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Need a Way to Make a Free Conference Call?

By Jan Udlock on June 15, 2013

You have a big launch coming up and you, as the business owner, need to talk with your virtual assistant and your web designer at the same time. What are you going to do?

I found a super resource to use and here are the simple steps to set up the call:

Go to FreeConferenceCalling and sign up for an account.
FCC will send you an email with the conference dial-in number, host access code and participant access code. They also send along easy directions for you to share with the participants.
And then you share that information with your clients .

Done! Easy peasy.
The cost is in the long distance call only. Your account is open forever so you could use this information/number for several conference calls.

Stop back here next week where I share how to use this handy resource for recording your next teleseminar.

Posted in Business owners, Virtual Assistant | Tagged conference calling | 2 Responses

Full of Gratitude Today

By Jan Udlock on June 14, 2013

In my virtual assistant biz, I am grateful for each of my clients and their different businesses. Here are some of the reasons why I’m so grateful today for my clients:

*They give me a variety of work.

*They are careful with their choice of words.

*They respect my time and ask me if I have it to do extra work for them.

*They know that I can expand my tech knowledge.

*They are very professional which daily motivates me.

*They say thank you, and I know they mean it.

*They know I’ve made a difference in their business.

*They often ask my opinion because they know I’m on their team.

What in your job are you grateful for?

Image courtesy of stockimage / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Business owners, Virtual Assistant | Tagged gratitude | Leave a response

Guest Post: Clear RFPs Help Your Business

By Jan Udlock on June 13, 2013

Today I have Tess Strand, small business consultant and CEO of Virtual Assistant Forums and Virtual Assistantville as my guest. I asked her to share about the importance of a client writing a thorough RFP (request for proposal). Here she discusses what to consider when writing the virtual assistant title, job description, special skills required section, and establishing a budget in an RFP.

And make sure you grab your FREE Smart Business Owner’s Guide to Virtual Assistance that Tess is offering to my readers for the next 30 days.

Many clients don’t realize that when they submit an RFP they have an opportunity to frame their expectations, needs, and more. Virtual assistants who read a well-written RFP can learn enough about a potential client and his or her business to draft a truly professional answer, and it also helps weed out virtual assistants who don’t fit what you’re looking for – saving you time and energy. As a consumer, it’s in your best interest to think carefully about how you see a virtual assistant fitting into your business operations and goals and give voice to those expectations in your RFP.

Job or Project Title
Give your RFP a descriptive title. Sure, you’re looking for a virtual assistant, but just typing that in the field isn’t going to do you or your prospective VAs any favors. Sum up the gist of what it is you’re looking for. What type of VA? What sort of work are you looking for help with? Are you looking for a long term contract or a one-off project?

If you’re ready to have a virtual assistant install and customize a new WordPress theme on your website, “Seeking WordPress Virtual Assistant for Website Redesign” will bring the right kind of virtual assistants to your RFP in the first place. Whereas ‘Virtual Assistant’ or even ‘Website Work’ don’t really help narrow down just what it is you’re looking for. Spare yourself responses from the VAs who are responding to your RFP just because you’re looking for help with a solid title.

Job Description
This is where you get to wax eloquent about all the things you imagine your virtual assistant taking off your plate. Use the opportunity to clearly paint what you need done, what you want done, and what you’re hoping to accomplish.

Note that truly professional virtual assistants will appreciate more detail and information about what you are looking for. The more information they have about what you think you need, the better they can tailor their specific offerings as solutions to those needs.

It’s also important to realize that if you’re looking to contract a virtual assistant for the long term, as most clients are, you don’t have to know all the details of everything you need right now. At this early stage you can’t possibly be aware of all the ways in which a virtual assistant can positively impact your business. Once you’ve found your VA, you and he or she are bound to discover and create new directions and tasks. For now, start with the things that are getting in the way of you doing what you need to be doing (visiting with clients, making sales calls, writing, developing products, etc…).

If there are things you aren’t sure about handing over, share them anyway – you may find that a particular respondent offers a solution or suggestion relative to those tasks that impresses you to no end.

Special Skills Required
If you have specific expectations of your virtual assistant’s skill level, expertise, or experience, share them here. This is particularly important if you’re in an industry that requires special knowledge or training and want a virtual assistant who has at least some understanding of the same.

Note that some clients actually prefer a virtual assistant with limited knowledge of or experience in a particular field so that they can teach and ‘train’ the virtual assistant to approach business tasks in a certain way. Your own preferences and working style will be important to consider when answering this portion of the RFP.

Budget
How much money are you looking to invest in your virtual assistant? This is an important question, and while there’s really no ‘right’ answer it should be noted that professional virtual assistants charge anywhere from $25 hourly on the very low end, to $75 hourly and up for highly specialized and technical services. With that in mind, it’s also important to realize that an experienced virtual assistant can often finish a task much faster, and with more accuracy than you or another VA may be able to, ultimately saving you money.

