Scratchpad Secretaries

Press clip from the Ellen DeGeneres Show!

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:33:00 +0000

This is the unedited copy of the Ellen DeGeneres clip sent by our PR firm. Check around the 4:19 mark for the gift bag giveaway; we were chosen to be included in the baskets that went to such A-list celebrities as Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Josh Duhamel, George Lopez, Greg Kinnear and Luke Wilson! They all received virtual assistant services courtesy of Scratchpad Secretaries.

Enjoy!

How to Pitch. Part Three.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:48:00 +0000

In the first two posts about pitching, I talked about pitching on topic, keeping it simple, playing nice and talking the talk. Below is the final post of the three-part series - pitching your concept, your idea, your product.

1. Keep On Keepin' On! In other words? Don't give up. Ever. This is your business, your baby, you've got to shop it! Work it! Own it! Remember, it's rumoured that JK Rowlings pitched Harry Potter over 100 times before it was finally signed. Consider your product your own personal masterpiece and keep on pitching! Keep On Keepin' On.

2. Network, Network and more... Social Network. Do you follow the key players on Twitter? Do you get urgent queries fast, like, yesterday? Here's someone to follow on Twitter: @skydiver. He's the man in the know. He posts queries three times a day from his HARO list as well as tweeting urgent queries. Get to know him, get to see what he's about. He's got a fantastic system going. (But pitch on topic or he'll throw you off the list! He's quick like that - and serious. It's a good thing.) There's more places to network with reporters and PR folk than Twitter, but if you want news and opportunities in real time, it's a great place to start.

3. Make it personal. How are you different - what can you do differently to grab their attention. To get their interest? I had an opportunity to pitch Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, at an event earlier this year. What got her interested was the fact that I'm a female with a new start up, heading down the entrepreneurial road. Make sure you know who you're dealing with, what their interests are, and off you go!

This could be a much longer list and an ever growing and ever-changing list. It's just a few ways to approach reporters and potential customers. Talk with other successful entrepreneurs. Network with them, network with PR people. Find out what has worked for others. Do your homework.

And feel free to follow me on Twitter at @scratchpad.

How to Pitch. Part Two.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:23:00 +0000

In part one of our three-part Pitch series, we outlined three ways to begin to perfect your pitch. Today, we'll outline three more. Baby steps to help you on your way to the perfect pitch!

1. Jump in, the water's fine! In other words, don't be afraid to pitch. You've got nothing to lose. This is your business, your marketing initiative, your concept, whathaveyou. So pitch away! Pitch with confidence, pitch often and pitch well.

2. Don't assume anything. You might think it's pretty obvious that everyone under the sun has an email signature that includes their contact information. Because it is pretty obvious. And everyone does have an email signature that includes their contact information. But email programs are laid out differently (ie: Gmail piles them up at the bottom of all emails - very annoying when you've got a long string of messages going), and people are laid out differently. People simply may not scroll down to find your contact info, especially if it's lost in a long string of messages! Have it clearly in the body of the message somewhere. Clearly. Link to your website, link to your email, have your name standing out. Don't forget this. Introduce yourself properly.

3. Play nice. Get a rapport going with the firm/reporter/whomever you're pitching to. I'm not talking about buttering them up - they'll see right through that - but be nice. Be professional. If you see something that will fit with what they're looking for... send it along! They'll remember you. Don't inundate, but you can send along a lead or two.

Coming up in part three: Keep On Keepin' On!

Any ideas or suggestions that have worked for you? Leave a comment, we'd love to hear from you!

How to Pitch. Part One.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:59:00 +0000

Ever wonder just how to pitch your concept, idea, product or service? You see people pretty much calling out to you directly to sell them, but you really have no idea how? Or you pitch like mad, but you get nowhere?

This begins a series on pitching. A "3.3" series. Three points, three posts.

1. Pitch on topic. Don't waste people's time. They're busy enough, they don't need additional emails and various other correspondence that are off base and off topic. And they'll black list you. And they'll tell their friends. Trust me.

2. K.I.S.S. Yes, it should go without saying, except it never does. Keep It Simple Stupid. End of story. Don't drone on and on. Save that for later! Write a nice and precise paragraph on why your concept/idea/product is bang on with what they're looking for. Or with what they don't know they're looking for yet! A few sentences on what your brainwave is. A few sentences on why they need it, or better yet, why they will WANT it and why they must HAVE it.

