|
|
||
|
 |
|
Click here to sign up for our free
newsletter today! |
|
We have been updating our site and therefore ask that if you find any broken links in this newsletter or any others, please report them to jerpatvas@comcast.net so we can ensure you and all our visitors get the most out of our site!
Virtual Insider February 15, 2004 Issue 3 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. Advertisement & Advertisement Contest
by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net Dear Readers, What a busy month! With our marketing plan, Valentine’s Day, and daily life-I’m sure you feel just as busy as myself. I would love to hear from all of you how your marketing plans are coming. Let me know what goals you have set for yourselves and how successful you have been so far. If you haven’t had success yet, don’t worry or give up. Most marketing specialist say to send no less than 6 marketing pieces to one individual, and to send a piece every 3-4 weeks to get them to recognize your name. Personally, I sent 3 pieces to one realtor before I got a response from her. It just came across her desk at the right time, and we were a name she recognized. Another realtor, when I called, recognized our company name and thought he had talked to us (which I know he hadn’t because I keep track of communication) but was very excited and requested more information. Keep at it!!! I personally have set the goal of 100 marketing pieces mailed weekly (with follow up pieces every 4 weeks) and followup emails 2 weeks after the pieces were mailed. Deligence and commitment is the key!!! Anyway, this month we are talking about organization. Organization is the key to being successful!!! It helps your followup marketing and keeps you from being embarassed when a client calls and you can’t find their paperwork! I have included a new section entitled Words for the Soul. This section will include motivational stories, words, and even some funny stories. I decided to include this section upon the prompting of my husband because things come across my desk via email or through a book that touches me. He encouraged me to share these with you, as I hope they will inspire and humor you as they do me. Feel free to send in your “words for the soul”! If I select yours for an issue you will have your name and web link included in the Words for the Soul column. Also be sure to visit the Reader’s Corner to see all the wonderful comments everyone has been sending in and the Newsletter Swap area to subscribe to a newsletter I personally subscribe to and recommend! Remember to continue to send us your thoughts, ideas, and your marketing plans to help encourage us and give ideas for future newsletters! God bless, Patty
Please send newsletter questions, comments and ideas by sending an email to newsletter@jerpat.org.
JERPAT Virtual Assitants Owned by Patty Benton Partnered with Mary Russell www.moretime4u.org and www.virtualvacoach.com What an exciting time for JERPAT! I would first like to share the very exciting news that JERPAT has taken on a partner. Mary Russell has agreed to a partnership with Patty Benton to help with the daily operations and decisions of JERPAT Virtual Assistants. Mary brings to the company a background in bookkeeping and experience in running a small business. Though there will be no noticeable changes to clients, she has already brought some exciting and innovative ideas to the company to help for smoother operation and successful service procedures! On a side note, Mary has been a subscriber to the Virtual Insider since the first issue was released. To learn more about Mary, go to our Featured Reader Section. We would also like to welcome Bryana Womersley to the team. She brings a variety of administrative skills to the team. A very exciting proposal was made to JERPAT Virtual Assistants a couple of months ago by Dale and Becki Noles of Virtual Accuracy to partner in creating a new innovative Christian VA Networking site. One of the things I am very excited about is the resource section which will be available to members. It will include templates of contracts, marketing materials, and much, much more! In the coming months we plan to include a networking forum, classes, coaching opportunities, and more. The possibilities of this site are endless! Be on the look out for more information coming soon, as this is a project I am VERY excited about personally and professionally! If you would like to get involved during the planning stages of this exciting endeavor, pleas contact JERPAT Virtual Assistants at jerpatvas@comcast.net or Virtual Accuracy at VA@VirtualAccuracy.com.
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.
Ennen's Computer Services Owned and Operated by Diana Ennen Our website, Virtual Word Publishing www.virtualwordpublishing.com has added many new features to our website. Please stop by and check out our Work-At-Home Resources Page (with the addition of Robert Brenner's Pricing Books), and Mom's Corner.
Spotlight Feature Setting Up a New Office by Jan Jasper
Location,
location, location!
