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Casual Articles - How to Start a Virtual Assistant Business
Brandwidth 2005- The Year In Review
I shop therefore I am? As Ireland's largest shopping centre opened in Dundrum and consumer spending rocketed across the country, 2005 was a year in which our love affair with brands showed little signs of abating.Whilst H&M, House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols and Starbucks arrived to great fanfare, proving in the early months at least that absence does make the purse and wallet grow fonder, there was little to suggest that our familiarity with traditional home-grown retailers was breeding anything other than a continued willingness to spend, spend, spend (along with contempt for the worried soundings from economic commentators who suggested that our splurging may be just about to spiral out of control).In the midst of this extended retail love-in, it was easy to forget that, more and more, the great Irish romance is in property, and a few Irish brand giants, including the likes of Superquinn and Jurys Ballsbridge, were sweet-talked by buyers who seemed to place greater value on the property bank they had collected than on any goodwill they had built up over many years of trading.Goodwill was severely rationed on board another domestic brand, Irish Ferries, whose troubles quickly became a rallying point for Irish workers concerned about how the economy is shaping up on wages and conditions of employment. Whilst a deal of sorts has been thrashed out, public reaction on the streets of our cities would suggest that the brand has been badly holed beneath the water line and will do well to stay afloat in the new year.Meanwhile, the three Irish airlines soared even higher than their tenor counterparts (who enjoyed their own brand of success during the year). Aer Lingus, Aer Arann and Ryanair, continued to fly high with each of the three adding more routes to their already extensive European networks. Each of the airlines operates from a hugely different brand model (chalk, cheese and charcoal?) and their success offers a timely reminder that there is plenty of airspace for players in any sector w
p>I shop therefore I am? As Ireland's largest shopping centre opened in Dundrum and consumer spending rocketed across the country, 2005 was a year in which our love affair with brands showed little signs of abating.Whilst H&M, House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols and Starbucks arrived to great fanfare, proving in the early months at least that absence does make the purse and wallet grow fonder, there was little to suggest that our familiarity with traditional home-grown retailers was breeding anything other than a continued willingness to spend, spend, spend (along with contempt for the worried soundings from economic commentators who suggested that our splurging may be just about to spiral out of control).In the midst of this extended retail love-in, it was easy to forget that, more and more, the great Irish romance is in property, and a few Irish brand giants, including the likes of Superquinn and Jurys Ballsbridge, were sweet-talked by buyers who seemed to place greater value on the property bank they had collected than on any goodwill they had built up over many years of trading.Goodwill was severely rationed on board another domestic brand, Irish Ferries, whose troubles quickly became a rallying point for Irish workers concerned about how the economy is shaping up on wages and conditions of employment. Whilst a deal of sorts has been thrashed out, public reaction on the streets of our cities would suggest that the brand has been badly holed beneath the water line and will do well to stay afloat in the new year.Meanwhile, the three Irish airlines soared even higher than their tenor counterparts (who enjoyed their own brand of success during the year). Aer Lingus, Aer Arann and Ryanair, continued to fly high with each of the three adding more routes to their already extensive European networks. Each of the airlines operates from a hugely different brand model (chalk, cheese and charcoal?) and their success offers a timely reminder that there is plenty of airspace for players in any sector w
What is a VA?