3. Talk the Talk. Speak their language. Don't go overboard with industry acronyms and jargon, that's just plain ridiculous. But do get to know them before pitching. Know their market. Know what they're after, or, what they don't know they're after yet. I was pitching a hot PR firm out of LA not long ago. I used totally different languaging than when I pitch corporations. More relaxed. More funky. More targeted. And it worked. It was a smashing success.

Coming up next in the series: Jump in, the water's fine!

Check back regularly for updates and new pointers. Feel free to leave comments with ideas and suggestions. What's worked for you? What hasn't worked for you? Fill me in!

Ninjas. They're everywhere.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Gmail has introduced themes!

What fun. A passive way to insert a bit of joy into your inbox. There are about 30 different themes you can choose from. From geometric designs, right up to Candy and, well, my personal fave, Ninjas.

The gang at Google never disappoints.

Switch it up! Enjoy!

How to use a VA. Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:20:00 +0000

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:

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:09:00 +0000

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:

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Going with the Flow

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:03:00 +0000

You know, I wanted so desperately to have my policies and procedures manual completed before heading to Vegas for the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children event, if for no other reason, than just to have it done. Not for the event, but just for me. It was a deadline I set. A goal.

But it’s not done.

It’s getting there. I have alot of information jotted down (and in a way that actually makes sense to more people than me!), but it’s not done. And I was mad at myself. I meet my goals. I exceed my goals.

And yet not this one.

Why?

Because it’s a working document. An organic process. Forever a work-in-progress. New ideas will pop up. Things that I might have forgotten about will suddenly appear. I’ll come up with new strategies to streamline certain processes. It’s ever-changing and ever-developing and moving forward. As small businesses should be.

So I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I actually have met my goal and can simply save it as “version 4” and continue growing and developing and moving forward!

So I can stop sweating the small stuff, know that I am, in fact, moving forward and add to it as needed. It's a great thing!

Scratchpad Secretaries has been selected to be in the celebrity gift bags for the 13th Annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children to be held at The Wynn Las Vegas, October 11, 2008. As such, we will be hosting in the Backstage Gift Lounge. If you are attending this prestigious event, pop by and say hello!

Stay tuned for press updates, pictures and video from the event in the coming weeks.

Finding your Niche

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:08:00 +0000

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.

SEO in 3 Minutes or Less.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:30:00 +0000

It seems I've been waiting for this man my whole life. (ok, ok, a few months anyway!) Steffan Antonas. He's explained SEO for the ordinary person. He's explained keywords for the ordinary person. All pertaining to links. The links you use in your blog. HOW you use links. HOW you write links. And just how to use keywords in those links. And a bit about the importance of linkbacks. (Anyone care to link to me? Let's chat!)

It's helped me to turn my thinking around (and I love when I find information, or a quote, or a blog post that does that! That totally re-arranges the pathways in my brain and gets me thinking bigger, larger, grander....), and all it took was a three-minute read. The best thing? I had no idea at all how important it was to have links in your posts. Keywords, yes. Links? No. Now that I do, it will totally change the way I write posts, do business, and increase my knowledge base for my customers therefore helping them to gain an advantage as well.

Fantastic.

To read Steffan Antonas' article, pop by his SEO post and have a look!

Systematize your business

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:27:00 +0000

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!

Five quick tips to turning Some-Day into To-Day.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:46:00 +0000

Have a “Wow, that would be great someday” idea? Here are five quick pointers to turning that ever so elusive Some-day, into To-day.

1. Jot it down. Start writing. The moment you have that initial brainwave, that wonderful idea, even if it's just an inkling of what's to come, write it down! It doesn't matter if it's on your computer, a notepad, scrap of paper, or a napkin from a restaurant; just get that idea on paper somewhere, somehow, right now.

2. Research. You don't have to spend hours and hours in front of the computer, not right away, especially if you only have 15 or 20 minutes spare time at the moment, but do start researching. Even just preliminary footwork can get the excitement factor rising, and can ignite that passion you originally felt when the idea hit. And that passion is what you'll need to make this idea fly!

3. Put your plan on paper. I know, I know, this seems scary and larger than life. But it doesn't have to be. Who says your business plan has to be like everyone else's? It is what it is, to you. A bit of a critical path perhaps, a bit of a marketing plan, if you're a numbers person throw some quick projections in. Once you start writing, the ideas, information, and passion will flow. Starting to write it down is the important point.

