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Show Your Assistant You Care
By Janice D. Byer, CCVA, MVA
Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services

Whether you are a corporate executive with a full administrative staff; the boss at a mid-size company with your own in-house executive assistant; or the owner of your own small business and utilize the services of a virtual assistant, you know how valuable your assistant is.

As technology progresses, so too do the skills of your assistants. They are always learning and upgrading their skills allowing them to provide more and more professional services. If it wasn't for them organizing your schedule, typing your correspondence, designing your marketing material & website, and sometimes even answering your phone calls, where would you be? Could you imagine all the time you would be taking away from running your business if you had to do all of that yourself?

Throughout the year, your assistant helps you keep control of your business life. So, why not let them know how much you appreciate them? Well, the perfect time to do just that is fast approaching.

Since 1952, the last full week of April (21-27, 2002) has been designated Administrative Professionals Week (formerly called Secretaries Week) by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (http://www.iaap-hq.org/APW/apwindex.htm) , with the 24th being the official Administrative Professionals Day. 2002 marks the 50th anniversary of this special event.

Bosses traditionally use this time of year to show their appreciation to their assistants for all of their hard work throughout the year.

And, with the increase in the partnering with Virtual Office Assistants, small and home-based business professionals are also acknowledging the invaluable services of those that handle their non-core tasks.

You may know your assistant's likes and dislikes or it may require research on your part (or someone else on your staff) to find just that perfect sentiment.

If you have an in-house assistant, there are many things you can do locally to show your appreciation. These include:

Taking your assistant out for a nice, long lunch at a fine restaurant.

Giving him/her a gift certificate for a local shop, and the afternoon off to go shopping there.

Present a plaque for all of their years of hard work.

Or, perhaps book & pay to have his/her car tuned up and spring cleaned.

If your assistant is virtual, you still may be able to arrange some of the above or perhaps:

Find out who their favorite author is and send him/her their latest book.

Send a gift certificate for an online store that they enjoy shopping from.

Provide them with a long distance calling card.

Or, arrange to have flowers or a gift sent to them at their office.

Whether near or far, your assistant will be overjoyed that you took the time to show your appreciation. In turn, this will help you to strengthen your business relationship with him/her.

But, don't forget that this isn't the only time of year you should show your appreciation to your assistant. Ensure that you make them feel valued throughout the year. You'd be amazed at how far a 'thank-you' or kind word can go.

Here at Docu-Type (www.docutype.net) we have an abundance of wonderful clients, mostly small business owners, who all say thank you when a project is completed just they way they like it. This makes me feel great and pushes me to provide even better service the next time.

Now, if you are an entrepreneur that does not have an assistant and you do all the work yourself, don't let this day go by without patting yourself on the back for handling all of the administrative tasks. And also, why not think about outsourcing some of your work to a Virtual Assistant and give yourself back some personal and revenue generating time. And next year, during Administrative Professionals Week, you will fully understand why your assistant deserves a special day!

Janice Byer, owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (www.docutype.net) is a Certified Canadian Virtual Assistant (CCVA) and a Master Virtual Assistant (MVA) and author of a library of ebooks to help you build your business, including How to Set Up & Start Your First Blog. More information, including a comparison of blog software, can be found at http://www.docutype.net/business_ebooks.htm.

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Pay Up Dude! Open a dialogue with late paying clients
By
Clara D. Fyffe

We at IAVOA frequently discuss how to get late-paying clients to fork over your hard-earned money. Some clients simply ignore you, some make lame excuses, and some try to explain what seem like legitimate reasons for late payments or no payment at all.

What happens if we don't pay our light bill? We lose the service and wind up sitting in the dark. The same principle must be followed with our clients. If they don't pay, they don't get their completed projects. It's basically as simple as that.

You obviously worked hard for your client, and you probably sent him or her the completed project plus your invoice which, aside from the amount due, more than likely also includes a phrase such as, "Total amount due within 15 days from date on invoice." But your client still hasn't paid. What do you do?

As the old adage goes: "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." The same principle holds true with delinquent clients. The solution is to open a calm dialogue with that client on the first day the payment is late.

A certain protocol exists for interacting with clients to gently prod them into paying what they rightfully owe. A series of seven questions to ask the client should be asked in writing, as well as possibly over the phone, so that you will have a paper trail, should this matter wind up in court. And since collection agencies charge up to 50 percent of the money owed, you really want to attempt to collect the debt by yourself first. Some of the information that follows was gleaned from the December 2006 issue of Inc. magazine.

Question #1: "Did you get the invoice?"