A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an independent contractor who provides administrative, secretarial, creative and/or organizational services to his/her clients viathe internet, email, snail mail, fax and telephone, whatever gets the job done! VAs can provide ne
Parity Busters
In reality, your company’s products and/or services are very likely perceived by the marketplace as a commodity. In many cases where you’ve won market share, it is likely due to the fact that your account managers were better networked or better liked, were more persistent, or your main competitors simply blew the account, handing you the business. Unfortunately, these scenarios are the exception. The rule is that it can take some dumb luck, and a great deal of time, too.Everything today seems to be moving faster. And that means that even when you develop new products or services, competition is responding more quickly. So, how do you differentiate in this environment of parity? Below are some initiatives in which companies can invest to differentiate their product/service from their competitors, improve their positioning and steal market share by capitalizing on real and perceived strategic, tactical, and cultural advantage.The Parity Busters1. Corporate Culture Marketing – Developing and communicating a program of measurable value-based initiatives that project your organization above the competition (read more).2. Leadership Excellence – By developing your leadership team and teamwork, you will gain strategic and tactical advantage by streamlining the decision-making process, which improves responsiveness to market opportunities and broadens competitive advantage (read more).3. FLOT line Marketing – The Forward Line of Own Troops in marketing is where your focus should be in order to make headway against your competition. The objective is to give your account team an upper hand through superior marketing initiatives that will provide the greatest visibility and exposure possible to your account managers, products, services and messaging. It is critical to consider the most effective mix of both technology marketing initiatives and traditional approaches, i.e. podcasting/association events.Take advantage of both real strategic and tactical advantage and the building of perceptions which will differentiate your organization in
“Falling into” a position such as a Virtual Assistant is not how it happens for everyone; I was very lucky. When I was starting out, I didn’t even realize the career path that I was choosing. My husband was working for a small web services firm as head of their web design department. They were often asked if they offered services such as web content writing, editing and proofreading and/or data capturing services for order forms or entry forms. This is where I came in; I had found my niche. I was working from home as a data capturer for a local company. I knew that I had the experience for what his clients were looking for, and with the data capturing position, I knew I had the discipline and time management skills needed to work from home. Offering to help with a few minor projects, I didn’t realize that a few years from that meager start, I would be working full-time (or at least as full-time as I’d like) from home as a Virtual Assistant, fully self-employed. Since 2000 when this started, I’ve expanded my services and my office. I now enjoy more writing & editing assignments and helping others establish their Virtual Assistant practices.In reality, your company’s products and/or services are very likely perceived by the marketplace as a commodity. In many cases where you’ve won market share, it is likely due to the fact that your account managers were better networked or better liked, were more persistent, or your main competitors simply blew the account, handing you the business. Unfortunately, these scenarios are the exception. The rule is that it can take some dumb luck, and a great deal of time, too.Everything today seems to be moving faster. And that means that even when you develop new products or services, competition is responding more quickly. So, how do you differentiate in this environment of parity? Below are some initiatives in which companies can invest to differentiate their product/service from their competitors, improve their positioning and steal market share by capitalizing on real and perceived strategic, tactical, and cultural advantage.The Parity Busters1. Corporate Culture Marketing – Developing and communicating a program of measurable value-based initiatives that project your organization above the competition (read more).2. Leadership Excellence – By developing your leadership team and teamwork, you will gain strategic and tactical advantage by streamlining the decision-making process, which improves responsiveness to market opportunities and broadens competitive advantage (read more).3. FLOT line Marketing – The Forward Line of Own Troops in marketing is where your focus should be in order to make headway against your competition. The objective is to give your account team an upper hand through superior marketing initiatives that will provide the greatest visibility and exposure possible to your account managers, products, services and messaging. It is critical to consider the most effective mix of both technology marketing initiatives and traditional approaches, i.e. podcasting/association events.Take advantage of both real strategic and tactical advantage and the building of perceptions which will differentiate your organization in
What is a VA?
A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an independent contractor who provides administrative, secretarial, creative and/or organizational services to his/her clients viathe internet, email, snail mail, fax and telephone, whatever gets the job done! VAs can provide nea
Introduction To Online Printing Within Los Angeles
Hunting for the best printer online can be a daunting task, but always rewarding. There are additional aspects pertaining in an online printer, from rate quotes to flexible payment options. You need to get familiarized with them to make sure you get the best deal possible. On a printing site situated in Los Angeles, there is surely great competition around but having to choose the best option is still the most rewarding experience.There are numerous LA printing services out there, but there can always be a few which can cater to your needs. When you really want to get the most convenient methods of online printing, they can offer better services due to competition. This is good advantage point for a typical customer, getting quality with the most cost effective deals available. From specifications to quality service, they have it all if you know what you need to search. Here are tips to maximize your printing experience in the area of Los Angeles.Evaluate their capabilities. From the equipment the use to their staff, it all counts to get the best service around. With being the 2nd most populated city in the United States, you cannot compromise equipment; they can have cutting edge-technology within their printers. But when you need to know trained their staff is another aspect, you need to know their capability to lessen the turnaround time and impose strict quality standards.Get your specifications right. From stock paper, colors preferred printing method, extra coatings, and other details can be available in a typical LA printing site. Sometimes this can be a problem when there are myriad options to describe your preference. On a competitive part, they offer more options to get the desired results, be sure you know what you need and know exactly the materials you choose. They can sometimes be of little detail but it will surely affect your printing project.Make use of their additional services. With a free sample option, they can send you your preferred sample for your project, from there you can assess if they can meet your requirements pertainin