Working with a virtual assistant truly is an investment. Smart business owners approach the RFP process with this firmly in mind.

Thank you, Tess for all of your valuable information today. And thank you for your offer to my readers:

For more great info on working with a virtual assistant, grab this free download from Virtual Assistantville.
http://www.virtualassistantinformation.com/how-outsource-virtual-assistant/free-smart-guide-download-jan-udlock

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Business owners, Communication, Virtual Assistant, Writing | Tagged job description, RFP, special skills | Leave a response

How to Break Blogging Block

By Jan Udlock on June 12, 2013

Today is Guest Post Exchange Day on the Blogathon and as my guest, I have a wonderful writer that I’ve known for a few years from the Blogathon. You’ll really enjoy Sara’s post.

You know how blogger’s block goes. You sit down to write a post and the next thing you know you’ve spent 26 minutes tapping the keys and staring at a blank screen.

Some days the ideas don’t flow, at least not any good ones. To help you get past the block, here are a few strategies I employ from time to time.

Strategies for Breaking the Block

Get out the pen and paper. There’s something refreshing about working with a pen and paper. Free write, mind map, make an outline, or draw a picture. All of this can be done on the computer, too, of course, but the goal here is to get out of your rut by doing something different.

Set the timer. Force yourself to sit in that chair and write for a specific amount of time. If after that time is up you’re still stuck, get up and try again later. Usually, though, after a few minutes with your butt in that seat you will find the momentum you need.

Exercise or meditate or both. Maybe your problem isn’t the blogging. Maybe your problem is an unbalance that comes as a result of your hectic, work-driven life. If your body and spirit are out of whack, you can bet that will hurt your creativity and blogging ability.

Brainstorm a list of headlines. Fill in the blanks:

10 Ways to Fix Your ______________________________
What Will Your Mom Say When _____________________
The Five Best ____________ to Revolutionize Your _____________

How to Prevent Blogger’s Block

Now that you’re unblocked and ready to start blogging today, let’s take a few more steps so that you don’t get blocked again tomorrow.

Keep track of your ideas. Any time an idea comes to you, write it down. Keep a journal in your purse or get the Evernote mobile app so you never lose a gem of an idea again.

Find the magic hour. Try writing at different times of day and in different settings and pay attention to when and where you’re most productive.

Read and write a lot. When you read you get ideas. When you write often you get better at it.

Get blog post ideas sent to you. Forgive the blatant promotion, but I send out an email each month complete with a blog post idea for every day in the following month. Some ideas fit the calendar and others are just generally helpful ideas.

Maybe my monthly email isn’t right for you, but you can bet that there are other sources of inspiration out there, and you can get them sent straight to your email, Facebook feed, or RSS. Be proactive about the blog posts you’ll want to write in the future. Start gathering ideas today.

Sara Lancaster is the chief communicator at No. 2 Pen, a website content writing and online marketing agency in Denver. Subscribe to No. 2 Pen’s daily blog post ideas email here.

Image printed with permission by Maxim Saltanov from Wikimedia Commons

Posted in Blogging, Communication, Writing | Tagged Evernote | 2 Responses

VA Tip of the Week: Grab That Water Bottle

By Jan Udlock on June 11, 2013

Okay, so you already know it.

Yep, You know you need to drink more water especially since summer is just a few days off.

And with working at home, you need to take extra care of yourself because you don’t have other colleagues to share what their latest health habit is. You can’t have an office contest on who’s the biggest loser (weight wise) or who can give up sugary treats for a week.

So you need to take the time to discipline yourself to take healthy steps for yourself.

I found using a Camelbak water bottle is a great find because it holds 750 ml of water so I don’t have to keep refilling it. And I now have one for each car so I don’t have the excuse that I can’t find my water bottle.

Are the excuses rushing into your head why you don’t drink more water?

Remember that drinking water:

replenishes your nose, ears and eye tissues
flushes your body of toxins
regulates brain function
hydrates you so you’re less likely to eat snacks

And if you’re still not convinced, start drinking water for a week regularly…and you’ll find that you start to crave it.

Share with me do you drink water daily? Or do you need to get back to this great habit?

Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Health, New VA | Tagged daily habit, water | 4 Responses

Quotes about Fear

By Jan Udlock on June 9, 2013

“Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins.”
Charles Stanley

“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I have a fear of being boring.”
Christian Bale

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
The Bible

Posted in Courage, Faith | Tagged fear | 1 Response

How to Improve Client Communication in 5 Minutes

By Jan Udlock on June 8, 2013

Working virtually is rather amazing, actually. I get to work with some stellar clients, while at home and at any time of the day.

However, because I’m working virtually, the need for strong written communication becomes even more essential for my business.

Here are some quick tips for you to keep in mind when you’re communicating by email with clients:

If you have to explain to your client about what procedure has to happen first before you are able to continue with your task, spell it out for him.

Do you need to hear from the website guy before you can continue?

Did you run into a research issue?

Always keep in mind that your client is engrossed in their work life so your email needs to be succinct. Explain

where you’re at in the project and then
what you need.

