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Virtual Insider October 15, 2004 Issue 10 by JERPAT
Patty Benton,
Editor © 2005 JERPAT All statements made in this newsletter are not legal advisement or endorsement of a product. All information provided in this newsletter is strictly opinions and suggestions of the Virtual Insider writers. JERPAT Virtual Assistants and the writers for Virtual Insider cannot be held liable.
Missed one of our past issue? Click here
to view our archive. Letters from Legaltypist
"Letter from the Editor" by Diana Ennen, www.virtualwordpublishing.com *********************************************** Dear Readers,
Thanks for joining us this month. I hope you are having a very successful and prosperous month. There are so many exciting things happening in the VA World! We have two great conferences with the IVAA and the VA Conference held in Texas. I hope you have the opportunity to attend one of these. It’s a great way to meet other VAs and hear from professionals in our Industry.
This month we are going to talk about the many ways you can prepare your business to keep it running properly. Things like computers crashing, lost e-mails, theft, etc., can create havoc in your business. We want to help prepare you for these things. In Patty’s article she discusses the importance of having a back-up or subcontractor for when you get busy with your business. How many times have you sat there working late and wishing you had someone there to help? Well, her article is just what you need to prepare for such an occasion.
We hope you enjoy the newsletter. We encourage reader feedback and participation. Please do send me your articles, ads, tips, company news, etc. We welcome all your input and would have to have it as part of the newsletter!
God bless,
Diana
Please send newsletter questions, comments, and ideas to "Questions, Comments, and Ideas" at newsletter@jerpat.org.
"Company News " *******************
JERPAT Virtual Assistants Owned and Operated by Patty Benton www.moretime4u.org and www.virtualvacoach.com No news this month.
Legaltypist Owned and Operated by Andrea Cannavina LegalTypist has completed testing and is now fully integrating a patented digital dictation/transcription workflow. We've also added two clients this month, including a 15 attorney California firm. We are completing our testing of what we affectionately call "The System" with VA companies who want to incorporate telephonic dictation (not enhanced voicemail) in their service offerings. Discounts on set up fees for up to five users (dictators/typists) will be offered through October 31. Contact Andrea for more information.
ePro Virtual Services, Inc. Owned and Operated by Vivi Gonzalez No news this month.
Ennen's Computer Services Owned and Operated by Diana Ennen Many exciting things are happening here. We are part of several Christmas projects, www.daysofchristmas.com, www.giftofsavings,com, and www.undertheawning.com --A new phase of marketing online shops for the holidays and a big change for the company, but a very exciting one. Our book, Virtual Assistant - The Series, Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA has been accepted at Amazon and we just finished the 2nd edition of Words From Home: How to Run and Profit from a Successful Word Processing Business 2nd Edition.
"Spotlight Feature" The 3rd Plan Missing From Your Business ************************************************************* If you're like most people, you probably started with wonderful ideas of fulfilling your dreams, to be successful and to take charge of your own destiny.
I hope you have achieved those or are well on your way.
You wouldn’t think of starting your business without a business plan and you shouldn’t even consider marketing your product or services without a marketing plan. A solid business plan and marketing plan are your roadmaps to help you to know where your going, how to get their and to achieve your goals.
Nobody likes to think about what would happen if those accomplishments were suddenly pulled out from under you, yet unfortunately it does happen.
As of this writing, we have seen this happen with the recent rash of hurricanes that have devastated the Caribbean, Cuba, Florida and our Gulf Coast. Thousands of lives have been temporarily or permanently disrupted.
Do you have a plan if this should happen to you? If not, then it's time to start thinking about adding a business continuity plan to your list of things to do. What is a business continuity plan? Simply put, a business continuity plan is a set of planned and documented procedures that will help your business back on track in the event of an emergency.
If your business is managed from your home, both your residence and your livelihood are at risk due to unexpected loss.
Natural disasters are not the only risk factors. As devastating as it is to think someone else was in your home, robberies can happen anywhere.
Something as basic as a hard drive crash can cripple your home business indefinitely. I recently spoke with two people in the last month that had said that they experienced hard drive crashes and lost everything.
When you think of how much time, money & effort you have invested in your home businesses, it only makes sense to make sure it is protected and can survive an emergency.
Don’t know where to start? Visit the http://www.HomeOfficeRecoveryPlan.com to learn more.