were often asked if they offered services such as web content writing, editing and proofreading and/or data capturing services for order forms or entry forms. This is where I came in; I had found my niche. I was working from home as a data capturer for a local company. I knew that I had the experience for what his clients were looking for, and with the data capturing position, I knew I had the discipline and time management skills needed to work from home. Offering to help with a few minor projects, I didn’t realize that a few years from that meager start, I would be working full-time (or at least as full-time as I’d like) from home as a Virtual Assistant, fully self-employed. Since 2000 when this started, I’ve expanded my services and my office. I now enjoy more writing & editing assignments and helping others establish their Virtual Assistant practices.Hunting for the best printer online can be a daunting task, but always rewarding. There are additional aspects pertaining in an online printer, from rate quotes to flexible payment options. You need to get familiarized with them to make sure you get the best deal possible. On a printing site situated in Los Angeles, there is surely great competition around but having to choose the best option is still the most rewarding experience.There are numerous LA printing services out there, but there can always be a few which can cater to your needs. When you really want to get the most convenient methods of online printing, they can offer better services due to competition. This is good advantage point for a typical customer, getting quality with the most cost effective deals available. From specifications to quality service, they have it all if you know what you need to search. Here are tips to maximize your printing experience in the area of Los Angeles.Evaluate their capabilities. From the equipment the use to their staff, it all counts to get the best service around. With being the 2nd most populated city in the United States, you cannot compromise equipment; they can have cutting edge-technology within their printers. But when you need to know trained their staff is another aspect, you need to know their capability to lessen the turnaround time and impose strict quality standards.Get your specifications right. From stock paper, colors preferred printing method, extra coatings, and other details can be available in a typical LA printing site. Sometimes this can be a problem when there are myriad options to describe your preference. On a competitive part, they offer more options to get the desired results, be sure you know what you need and know exactly the materials you choose. They can sometimes be of little detail but it will surely affect your printing project.Make use of their additional services. With a free sample option, they can send you your preferred sample for your project, from there you can assess if they can meet your requirements pertainin
What is a VA?
A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an independent contractor who provides administrative, secretarial, creative and/or organizational services to his/her clients viathe internet, email, snail mail, fax and telephone, whatever gets the job done! VAs can provide ne
Advertising - The Power of the Written Word over the Spoken Word
There are some things which, on account .of the delicacy of treatment, the accuracy, etc, required, cannot be trusted to the most sensitive piece of machinery, but must be finished by the hand of a skilled craftsman. There are many things in the world of selling which are too delicate for the mass treatment accorded them by the advertising man, and which require the touch of the salesman to bring to the desired conclusion.Advertising is limited by its own advantages to definite functions in certain fields. Its usefulness varies with the character of the product, the customer, or the purchase unit. It varies with distribution, the character of the buying habit, and the extent of the territory. Above all, it varies with the attitude of mind of the consumer toward the products' associations.No two cases will be exactly alike, but all will come under some one or two general classes which define the status of the advertising in relation to the personal selling. There are some cases where machine work is of so little value that it could be dispensed with almost without a ripple. There are similar cases in selling where the personal selling represents such an important factor in relation to the total operation that advertising can be dispensed with, and the difference hardly noted; there are other cases where advertising does all or most of the work, so that the personal selling effort is of minor importance in comparison with the whole merchandising requirement. In other words, sometimes the product sells itself, other times a simple ad will suffice, and other times will take a salesperson talking to the potential customer.To know which one is needed, you must monitor the efficiency of your different methods. The fact of the matter is that advertising is a very low-efficiency proposition, and succeeds not because of its efficiency, but because of the minute unit cost compared with any other method of sales work yet discovered. Consider the case of a website with 100,000 visitors producing 3,000 replies and 300 sales. Such a result is a remarkable one viewed fr
the experience for what his clients were looking for, and with the data capturing position, I knew I had the discipline and time management skills needed to work from home. Offering to help with a few minor projects, I didn’t realize that a few years from that meager start, I would be working full-time (or at least as full-time as I’d like) from home as a Virtual Assistant, fully self-employed. Since 2000 when this started, I’ve expanded my services and my office. I now enjoy more writing & editing assignments and helping others establish their Virtual Assistant practices.There are some things which, on account .of the delicacy of treatment, the accuracy, etc, required, cannot be trusted to the most sensitive piece of machinery, but must be finished by the hand of a skilled craftsman. There are many things in the world of selling which are too delicate for the mass treatment accorded them by the advertising man, and which require the touch of the salesman to bring to the desired conclusion.Advertising is limited by its own advantages to definite functions in certain fields. Its usefulness varies with the character of the product, the customer, or the purchase unit. It varies with distribution, the character of the buying habit, and the extent of the territory. Above all, it varies with the attitude of mind of the consumer toward the products' associations.No two cases will be exactly alike, but all will come under some one or two general classes which define the status of the advertising in relation to the personal selling. There are some cases where machine work is of so little value that it could be dispensed with almost without a ripple. There are similar cases in selling where the personal selling represents such an important factor in relation to the total operation that advertising can be dispensed with, and the difference hardly noted; there are other cases where advertising does all or most of the work, so that the personal selling effort is of minor importance in comparison with the whole merchandising requirement. In other words, sometimes the product sells itself, other times a simple ad will suffice, and other times will take a salesperson talking to the potential customer.To know which one is needed, you must monitor the efficiency of your different methods. The fact of the matter is that advertising is a very low-efficiency proposition, and succeeds not because of its efficiency, but because of the minute unit cost compared with any other method of sales work yet discovered. Consider the case of a website with 100,000 visitors producing 3,000 replies and 300 sales. Such a result is a remarkable one viewed fr
What is a VA?