Another consideration is light. Don't place your monitor where light -- either natural or artificial -- will reflect off the screen. Unfortunately, this may rule out placing your desk right next to a sunny window, but your eyes will thank you. For artificial light, it's better to have several adjustable lamps rather than one bright overhead ceiling fixture. Avoid putting your CPU on the floor under your desk -- it's too easy to bump into it with your foot which can jostle the hard drive. Put it in a more protected area. If your office air is very dry, or you generate static electricity by walking on your carpet, you may get a small shock when you first sit down at your keyboard. Unfortunately, your keyboard is getting shocked too. The solution is to place an anti-static rubber mat underneath the keyboard. You touch this before touching the keyboard to dissipate static charges safely. Your desk as control central Now that you've decided where to put your desk, let's look at the details of desk configuration. A poorly designed desk area causes office clutter and wasted time. Ironically, the picture-perfect, minimalist offices you see depicted in magazines -- the sleek glass-top table with nothing on it but a laptop computer and no files anywhere to be seen -- are the worst clutter magnets. These office set-ups are designed to showcase the furniture. No functioning office can look like this -- at least not for long. The key to working efficiently and avoiding clutter is to make effective use of your immediate desk area. Any space you can reach without getting up from your desk chair is prime real estate and should be used to the maximum. The ideal desk shape is an L-shape or U-shape. Most modern desks don't contain the traditional "return" that can be pulled out on one side, but if you are stuck with a standard rectangular desk you can improvise: Put a smaller table to one side of your desk, or even a low file cabinet can do double duty as a work area. This gives you extra work space so you can spread out when you need. The space above your desk is prime real estate too. Your desk should have either shelves above it or a hutch -- you need a place to put files currently in use, reference materials, and the supplies you use every day. This frees up enough desk space that you can put your printer at your desk, which will save you time. Another space extender is a swivel shelf for the phone, which attaches to your desk and can be moved, up, down, left, and right. This keeps your phone handy without wasting valuable desk space. A telephone headset is essential. It takes the pressure off your neck and shoulder and also permits you to walk around while talking, which keep your energy up. If your desk lacks a pencil drawer, you'll need a desktop holder for pencils, stapler, paperclips, etc. A good chair is one of your most important business tools. You need a wheeled chair of adjustable height with good lower-back support. Lastly an acrylic chair mat increases the maneuverability of your chair. Filing & Storage Obtain enough file cabinets to hold your papers. You should have at least one file drawer that you can reach without leaving your desk chair -- it can either be under your desk or beside it. If you keep extensive old files saved for legal or historical reasons, save money and space by putting files in bankers' boxes and storing them in a closet, or in an off-site record storage facility. Filing supplies -- purchase hanging folders to keep interior folders standing tall and permit them to slide easily in the drawer. Avoid legal size folders if possible -- they take up more space. You'll need a place to keep supplies. A cabinet or credenza is ideal, but open shelves will suffice. Save time by keeping extras of everything on hand -- you don't want to run out of laser toner 30 minutes before that proposal is due! Keep your inventory of paper sealed and dry -- many papers will curl and jam during printing if they're exposed to moisture during storage. Tape shut the half-empty paper package or even wrap in a plastic bag. You need at least one book case, not only for books, but for trade publications and computer manuals. Phone Lines and Peripherals If you have DSL, you won't need a second phone line for internet access. But if you have a dial-up connection, you must have that second line -- you can't afford not to have one. Giving callers a busy signal when you're downloading your E-mail is unprofessional. You definitely need a printer and probably a fax and scanner. Fortunately, there are reasonably priced multi-function machines that will do black & white printing, make copies, send and receive faxes, and even scan documents. A multi-function machine is fine for most offices, if most of the copying and scanning you do is from loose sheets. But if you copy often from bound material, you need a flatbed copier. Same goes for scanning -- if you want to scan things from books, the scanner in a multi-function machine won't work; you need a flatbed scanner. Another drawback to a multi-function machine is that if your fax goes down you're also lost your printer and copier and scanner. So there are advantages to buying these machines individually, and it's affordable because prices have dropped dramatically in the past few years. Ditto for color inkjet printers. They're affordable, and the output doesn't smear like their predecessors' did.
Last but
not least, in this age of identity theft, you need a paper shredder.
Jan Jasper
has been
training busy people to work smarter, not harder since 1988. She is the author
of “Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, &
Technology” (St. Martin's Press). Jan helps clients streamline their systems and
procedures, form optimum work habits, use technology efficiently, and manage
information overload. Find lots of free tips at
www.janjasper.com by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net Organizing your Desktop-Computer Desktop That Is! In my years as a teacher, organization was something that was lost on me. Since leaving that profession, and entering the professional world of business, I have learned that organization is my friend. Piles drive me nuts and boxes with papers are no longer around because I discovered why filing cabinets are there- and to my amazement, it is not decoration. One important place that many people don’t think about having organized is their computer desktop. Have you ever needed to quickly pull up that file on your computer, but it takes you forever to find it because of the millions of files cluttering your desktop (computer desktop that is)? My husband is a neat freak, yet it completely amazes me that his computer desktop is full of files. His desktop drives ME crazy and gives me a headache trying to find a document! I have gotten the art of organizing my desktop down, and now I would like to share my strategy with you for getting your desktop organized so that next time a client calls, you know exactly where their file is!