Your client is working on her projects and deadlines so make it easy for her to catch up with where you are at and then ask your necessary questions.

Secondly, before you send an email to a client, check for a few things:

1. Reread the email and delete extra words and fix any typos.

2. Do not use pronouns in emails: he, she, they, one, or it.

Instead use names in your sentences. Don’t expect your client to guess which “it” you’re referring to.

Take the extra few minutes to polish your communication to make you and your business shine.

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Business owners, Communication, Virtual Assistant | Tagged emails | 1 Response

Are You Easily Distracted?

By Jan Udlock on June 7, 2013

During your day do you find yourself taking a few minutes to check your email? The same email you checked 30 minutes ago?

Do you run to Facebook to see who’s commented on your latest post instead of reviewing the Google analytics report that’s sitting on your desk?

Do you get up and a grab a cup of coffee or tea when you’re supposed to be working on an important email that needs to get out by the end of the day?

Did you just check your email again while you’re reading this blog post?

Well, there’s an app for that.

I know.

I’m highly distractable so I needed Anti-Social.

As a freelance writer and now VA who’s working at home, I’ve had to find a way to restrain myself because it’s so easy to jump over to any of the social media platforms. I needed to find something that would increase my productivity and find it fast.

Anti-Social is a superb app because you can customize the app to your personal needs. Basically the app prevents you from going to any site that you’ve selected for the length of time you’ve selected.

After you purchase it ($15), you download it onto your computer and begin.

You tell it what sites you want blocked like social media sites: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. You can add any other sites you want to block like email sites: Yahoo or Gmail. (The library, too…yes, I like to wander around my library site.)

Then you can select the amount of time from 15 mins to 8 hours…And you’re set to go.

And the only way to turn Anti-Social off is to restart your computer. So it can be turned off, but AntiSocial make it a bit of work so you don’t turn it off.

And the best part is that when the time is over, a message pops up and says you’ve completed the time and do you want to Tweet Your Stats?…Well, of course, I want to tweet my stats…Hmm, Or maybe I’ll turn it back on for another 120 minutes.

Image courtesy of [imagerymajesticimage] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What type of app do you use to increase your productivity? Share with me.

Posted in Business owners, Growing Your Biz | Tagged AntiSocial, app | 5 Responses

Guest Post – Don’t Forget The Most Important Ingredient In Your Social Media: You!

By Jan Udlock on June 6, 2013

Today I would like to introduce a new friend and a stellar Virtual Assistant, Kristy Schnabel. She comes with a vast array of VA experience, and I’m looking forward to get to know her because she’s so generous with her knowledge and expertise. And she’s a nice lady! Welcome, Kristy!

Most small business owners have figured out that having a social media presence is an effective way to attract and engage with potential clients. And yet finding the time to provide your core business services and handle the administrative demands of your thriving business can be a struggle.

Add to that the social media dimension — interacting with your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts (not to mention Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, and Instagram ones) — and you’re a time-strapped entrepreneur.

Enter a virtual assistant (VA) trained as a social media manager. Maybe you’re thinking that you can have her do all of your social media for you. I urge you to think again.

Whereas a VA can do a lot to help you with your social media tasks (account set up, content search, scheduling, message/comment handling, etc.), there’s one thing that you shouldn’t delegate: YOU.

In order to really connect with your ideal potential clients, you need to bring your engaging, true personality, so that people learn to like and know the real you. (As we know, people like to do business with people they know and like.)

In working with clients, together we strike a balance between the time-crunch and wanting to add the client’s true personality by having the client be responsible for a block of time on the social media channels. For example, the client might take the noon time period (10:30am-1:30pm) during which she’ll post spontaneous (organic) comments.
Examples:

“I’m looking forward to the webinar I’m hosting tonight. Join me?
“Good afternoon! I have lots of client appointments this afternoon, what do you have cooking?”
“Have any questions for me about [area of expertise]? How can I help?”
Client uploads a picturesque photo and adds a relevant caption.
“I was interviewed by our local paper today. What fun! Here’s the link:”
“Learning a new technology today — I got this!”

The organic comment doesn’t have to be scintillating each and every day, just real, but usually try to be upbeat or humorous, if possible.

To save time, the client can post their spontaneous comment on one of the channels (Facebook, for example), and then the VA can repost it to Hootsuite (cool tool) to make sure that it gets on all the other channels as well. This is a timesaver for the client and yet still provides a mechanism for her to really be a part of the social media experience. Before too long, she’ll be liking, commenting, and retweeting away.

Kristy Schnabel, owner of It’s Virtually Done, LLC, has been virtual assisting since 2003. She rocks her woman coach client’s social media with her internet marketing experience. When offline, she likes curling, tap dancing, knitting, and heading to the Oregon Coast with her husband and dog.

Posted in Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media | Tagged facebook, linkedin, social media, Twitter, virtual assistant | 2 Responses

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Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. The Bible

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Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
The Bible