A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an independent contractor who provides administrative, secretarial, creative and/or organizational services to his/her clients viathe internet, email, snail mail, fax and telephone, whatever gets the job done! VAs can provide ne
Cost Of Poor Quality And Six Sigma
If the cost of quality is high, looking through the Six Sigma glass the cost of poor quality is still higher. Companies bear a huge cost of about 9-16 percent of their revenues on problem solving. This is the cost of poor quality, or COPQ, as it is known. Motorola discovered this in the late 1970s at a huge price. General Electric has put the cost difference between 3 or 4 Sigma and Six Sigma at an astonishing $8-12 billion a year.Anatomy Of COPQCOPQ comprises costs which have generated as byproducts of defective and inconsistent manufacturing process. Six Sigma directly assigns a dollar value to cost of poor quality, meaning that the COPQ is measurable. The cost of poor quality originates at all places where the product or a part thereof is being made.1. COPQ originating from suppliers 2. COPQ at the production points 3. COPQ at warehouse 4. COPQ at transportation and distributionThe cost effect due to poor quality from suppliers is defined at two levels. One is straight from the defective production of materials and the other is due to handling and delivery. The second and the third points are very much under the control of the manufacturer.The following are the generally applicable consistent costs of poor quality:1 Wastage Or Under-Utilization: This is also referred to as spoilage in Six Sigma, arising out of raw material wasted due to inconsistent and inefficient processes.2 Cost Of Reworking: This cost includes the cost of repairing and replacing some parts. In addition, this also includes the cost labor to repair.3 Cost Of Additional Utilities: The overall cost of setting up the extra infrastructure and utilities consumed to run the recycling operation needs to be considered while calculating the COPQ.4 Lost Opportunities: The dissatisfaction triggered business loss can not be just the loss of margin. You have to include the capital to be invested to regaining the lost revenue and offset the cumulative revenue loss.5 Lost Revenue Due To Poor Quality: This cost refers to the potential lo
g full-time (or at least as full-time as I’d like) from home as a Virtual Assistant, fully self-employed. Since 2000 when this started, I’ve expanded my services and my office. I now enjoy more writing & editing assignments and helping others establish their Virtual Assistant practices.If the cost of quality is high, looking through the Six Sigma glass the cost of poor quality is still higher. Companies bear a huge cost of about 9-16 percent of their revenues on problem solving. This is the cost of poor quality, or COPQ, as it is known. Motorola discovered this in the late 1970s at a huge price. General Electric has put the cost difference between 3 or 4 Sigma and Six Sigma at an astonishing $8-12 billion a year.Anatomy Of COPQCOPQ comprises costs which have generated as byproducts of defective and inconsistent manufacturing process. Six Sigma directly assigns a dollar value to cost of poor quality, meaning that the COPQ is measurable. The cost of poor quality originates at all places where the product or a part thereof is being made.1. COPQ originating from suppliers 2. COPQ at the production points 3. COPQ at warehouse 4. COPQ at transportation and distributionThe cost effect due to poor quality from suppliers is defined at two levels. One is straight from the defective production of materials and the other is due to handling and delivery. The second and the third points are very much under the control of the manufacturer.The following are the generally applicable consistent costs of poor quality:1 Wastage Or Under-Utilization: This is also referred to as spoilage in Six Sigma, arising out of raw material wasted due to inconsistent and inefficient processes.2 Cost Of Reworking: This cost includes the cost of repairing and replacing some parts. In addition, this also includes the cost labor to repair.3 Cost Of Additional Utilities: The overall cost of setting up the extra infrastructure and utilities consumed to run the recycling operation needs to be considered while calculating the COPQ.4 Lost Opportunities: The dissatisfaction triggered business loss can not be just the loss of margin. You have to include the capital to be invested to regaining the lost revenue and offset the cumulative revenue loss.5 Lost Revenue Due To Poor Quality: This cost refers to the potential lo
What is a VA?