Continue with this process until every file belongs to a folder, and every folder is easy to navigate. The goal is when you open a folder-you know immediately what is in it. You will find that it is much easer to get to work because you are not distracted by all the items on your desktop, and when that client calls, you do not spend 5 minutes hunting for the file you need to answer his/her question. Take time to get one of the most important pieces of equipment in your office organized so that your office runs even more efficiently.
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. Newsletter Ad Swap The Accuracy Report, a monthly publication of Virtual Accuracy, is a free informational resource beneficial not to just the Virtual Assistance industry, but to business owners as a whole. The Accuracy Report focuses on the topics of Marketing, Technology and many more of the issues you face on a daily basis. To subscribe, please visit www.VirtualAccuracy.com. Please feel free to browse our archives at http://www.VirtualAccuracy.com/newsltr/archives.html.
LINK CORRECTION-Last month the subscription link to Top Shelf Virtual Report did not work properly, so in order to correct this, we are reprinting the Newsletter Ad Swap again this month so you have the correct link to subscribe to. LATEST ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS, TIPS AND TRICKS – Top Shelf Virtual Report! is filled with content you can use today. Learn easier ways to use your software, keyboard shortcuts, including content laden business articles. Subscribe today at http://www.topshelfva.com/Newsletter/TSVR%20Peek.htm. Check out Top Shelf VA Services’ first rate virtual assistance services at www.topshelfva.com. 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.
by Vivi Gonzalez vivi@eproservices.com Q: I’m in the process of starting my home business, how should I set my home-office up? A: It’s great to see that you are taking some thought into setting up your home office. Just because it’s at home, there’s no reason to not have it set up professionally. There are a couple of suggestions that I can offer: 1) Storage – For your files, office supplies and miscellaneous items You have a few choices here, depending on the lay out of your office: a- Hang file b- File cabinet c- Shelves d- Desk top You may even want to have a combination of storage types. To avoid clutter, perhaps keep your currently used files in your desk top organizer and the rest in a file cabinet. 2) Daily Planner – Whether you decide to purchase one of the popular Planners or use a notebook, decide on a form of keeping your calendar straight. You can use desktop calendars or some type of a wall mounted note board. You can use either different colored highlighters or pens to represent different tasks for easier identification. 3) Tickler File – There are ones that you can purchase for this purpose or you can create your own. All you need are 12 compartments, one for each month where you can file bills, memos, etc. 4) Office Flow – Make sure that you place office equipment which you use the most often, the closest to your desk. This saves you time and energy by not having to run across the office to do common tasks. 5) Clutter – Avoid it! Create a place where everything belongs, this way you can easily find things you need on seconds notice. When organizing your office space, there are so many options to choose from. Most importantly, find a style that suits both your taste and needs. Take time to make sure that it works for you and your business.
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 The Organized Business Owner
Over the years,
I’ve tried it all- different ways to get organized. Trial and error. Some
worked, some didn’t. I tried some of those fancy looking matching desk sets.
They looked beautiful, and for some, I’m sure they are perfect. But for me,
they took up too much valuable space. Space I needed to proof my work, keep my
reference books, or keep those essentials that I use on a regular basis. I have a corner desk and on it I have my computer, printer, fax, phone, etc. Beside my desk I have a two-drawer filing cabinet. This was possibly the greatest thing I’ve ever done to organize my business. In it I have my files and supplies that I use on a daily or regular basis. My clients’ stationery, clients’ files, file for my receipts, all personal correspondence, paper, folders, etc. Whenever these files get bulky with client documents, I simply empty them into the main filing cabinet. For example, my main clients that I’ve been working with for 15 years, their files in the main cabinet are quite large and it’s so nice to have the smaller file close by with just their recent correspondence. Plus, when I need a folder, an order slip for my books, a copy of my stationery, it’s all right there. AAAHHH, now that’s convenience. Now for the receipts’ file. I keep it monthly. I simply at the beginning of the month, replace the file with the new month’s file. That way, at tax time, I don’t have to go through a whole year’s receipts and divide it up then. It’s all separated. Here are some other organizational tips you might find beneficial: Mail—We have a round basket by the front door. All incoming mail goes in there first. Then when I have the opportunity to sort through it, I get it and put it in its appropriate place. Always pitch anything you aren’t keeping. All business-related mail is sorted and put away immediately. Anything that might need work done on it is logged into my Daytimer and then put in the To Do Bin. Desk—Your desk should have on it only those items that you use on a regular basis. Look around. What haven’t you used in the last month or two. Start Dumping. Find another spot for it. But find the RIGHT space for it. No Piling of Anything Allowed. This is one of those habits that can be so easy to get into. Definitely one of the ones that I catch myself doing a lot! But I stop myself now because I know it will just be brushed off to the side and forgotten. Too often I miss something important and regret the piling blunder again. You will be amazed how much more organized you will feel if you just don’t do this one thing. Daytimer—Now this isn’t only for Time Management. Your Daytimer can have a space for all your business cards, appointment cards, etc. How great it is to have all these cards right in the same place? On the date of your appointment, you simply grab the card and off you go. Start the beginning of the day and the end of the day with a clean-up. What a tremendous feeling that is. When you are done with a project, away everything goes. Everything. When you start the next project, out comes all the materials you need. There’s nothing like the feeling of sitting down in the morning to a nice clean organized desk and office. Once you’ve felt this for a couple of days, you will want to experience this every day! See you next month – Diana
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 While I have learned many things in my virtual career, one thing is certain, if you aren't organized, you're going to be wasting a great deal of time looking for things. One way to get organized is instituting a consistent policy of document naming for each client. Although there is software that abounds regarding document management, generally, this software is for large businesses and hence is cost prohibitive for sole entrepreneurs. My recommendations for keeping your computer documents organized include:
These are just a few tips to help you keep the documents stored on your computer in some order. Whether you adopt them or create rules of your own, by organizing how you save/name documents, you will eliminate many frustrating and time consuming searches in the future. 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.
