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Virtual Insider December 15, 2003 Issue 1 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.
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by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net I would first like to welcome you all to our first issue of the “Virtual Insider.” This newsletter is written for you, those just starting a new business, “the newbies”, and those who are more experienced business owners, the “old timers.” So, if you have any ideas, suggestions, questions, or topics you would like to see addressed by our writers, send them to newsletter@jerpat.org. I decided to create this newsletter because in the past several months I have been doing research into running my own business, as a virtual assistant, and have learned a tremendous amount. The most valuable resources for my “education” were newsletters. I would like to have the chance to pass on my learned knowledge and the knowledge of my co writers to help newbies get up and running successfully and to give old timers new ideas and resources. We, myself and my columnists, are a very “personal” group and are looking forward to getting to know our readers! This issue will be addressing some of the different issues and decisions of opening a new business. This topic is a huge topic that could be a newsletter on it’s own. We may in the future come back to this topic, but today, we would just like to give you some food for thought. We will also be introducing the monthly columnist writers to you in the “Company News” section. Please feel free to stop by our websites or send us an email anytime saying “Hi!” and letting us know what you think of our columns. God bless, Patty
Please send newsletter questions, comments and ideas by sending an email to newsletter@jerpat.org.
JERPAT Virtual Assistants Owned and Operated by Patty Benton www.moretime4u.org and www.virtualvacoach.com Patty Benton opened JERPAT Virtual Assistants in October, 2003 after helping her husband with his web business, JERPAT Web Designs www.jerpat.org, for 5 years. Patty is a former school teacher who decided to stay at home with her now 14 month old daughter, Anjonae. After running a successful childcare/preschool for a year, she decided to go after her dream of entering the business world. Patty made the scary decision to quit the profession she had worked in for 6 years and had a degree in, to venture out into the business world. Patty obtained her computer skills from her “computer nerd” husband, Jerome. She learned her administrative skills from being a classroom teacher (teachers do most of their own administrative work as public schools do not have the funds) for 4 years and then running her own business for a year. Now, Patty provides word processing, spreadsheet design, PowerPoint presentation development, and resume writing while continuing to support her husband’s growing web business. She is excited to partner up with another individual and offer an exclusive card line for businesses and busy individuals.
Legaltypist Owned and Operated by Andrea Cannavina
With close to
fifteen years experience in the legal industry, Andrea Cannavina started her own
virtual legal secretarial service, Legaltypist, in April of 2001. As a Master
Virtual Assistant and Certified Ethics Checked VA, Andrea is a driving force for
correct utilization of available technology and virtual assistance, especially
within the legal community. Along with Legaltypist, Andrea is a part time
paralegal in the Employment and Labor Law Department of Long Island's largest
law firm and she also volunteers as the Coordinator of the AskAPro Section of
the Virtual Business Group.
ePro Virtual Services, Inc. Owned and Operated by Vivi Gonzalez Vivi Gonzalez is the owner of ePro Virtual Services, Inc., which she started after almost 20 years in the industry. During her years of employment, she had the opportunity to work for both small and large companies, offering her a very diverse background in various fields. On a personal note, she’s very happily married and has four kids ages 21, 19, 2 and 3 months, which keeps her quite busy as well.
Ennen's Computer Services Owned and Operated by Diana Ennen Diana Ennen has been a leader in the work-at-home industry since opening her practice, Ennen’s Computer Services, in 1985. She is active in the virtual assistant community, not only as a business owner, but also as a mentor, message board manager, and chat host and stays current with the latest developments and trends. She is the co-author of Up Close and Virtual, 1st & 2nd Edition (available at Amazon and Borders) and author of Words From Home: How To Start and Operate a Home-Based Word Processing Business. She has also been featured in books and articles including Mompreneurs®, Lisa Roberts, Jan Melniks, Liz Folgers, Maria Baileys, Woman’s World, Home Office Computing, USA Today, and Entrepreneur. She has three terrific kids, one in college (Jeremy), a 10 year old (Amanda) and a 5 year old (Amber) and an extremely supportive husband (Greg).
Inexpensive Home Office Solutions by Ramona Creel You don't have to be Fortune 500 CEO to need a functional office. But, unlike many high-ranking CEO's, you may be working out of a small office -- or your back bedroom -- and you are probably on a BUDGET. However, that doesn't mean that you have to put up with inefficient work spaces, inadequate equipment, or unreliable technological solutions. You can have everything you need to work effectively, without spending a fortune. CONSOLIDATE YOUR EQUIPMENT One thing that can break you -- if you aren’t careful -- is trying to stay on top of all the equipment required to run an office these days. Computer, printer, scanner, copier, fax machine, postage meter -- just to name a few! However, you can save quite a bit by purchasing a MULTI-PURPOSE item – such as a “scanner / copier / printer combo”. The one drawback to this type of equipment is that when one part breaks, you are without all of the components until you get the entire piece fixed. Another way to consolidate is purchase a scanner and printer and have them do double duty as a COPIER. Simply scan your document in and send it to the printer to create a copy.
