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Virtual Insider October 15, 2005 Issue 12 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.
Writer’s News
~ Find out what is happening with VI’s Featured Writers!
by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net
Dear Readers,
Greetings to everyone
this month! I hope that everyone had a successful month. I would
first like to apologize for this newsletter being late. I am having
trouble with my website, as I am in the process of switching hosting
programs, and have been trying to get the newsletter posted online
before sending this out, but I decided it has been delayed long
enough. I have set up a temporary page online for the newsletter for
now, but you will have to forgive the “look” or should I say “lack of
look.” I am working to get this solved. Thanks for your patience. If
you would like to view it online, you may visit the newsletter online
at
http://www.moretime4u.org/nl/current.html. God bless, Patty P.S. Please send newsletter questions, comments and ideas to jerpatvas@comcast.net.
JERPAT Owned and Operated by Patty and Jerome Benton www.moretime4u.org (Virtual Assistance and Web Design Services) www.jerpat.org/CHome.html (Virtual Assistance Coaching) No news this month.
Legaltypist Owned and Operated by Andrea Cannavina No news this month.
ePro Virtual Services, Inc. Owned and Operated by Vivi Gonzalez No news this month.
All newsletters featured here have been reviewed and approved as beneficial to subscribers by the editor. If you would like to swap Newsletter Ads please send a request to jerpatvas@comcast.net including a link to your most current issue.
Advantage Marketing. Are you new to internet marketing? Or are you just in a stand still in your current business? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter that will be sent out on every Friday and receive valuable tools and resources as well as articles that will help you build your business to be the best it can be. Internet marketing can change daily, weekly stay up to date with the best offers that we can find on the internet. http://advantagemarketing4u.com/internet-marketing-newsletter.html
The Virtual Summit Newsletter is produced by The Virtual Business Group to help support, motivate, and inspire your virtual work environment. Each free monthly issue provides a wealth of information from guest articles, promotional ideas, tiptop tips and resources to help you grow and manage your business. Subscription is open to any owner, manager or employee of a Virtual Business. Check us out at http://www.virtualbizgroup.com/ Group_Information/virtualsummit.html.
These products are recommended by Patty Benton, editor, coach and owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and Web Designs. Products reviewed in this section have been personally tried and tested by Patty. Please send any questions or comments about the product reviewed to jerpatvas@comcast.net and we will include them in future issues. To view more products recommended by Patty visit http://www.jerpat.org/products.htm.
Don’t think you could find time for daily ME TIME-here’s the resource that will prove you wrong! "Time for Moms" By Rebecca White
You may be beginning to see that I am a big fan of Rebecca White. I see that she is a down to earth, honest person, who unselfishly shares her knowledge on so many topics. For those of you who know me, you know that I am learning to be big on ME TIME. I worked for 2 years non-stop between the kids and the business. I became exhausted. My business coach, Kimberly Chastain (www.kimberlychastain.com) continuously pushed me to take time for myself. I did so kicking and screaming, but now I am thankful. I have learned that to be the mom and business owner I want to be, I need to sometimes be selfish and think of me (if only for 15 minutes). Rebecca compiles some great ideas and tips on just finding 15 minutes a day to have ME TIME, without sacrificing your family or work time. If you talk to any of my coaching students, they will tell you they have to do a minimum of 30 minutes of ME TIME per week. Not only do they have to do it, but they share with the rest of the group what they have done. This is a great book to have for helping you find the time and things to do for ME TIME. For only $9.95, you can begin to find the time for yourself when before you thought there was no time! Get your copy of “Time for Moms” AND find a special, very limited time offer at http://www.moretime4u.org/timeformoms.html.
If you are interested in placing and advertisement in the Virtual Insider, please contact us at jerpatvas@comcast.net for details on our affordable advertisement opportunities. Please support the growth of our newsletter by visiting our advertisers! Thank you! ~Virtual Insider
My Precious Kid – Here is a great product for keeping your child safe. ~ Melinda Runkle My Precious Kid Family Safety Products. Have you ever turned around to find your child is no longer following you in a store? It's happened to all of us. Now you can help protect your child with our Wearable ID Products. Never find yourself saying, "I wish I had". Order an ID bracelet today and be Glad You Did!! Order today, shipped tomorrow! Kay Green kay@mypreciouskid.com http://www.MyPreciousKid.com
Discovery Toys - As many of us are parents, I wanted to lighten the “business mood” by sharing this advertisement. Also, those of you who know me know that I was previously an educator, and I think these products are fantastic for children! ~Patty Benton Help make a difference in a child's life. Discovery Toys, Inc. provides educational products for children of all ages! Make learning fun! Playing with your children is the best investment a parent can make. Please visit me, Michelle Jasper, Educational Consultant at http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/playtoteach.
