Sidney Borum Auction

As you start thinking about holiday shopping after the American Thanksgiving, please give some thought to shopping at the online auction to benefit the Sidney Borum, Jr. Health Center.

There are already a lot of good items (here's a bit of a preview), and we are thrilled to have partnered up in donating a 5-Hour Virtual Assistant package, valued at $250.00!

Wanna try out some services? Bid on the Scratchpad Secretaries package - you never know the deal you may get! And? It goes to a tremendous cause.

This guy? He's really doing some good things.

The auction runs from December 1, 6am to December 7, 8pm (Eastern).

Please tell your friends, and feel free to donate items if you would like, too.

Help! Again!

So what are you waiting for?

5 Signs It's Time to Hire an Assistant.

Top Three

"What are your most-requested services?"

I'm asked this question alot. And mostly when discussing our services offering with a potential client. It's a fantastic question! It can completely open the door on delegation. Quite often people aren't sure where to start and feel overwhelmed just thinking about what to delegate. So here's our top three and they all fall under the umbrella of Online Marketing & Brand Management:

1. Social Media Management. Biznik. Facebook. LinkedIn. Ryze. Twitter. Online Forums. Message Boards.... ARGH! Don't know where to start? We do! We'll help you set up a profile and maintain it on the sites you need to have a presence on. We'll come up with a social networking strategy to make sure you're connected and communicating with your desired audience. We'll manage your online reputation to see what your customers are saying... and your competitors too! It's all about keeping OUR ears to the ground so you can focus on growing your business!


2. Public Relations. Have something press-worthy? (Believe me, whether you know it or not, YOU DO!) We'll work closely with you to create an online PR campaign to get the word out. Let's get a buzz going! Perhaps you've already received a press mention and don't know what to do with it? We're full believers in tooting your own horn; we'll work with you to leverage it to the max and get it out in front of your target market! Don't have a huge corporate PR budget? No worries... we'll create a guerrilla marketing campaign to work within your means. No problem. It's what we do. It's what we love.


3. Web presence. If you don't have a website... you need one. From the moment your business concept is but a sparkle in your eye, to the smallest of start-ups, to a well-established and functioning business, we've got you covered. We can customize a package for you tailored to where you are now, and where you want to be. We'll do it all starting with the domain name purchase and registration, to design and development of the site (via html or content management system), to writing the content and even the ongoing maintenance & updating. Hey... we'll even write your blog! On the flip side, we can also get you up and running and then train you on the upkeep. Are you breathing a sigh of relief yet?


4. Ok, so our Top Three has turned into Four. Honourable mention goes to our standard virtual assistant services (after all, we are a virtual assistant business!) Are the administrative aspects of your business not really your forté? That's where we come in! We love them (it's kinda what we do after all!) These services keep us very busy and can be quite quick and easy to delegate! Need some templates created, or contracts prepared? Fire the rough copies to us and we'll get it done in no time! Have a few ideas of what you need created or expanded on? A quick discussion of your thoughts and we can get a draft prepared for you. Need a PowerPoint presentation developed? Let's put our heads together and we'll get started!
   

What do you want to delegate today?

So how does it work exactly?

I find people are extremely interested in finding out just how this "virtual assistant thing" works. When I first started getting this question, I stumbled a bit. I mean, it's so open-ended. So here's a brief 3-pointer to get you started.

1. Delegation - you have to take the time to delegate. Even if it's just a few minutes to fire off an email, or a quick conference call... but you have to do it if you're going to move forward. I've had clients scan and email me their handwritten to-do lists and then we quickly chat about what I can start in on. Or we quickly discuss via Skype if we're both online, or Google Talk. It really doesn't have to be time-consuming at all. (Tip: if you're thinking about hiring some help, take a few days to track what you really need help with and start a "wish list".)


2. Communication - it's been my experience that my clients prefer straight-up email. This works great for me too. I do, however, like to touch base via, gasp!, a telephone once in a while to see how things are working for you (and to let you know I'm a real person, lol!). Quite often if we're both online we do alot of chatting (see above), or a quick text message now and again. It's pretty organic with us. We'll totally work how you prefer.


3. Payment - most of our services are purchased in bulk packages which are all prepaid. If it's a special project, we accept 50% prior to contracting, and the remainder upon project completion. If you're not fully satisfied with our work we're happy to offer a full refund, no questions asked.

Pretty bare-bones and basic info, but it's one of the five top questions I get over and over.