Although it is rare, a lost invoice can happen. In writing, ask your client if he/she received your invoice dated such-and-such. Be sure to include a new identical invoice with the short letter. Tell the client that you will give him fifteen additional days to pay the full amount. Thank the client for paying that invoice quickly and that you look forward to working with his company again. Be maple-syrupy sweet with this first letter.

Question #2: "Was there a problem with my work on your finished project?"

Again, in writing for that paper trail, ask your client directly if he feels the project was not completed to his satisfaction. If not, ask him to describe in detail what was done wrong. Then, check his response against the written orders you were given as to how the project was to be completed. If, in fact, you find the client to be correct, kindly offer to fix the error and also offer to reduce the invoice by a fair percentage in relation to the extent of the corrections. If, though, the completed project does match his initial request, send the client a copy of the instructions, stating that your copy of the end product was completed accordingly, and that the invoice is still due. Offer to discuss it with him, but include another copy of the invoice with a modified due date. Let the client know that if he has a question in the future, to contact you right away.

Question #3: "Is there a particular reason you have not paid?"

You will sometimes receive an answer that the client is having a "cash flow" problem and is paying his "more important" invoices first. This is where your written response will become more firm. Again, include a copy of the original invoice, but stamp "Second Invoice" on it with the original due date circled. Inform this client that you performed a professional service for him and that, as with any other company, he should not expect to be given additional time to pay, that he knew when he placed his order that he would have to pay by a certain date. Ask the client when you can expect full payment.

Question #4: "Are you willing to discuss a settlement"

If this is a good client with whom you have worked previously with no problems, you might consider negotiating with him and offering, for example, a one-time 10 percent discount if the new balance is paid by a certain date. If the client is worth keeping and has always paid his invoices on time, this could be a good option. But be sure to stress that this is a one-time offer only.

Question #5: "Who is the best person to talk to about this invoice?"

In the case of a larger client, you may have trouble getting past the office manager or the employee who types out the checks. Ask for the full name and position of the president or CFO of the company and direct your written communication to him or her. Be specific and to the point in your letter, and don't forget to include the invoice with "Second Notice" and the circled due date on it.

Question #6: "When did you send the check?"

Fortunately, the following situation rarely occurs, but can. When you ask a client about a late payment, he may tell you that your check is on the way. If so, ask him when the check went out, how much it was for, and the check number. Chat for a couple minutes, then, before you hang up, ask for the check number again. If he hesitates or gives you a different check number, you'll know your payment is probably not coming. Remind the client that he will be responsible for attorney fees and collection costs if your payment in full is not received by a given date. Your payment should be forthcoming.

Question #7: "Do you expect any problems with future invoices?"

Your client may assure you that everything should be fine from this point on. But if you're burned once, it will likely happen again. If you choose to work with this client again, you might tell him that his next completed project will be held until payment is received. Assure him that you will release the project immediately after his check arrives and that, if he likes your work, chooses to keep you as his Virtual Assistant, and agrees to these terms, you might consider going back to regular invoicing after two or three pre-paid projects.

Remember the paper trail. Put everything in writing. And, as per last month's article, perfection in your written communication is imperative! Never send out a letter without re-reading and proofing carefully. If you're not 100 percent professional, you can't expect it from your clients.

Clara Fyffe

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Pre-Paid Legal: A Good Resource - An Excellent Business Opportunity
by Shari Shipman, Pre-Paid Legal Independent Associate

As we all know, Virtual Assistants are in a very opportunistic position these days. There aren't many industries that allow you, as the business owner, to communicate with such a variety of different occupations. Because of that, the sales and marketing of legal service plans and identity theft protection is growing in numbers.

I am a prime example of this particular circumstance. I am a VA working in Reno, Nevada through my company, Smart Solutions. Last year, I purchased a legal service plan and the Identity Theft Shield from Pre-Paid Legal, an NYSE company offering comprehensive legal assistance on a month-to-month basis. Coverage plans vary from family-based to those tailored for specific industries and employee groups. Among the benefits offered are legal consultation on an unlimited number of personal or business matters, will preparation, and more. A companion service is the Identity Theft Shield. Think you're not at risk? Unfortunately you are!

I was so impressed with the service I received with Pre-Paid Legal that I became an Associate with the company so I could offer the services to individuals I meet through my business contacts. VA's working in the real estate and mortgage markets are in a particularly advantageous position, since some of the legal service plans offered by Pre-Paid Legal are related to those industries. Actually, it's hard to find market that would not benefit from the services offered by Pre-Paid Legal.