The VAS System -
I have heard
fantastic things about this program. Though I have not used it
myself, I do know Tawnya, and she is a fantastic resource herself so
I have no qualms about promoting this product. ~Patty Benton The Template CD-ROM with over 130 business and website templates alone will SAVE you time and provide you the professional image you need to succeed in your own business. Veteran VAs and those just starting out will benefit from this system. Get your kit today! http://www.vanetworking.com/virtual-assistant-business
JVA Invoicing System-I have been using this product since it was originally created in 2003. This is the first time it has been on the market. This is an amazing database custom built for small business owners. ~Patty Benton Make your invoicing easier and more efficient. Send questions to jva@jerpat.org. The JVA Invoicing System will allow you to create invoices easily with automatic invoice numbers, email quotes, invoices, and receipts. It allows you to easily search for invoices to edit or print, your logos can be incorporated, automatically add due dates on invoices, enter dates with a built-in calendar, and move old invoices to archive for future reference, among many other features. http://www.jerpat.org/jva.htm.
by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net
Two Important Keys to a Successful Business-Integrity and Reputation
As a business owner and coach, I come across the issue of building integrity and reputation on a daily basis. It is something I feel strongly about, as who can build a business without integrity and a good reputation. As business owners, we know that if we want repeat business and referrals (both of which are the foundation of growing our business) then we need to include integrity and reputation in everything we do. Now, this may sound like common sense, but sometimes business owners forget these 2 important key concepts and make a mistake. That one mistake, let’s call it a step forward, can take their business back 20 steps. From time to time, it may take them so far back that they won’t be able to recover and their business will fold. So how can we, as business owners ensure that we are continually moving forward in building our integrity and reputation in a positive light? Actually, if we remember a few simple “rules,” then we can continue to build and grow.
Rule 1- Always be timely.
I know, this sounds like common sense, but how many times have you been told something, and it has not been carried through. For example, you ordered a birthday present and it was promised you would receive it in 2 days (1 day before the birthday), and then not received it for 4 days. Now you don’t have the gift to give because someone was not timely. This is a simple example but I as a business owner live by this rule. In fact, if I tell someone I will have their project to them by a certain time; I shoot for 24 hours before. Why do I do this? What happens if I plan to send it to them when it is due, but oops, my hard drive crashes? They don’t get the project on time-even though it was finished in advance, and it puts them behind. This does not help my integrity or reputation, and it will probably affect if the client will do business with me again, or not.
Now, all of us understand that acts of God can interfere with our work or we can make a mistake (after all, we are all human). It’s bound to happen sometime. So what do we do?
Rule 2- Always be honest.
This is a hard rule to live by, because sometimes you are so ashamed of your mistake, you don’t want to admit your foolishness. Let me share a horrifying mistake I made that could have destroyed my business. I was creating an e-book for a client. I found beautiful pictures which I designed the cover with and added throughout the book. I sent the book to her and she was delighted. The day before she was to send it to her webmaster to get it added to her site, I happened to realize that the pictures were not royalty free, which means we did not have permission to use them. I could have pretended I didn’t know and let the book go on the market and hoped that no one said anything about the pictures and my client didn’t get in trouble. I didn’t do this. I embarrassingly relayed my mistake to my client as soon as I discovered it (who is by the way, still my client). Because I was honest, she understood. Now, do you think I charged her to fix this mistake? See the next rule.
Rule 3- Always fix your mistakes immediately.
Do you charge for your mistakes to be fixed? Absolutely not! It is not your client/customers fault that there was a mistake! How did I fix my big mistake? I went and bought royalty free pictures (with my money). I then redid the whole book (on my own time). I stayed up late that night and got the book fixed and ready to go. My client did not have to pay out a dime for my mistake. I took full blame and then went the extra step to fix the mistake. This client has been with me for a year now, and continues to refer me to everyone she comes across. We have a wonderful relationship, which could have been ruined had I not followed Rule #2 and #3.
Now these are just 3 rules to help you along the way in your business. There are many more things we must do to build our integrity and reputation, but if you follow these 3 rules, you will not take those 20 steps backwards, but go 20 steps forward.