A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an independent contractor who provides administrative, secretarial, creative and/or organizational services to his/her clients viathe internet, email, snail mail, fax and telephone, whatever gets the job done! VAs can provide ne
Brighton: A Great Conference Venue
Holding a conference can be a big event in any company’s agenda and a large part of that can be the decision on where to hold the conference. Many different cities all boast prestigious facilities, but each city has both problems and benefits that will be incurred through having the conference in that area. The greatest trick is to make use of a venue where the advantages are significantly greater than the disadvantages. The location of Brighton on the South Coast means that it is an easy journey from London. The location also means that beautiful sea views will greet any people arriving in the area for a conference. The town of Brighton is large enough to provide accommodation and facilities for a large number of visitors.The large number of conference venues also means that the town is geared towards facilitating people attending conferences to give them the greatest all round experience possible. An area which has greater advantages is Brighton which hosts a number of venues suitable for conferences of many different sizes. There are purpose built venues, such as Brighton centre, as well as facilities located within hotels, such as The Old ship hotel. In Brighton the numbers of attendees you are expecting will determine which type of venue you can make use of. Each type of venue has different advantages so those need to be analysed to which will be most suitable for your conference.A purpose built venue, such as the Brighton centre, offers a venue that contains a large number of seats and would be suitable for a larger conference. This facility contains multiple meeting areas and can allow multiple different meetings and events to occur simultaneously. It also has all the facilities that are needed to ensure the smooth running of a large conference. The type of events and conferences that can occur here are wide ranging so it is suitable for a variety of different purposes. One of the aspects that must be considered though is the transportation of people between the conference venue and their accommodation in Brighton.Most of those venues that are not p
p>Holding a conference can be a big event in any company’s agenda and a large part of that can be the decision on where to hold the conference. Many different cities all boast prestigious facilities, but each city has both problems and benefits that will be incurred through having the conference in that area. The greatest trick is to make use of a venue where the advantages are significantly greater than the disadvantages. The location of Brighton on the South Coast means that it is an easy journey from London. The location also means that beautiful sea views will greet any people arriving in the area for a conference. The town of Brighton is large enough to provide accommodation and facilities for a large number of visitors.The large number of conference venues also means that the town is geared towards facilitating people attending conferences to give them the greatest all round experience possible. An area which has greater advantages is Brighton which hosts a number of venues suitable for conferences of many different sizes. There are purpose built venues, such as Brighton centre, as well as facilities located within hotels, such as The Old ship hotel. In Brighton the numbers of attendees you are expecting will determine which type of venue you can make use of. Each type of venue has different advantages so those need to be analysed to which will be most suitable for your conference.A purpose built venue, such as the Brighton centre, offers a venue that contains a large number of seats and would be suitable for a larger conference. This facility contains multiple meeting areas and can allow multiple different meetings and events to occur simultaneously. It also has all the facilities that are needed to ensure the smooth running of a large conference. The type of events and conferences that can occur here are wide ranging so it is suitable for a variety of different purposes. One of the aspects that must be considered though is the transportation of people between the conference venue and their accommodation in Brighton.Most of those venues that are not p
What is a VA?
A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an independent contractor who provides administrative, secretarial, creative and/or organizational services to his/her clients viathe internet, email, snail mail, fax and telephone, whatever gets the job done! VAs can provide nearly all of the services of an in-house assistant at a fraction of the cost! Virtual Assistants have a vested interest in their clients’ success. The more a VA learns about a client’s business, the more valuable he/she becomes.
Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from her own office on a contractual basis. Working together virtually opens up a whole new talent pool to draw from that was previously unavailable to professionals and small business owners. He/she knows that starting a business is an investment, not a way to make money fast. VAs look for partnerships – long-term relationships with partners, not quickie tasks or one-time assignments.
What are the qualities of a great VA?
Open ears, great listening skills
Active mind, willing to learn new things
A ready heart
Believes in him/herself and his/her clients
A magnetic personality
Able to simplify life and work
Flexible, able to adapt to new ways of doing things
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