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!

5 Characteristics of GREAT Clients!

We generally work with small business owners in Maine, Companies with 1-15 employees that need a little more help or some specific expertise. We provide administrative help and expertise with no overhead costs, no employment costs, no benefit expenses, no HR headaches, and for as little as 2 hours per month.

So, what makes our clients GREAT? Here are a few things that come to mind;

1. They trust us – Our clients have welcomed me as a part of their company, a virtual partner in helping them succeed.
2. They value us – Our clients often call us about new projects or ideas. They use us as both a partner and a consultant. As a part of their virtual team, they see us as a resource.
3. They don’t micro manage – Our clients understand that we are running a business, in the same way that they are. We negotiate terms, use technology, and time frames that allow us all to be efficient.
4. They are open-minded – Many of our clients need help in an area that they are unfamiliar with. So, our tasks often include; educating, locating deficiencies, and helping to implementing new ideas.
5. They pay us – (Seriously!) Our clients have been diligent in paying us in full and on time, some are even on pre-payment schedules.

And, how do we get GREAT clients?

1. We’re honest – We start every relationship with a contract of expectations and we stick to them. If for any reason these must be changed, we always notify our clients prior to the change and get their approval.
2. We’re valuable – We take the time to learn our clients business and how they operate. Then we apply our own expertise and education to the needs that they have.
3. We’re efficient – We use time and technology to deliver on or before negotiated time frames.
4. We’re creative – We enjoy bringing new ideas and concepts to their projects and goals.
5. We’re economical – We help our clients save time and money! We don’t use their resources and we only help when they need us!

Feel free to share your best client characteristics and what you look for! And if you think we could help you and your business, feel free to contact us!

Thank You!

Celebrating 1 Year!!

It’s official! As of June first, Office Solutions ^ME has officially been in business for 1 full year!

This first year in business has really been a year of exploration, discovering business needs, networking and meeting fellow entrepreneurs, and developing partnerships in our community. We have truly enjoyed developing and building our business and look forward to the many years to come!

We have had the opportunity to learn so much about our clients and their businesses as we have assisted them in a vast array of support services. We have helped over fifteen different companies, with services ranging from data input, to small event planning, to Facebook training sessions. No two projects have been the same, and we have appreciated every opportunity to assist our clients!

We have recently had the pleasure of joining the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce and the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce. We regularly attend networking events held by such groups as Maine Successful Thinkers, Freedom Networking of Maine, and the Maine Women’s Business Center. We have also shown our support for such organizations as the Maine Women’s Fund – Women Standing Together, Pecha Kucha Night, the CLIMB Good Friday Breakfast, and the Maine Women’s Network, through sponsorship opportunities.

So… Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the success of Office Solutions ^ME!

Thanks to our clients! Thanks to our supporters! Thanks to our coaches and mentors! Thank you for helping to make our first year in business a fantastic one!

Want to learn more about Office Solutions ^ME and what we’ve been up to this year? We’d love to talk to you, feel free to contact us!

Kathrine Farris
Owner & Virtual Professional
Office Solutions ^ME

The Power of Presentations!

The ability to get in front of a crowed and captivate them is certainly an ART! There is so much that goes into a good presentation. There’s the ability to articulate, the physical appearance of the presenter, the setting of the venue, the content of what’s being presented, and the visuals being utilized. While majority of attendees are ‘visual learners’, we often place too much emphasis on the visuals of our presentation.

Here are a few things to consider when creating and using a PowerPoint or any other slide presentation;

Include;

1. A title slide – Show your audience who you are as you are telling them. This gives them the correct spelling of your name and company.
2. An outline slide – This is a basic agenda of what is to be covered, it sets the expectations of your presentation early.
3. Pictures and graphics – You’re creating a visual, so make it interesting, use images that correlate with the topics being covered.
4. Bulleted lists – Organize your topics into short bulleted lists. Avoid paragraphs of text.
5. Summary page – Finalize your presentation with a wrap-up slide and be sure to include you contact information at the end.

