The term “office supplies” evokes memories of the shop where my aunt worked for many years in downtown Burlington, Iowa. Acres, Blackmar & Co. was filled with typewriters, steno pads, carbon paper, adding machines, and all the other standard office tools used by young women enrolled in business school in the early part of the [...]

As a Virtual Assistant, your niche determines some of the more esoteric reference material on your bookshelf. A quick trip to Amazon or Barnes & Noble will give you an idea what all you may want to add to your library under the topics “Business,” “Marketing,” “Internet,” along with numerous topics in the “Missing Manual” [...]

Ahhh… the intoxicating fragrance of new computer hardware. A visit to Fry’s Electronics, Best Buy, or your local Apple Store can seduce you into a bad case of buyer’s remorse, to the tune of several thousand bucks.
Sorting out the minimal and optimal hardware for your office when you’re in start-up mode generally means (1) computer, [...]

Today I am officially a senior citizen. That’s right, it’s my birthday, or my Feliz Cumpleaños as we say it here in the Southwest. (Thanks, mom, for the cute graphic!)
I blew out the candles and here’s my wish:
Let’s just keep it simple. Would you do something nice for someone and share what you did? For [...]

To many people, business = Microsoft.
When the Virtual Assistant industry was young, a mere 12 years ago, that equation was pretty accurate. Your clients may have depended on their Virtual Assistant to create spreadsheets (that meant MSExcel), write reports or handle correspondence (that meant MSWord), or help organize a database (that would have been MSAccess).
Oops, [...]

Have you allocated your travel and professional growth money for the year already?
Don’t forget to select one or more professional events attuned to your areas of specialization.
Sure, travel and registration can cost a lot when you are footing the bill yourself, but remember, it’s tax deductible AND you will be rewarded in new [...]

What separates a virtual assistant from his/her corporately-employed counterpart?
While anyone who launches their own business is an acknowledged entrepreneur, are virtual assistants also more adventurous than some other workers?
While the jump from employee to self-employment is often explained as a wish to be in charge of your own schedule / be more available to family [...]

When I left the classroom to start a virtual assistance business, I was so psyched to be my own boss that an old (40’s) typing table scrounged at an auction and a vintage chair tucked into a corner of my bedroom brought me immense pleasure.
When you’re getting started and your focus is marketing and [...]

Many self-employed people struggle with taking time off. My annual “winter holiday” allows me to rejuvenate my outlook while refreshing the various cobwebby parts of my mind. Even though I am on leave from the office, I find that a number of office tasks get moved into the forefront:

Review my backup process
Get up to speed [...]

We’re one month into this new year. How are you feeling about your New Year’s Resolutions?
If you’re on track, good for you!
OTOH, if you have slipped up a tad, how about making a commitment to a new volunteer project?
Easy to find, every community has numerous options, AND you will instantly feel good about yourself again! [...]