Whether the VA uses Pre-Paid Legal as a business and household resource or as a business opportunity selling the service, having the peace of mind knowing that help and advice is just a phone call away is very reassuring. Think of that Verizon commercial with people standing behind you describes the feeling of having a Pre-Paid Legal membership for your family and business. They will always be there when you need them.

If you would like more information about Pre-Paid Legal and the Identity Theft Shield, please contact Shari Shipman, Pre-Paid Legal Independent Associate, 775-848-5178 and smartsolutions@clearwire.net.
__________________________________
Shari Shipman is the owner of Smart Solutions, a graduate of the University of Virtual Assistants, and a member of the IAVOA.

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Outlook Productivity Tips: Sharing Outlook Items
by Andrea Kalli

Ok, picture this…you like to keep track of correspondence, projects, issues, etc. regarding your contacts. You want an easy and simple way to document these things. You don't want to buy new software, and you certainly don't want to have to stop and take the time to learn it. After all, it's not rocket science.

Enter, Outlook Journaling.

For the sake of simplicity, Outlook Contacts and Outlook Journaling provides a VERY easy and flexible way to document whatever you want. It's a great way to utilize what you've already got on your desktop.

It really doesn't get any easier than this.
To see how this can be done, check out the video.

My video tutorials, "Outlook 2007 What's New" are ready for purchase at Premiumcast.com. $17.95 US for 22 videos and approximately 2 hours of full tutorials.

Provided by Andrea Kalli Virtual Trainer and Assistant, LLC. Productivity training, support, and customization for Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint users. Come visit our website at www.virtualassist.net and feel free to contact me at akalli@virtualassist.net. Get your SharePoint user training two ways: Our video training via www.digbizbooks.com Live online workshops via www.uofvas.com View my business blog at http://virtualassist.typepad.com View and subscribe to my training calendar at http://www.trumba.com/calendars/akva Thank you and have a great day! Andrea Kalli

Click here to view Andrea's helpful videos from these tips!
Andrea Kali is a virtual Trainer and virtual Assistant. Visit her website at virtualassist.net

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Be Mobile Friendly
by Kathy Ritchie

Why should you consider making your site mobile friendly? More and more people are turning to wireless technologies for their business needs when they are away from traditional access. Today's PDAs are very web friendly and there are many tasks that can be done with them.

For instance, I frequently pair my PDA and my cell phone (when I'm not near a wireless access point) and go online for directions, or if I need to check email in my office. It's easy, efficient and the many mobile friendly sites are making it more attractive to PDA users like myself.

Want to may your site mobile friendly? All it takes is a tiny bit of coding inserted in the
<head> </head> tags of your site.

Be sure and replace the mymobile with your site's mobile section. For instance, for my site, I redirect mobile users to www.thebestva.com/rssmobile/index.html. Or, they can just type in www.thebestvamobile.com and it is much easier than the mobile user typing it all out.

Be sure and keep your mobile site very light, and easy to load. Remember, the web capabilities of many of the mobile devices aren't as advanced as our regular browsers. It's a good idea to make your visitors something that fits easily in their screen.

Thank you!
~Kathy Ritchie

Good Mobile Sites are: rssheraldmobile.com
Mail2PDA.com
Mapquest.com/pda/
Mobidock.com
Aws.com/palm/ (weather)
Wap.ebay.com
Google.com/pda
Pocketpcmag/mobile/

Kathy Ritchie, Editor

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Quick Fix for the Eyes
A Quick Fix for the Eyes

Are you tired of squinting when you read your e-mail? Maybe someone sent you something that's just too difficult to read as is.

Looking for a quick way to make the font larger, but without making the change permanent?

If so, I've got just the thing for you!

In MS Outlook, as well as, Outlook Express, you will be happy to find that the Ctrl key combined with your mouse scroll wheel will enlarge (and shrink) the e-mail text you're trying to read.

All you need to do is place your mouse pointer over the e-mail body, hold down the Ctrl key and spin the wheel. (Sounds a bit like a game show, doesn't it? Too bad the only prize is happier eyes!)

Also, as a bonus, you'll find that this little trick works in both the Preview Pane and in the e-mail when it's fully opened.

I feel that I must warn you though. In some versions of Outlook, this works for the text of the e-mail, but not the pictures. You will find that pictures stay as they are. That means if the text you're trying to enlarge is part of a picture in the e-mail, you're out of luck.

But, are you ready for the best part?!

This feature will work in other MS Office Suite programs as well! You can control the zoom in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. with the Ctrl + scroll wheel function. Yes!
You've just entered the no squinting zone. Isn't it nice to read in comfort for once?!

Courtesy of
WorldStart.com

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