Avoid;

1. Reading your slides – Your audience can read (generally), they do not need you to read the slides to them. Your slides should only be outlines of what you are covering.
2. Alternating slide transitions – Don’t make your slide transitions so crazy that they take away from your presentation. Keep it simple, consistent, and professional.
3. Clip Art images – Don’t use standard clip art just because it’s there, it will make you look generic. Find and use images that are unique and meaningful to your topics.
4. Make it readable – Make sure that you use a font style, color, and size that the person in the back row can read easily.

Remember, a PowerPoint presentation is simply a fancy poster board; YOU are still giving the presentation!

If you have any examples or additional suggestions to add, please feel free to comment.

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Don’t Waste Time on Social Media

Social Media Time Management

We’ve all been hearing about social media for a while now, and most of us agree that we should be using it in some way. After all, it’s FREE Marketing and Public Relations, right?
Well, almost… if time is money, then it certainly has a cost.

What are some of the ways to reduce the amount of time spent on social media?

1. Spend less time.
2. Become more efficient.
3. Outsource.

Spend less time.
Yes, this sounds obvious and very simplified, but it’s true. For those that are already well versed and actively using social media, it may be a simple matter of limiting the amount of time spent per day/week. A great way to achieve this is to set a timer, or only allow yourself to access social media sites on certain days of the week.

Become more efficient.
Work smarter, not harder. This is my favorite answer.
There are many platforms available that allow you to integrate multiple social media sites. Platforms such as TweetDeck or HootSuite, allow you to view and update multiple social media sites at the same time. An RSS Feed on your Facebook page would allow Blog and Twitter updates to be viewed without any extra work by you. This and many other tools would obviously save you time.

Here are some great websites to help you learn more about using and improving social media efficiency;

Mashable
The Social Media Guide
Business Week
Wikipedia

Outsource.
This is not the answer for everyone, but if you’re not well versed in current media trends and technology (or you just don’t want to be), you can hire someone who is. This does require trust and communication by both parties, and when done correctly it has some great benefits.

Feel free to share some ways that you are currently saving time with Social Media? Or if you are having trouble with Social Media, feel free to post a question.

And for those still not convinced to use Social Media, may I recommend a video from David Meerman Scott at the 2009 Business Marketing Association National Conference.

8 considerations for a professional website impression

Does your Website give the best 1st Impression?

Your website can be crucial to the image of your business! In many cases, this is can be your first impression or a crucial follow-up. If done correctly, a website tells people what you do, shows people how you do it, builds confidence and credibility in you and your business, and encourages potential clients to contact you.

Tips to help you build/design a professional (virtual) first impression;

1. Be crystal clear – make sure potential customers do not have to go far to find out what you do and what your business is about. Put your description on your home page, and make sure it’s clear and concise.
2. Claim attention early – make your home page attractive to your audience, but not distracting. Use colors, images, fonts, and text that compliment each other. Remember, many visitors may not even scroll to the end of the page, never mind visit any additional pages.
3. Look the part – you don’t have to be a web designer or HTML expert to make your website look good. There are many tools available to assist in basic creative designing. However, if you want something elaborate then it may be worth your money to outsource the task.
4. Use testimonials – word of mouth works wonders. When asked, many customers will be glad to provide you with a short statement of satisfaction and praise. In turn, you mention them on your website with a link back to their site. This is a great way to help build credibility.
5. Be easy to contact – offer a way to contact you on every page. Don’t make visitors have to search for your contact information.
6. Be easy to navigate – don’t use more pages than you need, but don’t try to cram everything on one page.
7. Don’t drive people away – be sure any external links open in a new window, so that visitors do not leave your website.
8. Be honest – don’t go overboard, but do include Terms of Use and Privacy Statement. Let people know that you care about their privacy and what to expect when using your website or contacting you.