What are some more questions you may have about how this "virtual assistant thing" works? Don't know what to delegate? Aren't sure if email will work for you? Have another payment option? Let us know, we love to find new ways of doing business!

Social Media Series - Linked In

LinkedIn. The first social network I joined professionally. I had such high hopes. Yet I was extremely let down.

Because I didn't use it.

LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for many reasons, I'm sure, but these three are what struck me:

• You're in a corporate setting and want to keep up with people from organizations you used to work for
• You're looking for a new job
• You're an entrepreneur and want to connect with other like-minded individuals, old colleagues, and/or potential clients.

For all of the above however, you've got to put in some leg work.

Here are some quick tips:

1. Import your address book from whichever email client you use.
2. Connect with colleagues and classmates from past jobs/organizations/schools
3. Join groups (there are TONNES!) that are in line with your goals, objectives, interests.

The power of LinkedIn lies in your connections. Don't be shy. Social networking doesn't work if you're shy or a wallflower.

Scenario #1:

You're old college classmate has a connection in the industry you are trying to break into. Great! Now what?

Simple: ask him for an introduction. See how easy that was? You'd do it in "real" life, so make sure you do it online as well. The hard part is starting a dialogue with this new contact you wanted to meet. That is up to you. I usually start with asking for a few pointers or their opinion, or perhaps checking out their profile and visiting their blog and leaving a few comments (if relevant).

BUT BE AUTHENTIC. Don't mess around. You don't need a bad online reputation. Be authentic. I can't stress this enough. You want to meet them for a reason, so let them know that, but be authentic. Play nice. Be genuine.

Scenario #2:

You've found a group that is totally your target market.

Join it!

And hang out for a bit. See how it works. See what they're talking about. And jump in! Introduce yourself. Join the conversation. Add connections this way. Engage. Discuss. Again, if relevant, ask for opinions and advice, and OFFER opinions and advice! Be the expert in your field that you are. Don't be shy. Major piece of advice for you? Don't shop your business 24/7. Not "in your face" anyway. Be subtle. Be polite. Nobody likes someone knocking on their door every day, selling their wares. So don't do it in social networking either.

If you're like me and belong to a few networks, pick and choose times/days for networking. Otherwise you could be on them all day. Perhaps you'd take 45 minutes every three days for LinkedIn and another 45 every two days for another one, etc etc. (But always have Twitter running on your desktop!) Seriously, social networking can be addictive, so budget your time accordingly!

As I'm now dedicated to increasing my LinkedIn profile, feel free to connect with me and help me build my network!

The Flip Side: A Virtual Assistant's Advice - WomenEntrepreneur.com

The Flip Side: A Virtual Assistant's Advice - WomenEntrepreneur.com

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Social Media Series - Facebook

Facebook.

200 Million people can't be wrong.

Two. Hundred. Million.

200 million people that you have immediate access to. To share your business with.

Simply by building a page.

And it really is simple.

They used to be pretty much a static brochure but recent changes have helped Pages to be more interactive; to engage the user. To get people engaging each other on your page.

It's fantastic. I have alot of work to do on my own page, and alot more work to do to get fans and to get them interacting... but that's the fun part!

If you have a personal profile already, Facebook Pages has been redesigned to be more like that profile. With the Wall, Info, Photos, etc, all tabbed separately. Users can therefore find information quicker with easier access. You can also choose which tab you would like to be the landing page! You can upload video, photos, notes (my blog is automatically fed to my Facebook Page, which is a bonus! Saves me time, and gets to my fans pretty much yesterday!).

The options are endless and I'm STILL finding new ways to use the page, to update it, to make it more engaging to fans... the list really does go on. The opportunities with Facebook Pages are pretty mind boggling.

I'm only just skimming the surface myself and I can't wait to totally jump in!

Read through the stats. Read a bit of the press. Discover what Facebook Pages can do for you. Discover how it can increase your reach. Stick a button on your website. Get fans. And get them talking. About you!

Give us a jingle, let us help you out with it all!

Social Media Series - Biznik

Biznik. The little (growing) social network that could.

I love Biznik. Love Love LOVE Biznik. It's easy to navigate. It's easy to communicate with other members. And they're welcoming. And helpful. And intelligent. You can learn alot from the good folks on this one.

Biznik is great for small businesses, especially one-man operations. There are quite a few business coaches and authors, but there are also many many other professionals showcasing their businesses/professions.

