12 Days of Virtual Assisting – Happy Holidays!

5 Outlook Email Tips

Outlook is a widely used Microsoft Office program, however many people could still use some tips and tricks. Here are a few of my commonly used tactics for using Outlook more efficiently and effectively for email;

1. Flags – Flag important emails to come back and read them later.

How to – Click on the ‘flag’ symbol all the way to the right of the email

2. Sorting – Sort emails by sender or subject to quickly find a lost message.

How to – Click the header that you would like to sort by.

3. Folders – Use folders to organize emails of similar topics. This helps keep important information together.

How to – Right-click over the ‘Inbox’ icon to the left, Click New Folder

4. Drafts – Create and save drafts of commonly sent emails to easily use and resend regularly.

How to – After creating and formatting your email, click the Save button. Now a copy of this message is in the ‘Drafts’ folder. To reuse the content, copy and paste it to a new email.

5. Signature – Create a professional signature to include at the bottom of all emails

How to – From your Inbox, Go to Tools, Click Options, Click the Mail Format Tab, Click the Signatures button at the bottom. Then, click new to create a new signature file.

For more help with using Outlook or general email, please contact Office Solutions ME!

Tips on Small Business Banking in Maine

This is the time of year that many small businesses are realizing that they need to reorganize their finances. Specifically if they have not already separated their business funds from their personal funds!

With my banking background, I often feel the need to educate on such topics as accounts and services… this post covers No Fee Small Business Checking accounts.

Every business, no matter the size, should have a specially designated checking account to segregate funds and pay expenses. However, the needs of a business can vary greatly based on the size of the company and the volume of transactions.

For many businesses in Maine, a Small Business checking account at a local bank or credit union will satisfy all of their needs with NO FEES.

In order to find an account that will satisfy your needs, you need to start by asking some basic questions.

Here are some basic questions to ask when shopping for a Small Business Checking account;

1. Is there a monthly service fee for having this account?
2. Is there an average balance requirement for this account?
3. Are there any per transaction or item fees?
4. Is there a charge for a Debit card?
5. Is there a charge for Online Banking?
6. Is there a charge for Online Bill Payer?
7. Is there a limit to the number of checks that can be written?
8. How much do checks cost?
9. Does the account earn any interest?
10. What is the minimum balance allowed on this account?

In Maine, you should have no problem finding a Small Business Checking account that offers the following;

1. No monthly service charge
2. No monthly balance requirement
3. 75 – 500 free transactions or items per month, then each transaction or item could cost anywhere from $0.10 – $0.50
4. No charge for a Debit Card
5. No charge for Online Banking
6. There may be a small charge for Online Bill Payer with a business account
7. No limit on Check writing
8. Checks could cost anywhere from $15 – $150 depending on what you order, however some banks will give you the first order free
9. Most free accounts do not earn interest
10. The minimum balance could be anywhere from $1 – $500

Now there is no excuse to comingle your business and personal funds. Contact your local bank or credit union and investigate your options!

With over 10 years of community banking experience in Maine, I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have about business banking, accounts, and services. Feel free to contact me!

How can a Virtual Assistant help thee? Let me count the ways…

Want to know how a Virtual Assistant could help your business? Here are a few ideas to consider;

1. Software & Program Set-up – A virtual assistant can set up your social media profiles (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc…), newsletter templates, contact management imports, Blog widgets and applications, and more.
2. Small Event Planning and Execution – A virtual assistant can advertise your event, book an appropriate location, collect RSVPS, send out event reminders, help prepare and format your presentation, compile survey results, follow-up with attendees, and in some cases even show up with the refreshments.
3. Print Mail Campaigns – A virtual assistant can create and format your mailing list, create a mail merge file, prepare (stamp, stuff, and seal) the envelopes, and send your mailing for you.
4. Data Input – A virtual assistant can input contact information, type meeting minutes,
5. Research – A virtual assistant can perform internet research for you, such as; a competitor analysis, mailing list creation, market research, report research, and more.
6. Word Processing – A virtual assistant can assist with editing and creating documents
7. PowerPoint Presentations – A virtual assistant can format PowerPoint presentations for a branded professional look, ensuring appropriate font and transitions for viewers.
8. Webinars – A virtual assistant can help with the set up and facilitation of webinars, including event promotions and reminders, performing the speaker introduction, assisting in facilitating a question and answer portion, dictating the Q&A, acting as a narrator during the presentation, and following up with attendees.
9. Spreadsheets – a virtual assistant can create and format spreadsheets for sales tracking, inventory control, schedules, budgets, cost estimates, and much more!
10. Customer and Prospect Communication – a virtual assistant can assist with reaching out to prospects, sending birthday wishes, sending holiday greetings, sending and receiving surveys, routine customer follow-up, preparing and sending collections notices, and more.