And if you don’t have a website at all, consider these factors…

1. Some people will not do business with companies that do not have a website.
2. A website is a great way for you to advertise your business and allow potential customers to ‘browse’.
3. Cost should not be a deterrent. There are many web hosting sites that offer free and low cost basic accounts.

If you have questions or suggestions about establishing a website, I would love to hear them!

10 Tips for Maximizing the Usefulness of Your Spreadsheets!

Spreadsheets (such as Microsoft Excel) are very powerful tools and when used correctly, they can make your life a lot easier. Here are a few tips to help you utilize your spreadsheets more efficiently and effectively, as well as increase readablility;

1. Use Boarders Around Cells – spreadsheets are generally created to organize numbers and large amounts of information, and while you can see the lines on the computer screen as you are creating the spreadsheet, these lines will not print unless you add them as boarders.
2. Use Row and Column Titles – these are essential! Don’t assume that you don’t need to name your rows and columns, plus this can come in very useful when transferring information to charts or graphs and even in writing formulas later on.
3. Use Formatting – Make your rows and columns bold, highlight important information with different colors, bold boarders, or larger font.
4. Format Information Correctly – If you are working with money insert dollar symbols and put a double bottom boarder on total rows. If you are calculating percentages, be sure that the percent symbol is included and you have the correct number of decimal places needed.
5. Create Multiple Sheets – Instead of making multiple workbooks or trying to cram everything on one spreadsheet, utilize multiple sheets (tabs at the bottom) within one workbook for related information. Make sure each of the sheets within a workbook are named appropriately.
6. Insert an appropriate header/footer – Insert an appropriate header or footer on all of the pages of your workbook. This might include the company name or your name, the date, and/or the project name.
7. Don’t make the same changes twice – If you need to make the same changes to multiple sheets, you can change all of your sheets at once by right clicking on any worksheet tab and selecting all before making your changes.
8. Utilize Graphs and Charts – Many people respond better to information when presented visually. Charts and graphs are great ways to accomplish this. And when the charts or graphs are created within your workbook, they will update automatically as the information is changed.
9. Use Formulas for calculations – Formulas are one of the best parts about utilizing spreadsheets! Making them work for you is critical; they can save you a lot of time, effort, and mistakes if you can utilize them correctly. Any time you are manipulating information that is in another cell, chances are there is a formula that will do it for you.
10. Utilize the Help feature – Any time you do not know how to accomplish something (i.e. you are searching for a specific formula), try using the help feature. In most programs, this is accessed by clicking help or the F1 will usually enable a help feature.

Bonus: Save often – As with any document you are creating, make sure you save and save often. When creating spreadsheets, you can alter and input a lot of information in a short amount of time and losing it can be quite frustrating!

I hope this information was helpful,. Feel free to comment with thoughts or questions! I look forward to hearing from you!

Kathrine Farris
Owner/Administrative Professional
Office Solutions ^ME

3 Tools for Your Virtual Image!

Dress for Success in a Virtual World

The corporate world is no stranger to phrases such as “Dress for Success” or “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have”. So, what happens when corporate goes consultant? What happens when the Internet becomes our primary interaction or at least our 1^st impression? Do we toss these mantras out like last night’s pizza box? I say, “We adapt.”

In a virtual world, we are not judged on our physical attire, but rather our virtual one… does your virtual wardrobe consist of the following?

1. Website – listed 1^st for a reason, this is imperative to almost any business these days and the quality of various websites varies greatly!
2. Blog or Vlog – a weblog or video log is an increasingly popular way to improve credibility and be heard. If you don’t have your own, consider posting comments on other professional sites.
3. Social Media (Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace, etc…) – a virtual networking source, a way to share ideas and ‘meet’ others.

If you already have these virtual necessities, how successful are they for you? If not, what’s holding you back?

I hope this was helpful and look forward to hearing from you! Stay tuned for more thoughts on virtual image!