Featured Reader Mary Russell of JERPAT Virtual Assistants www.jerpat.org/va/VirtualAssistant.html I (Mary Russell) was born in Fairbanks, Alaska (before it was a state). I married my high school sweetheart and have been married 26 years. We have raised 5 wonderful children, Angela, Daniel, Joshua, Paul and Nicole. Angi is married and currently going to Arapahoe Community College to be a dentist. Dan is a special needs adult and will probably be with us forever. Joshua is a Senior at Eagle Crest High School and doesn't have a clue what he would like to do with his life after graduation. Paul is a Sophomore and feels God has a call on his life to become a Pastor and Nicole will start high school next year. As in every family, there is always a lot going on. My favorite hobby is cross stitching and I have taught several of my friends, but recently I have not been able to do much as life gets so busy. My professional life is a bit shorter (aren't you happy?). I graduated from Aurora Central and then from Parks Business College for bookkeeping. I was in that field until I quit in 1986 to stay home with my children. I have kept very busy during my stay-at-home time. I designed, marketed and manufactured a line of baby bonnets but found local stores reluctant to by from "locals". I have been doing data entry for a company in the Denver Tech Center for 7 years and I have been a consultant for Mary Kay for about 6 years. I got involved with Patty thanks to the Postal Service (we started discussing her business after visiting the mail box). She is my neighbor, my friend, my sister in Christ and now my partner. I couldn't ask for anything better. That is one thing I would strongly suggest when going into business with another - scripture warns us against being unequally yoked. Don't partner up with somebody that doesn't see your spiritual views. I'll be praying the very best for you in your business.
Words for the Soul This was sent to me in an email, just as I had coming to a discouraging place in my business. After reading it, I felt ready to continue on the path I had chosen for myself and my business. I hope it will lift you as it did me. I would love to here if it touched you, and how it touched you. God bless, Patty Benton Keep Playing.... Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted an old friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't always gracefully flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.
Advertisement JERPAT Web Designs has been in existence since 1998. We are a leading edge business building and creating quality computer solutions in Web Designing, Microsoft Access Development, and Computer Consulting. We will beat any business in affordable prices and quality work. Our company is founded on a biblical foundation that has sustained our existence through the years. Give us a try and see what we can do for you!!! www.jerpat.org
Reader’s Corner Just wanted to say....WONDERFUL NEWSLETTER!!!! It is the best I've read out there so congrats on a job well done. Take care, Tawnya Sutherland
Join our Virtual
Assistant Networking Forum!
Your tips and suggestions (and prodding) have been very useful. Please continue. Nancy
I’m at your website right now, and just read your article Virtual Insider. I want to tell you that it’s great. Andy Garma
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 with your email. Thank you!
What’s Coming Next Month In the next issue of Virtual Insider we will be addressing the never ending problem of time management and most importantly how to manage your time so you have time for your business and family. Please be sure to send your questions and ideas on this topic to newsletter@jerpat.org.
Suggested Articles www.janjasper.com Jan Jaspers-Author of our Spotlight Feature this month has a wonderful site with lots of great ideas for organization including a free article on “50 Ways to Manage Your Time”
http://www.ineedmoretime.com/entrepreneur.htm “Entrepreneur: Organize Thyself!” by Barbara Myers
http://www.ineedmoretime.com/success.htm “Organizing Secrets of Successful People” by Barbara Myers (Be sure to visit her site for tons more ideas!)
http://www.about-the-web.com/shtml/articles/organized.txt “Getting Organized for the New Year” by Garth Catterall
All links above are reprinted with permission, or permission was requested with no response.
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.
|
||
|
©2005 JERPAT |
HOME |
ABOUT US |
SERVICES |
CONTACT US |
|