About the author Patty Gale is a disaster recovery specialist serving the home & small business community. She is a co-author of the “Home Office Recovery Plan” and manages her company, Cornerstones Consulting, LLC from her home office. Visit her site to receive your complimentary info-pak containing sample chapters from the book.http://www.homeofficerecoveryplan.com/
"Virtual Insider" by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net ************************************************ Using Subcontractors By Patty Benton JERPAT Virtual Assistants
Business has finally started to pick up. Things are not steady, but instead you find at times that you have too many orders to fill or too many projects to complete. You can’t afford as steady employee, or even a part time employee (or you don’t want the hassle of IRS), but you don’t want to continue working from 6 am-10pm at those busy times. What do you do?
As a small business owner, I have found the best solution is to have some reliable well-trained subcontractors on your “team.” When I first opened my Virtual Assistance business, I had 3 well-qualified people approach me that they were interested in work, if I ever had enough. I had them sign a contract, provide me with their tax information, and told them IF I ever had work for them, I would be in touch. Since, I have used them several times, and even made one of them my partner. Here are some tips on handling subcontracting to help you get started: v Find subcontractors BEFORE you need them. Don’t wait until you get that first project or order, and then you are scrambling to find someone to help you, because chances are if you find someone, they won’t be the quality you desire. v Check references. Just because they are subcontractors, doesn’t mean you should trust they will do quality work. They are representing your business, and you need to ensure that you aren’t going to spend more time cleaning up their messes, then you would if you had just done the project yourself. v Get all your paperwork in place BEFORE you need them, and let them know you will be in touch when you have work. This way you are not scrambling to get paperwork back, the project out, etc. v Have a contract, and make sure there is a no compete clause in it. Sometimes it is necessary for you to give out your clientele information to your subcontractor, and it is necessary for them to contact your clientele, depending on the work. Make sure they are always representing your company and understand they may NOT discuss future projects with the client and their company. v Agree up front on the pay, and get it in writing. Also determine how and when you will pay them. I have heard various discussions on paying your subcontractor immediately or waiting for client payment. I think this depends on your company and what you can do. Personally, my practice is not large enough for me to have extra money to pay someone upfront. So, I pay them as soon as I get paid. I have subcontracted my services out, and have worked for people who pay upfront, and people who pay when they get paid. In both cases, I had a written agreement, and was comfortable with the agreements. Decide what you can do, and find subcontractors who are quality and agree to your terms. v Always be clear on the amount you will pay them. You do not have to share how much the project is paying you and how much you are making off of it. Be fair to yourself and the contractor. You put time into landing the client, overseeing the project, and getting payment from the client. You need to ensure you are compensated for that time, money, and effort. Also, realize the subcontractor is doing the work, saving you a great deal of time, and using their own time, so be fair to them and pay them well. If someone is not paid well, they probably won’t do the quality you want, and they won’t work from you again. Deciding what to pay is your own decision, but I have heard discussions saying to keep 25%-35% yourself, and pay the rest to your subcontractor. v Have in writing exactly what you expect from your subcontractor. If they will be doing the same thing every time, make sure they have a copy at all times, and you have a copy signed on file. If they will be doing different things with each project, then for EACH project, give specific details and have them sign a copy for your records. This way if there is dispute on how the project was completed, you have the paper that was signed.
Working with a subcontractor can be a wonderful, profitable experience for you. You can continue to grow your business, and take on projects you would not otherwise be able to do. Additionally, you are not required to give them work and if they don’t do a quality job for you, you don’t have to give them anymore work. Just remember to respect your subcontractor and treat them with dignity. They are not someone to be looked down on, but someone who is saving you time and money. They deserve to be treated with respect.
This article is only a general outline of working with a subcontractor, and is not meant to be the only information you use in decision making. I did a ton of research on contracts and the uses of subcontractors so that I was comfortable in my role as the “supervisor” and knew what to expect. I have had only wonderful experiences and am sure you will also.
Patty Benton is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Web Design, www.moretime4u.org, which provides affordable administrative and web design support to coaches, small businesses, religious organizations, and realtors. Additionally, Patty is a coach for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual assistance industry. She has developed a program that is affordable for all. Visit her coaching site at www.virtualvacoach.com for program details and great business resources. If you would like to receive Patty's articles and other tips in your mailbox every month, you can sign up at www.mortime4u.org/home.html. © 2005 JERPAT Virtual Assistants You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, as long as the text and byline remain unedited. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
"Answers from Vivi" by Vivi Gonzalez vivi@eproservices.com *********************************************** The Importance of Signatures By Vivi Gonzalez – eProService.com
We have all seen them – that ‘tag line’ at the end of emails. They promote sales, membership drives, contests, you name it! Signatures, or Sigs, have been increasing in popularity for a while now. Everyone, whether business or personal, has a sig. They can be great marketing tools, but only if you are familiar with the know-how’s and netiquette of using sigs.