And by
installing a program such as WinFax (or one of the inexpensive “shareware” type
fax programs available at
http://www.onlineorganizing.com/Online_Fax_Links.htm), you can also turn
your scanner and computer into a FAX MACHINE. Either scan your hard copy
document -- or choose the computer file you would like to fax -- and send it
through your computer modem. You will receive faxes as an email attachment --
only print them if you need to, saving paper and toner. Look for other ways to
use your computer to REPLACE a piece of equipment --such as using an online
postage printing service (available at
http://www.onlineorganizing.com/Postage_&_Mailing_Links.htm) instead of a
postage meter. Not only will you spend less on equipment, but you will need less
surface space to store your many technological “gadgets” -- potentially saving
money on office furniture
Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com -- a web-based one-stop shop offering everything that you need to get organized at home or at work. At OnlineOrganizing.com, you may get a referral to an organizer near you, shop for the latest organizing products, get tons of free tips, and even learn how to become a professional organizer or build your existing organizing business. And if you would like to read more articles about organizing your life or building your business, get a free subscription to the "Get Organized" and "Organized For A Living" newsletters. Please visit www.onlineorganizing.com or contact Ramona directly at ramona@onlineorganizing.com for more information.
Virtual Insider’s Feature by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net Opening a business can be frustrating and rewarding all at the same time. Unfortunately many potentially successful businesses close their doors because they are not prepared for handling all the issues that arise out of running a business. No matter what your reason for opening your business, you must be sure you are prepared to handle any crisis that may arise. In this article, I will give you some general tips to think about when opening a business. Please note that at the end of the newsletter there are links to several more articles that I have found to be informative when opening my business. Ø Research, research, research. Before I opened my business, I spent over a week finding whatever information that I could on being a Virtual Assistant. Much to my husband’s liking, I printed every article I could find on the business and business related to Virtual Assistants. Ø Have a plan. You can have a formal business plan, or you can have an outline of what you plan for your business. My original business plan was written solely for my guidance purposes and it was 7 pages printed. It was informal, and referenced many of the articles I read. The plan helped guide me and keep me on track. Remember to be flexible, and change your plan when the need arises. No matter if you’ve been in business for 3 months or 10 years, figure out where is the next step your business is going, don’t let it stagnate. Ø Establish policies and procedures. How are you going to handle payment? Are you going to have a contract (I advise, YES)? How will you handle communication with a client? How do you plan to communicate project needs? What about payment, what forms will you accept? I could go on and on with questions you need to have answered BEFORE you open your doors to a client. I literally lost a client because I had not answered these questions, and rushed into business before thinking things through. Ø Organization. We will be addressing organization in future issues, but organization can make or break you. Are you able to find clients information or do you have to dig? Where will you put finished projects and projects you are working on? What will your filing system look like? Look at where you are working, and decide, how can I make this work for me? Ø Time management. This is crucial to be successful. We will also be addressing this in another issue, but for now, create a schedule and stick to it. Get your family to respect your schedule if you work out of your home. Ø Add new “niches”. Spice up your business and expand it for your clients by continuing to grow in the services you offer. As a former teacher, I learned very quickly that the degree was not the end of my learning. The profession changed day by day and year by year, so I was in “training” almost as much as my students were in class. The same is true for small businesses. Software changes, as well as client needs change. Are you open to these changes? Continually educate yourself through articles, classes, and talking with other professionals in your business. Ø Most importantly, don’t forget why you opened your own business. Whether it was to stay at home with your children, be your own boss, or do something you love, remember your reason when you become frustrated and want to give up. Opening a new business is rewarding, exciting, and sometimes even fun. On the other hand, it can be frustrating, time consuming, and exhausting. In the end, the rewards outweigh the frustrations, so stick with your goals and dreams!