If you would like to see the book I did for my client, Kimberly Chastain, you may visit her at www.kimberlychastain.com and check out her newest book “Help, My Preteen/Teenager is Driving Me Nuts!” If you have preteens/teenagers or children who will eventually hit these stages, this is a fabulous book!
In the meantime, take the extra steps to grow your business by being an honest, timely, and committed business owner!
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. © 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.
by Andrea Cannavina Andrea@Legaltypist.com
Dear Readers,
Digital Dictation – what your clients need to know to work with you
In last month’s article, I discussed the process and equipment necessary to provide digital transcription services. In this month’s article, I will go over what your clients need in order to dictate and get their work to you.
There are several options available these days for authors to dictate their work. Along with portable digital recorders made by such companies as Olympus, Sony and Panasonic, there are several manufacturers of digital dictation software which turns an ordinary computer into a dictation machine. In addition to portable recorders and digital dictation software, dial in or telephonic dictation is also an option.
The most common method of capturing dictation files is the analog (or tape) recorder. For various reasons, analog should not be the primary option for those who wish to work with a VA, as it involved overnight couriers, US mail or a physical drop off/pick up and therefore, negates many of the benefits of working remotely for both the VA and their clients.
Here are the options available to your clients:
I. PORTABLE RECORDERS Portable digital recorders can be located in any electronics or office supply store, catalog or website. They range in price from as little as $50.00 to $500.00 and up. Along with the recorder, software is provided for the transfer of the digital file created by the unit to a computer, generally through a USB cable or a cradle. A user guide and software included with the recorder contain instructions and in some cases there is a step by step tutorial of the process. It is not difficult, but does need to be done once or twice before most dictators get the hang of it. Dictating into a portable unit is fairly straight forward and quite similar to an analog (tape) recorder. When purchasing a unit, your client should note button size, shape and location so they can be certain that it is comfortable to use. Additionally, since functions vary by make and model, your client should be certain that the recorder they select has all the functions needed. Some less expensive models, for instance, do not have the ability to insert – that quick rewind to go over what was just said to say it better. Once a digital file is created and uploaded to a PC, it is ready to be sent via email, ftp or other transfer method established between you and your client. You and your client(s) should be aware that some portable software units require proprietary transcription software and/or equipment (foot pedal) so a test file from any new units is always a good idea! FYI, the model I recommend to my clients is the Olympus DS4000. This unit has all the standard features of analog, including a side slide switch and ability to insert. An authorized and reputable distributor of Olympus products is Novascript (www.novascript.com), and they offer free UPS shipping on orders over $200.00.
II. DIGITAL DICTATION SOFTWARE As with many types of software, development of digital dictation applications range from basic to the extremely comprehensive and industry specific. Most dictation software has a free trial period (usually thirty days) and can be downloaded directly from a developer’s website. In a nutshell, digital dictation software turns a computer’s microphone, speakers, mouse and monitor into a dictation machine. Just as with a portable unit, when the file is complete, it is ready for transfer through a network or over the internet as an email attachment or through ftp. For those who do heavy dictation and wish to use dictation software, Philips makes the Speech Mike – which is like having a portable unit in terms of size and function, but it connects to their PC via USB port. You can take a look at it here: Philip's Speech Mike No matter what business your clients are in, confidentiality should be a concern and most digital dictation software takes this into consideration and will allow you to set encryption codes. To use this option, both the client and the VA need to have the same code entered in their respective software. For actual set up, you need to refer to the specific software help files or manual.