Almost all email programs now offer the options of including a sig in your emails. Some even allow you to assign specific sigs to certain email accounts. You can either include text as a sig, or attach a graphic. The possibilities are countless! In most email programs, such as Outlook and Outlook Express, you can access this feature through Tool, Options, Signatures. In Yahoo, it’s under Mail Options, Signatures; while in HotMail it’s found on Options, Signatures. It’s quite easy to set up once you find where the option is located.
There are different segments that are typically included in a basic sig. Your name, of course, would be the first part and possibly the name of your company. Other information would be ways to contact you: email address, phone number, etc. Your web site address is another important part to include. The creativity comes into play with the ‘advertising’ portion. Some like to promote their newsletters in hopes of increasing enrollment. Others will advertise sales to encourage visits to their websites.
The important thing to remember is that sigs should be no more than 4 to 6 lines long. Most newsgroups discourage or will out right delete messages with sigs that are longer than this. Individuals may not appreciate the attempt to capture their attentions with very long sigs. Keep your sig short and simple!
So be creative, promote effectively and keep it brief! Sigs can really get the word out there for you!
Vivi Gonzalez is the owner of eProServices – Virtual Business Center….. offering the best in Virtual Assistance for all business types and sizes. www.eproservices.com mailto:mail@eproservices.com For “More questions from Vivi” you may go to http://www.eproservices.com/articles.htm. Please send questions to Vivi by clicking here or send an email to newsletter@jerpat.org. **Disclaimer – This column is for the sole purpose of basic business advice and it is not meant to be taken as or replace legal advice.
"Virtual Basics" by Diana Ennen DeeEnnen@aol.com ********************************************
Virtual Basics -- This month we are going to talk about the basics to keeping your business running smoothly. We are going to have you prepare for the unexpected so that if it were to occur, you’d be ready and your business would survive. Let’s say someone came in and stole your computer. Would you be able to get your business back up and running promptly? Would you be able to retrieve all your clients’ data and restore it resuming your business quickly and efficiently? How about filing the insurance claim? Do you have the necessary information?
These are things you need to consider now before they happen. I know you’ve heard over and over again that you need a back-up of your system. You do! It’s critical. And you need to have one off-site in case of a fire or theft. Your clients shouldn’t have to suffer because of a loss or damage to your home or computer. Just imagine making the call to your client telling them that you no longer have their bank accounts on file or all of their letter formats. Not a fun phone call. So make that back-up now and do it regularly keeping a back-up offsite. This will soon become a habit you get accustomed to.
What about your valuable information on your clients and how to contact them, your online passwords, where documents are filed, your web host, who to contact in case of an emergency, and so forth? This also is information that should be written down somewhere so it can be easily retrieved. For example, what if you had to take an emergency trip to the hospital, could someone come in and notify your clients about what was happening? What a relief this would be for you to know that all of this is taken care of.
During the recent months, I realized after packing up my computer preparing for storms, that my business was totally dependent on the Internet and my computer. When it was down, I was practically disabled and my business was pretty much at a stand still. With new projects coming in, even having a couple days down can be devastating to your business. This is just another way you need to prepare your business. Take the time to make sure your computer is working properly and you are doing the necessary things to keep it running. Virus protection is just one of the many ways you can protect your computer. Fixing it promptly when you start hearing unusual noises is another. Do you have someone who can help get you up and running quickly if your computer were to go out? This is essential too. Taking the steps now to keep your computer running can make a big difference. Downtime can mean unsatisfied clients or even lost clients and a lot of extra stress. Also consider your Internet connections. As a VA, this can be something that can critically hurt your business too. Do you know what needs to be done to get it back up and running? Also, I discovered do you know how to make sure all the connections are in and how to connect them yourself.
Keeping your business prepared will help you and give you peace of mind. Writing everything down and keeping it in a safe place is an excellent idea. Also, having someone designated as your contact in case of emergency is beneficial as well. They can have a copy of this information and know your web host, your clients’ information, your emergency contact numbers, etc. They can keep things afloat if need be and know what needs to be done should an emergency occur.
This takes just a little bit of time but would save you should something happen.