Other reasons why I like Biznik:

• Search: You can easily build your profile and search for others in the same category, OR search for members you'd like to become familiar with or do business with. The search option is very intuitive.
• Articles: You can write articles and post them almost immediately. I say almost because they must be approved first, but they are very quick to approve and post. Very quick. Members are quick to comment on your articles as well, which is great to build relationships, brands, and communication. And you might learn a thing or two as well!
• Networking: You can contact people in so many ways, it's fantastic. Simply send them a message that you'd like to add them to your network, send a referral, or attend a live and in person event in your local area (live and in person? Imagine!), etc, the list goes on. I find Biznik members totally open to meeting and communicating with each other.
• Promotions: there is a place on your profile where you can list any promotions you are having. They are also listed on Biznik's main page - if you are a paid member they show up first, if you have the free membership, they are further down on the page. But they're still there.

The founders of Biznik are social media junkies who really want to see you succeed. They're here to help you out any way they can (and they even talk to you!), and to see your business grow and to help you build your network. It's an intuitive system, very user friendly and the help forums ROCK. Any time I've had a question and posted it to a forum, it's been answered in a matter of an hour or so. You don't get that anywhere else that I'm aware of.

These are only a few of the reasons I love Biznik. The possibilities are endless on how to network on this site, I've only myself scratched the surface, but it is definitely one I'd recommend - and do on an almost daily basis.

Join Biznik, and join my network!

Hope to see you there!

Social Media Series - The Start

Hold on to your Social Marketing horses!

We're about to start a six-part series on social media and how to get involved. How to use it to build your client base. How to use it to network with like-minded individuals, or the not-so-like-minded individuals.

This series will be for you if:

• You want to start a Facebook business page but are overwhelmed (or just too busy)
• You're hearing the growing buzz about Twitter but don't really get how it can be used professionally
• You'd prefer to network with professionals in the same industry as you but don't quite now how to find where they gather online
• You want to add Social Media Marketing/Management to your own list of services
• You want to add to your client base
• You simply want a quick and easy tutorial into the world of social media.

Over the next three weeks, we will be covering social sites such as Biznik, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ryze, Twitter and the concept of forums and list serves. So add us to your feed/reader below and get ready to get your feet wet in the world of social networking!

How to use a VA. Pt. 2

Last week we talked about five ways to use a Virtual Assistant for administrative and secretarial assignments. Today in Part 2, we'll address five more tasks and projects you can easily outsource to a virtual assistant. Feel free to contact us for details on how we can help, or leave a comment with further suggestions!

Let's get right to it:

1. Blog updates. Are you currently on tour? Have speaking engagements criss-crossing the country? Want to write some "words from the road" to keep your fans updated? Have funny backstage stories to share? Or do you simply want to keep an on-line diary of your travels to keep your family and friends in the loop? Blogging may be your answer! We will happily update your blog on a daily/weekly basis, or as often as you'd like with pictures and stories and even the latest press coverage, whatever is happening that you'd like to communicate. Don't have a blog? Let us set it up for you!


2. Holiday & Thank you cards. Have a few hundred (or thousand) cards to send that you would like to personalize? Or just a few thank you cards? Let us do the work! We have delightful penmanship. We can even send the cards from our office. And we can set up reminders for upcoming celebrations in your life so you'll be prepared for the next round. It's time for you to relax and enjoy the holidays, let us do the work on your behalf!


3. Internet-based research. Have an upcoming role you need researched? Are you a costume-designer and need some in-depth design mysteries solved? Looking for that perfect prop? Do you have an idea for a new business or a side business but no time to investigate and research? Relax! Let us do it for you. We can provide comprehensive internet-based research and reports directly to your inbox.


4. Vacation coverage and workload overflow. Do you have an existing team to help you manage your time? Already work with a personal assistant you just couldn't live without? We often work directly with your existing staff to aid in vacation coverage, research, special projects, and workload overflow just to name a few. We step in when the going gets tough. And the tough gets going. On vacation.


5. Website maintenance. Ok, so your website is up and running. And there it is. Just sitting there. You have absolutely no time at all to update it, to keep it fresh. You're simply too busy. That's what we're for! Let us do that work, let us worry about keeping it fresh and interesting, while you can get back to doing what you do best! We can simply update with newsflashes, update the blog, post the latest press releases and tour dates, the list goes on. Don't neglect your site - let us stay on it!

There it is, neatly wrapped up for you. Five more tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant - to us!