4. Get buy in from friends and family. This is so important, especially if it's a business idea. Not only for the financial backing aspect, but from a supportive and loving aspect too. Simply put, it's easier (and much nicer) to have the support of friends and family as you build your dream, than to not have that love and support. But if you don't have it? Do it anyway!

5. Just do it. No matter what. Just do it. Start implementing. Look at your business plan/marketing plan/critical path, and dig in! Get the flow going, get that energy focused and get it rollin'!

This post has been extended to a feature-length article. To read the full text, feel free to connect with me on Biznik: http://tinyurl.com/579xqz.

Quick Tip Tuesdays

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:50:00 +0000

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!

Go Syndicate Yourself!

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:29:00 +0000

Not getting the attention you deserve? Need to get a new product in front of a crowd? Have something to say but don't know how to tell the world?

Want to increase your website traffic and back links?

Three little letters, with a huge impact: RSS. Really Simple Syndication. RSS Feeds take the content of your website, turn it into data and transmit it all over the Internet. FOR FREE. This data goes directly to various social bookmarking sites in the form of keywords (or Tags). (Thanks to Steve Renner for the clearest definition I've found to date.) People subscribe to your feed by clicking an icon on your site and they are notified each time you have something new to say. Personally I love Google Reader and have all my subscriptions going there. It's easy to set up and super-easy to manage; it has a straight-forward interface, which is fantastic if you struggle with time-management: it takes you no time to learn this particular application. Ok, there's my Google love for the day....

The 2nd quick and easy way to syndicate yourself is by submitting articles. The longest part of this aspect is actually writing the article! I'm using http://www.ezinearticles.com/ (according to their site, the have hundreds of thousands of visitors a day, and millions of unique visitors every month), and am about to try out two others that Twitter followers have recommended.

Here's the power of article marketing: I've only submitted one article to date (to three different sites), but have seen a spike in website traffic and have received (more than expected) comments, emails, requests to network, and have two more potential clients. All in 2 days. All from one article. And all viable leads. Can you imagine when I submit more, and to more sites?

Sounds simple? It is! It's easy. It's smart. It's Web 2.0. It's global access, literally at your fingertips.

Give us a call today for your free 30-minute consultation!

Let's get you syndicated!

Work/Life Balance. The Myth.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Work/Life balance simply doesn't exist if you own your own business.

Especially if you work out of your home.

Especially if your office is in the middle of your living space!

You’re a business owner because it’s in your blood. You probably started along this entrepreneurial path because of lifestyle, it’s simply part of the lifestyle you wanted, that you envisioined for yourself or that you’re accustomed to. That entrepreneurial spirit is such an integral part of you that you can't imagine ever doing anyting else.

As John Jantsch wrote over at Duct Tape Marketing: “You already know that line that separates your business and your life is so thin that without a vision for how one will serve the other, perhaps neither will serve either.”

I LOVE that concept because it rings so true for me. My business goals are so intricately entangled in my personal goals. And I love it that way. I chose to start my own business in order to enhance my own life and I write my goals reflect that.

And that’s ok, that’s not a bad thing. That’s the entrepreneurial spirit! So don’t fight it! Put your business goals and your personal goals together. They’re actually quite connected.

It's a good thing - don't be afraid to embrace the concept!

Scratchpad Secretaries. We're easy.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:42:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:56:00 +0000

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!

11 reasons to LOVE Canada Day!

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:40:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what having a virtual assistant was like?

Now's your chance to find out!

In honour of Canada Day, Scratchpad Secretaries is having a special promotion. Until July 15 we are offering five (5) FREE Two-Hour Testers of our services! That's right, I said FREE! Bundled with a free 30-minute consultation, this promotion is valued at over 100.00. And you're getting it for FREE!

Here is just a snapshot of some things we can help you with:

Blog creation & submission to social bookmarking sites
Brochure creation
Excel spreadsheets
Ghostwriting (blogs, articles)
Internet-based research
PowerPoint presentations
Proofreading and editing
Website updating and maintenance
Writing bios
Writing business letters
And more!

Feel free to check out our Services for a comprehensive list, and please, feel free to ask if there is something you need help with but don't see it on our list. There's a good chance we can do it!