Diana Ennen is the co-author of Up Close and Virtual: A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own Virtual Assistant Business and Words From Home: How To Start and Operate a Home-Based Word Processing Business. She also operates the Virtual Word Publishing website (www.virtualwordpublishing.com), which is geared toward helping others start their own VA business by providing the necessary tips, articles, links, a directory, etc. She is the president of Ennen's Computer Services and can be reached at DeeEnnen@aol.com. In order to use this article in other publications you MUST include this text box.
“Letters from Legaltypist” by Andrea Cannavina Andrea@Legaltypist.com ********************************************************
To elevate your customer service, you need to know both your client and their business. Ask questions. Talk to them. E-mail is great, but VAs need to remember that not everyone types fast and being virtual means you may not meet a client face to face, not that you’ll never speak to them! It is only by opening a dialogue with your clients and asking questions that you will be in a position to learn of ways in which you can expand your offerings. Be professional, friendly and open - make yourself available as a resource for your clients. Offer to assist them in ways other than what they pay you to do. Give an evaluation of the software or equipment used in your industry; forward links to websites your clients may find useful; provide project tracking or billing tips -- anything goes here and this is one place where knowing your client’s business and having a good imagination pays off!
A third way to bring your customer service to the next level is by providing referrals to your clients. Everyone LOVES referrals. Think about it -- the more business you get your clients, the more business your clients will send your way (either in actual paying work or by referring you). Ask your clients to send you five business cards and take them with you everywhere. Grab a daily planner or large wallet with lots of credit card slots and keep all your business cards organized. Carry that wallet/planner with you everywhere – leave it in the car - at that way, when you are at a networking function, on line at the bank or in the park with your kids, if you hear of a need that one of your clients can fill – give out their card. I love doing this for several reasons: 1. it does not cost me anything; 2. I get to help two people at once; and 3. the only effort involved is paying attention!
It takes much more time and effort to get a new client than it does to keep a current client happy and if you are helping your clients to be more successful in their business, your client is definitely going to be happy.
Two resources regarding customer service that I enjoy are the free newsletters by Jeffrey Gitomer (http://www.gitomer.com) and Robert Middleton (http://www.actionplan.com/pdffiles.html).
Virtually yours, LegalTypist
Andrea Cannavina is the President of Legaltypist, Inc., www.legaltypist.com, a company which provides secretarial outsourcing and off site transcription to sole practitioners and small-mid sized law firms located throughout North America. Andrea is the Coordinator of the AskAPro section of the Virtual Business Group (www.virtualbizgroup.com), and serves on the By Laws Committee of the International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org). To contact Andrea directly, please e-mail her at Andrea@Legaltypist.com, or visit her website at www.legaltypist.com. In order to use this article in other publications you MUST include this text box.
“Advertisements” ******************** www.daysofchristmas.com -- Your Winter Wonderland of holiday savings and fun. Get your products featured in our Gift Shop and let us do the marketing for you. Specialty designed T-shirts that you can customized to your company, Holiday Notecards, Books, Santa Letters, E-cards and more. Online Shopping Made Easy!
“What’s Coming Next Month” ********************************** In the next issue of Virtual Insider (November 15th) we will be addressing the all important issue of building your business. Please be sure to send your questions and ideas on this topic to newsletter@jerpat.org.
Additional Newsletter Information If you would like to subscribe to our newsletter, please visit us at www.moretime4u.org/home.html.
All statements made in this newsletter are not legal advisement or endorsement of a product. All information provided in this newsletter is strictly opinions and suggestions of the Virtual Insider writers. JERPAT Virtual Assistants and the writers for Virtual Insider cannot be held liable.
JERPAT Virtual Assistants always welcomes article suggestions from our readers, although we cannot promise to print everything submitted. Because of our publishing schedule, we are not able to announce time-sensitive events; however, if there is an upcoming conference or newsworthy event please be sure to submit it, and we will do our best to validate and publish the event WHEN POSSIBLE. While we often mention commercial products, publications, and web sites, JERPAT Virtual Assistants and affiliates does not accept or reprint unsolicited advertising copy. Send your article suggestions to the editor at jerpatvas@comcast.net.
Contact: Patty Benton 303.766.3051 9 am-5 pm MST Monday-Friday
© 2005 JERPAT No part of this newsletter may be reproduced unless specified in the authors byline. Please respect all guidelines provided by our writers. If there are no guidelines provided for a section of this newsletter you would like to reproduce, please send print request to jerpatvas@comcast.net.
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