Have an idea of something else you'd like to get off your plate? Give us a jingle and let's see how we can work together to help ease your mind...and schedule!

How to use your VA. Pt. 1

Have too much to do and not enough time to do it? Don't know what exactly you can clear off your plate, but know that something, anything, must be done to give you more time?

Well, here's a couple of quick tips on what you can delegate to us to help ease some of the workload:

1. Email screening. Do you have hundreds - or thousands - of emails sitting in your inbox? Let us clean it up for you! There are various programs available where we can work remotely and directly with your system to get rid of spam, unsubscribe you to lists you ended up on (or subscribe you to what interests you!), and create a filing system that automatically puts email in the folders they belong. We can also continue to manage your inbox after it's tidied up.


2. Mail screening. Believe it or not, people still get snail mail. And some people we work with get thousands of pieces weekly. Let us screen your mail. We can simply have it redirected to our offices and look after it all for you. Everything from autograph requests and endorsement inquiries to managing and screening fan mail, to simply weeding out the junk...we look after it all.


3. Calendar and schedule maintenance. Are you one of those people who finds themselves missing important meetings or trying to juggle your personal appearance schedule when you really have more important things to do? That's where we jump in! Let us look after the details - we'll even set up systems to remind you of what's coming up. We can work directly with you or with your personal assistant/management team to get you to where you're supposed to be. And on time!


4. Online reputation management. We are your eyes and ears on the Net. We'll watch for news about you and your business and strategize on response messaging.


5. Social Media Management. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, the list goes on. Do you have a piece of real estate where your audience is? Where your fans are? Where your target market hangs out online? We'll make sure you do. We'll set up profiles in the top networking sites and can even manage on your behalf.

See? Not so hard to delegate after all. Anything else you may be wanting to let go of? Give us a jingle to discuss!

Stay tuned for part two where we discuss 5 more tasks you can easily delegate to your virtual assistant.

Finding your Niche

Having trouble finding your niche? You know who you want to target, just don't know quite how to get to them?

It's simple: go where they go.

Systematize your business

I recently read a great post over at Small Business Trends about startup lessons which really brought home the importance of something I've been working on lately.

Systematizing your business. And the importance of doing it sooner rather than later.

I'm in the process of writing my procedural manual for the business. Somewhat of a step-by-step quide on how we here at Scratchpad Secretaries do business. Our ethics. Our business practices. Our systems. How we serve our customer from beginning to end. The branding of business letters, thank you letters, surveys, how to turn a pdf into a jpeg (!)... the list goes on.

One thing I'd highly recommend is doing it as you go along. Whenever you perform a task, take a few extra seconds to make a list on the steps involved in execution. Me? I didn't do that. "I know it", I thought, "It's not rocket science."

No it's not, but if you have a new employee or sub-contractor on board, who's to say they don't do it they're own way? A different way? And just becuase something is different doesn't make it wrong, but you've got to look at the branding of it as well. Not just colours and logos, but the flow, the languaging, that sort of thing.

I started with my website, in particular the services page. I've written down the steps to each service we offer as a virtual assistant practice. And the follow up; what it takes to get the project back to the client and how we do this. Leave no stone unturned! Write it all down. Create a manual.

It will ease your mind if/when your business skyrockets overnight, or if you hit a really busy period and find yourself needing to hire some extra bodies. Just think, you have everything outlined for a smooth/smoother transition.

It will also give you a better peace of mind knowing that your values and your ethics in your business are being respected and followed and the branding will be consistent - as will your reputation!

Here's to systemization!

Quick Tip Tuesdays

Here’s a great tip to change a pdf to a jpeg. This is especially great if you’re not a Photoshop whiz or design guru!

• Open PDF


• Open Paint


• Go back to PDF


• Press “print screen” on your keyboard


• Go to paint, Click Edit/Paste


• Save As what you want, where you want. As a jpeg or bmp or whathaveyou.


• Close down PDF and Paint


• Open the photo in whatever editor you have.


• Modify as required (crop, etc)


• File/Save As

And you’re done!

The Virtual Assistant I use for graphic design did not have the time to do this task for me, so I took a few hours and researched on the net and found out for myself. Now? I can add it to my list of services which means helping you with this sort of a task, or at least sharing the information in the form of a tip!

Subscribe to our feed at right for quick tips every Tuesday!

Scratchpad Secretaries. We're easy.