Just think... not only are you saving two hours of your time AND money by taking advantage of this limited-time offer, but you could be making money with these two hours as well. Imagine what you can do with two free hours in your day!

Remember, we're only giving away five - one per customer - and only until July 15. So call us or email us today.

We look forward to helping you get your valuable time back!

The Day Outlook Saved my Sanity.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:16:00 +0000

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.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:13:00 +0000

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!

The day Google saved my life.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:50:00 +0000

I love Google. I mean I love Google. Did I tell you I love Google?

What's kind of funny though, is up until the end of 2007 whenever I heard various business owners and executives quote Google as their essential website, I never really got it.

Until I totally got it.

I've wasted so much time flipping from one Google application to another. From Google search, to Gmail, to Google Calendar, to Google Reader.. the list goes on. And having so many screens open! It was confusing and incredibly time consuming. And as a virtual assistant, I don't have the time! I'm busy helping you get your time back!

And then I discovered iGoogle. You can completely customize the page to suit your needs and wants. It's fantastic! I have everything I need in one place (now, if they only had a Google Submit to get my articles and blog posts directly to syndication with the simplest click of the mouse. Speaking of which, perhaps I should check out Google Labs to see if they have that up their sleeve.)

So, back to iGoogle. I have Google Reader up front and centre. This saves me probably 30 to 40 minutes a day right there. I no longer have to search my favourites for, well, my favourites. Techcrunch, Duct Tape Marketing, Seth's Blog, Entrepreneur.com, etc etc; I've set up Google reader to automatically show these sites when they're updated. I can quickly zip through for headlines that interest me. My finger is, literally, on the pulse.

Gmail: I've added Gmail to my iGoogle homepage. It saves me from trying to remember to check twice a day. It automatically shows me when I have new mail; I have it right in front of me. Same goes for Google Calendar. I simply click the link and it pops open for me. No more having to log in, open more windows, etc. It's right there.

I have some fun stuff to: local weather, local news, Facebook. There are so many widgets you can add to your iGoogle homepage, I'm still discovering them. It does take a while to set up, to get everything you want on your homepage, but boy, it's worth it! You get that time back in the first day.

How are you managing your time? Or is your time managing you?

This is just one small service that Scratchpad Secretaries can provide to help you get your valuable time back. Check out our list of services for further ways to help you ease your workload overwhelm!

Success. Are you Ready?

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:29:00 +0000

What if, just what if, you wake up one morning to find yourself inundated with inquiries for your product. What if your inbox was full with requests for your services. What if you landed a huge client...the huge client? And your ideal client at that!

As a small business owner, are you ready? Sure, you've done well so far, business is trucking right along, you're making money, you're happy with the way things are going. And then out of the blue (or not!), you're business takes off overnight. Massively. You have more business than you could dream of. It's fantastic! It's what you had envisioned from the get go!

But are you set up for handling it? Do you have a plan for this scope of success? Are you ready to move on it now?

Can you imagine if you had to say, "Sorry, your order is just to big for my company." "Sorry, we can't handle the volume." Can you imagine?

So what's your plan for success?

This concept kept me awake all night.

I have a potential client who is interested in outsourcing various special projects and niche marketing initiatives to us. Also the majority of her administrative projects. The scope of this project is huge. I quite enjoy her, I like how she operates, I like how she does business, we have a great rapport, I can see us working very well together, it could be a wonderful partnership. I'm surprised an opportunity of this magnitude presented itself so early in the business. Pleasantly surprised, yet still surprised none the less (why do we always think we have to work ourselves almost to the bone, and slave away 25 hours a day for any sort of success? That sounds like another topic for another day!).

How am I going to handle this workload? What are my plans for this sort of success, that may very well happen ages before I had envisioned?

Well, one thing in my plan is to outsource! When I started this business, I started social networking right away and made some great connections, built some great relationships with other virtual assistants around the globe. This is the perfect opportunity for me to outsource some of my own administrative tasks that are taking up valuable time that would better be served building relationships with clients and potential clients. It will also free me up to take on more work.

Another plan is to have a multi virtual assistant (Multi-VA) business. Partner with another virtual assistant/assistants to be able to handle the workload not just of this potential client, but to continue to grow my business. To take on more clients. And again, I've made some fantastic contacts in the industry, some extremely talented virtual assistants are out there, and I'm looking forward to partnering with some of them as the need arises, to have a long-term working relationship.