III. TELEPHONIC OR DIAL IN DICTATION In order to offer this service, generally, an account needs to be established with an ASP such as Sten Tel, Inc. (www.stentel.com) or other digital dictation service provider. Many VAs use their voicemail for recording dictation and call it dictation, however, that’s not really the case. To be considered dictation, manipulation of the recording is necessary and is what differentiates dictation from simple recording. For the Do It Yourselfer, NCH Swiftshould (www.nch.com.au) offers Dial Dictate – a piece of software which turns a PC into a call in dictation center. With VoiP capabilities, if you are technologically handy, this can be a great solution for your practice. The process is pretty much the same: a toll free telephone number is dialed, a pass code punched in and work is dictated into the receiver or speaker of a standard telephone, using the key pad to control the recording functions (play, rewind, insert, etc.). Upon completion of the call, the digital file created is routed through the internet to a secretary, virtual assistant or transcription company. Dial in dictation has many benefits, including: · no capital expenditure for equipment or software for your clients; · no learning curve for portable recorder or dictation software; · 24 hour service availability for clients from any telephone; · ability to dictate from anywhere there is a phone, including while traveling; · works as well for single professionals as it does for large corporations. Should your clients invest in a portable recorder, PC-based software, sign up with an Asp or even a combination of all? Each situation is unique and requires consideration of many factors, including turn around times, number of dictators within a company, volume of work and your client’s technology comfort level. The beauty of digital dictation is that there are so many options; even the most techno-phobic client can find a method that is comfortable to use! Virtually yours, LegalTypist, MVA
Andrea Cannavina is the CEO of Legaltypist, Inc., www.legaltypist.com, a secretarial outsourcing and off site transcription service for sole practitioners and small-mid sized law firms located throughout North America. Andrea holds both a Master Virtual Assistant certification, as well as the IVAA’s EthicsChecked designation. Andrea is the Co-Chair of the 2005 IVAA Summit Committee, has been the Coordinator of the AskAPro section of the Virtual Business Group (www.virtualbizgroup.com) and has also served 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, call toll free: 866-848-2195 x101 or visit her website at www.legaltypist.com.
How to Make Your Business Image Stand out Above the Crowd By Abe Cherian – support@multiplestreammktg.com © 2005 Multiple Stream Media
Traditional advertising methods are still being used for almost 90% of businesses today. The number one problem with this, is that all everyone else seems to be following the same old methods.
No matter how expensive, does your advertising look and sound like a lot of other advertising? If you take a look at your business card design, flyer design, brochures, letterheads, web page design and any other methods you are doing, you'll probably find some very familiar pattern to looking like your competition.
Just because "everyone else" believes that the traditional method of image advertising is the way to get business does not mean that it is the only way...or the best way. Thousands of people go out of business, or miss a lot of business, because of "traditional" thinking. Don't fall into the trap of being an advertising look a like.
If you follow everybody else, you'll likely end up being like 90% of the people in business on your way out or, at best, making a medium income. There are two things your marketing should do for your business
1) It gets the response that you want - it gets people to respond to you.
2) It lets you provide good products or services to your customers that you do get, so that you are making an above average income and get enjoyment out of your ongoing successful business. A business that started and runs with marketing that appeals to what people really do want, instead of what you think they should want.
In order for you and your business to become a success, being different is something you're going to have to accept. Sometimes being different means that other business people will not like you, or will think you are not appealing or think other things about you that you don't want them to think. But again, the reality of this is, who are you trying to impress? Are you trying to impress your peers, or are you trying to get and help customers who need your product or service?
Think about this hard, because if you are really scared about being different, this might not be the system for you. But, then again, being different doesn't mean being sleazy, obnoxious, unethical or illegal. It just means different.
Sometimes the old traditions, especially in industries that are tired and steeped in tradition, think being different means being unethical or illegal. That's far from the truth.
We all know that being different simply means different. And hopefully, you'll see this as a part of becoming a success or more successful as time moves on with your business operations. The reality is that you have no image, and no one thinks about you until they have a reason to. Being worried about what others think is a waste of energy and time. Spend your time worrying about what your prospects who are interested in what you have to offer think.
They're the ones who are going to buy from you and they're the only people you should be concerned with. If your peers or others don't like what you're doing, that's their problem, not yours.
This change of attitude is a challenge, but very necessary especially when focusing on what is important. This type of thinking and rationalizing only matters what your prospects think is important. It doesn't matter what I think, or what your competition thinks. As long as your prospects and customers are happy, then you should be happy!
Abe Cherian is the founder of Multiple Stream Media, a company that helps online businesses find new leads and more customers without spending a fortune. Visit them at: http://www.multiplestreammktg.com
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion you would like to see in the reader’s corner, please submit an email to newsletter@jerpat.org. We will post as many as we can, but do not guarantee every email will be posted. We reserve the right to edit or only post part of an email. When sending an email, you are granting us the right to post your first and last name along with your business name (if you would like this information excluded, please note that in your email). Thank you!
Great newsletter! Love the traveling article, good tips there! ~Tawnya Sutherland, Mediamage
I am a member of the Yahoo Virtual Assistants and clicked though your newsletter. CONGRATULATIONS on the birth of your daughter! It is informative, chatty, and very well put together. Well Done! ~Karen Hamilton, My Virtual Services
Additional Newsletter Information If you would like to subscribe to our newsletter, please visit us at www.moretime4u.org.
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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