While we couldn’t possibly list all the services that a virtual assistant could provide, however these should get you thinking… about how a virtual assistant could make your life easier!

For more information on virtual assisting and for a free consultation to see how a virtual assistant can help you and your business, contact Office Solutions ^ME Today!

Navigating Excel

The cells found in Excel, or any spreadsheet program, are very similar to a table in Word. You can add text or formulas to these cells, and you can manipulate their appearance as needed.

In order to effectively use a spreadsheet, you must be able to access the information and navigate through the cells.

Here are a few basics of spreadsheet cell and page navigation;

Basic Cell Navigation

Action	Key Stroke option 1	or	Key Stroke option 2
Right One Cell	Tab	or	Right Arrow
Left One Cell	Shift + Tab	or	Left Arrow
Down One Cell	Enter	or	Down Arrow
Up One Cell	Shift + Enter	or	Up Arrow

 Basic Page Navigation

Action	Key Stroke
Beginning of the Worksheet	Ctrl + Home (I use this a lot)
End of the Worksheet	Ctrl + End (I use this a lot)
Beginning of the Row	Home or Ctrl + Left Arrow
End of the Row	Ctrl + Right Arrow
Beginning of the Column	Ctrl + Up Arrow
End of the Column	Ctrl + Down Arrow

In addition to using key strokes to navigate through Excel, you can also use your mouse to move to or select individual cells and groups of cells.

Single clicking on a cell, selects the cell, creating a thick black boarder around the cell it’s self.

Double clicking a cell, causes the cell to go into ‘Edit Mode’, inserting an I beam in the cell and allowing for typing directly in the cell.

Another way to navigate to a cell is by using the ‘Name Box’. This is located directly above the Column ‘A’ Heading, and it tells you the name of the cell that you currently have selected.

Selecting multiple cells

Action	Mouse	Mouse & Key Stroke	Name Box
Adjacent Cells	Click in the 1st Cell and Drag to the last Cell	Select 1st Cell, Hold CTRL Key, Select last Cell	Type Range in the Name Box separated by a Semi colon
Non Adjacent Cells	N/A	Select 1st Cell, Hold SHIFT Key, Select next Cell	Type Range, or specific cell, in the name box separated by a Comma
Entire Row	Click on the Row Heading (i.e. 1, 2, 3, etc…)	Click in the cell at the beginning of the Row Hold CTRL + SHIFT + Right Arrow	N/A
Entire Column	Click on the Column Heading (i.e. A, B, C, etc…)	Click in the cell at the beginning of the Column Hold CTRL + SHIFT + Down Arrow	N/A

Also keep in mind that each Workbook can have multiple Worksheets. These sheets are shown as ‘Tabs’ at the bottom of your Worksheet. These ‘Tabs’ are only visible if your Workbook is maximized (small Center button in the top right of your screen, to the left of the close button).

Hopefully this information was beneficial to you. If you need more guidance with Excel Spreadsheets, please contact Office Solutions ^ME!

5 Qualities to look for in a Virtual Assistant

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an offsite administrative and business professional that can be contracted to assist you and your business needs. Some of the qualities that a business owner or manager should look for in a VA include;

1. References – like any competent professional, a VA should come with quality references that can speak of the type of work they have completed and how satisfied the client was
2. Examples of Work – while some work may be confidential, any competent VA should have examples of projects the they have completed or assisted with
3. Education – if a VA does not have an official degree, the VA industry has many options available for certifications
4. Contract – a relationship with a VA is a professional contract and should be treated as such. A VA should draft a contract that outlines the scope of work and payment that are to be expected by both parties
5. Follow-up – as in any business contract, a VA should have good communication skills and keep their clients informed of progress

The concept of Virtual Assisting is very new to the state of Maine, but it is an idea that could be extremely beneficial to the business community.