Not just for my business to grow, but for their business to grow, and for your business to grow. It's all about how we can better serve our clients.

So what's your plan? Success may be closer than you think!

In Da Club

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:56:00 +0000

A few years ago I went to a 50 cent concert.

You know what he was wearing?

Sneakers, sweat pants and a sweatshirt, and he had his ball cap on sideways.

You know what I thought?

"I paid $80.00 to see him, at least he could have dressed better."

How do you look when people are paying their hard-earned money to see you? Oh, you don't do public appearances, speaking engagements, webinars? It doesn't matter. It's your website I'm talking about. People are taking time (and time = money) to check out your site. To see what you're up to. To see your products. TO BUY YOUR PRODUCTS. How does it look?

It is simply a static, informational page? Or does it engage the user? Does it pull them in and make them want to stay for a while? Do you switch it up once in a while? I'm not talking a complete overhaul here, just switching it up, moving things around. Do you update the content regularly? Not only does this keep your website fresh, it helps with search engine positioning.

You've got to create a web presence, not just a web site. Engage the user. They're taking time to show up, so you should too.

Scratchpad Secretaries offers blog writing and website maintenance and updating as part of their offering of services. Contact us today for your free 30-minute consultation!

Psst... Have you heard...

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:56:00 +0000

...about this thing called the internet? It's not going away. It's always there. It doesn't sleep.

And it never forgets. (Marty Fahncke has a great example.)

What's your brand reputation? Do you know? Do you google yourself to see what the masses are saying? Do you know that doing just that, googling yourself, is part of marketing? (Here's something to get you started: sign up for Google Alerts. Put your business name in as the criteria and see what ends up in your inbox each day.)

You can spend big bucks on big agencies to advertisie your product. You can spend massive dollars on focus groups, pilot projects and traditional marketing campaigns. You can spend years trying to tell the world how your product is different than your competition's. The thing is, you're no longer in control. This isn't traditional media. It's the "new" internet. It's Web 2.0. It's social. It's collaborative. Consumers aren't just sitting back believing what the masses are telling them. They are the masses. They're connecting with others, networking online, creating and sharing information - on Facebook, on Digg, Twitter, forums and message boards...the list goes on.

It's a shift from advertising to PR. It's consumer-driven. It's fascinating. It's exciting.

We find it thrilling!

Shake it up. Do things differently. See where it takes you!

Let us help you, this is what we love, this is where we shine!

Don't just think out of the box. Step out of the box.

If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lee) — Mon, 26 May 2008 19:58:00 +0000

I'm all for bargains. Completely. Love 'em.

The best possible price for the best possible outcome.

But when that doesn't happen, when I don't get the outcome I had desired, I get frustrated knowing full well that I should have just went about it the right way the first time. Did some further research to save me the time and the money. Shopped around a bit more. Got on the Internet, found out what people were saying about this particular product. But I didn't. You know why?

Because it was $13.97 dishwasher detergent.

Last night I was unloading the dishwasher and to my dismay I found that about 1/4 of the dishes were not completely clean. So I ran it again, using the same detergent. This morning what did I find? Same thing. (Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice....) So I have about 100 pellets of high-phosphate detergent sitting under my sink and I don't know what to do with them. That's 100 pellets that I am probably going to get rid of. That's like opening my wallet and shredding money. Sure, it's only $13.97, but it's the POINT of it all. It's aggravating.

Here I am, focussed on going green and yet I bought this harsh detergent that was extremely disappointing and did not have the desired outcome, just to save a few bucks.

I've recently discovered that a very trusted brand has developed a line of green, and economic!, products and dishwasher detergent is one of them. I'm wanting to run out and purchase right now, but I'm going to do my due dilligence first. Research, and research some more. Find out what people are saying. Perhaps see if I can purchase a smaller quantity to test it out.

All of this made me think of you, of other business owners, of my clients and potential clients. Are you doing your due dilligence? Where are you spending your money? Are you getting the desired outcome? Why not?

Drop us a line or give us a jingle. Let's work together to see what's happening with your business; what's working and perhaps even what needs working on. Let's look and your processes and what can be expanded or streamlined. Let's brainstorm to get you headed back in the direction you originally set out on.

Let us Mind your business so you can Grow your business.

Want a test-drive? We have a 2-hour tester available to purchase at a discounted price. Visit our pricing and policies page for more information.