hours and hours on it.  Are you with me??

Domain names

First of all, have you purchased a domain name?  If you have not, GoDaddy is by far the best place to go to purchase your domain.  Domain names are only about $10 per year, so you absolutely must purchase one to present a professional image for your business.  If you purchase it through GoDaddy, the domain name is yours to keep no matter where you go or who you decide to host your website with.  If you let a website host purchase your domain name for you as part of a package, they have the ability to make your life miserable if you decide to transfer someday to a different host.  I did that once and had to run in circles and waste HOURS trying to figure out the whole process of switching.  Don’t let that happen to you!

Website hosts

1. Google Sites.  FREE.  The templates are very intuitive, although there aren’t too many professional looking ones to choose from.  It will also automatically genarate a sitemap for you, which is important for the Google search engines.  You can also easily add Google Analytics, which is a power traffic analysis tool.  Your site can be displayed on your custom domain name.  In addition to regular pages, you can create a basic blog, display documents using the file cabinet, or keep track of lists.
2. Microsoft Office Live Small Business.  FREE.  This is an all-in-one free online package which includes a free website, email, email marketing tool, contact manager, password protected client workspace, and project management tool.  Seriously, everything your small business needs!  Again, the template choices are small, but you will probably be able to find one that suits your needs.

Logo creator

If you need a logo for your business, LogoEase is a fabulous option.  Again, completely FREE.  When you are finished, you will receive a ZIP file containing your logo in JPG, TIFF, PNG, and EPS formats.

Stay tuned next week when we cover Phone and Fax options.  Have a happy Thanksgiving!

“Tools of the Trade” series to finish out the year

Don’t let this scare you: there are 6 Mondays left in 2008.   Yikes!

But that is good news, because I am announcing a new series of posts to round out the remainder of the year.  And you can’t miss these, because they will be crucial to your business to get you ready to hit the ground running in 2009!  The series is called “Tools of the Trade” and I will address the most popular tools, websites and resources that every Virtual Assistant MUST know in the following areas:

Week 1: Website development

Week 2: Phone and fax

Week 3: Social networking

Week 4: Online avenues to promote your business or look for jobs

Week 5: Time-tracking, invoicing, record-keeping

Week 6: Collaboration tools

If you have any suggestions for tools or resources you love and you know they should be included, let me know!

This small change will put you ahead of the VA pack

I was listening to someone on the radio and he said,

“An entrepreneur satisfies needs we do not even know we have.”

If you embrace that concept in your own Virtual Assistant business, you will separate yourself and solidify your brand and reputation throughout your network.  You will attract clients to you.  So what does it mean, really, to be an entrepreneur?

When you decided to become a Virtual Assistant, you made the decision to work at home, to be independent, to take control of your professional career path…but did you really decide to become an entrepreneur?  Are you searching the job boards online, wandering in the forums, hoping to stumble across an assignment you can do from home?  That is where many of us are right now, by the way, but I am going to suggest that you shift your thinking.

Many, if not most, small business owners today still do not know what a Virtual Assistant does or how a VA can help him or her.  It is your job to educate the small business owners, home business owners, and “solopreneurs” in your local community.  You need to get out there and tell them what you do.  Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your former employer, and attend your local Chamber of Commerce meetings or other networking group for home-business owners or the National Association of Women Business Owners.  Generate free publicity by submitting a press release to your local newspaper, business magazine, or radio station.  You need to be proactive and generate a “word of mouth” campaign about you and your business.

If you take that step, that’s huge.  But let me suggest taking this whole “entrepreneur” thing one step further…

If you could approach potential clients with some specific ideas on how you can save them time and money – in other words, identifying needs they don’t even know they have – THAT is going to catapult you ahead of the pack.  So, how might one do that, you ask??

That begins with identifying your target market, an industry or type of client you would like to focus your marketing efforts on.  Perhaps you worked in that industry previously, or have a strong interest in it now.  Maybe it is nonprofits, business coaches, financial planners, or small businesses with a storefront.  You should have a strong knowledge of your target market’s trends and challenges they face.  If you have selected a target market but do not feel very familiar with the latest information, do some internet research.  Look at the popular publications and subscribe to newsletters or blogs.

When you are up to speed, you can then easily make a list of tasks you can help with, items you can take off a client’s plate, ways that you can create a partnership.  Take that marketing message out, and I know that you will find the long-term clients and projects that you are looking for.  You will break free from the job board searches and instead take charge of the direction of your Virtual Assistant business.

Turn the holiday rush into instant income for your Virtual Assistant business

The holiday season is here, and that can mean big opportunities for your Virtual Assistant business!  While some businesses seem to be on-hold until the new year, you can make your VA business heat up by offering a few new limited-time services.   Small businesses and entrepreneurs need extra help this time of year with their overflowing to-do list.  Consider promoting these special holiday season services to local businesses and your current clients, and watch your practice expand!

1. Help clients spread the word about their seasonal promotions and special offers. Perhaps they need to add fresh content to their website, send a holiday season newsletter to current customers, or design and run advertisements in the local newspaper.
2. Research gift ideas for your client. Purchase, order or make special deliveries.
3. Take over the time-consuming task of sending holiday cards. Order, sign, stuff, seal, stamp and mail! Remind your clients how much time this can save them.
4. Take all of the work out of planning a holiday get-together for your clients. Plan the event, manage RSVP’s, and attend the event to make sure it runs smoothly.
5. Help with general administrative tasks in November and December so your clients can focus on what they do best.
6. Manage calls and emails while your clients take time to spend with their family.

How do you get the word out about your holiday services?

• Tell anyone and everyone you know – make word of mouth marketing work for you!
• Update your website
• Notify your current clients
• Attend the next Chamber of Commerce meeting in your community, or ask a representative if they can help you access email or mail addresses of Chamber members.