Maine is a state full of innovative entrepreneurs that are great at what they do. Many of these companies are owned and operated by a handful of individuals that specialize in the field that they operate. A VA can offer administrative and business expertise as a contracted partner, allowing the company to maximize its resources. A VA also allows the company to avoid expensive, time consuming employment expenses that are generally associated with hiring additional employees.

For more information on Virtual Assistants and to review the education and qualifications of Office Solutions ^ME, feel free to visit our website and learn more!

App of the Month – Meetup

Our application of the month this month is Meetup.

Meetup – the Meetup application allows you to access meetup.com on the go. Meetup is a site that helps people coordinate meetings, both business and/or personal. Meetup allows you to search for local meetings that may be happening in your area and join other individuals that have similar interests. It also allows you to share and comment on meetings. Meetup is great for those event organizers and/or people who have moved and want to mingle.

Cost: FREE

For more information on Meetup, feel free to contact Office Solutions ^ME!

5 Best Features of LinkedIn

LinkedIn is designed for business networking and sharing. This makes LinkedIn a very different type of Social Media platform from sites like Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn allows professionals to connect and interact on a professional level.

Some of the best features of LinkedIn include;

1. Resume – LinkedIn is a great way to show off your experience and education! Not to mention any awards you may have received or associations that you may belong to.
2. Recommendations – LinkedIn allows people to post public recommendations for you and your services. These recommendations are specific to a company or position and can be of great value to your profile.
3. Groups – LinkedIn groups are a great way to associate you with others in your field or geographic area. Groups are also a great source of information and networking.
4. Events – Linked In allows you to publicize events to your network and collect RSVPs. It also allows you to search for local events and events that others may be attending.
5. Links – LinkedIn allows you to publicize links to websites and twitter accounts at the top of your profile. In addition, LinkedIn has applications that allow you to link to other sites, such as word press, drop box, Slide Share, and more.

For tips and suggestions on how to best use and establish a LinkedIn profile, contact Office Solutions ^ME for a personalized consultation and tutorial.

Also feel free to view my LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn profile of Kathrine Farris

Work Cited Made Wicked Easy!

To make a work cited, bibliography, or footnote (almost) without having to know anything about APA or MLA formatting… sound like a dream? Well with Microsoft Word 2007, it’s a reality!

Adding Sources and Citations within your document:

1. Type your quote or citation
2. With your insertion point at the desired location, Navigate to the ‘Reference’ Ribbon/Tab at the top of the page
3. Click on the ‘Insert Citation’ button, in the Citations & Bibliography group
4. Choose ‘Add New Source…’, this will open the Create Source dialogue box
5. Select the appropriate source type from the drop down menu at the top of the Create Source dialogue box
6. Fill-in the appropriate fields for your source
7. Click ‘OK’

Adding Footnotes within your document:

1. Type your quote or citation
2. With your insertion point at the desired location, Navigate to the ‘Reference’ Ribbon/Tab
3. Click on the ‘Insert Footnote’ button, in the Footnotes group
4. Type the appropriate information in the newly created Footnote section

Creating your Bibliography:

1. After entering sources, navigate to the end of your document (Ctrl + End)
2. Navigate to the ‘Insert’ Ribbon/Tab
3. Click on the ‘Page Break’ button in the Pages group
4. While on the new page that you just created, Navigate back to the ‘Reference’ Ribbon/Tab
5. Click on the ‘Bibliography’ button, in the Citations & Bibliography group
6. From the drop down menu, you can choose a predefined option, or create your own format

And that’s all there is to it!

If you would like personalized assistance with formatting documents and word processing, contact Office Solutions ^ME for a personalized consultation!

App of the Month – Drop Box

Our Application of the Month is Drop Box.

Drop Box – The Drop Box application allows you to easily and efficiently share files on multiple computers, mobile devices (such as smart phones and tablets), and via a web-based system. When files are added to Drop Box, they become instantly available in all locations where the app has been downloaded, and via the Drop Box website. Files can also be shared with others, even if they do not have a Drop Box account. This is a great tool for efficiency, collaboration, and productivity! Perfect for virtual professionals!

Cost: Free

For more information on Drop Box, feel free to contact Office Solutions ME!