When I was starting this virtual assistant business I contacted various organizations and (I thought highly respected) individuals within the industry with a few questions. After all, I thought they were the experts.

Ok, if truth be told, I didn't actually contact them, I tried to contact them. I left emails, voice mails, Skyped them, but to no avail (granted I'm sometimes guilty of forgetting to change my Skype status to "away" if I'm not at my desk as well). Out of 10 contacted, only 1 got back to me.
ONE.

They're not easy.

A great quote I found the other day, "The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." (John Maynard Keynes) Yes, moving from corporate to small business owner takes a bit of a rewire of the brain, but one thing I'll always keep with me, one thing I've learned is the value of being accessible. Have various ways to be reached. Return phone calls! Return emails! And so I do this with gusto. Within 24 hours I'll get back to you if I'm not able to be reached on first try.

In this day and age, you've got to be easy.

Scratchpad Secretaries. We're easy.

Mind Your Manners

Two words: Thank You.

They go so far and yet are so underused. Do you thank people for taking the time to chat with you? For acknowledging that you may be someone they would like to do business with? Heck, maybe they simply find you interesting and would like to get to know you better. If people are taking time out of their busy day to connect with you, that deserves recognition in itself.

Case in point? Twitter. I follow people because I find them interesting. They may say something absolutely hilarious and I'll dig their humour. They have opinions. Someone recommended them. I have something to learn from them. Or I know them. Either way, I'm following 118 people right now, and only FIVE said "Hey there, thanks for following me".

Only five.

If somebody is taking the time out of their day to acknowledge me, in any way, I'll definitely take time out of my day to say, "Hey, thanks." At a traditional networking event, you DO say, "It was nice to meet you", don't you? Or do you just pass your card and off you go? (I've seen it happen - people have done it to me).

I still see it all the time in online networking circumstances as well. I've recently joined a social networking site based in the UK who "practice" getting to know the members on a more personal level before pitching them your business. I have received message after message as soon as I signed up, with people pitching me. I mean right away. Not one "welcome to the neighbourhood" message, just pitches. And pitches that have absolutely nothing to do with my business.

And when someone comments on your blog? Send a thank you note. When someone follows you on twitter? Send a thank you note. When someone welcomes you to a forum or social networking site? Send a thank you post. Other than being polite, it's a great business move. I've got two clients just by sending a polite Thank You when they followed me on Twitter. It simply started a conversation.

There's absolutely no downside.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read our blog!

The Day Outlook Saved my Sanity.

So Google saved my life, and now Outlook saved my sanity.

I'm getting spammed big time by a few websites. As a virtual assistant, I'm all for learning. Learning new skills, new secrets, new tools, so I signed up on a few different websites to receive a free ebook and a free newsletter, and two of them are sending me, seriously, 3 emails a day. It's annoying. It's spam. I clicked the unsubscribe button but it just took me to a blank page. I had to email them directly to get taken off their lists, but I'm still getting emails. ARGH. Perhaps they just didn't get the emails yet, that could be it.

Either way, I found a delightful tool in Outlook Express.

Go to Tools, Message Rules and the click on Blocked Senders List. Just type in their email address and voila! Their emails go directly to the Deleted file.

Got any tips and tricks for Outlook Express? Feel free to leave a comment!

Pink is the new Green.

It's easier to go green than you think. We're making small strides here at Scratchpad Secretaries, but they're strides nonetheless.

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's the smell of harsh chemicals. Wiping counter tops with Lysol all-in-one and then putting FOOD on there? I don't think so! There are many recipes on the net for homemade cleaning products, but I've been using a product for years that's just amazing.

Pink Solution.

It's a fantastic product. I use it to clean my bathroom, to wash my car, to clean the fridge, getting mildew off of the patio and steps, to get nasty stains from grubby hands off of door frames (that nothing else got clean, I might add), and anything else that pops up. It's totally non-toxic and biodegradable.

And I love it. I love the fact that it has no harsh chemicals, that it's biodegradable, that it doesn't hurt your skin (no gloves needed!), and that it's safe around pets (hopefully your child doesn't lick the baseboards when you're cleaning... but my dog used to!).

What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint and lower your environmental impact? Ever think of hiring a virtual assistant? This alone will get you started on the right track. Call us for your free 30-minute consultation!

Scratchpad Secretaries is striving to become a green office. We will continue to post about the latest green products we've found, tips for saving energy and hints for lowering your environmental impact. If you have any tips or tricks, feel free to leave a comment!