7 Word Processing Tips for Readability

Word Processing – more than book reports and letters. Word processing applications give us the combination of effective writing, graphics, and formatting with easy-to-use tools and editing options. The most popular word processing applications are Microsoft Word and WordPerfect, plus there is a list of free or open-source options available. And while anyone can write, not everyone can format effectively and efficiently. Here are some quick editing tips and tricks to increase readability;

1. Watch margins – make your margins match through out your document. Scan your document to ensure that all text, including bullets and numbers, are aligned evenly.
2. Examine fonts- Use all the same font type and size for similar content. Considering using serif fonts for your paragraphs and san-serif fonts for your headings to increase readability.
3. Number pages – this makes it easier to find information in your document especially when printed.
4. Bold headings – this gives a clear map of your content and draws your readers’ eye to topics of interest. This allows for better ‘scanning’ of your document if someone does not have time to read it in entirety.
5. Bullets and numbers – again this helps with scanning by highlighting important items or lists. This is another great way to increase readability.
6. Page breaks – these keep titles and text together, avoiding awkward breaks in your text and information.
7. Hidden (nonprinting) characters – these will not print, but allow you to see what keys you have used. These can be extremely helpful when trying to format a document or see why formatting is not matching.

Formatting your document can be as important and time consuming as the writing and creating actual content. Microsoft Word makes it easy to format and edit your documents, including writing in APA or MLA formats. Being skilled in using these programs can save much time and frustration. Remember, improper formatting can be just as distracting and unprofessional as misspellings or improper grammar, so spend the time or get the help you need!

Have formatting or editing questions? Need help? Feel free to comment…

What is a Freelance Administrative Professional?

When you don’t have time to do EVERYTHING!

When you need professional results from part-time help.

When your creativity doesn’t include ‘sitting behind the computer’!

When you just need someone to ‘make it look good’!

When you aren’t comfortable ‘doing it yourself’.

 

Have you ever tried to add just one or two sentences to a document, and the whole file rearranged? Then you spent the next two hours just trying to ‘fix’ what went wrong! Do you need professional sales presentations or reports? Are you unorganized? Do you need help with scheduling or calling clients?

What if you could just tell someone what you wanted added or changed, and in less than 30 minutes it was done and looked great? All the while, you were able to keep focusing on your own important tasks. What if you could just call someone and tell them when you were giving your next presentation, and trust that you would have tailored professional material ready to go?

What if you didn’t have to commit to even a part-time employee and could avoid paying employment costs, benefits, taxes, etc…? What if you didn’t have to buy any equipment or give up any office space and could guarantee greater productivity and professionalism?

Sound appealing? You should consider a Freelance Administrative Professional! Within the industry, these entrepreneurs are known as ‘Virtual Assistants’ or ‘Virtual Consultants’.

Yes, these freelance ‘gig’ seekers are entrepreneurs! They are here to help you improve your productivity and share their expertise!

Why hire a temporary employee or commit to a part-time administrative assistant, when you can get the benefit of a knowledgeable professional that truly has your best interest in mind? When you succeed, they succeed! They are business owners in the same way that you are, so they understand your needs better then the average employee. And the best part is that you only pay them when you need them!

So, you may be wondering where the ‘Virtual’ part comes in… In addition to avoiding the complication of employment costs, Virtual Consultants also have the ability to complete their tasks without taking up your precious office space and resources! They have implemented such tools as Phone, Fax, E-mail, and even Online ‘Workspaces’ that allow them to be an integral part of your team without ever stepping foot in your office or using your stapler.

In this economy, saving money has become a necessity, yet sacrificing quality can be detrimental! This makes the partnership between ‘freelancers’ or ‘consultants’ and businesses a growing trend full of benefits!

Do you have questions or comments? Can you think of ways that you could utilize a Freelance Administrative Professional?

I hope this was helpful and look forward to hearing from you!