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.
by Vivi Gonzalez vivi@eproservices.com Q: I’m thinking of starting a home business, is there anything that I need to do first? A: It’s good to see that you are planning your new business endeavor instead of just jumping in. There are a few things that you should look into first. 1) Zoning laws in your neighborhood – Check with your local court house to see if it is permissible to conduct business from your home in that neighborhood. Some neighborhoods are more strictly enforced then others. Some, depending on the nature of the business, will allow certain businesses while prohibiting others. 2) Occupational licenses – Once again, check with your local court house and see if you are required to obtain an occupational license. If you are, most cities will require that you have a fire inspector visit your property and deem it safe. This is especially so for businesses that will have vendors or clients visiting often. Q: Am I required to purchase insurance to cover my business? A: There are many types of insurance that you may consider purchasing for your business. It greatly depends on the nature of your business and what liabilities you may have. Some of the most common ones are: 1) Property Insurance – This protects the business from loss of assets. The cost will vary and usually you only need to purchase enough to cover your business property. 2) Homeowners’ Insurance – This will protect your business incase there’s a home fire or damage due to rain or storms. It will also cover liability if a visitor gets hurt on your property. 3) Auto Insurance – If you have a ‘company car’ for your business. 4) Theft Insurance – Recovers loss incurred by theft. 5) Fidelity Insurance – Will cover your losses from frauds and thefts from employees and in some cases, third parties. 6) Liability Insurance – Covers you against claims that someone was hurt on your property. 7) Product Liability – Protects your business against claims that your product caused damage or injury. 8) Professional Liability – Covers claims over malpractice and should be considered by anyone offering services. There are a few more but, most importantly , you need to determine based on the type of business that you will be operating which suits your needs and which would only be an added expense.
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.
by Diana Ennen DeeEnnen@aol.com Welcome to the first edition of Virtual Basics. It’s going to be a monthly column on “Yes, you guessed it!”¾The basics! The down deep, how to’s of starting and keeping your business running smoothly and successfully. It’s going to be geared not only for those just starting, but those who have been in business a while as well. So with that .. let’s get started. With the New Year approaching, comes new opportunity. Many businesses have slacked over the past few months with the holidays and are anxious to get back to work. They’ve made their new resolutions and are ready to make this year their most profitable yet. They are ready to get in touch with their existing clients and drum up new business. They are ready to make new contacts. In short … they are ready!!! Now, here’s where you come in. This is a great time to approach these businesses and let them see how a virtual assistant can get their business back in shape and enable them to have the time to personally be in touch with their clients and also have the time to meet those potential new clients. You will be able to handle all of their administrative functions. Plus, you can make all their travel arrangements, coordinate their meetings, plan a new marketing plan for their latest product, update their website, handle all their word processing and transcription, and all of this before lunch! (Well not really! J ) You need to show them how this can be their greatest year ever¾with your help naturally. Not only can you take over their workload enabling them to do their own work, but you can modify all their products and marketing pieces, creating a better company image. And as you know, image is everything. These businesses need you¾now go out there and get them! Stay tuned, next month we’ll talk about marketing your business. See you then!
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.
by Andrea Cannavina Andrea@Legaltypist.com Dear Readers, The theme of this month’s Newsletter is Opening Your Business and with this in mind I offer my observations with regard to what certification means in the VA industry. While there are no laws or regulations that say virtual services cannot be offered unless the individual performing them is certified, there are also no laws which state that anyone with an internet connection, an old PC and some outdated software skills can’t call themselves a VA. In other words, certification is one way potential clients have to see that a VA can do what they claim. Also, since almost every type of profession or trade has some form of certification process, the VA industry should be no different. If you are new to the concept of virtual assistance, you will soon learn that there are as many variations on virtual assistance certification and the proper requirements to be called a “VA”, as there are organizations and associations that provide them. I chose to ascertain my certification through VACertification.com. I first earned my Professional Virtual Assistant (“PVA”) designation and am now a Master Virtual Assistant (“MVA”), which is considered the pinnacle of our profession. I choose to become certified by VACertification.com because of the straight forward method they use to assess each individual’s skills and the fact that such process is uniformly applied to all applicants with no requirement of membership or tuition. When all is said and done, certification remains an individual choice. If a VA offers services to former employers or local business owners with whom s/he establishes a personal relationship, then certification should not be required. If, however, a VA is offering services over the internet, any potential client would do well to either request references or confirm certification. The link below will bring you to At Your Service website’s resources page which has a thorough listing of VA related sites for certification, education, publication, etc.: http://www.atyourservicecincy.com/html/virtual_assistant_resources.html Virtually yours, Andrea
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.
In the next issue of Virtual Insider (January 15, 2004) we will be addressing the all important issue of marketing. Please be sure to send your questions and ideas on this topic to newsletter@jerpat.org.
http://www.allfreelancework.com/articlegs4legal.php “Legal Considerations for Your Home Freelance Business” by Rachel Goldstein
http://www.home-business-journal.com/home-business-goals.html “How to Stay Focused on Your Home Business Goals” by Stone Evans
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating-plan.asp “Creating Your Business Plan”
http://www.businesstown.com/consulting/article2.asp “Consulting-Challenges and Obstacles”
http://www.allfreelance.com/article007.html “Checklist for the New Home-Based Business” by Elena Fawkner
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/library/3403.shtml “Legalities & Tax Advantages In A Home Business”
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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