ISSN 1939-2834
Vol. 2, No. 45 | November 10, 2008

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In This Issue:

• From the Editor
• Feature Article: The Portable Business Series: Vonage
• VACOC News: Join the VACOC Kiva Lending Team!
• VACOC News: The Results Are In!
• Next Free Teleseminar on November 20
• Marketplace
• Find a Qualified Virtual Assistant Today
• About the VACOC

From the Editor

For the solopreneur, being self-employed or running a boutique firm isn't all about business. It's also about creating freedom to pursue your dreams and live life on your own terms. I'll be travelling and living abroad in Europe for a few months starting in December and will be reporting here periodically on the best technology, practices and tips for taking your office with you in a series called "The Portable Business." This first installment is about VoIP technology and how it can not only save you money, but keep you connected to your customers and business--wherever that may be.

Be fierce!

Danielle Keister
Founder & CVO Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce

The Portable Business Series: Vonage

Vonage is a service provider that lets you make and receive phone calls using your high speed Internet connection instead of a traditional landline. It uses what is called VoIP (voice over IP) technology to deliver voice communications over the Internet through your computer.

Vonage works just like your regular phone service. You use your same touch-tone phone; you're just connecting it to Vonage instead of your old phone company. Your phone rings when someone calls you as it always did, and callers never know the difference since it sounds just like a regular phone call.

Some of the Cool Features

• One low monthly fee (basic service is less than $30/month (you save even more by paying annually).
• No charge for calls within the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
• No charge for calls to landline phones in Italy, France, Spain, UK and Ireland.
• Unlimited international calling plans are available for a small additional monthly charge.
• Great international rates as low as 1 cent per minute.
• 28 features that come standard at no additional charge including Voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding and 3-way calling.
• You can keep your existing phone number in most cases.

What You Need to Use Vonage

In order to use Vonage service, you will need the following:

• High-speed Internet connection such as cable or DSL
• U.S. or Puerto Rico billing and shipping address
• Any touch-tone phone, corded or cordless
• Phone adapter (this comes with your start-up package that Vonage mails to you)

Advantages for the Portable Business Owner

If you travel for business or pleasure and want to stay connected, Vonage offers some true advantages. One of the biggest of these is the ability to take your phone with you. You simply purchase a device such as the V-Phone and flip a "switch" in your online account, and instead of ringing at office, your calls will come to your laptop or whatever computer you plug your portable device into.

I'm going to be living in Germany for a few months beginning in December and one of the neat things I found out is that while I am there, I can make and receive calls within my regular calling area (U.S., Puerto Rico, etc.) using my V-Phone as if I was still here... as in NO CHARGES whatsoever! You don't have to be travelling internationally for this to be of use to you. Think of the cell phone minutes you can save by being able to take your office line with you wherever you go, whether that's across town or across the country.

Vonage is the leader in the VoIP market and I highly recommend it. With Vonage, you can truly create a portable business and stay as connected to your customers and office as you want to be, anytime and anywhere.

RESOURCE: Visit the website to learn more about Vonage.

About the Author: As principal of The Relief Virtual Assistance, Danielle Keister has been providing expert administrative support to the professional community since 1997. Working with solo professionals in the legal, consulting and public relations fields, she helps clients gain time, increase efficiency and make more money by taking on their administrative burdens and helping instill strong administrative foundations in their businesses. Visit her website at http://www.TheRelief.com to sign up for her complimentary e-course, "Ramp Up Your Billable Hours: 10 Easy Fixes You Can Make Right Now!"

Join the VACOC Kiva Lending Team

Wanna add "philanthropist" to your list of titles? Then join the VACOC Kiva Lending Team!

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. It's free to join and you can make a loan at any time to help a fellow entrepreneur out anywhere in the world. It's good karma and you are repaid 100% in full when the load is paid off.

You can lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur in the developing world (hey, $25 is a WHOLE LOTTA MONEY in those areas). You choose who to lend to—whether that's a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq—and as they repay the loan, you get your money back. We love it because it's a hand-up, not a hand-out.

If you join the VACOC lending team of Virtual Assistants, you'll be joining forces with one of the most respected Virtual Assistant associations out there and working with us to alleviate poverty. Once you're a part of the team, you can choose to have a future loan on Kiva "count" towards our team's impact. The loan is still yours, and repayments still come to you, but you can also choose to have the loan show up in our team's collective portfolio, so the team's overall impact will grow.

Anyone is welcome to join our team. I hope you'll join! To sign up (it takes like one minute!), visit: http://www.kiva.org/community/viewTeam?team_id=2197

The Results Are In!

The 2008 Virtual Assistant Industry Survey went fabulously and the results are fascinating. I want to thank all the participants for their efforts in promoting it and making it the best yet! All Virtual Assistants who participated in the survey and signed up to the mailing list at the end get a free copy of the survey.

If you are a Virtual Assistant and didn't participate this year, we really encourage you to take part in the next survey. You will be contributing to the effort that is helping the industry grow AND you'll get a copy of the full survey results report once the survey period is over. Only those who participate get the full survey report at no charge.

In the meantime, we offer an abridged version of the survey (about half) which gives some of the basic statistical data. Feel free to "take one down and pass it around." You may also publish the results contained in the survey highlights report as long as attribution is given to the VACOC.

Next FREE Teleseminar on November 20, 2008

Has the economy got you down? Do you worry you won’t earn enough but you find yourself giving away free time and discounting your services in other ways? Join us on Thursday, November 20, 2008, for an empowering session with Mikelann Valterra, author and director of the Women’s Earning Institute. Learn how you, as a self-employed service professional, can earn your worth and avoid underselling yourself—even in a down economy.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY >>

- A D V E R T I S E M E N TS -

$299 CUSTOM WEBSITES FOR VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS. Don't be overlooked! Your website is your lifeline to your marketplace. If you are using generic templates or DIY website builders for your professional site, you are blending into the background. Stand out from your competition! Unique, tasteful designs high on style, color and visual impact. $299 Virtual Assistant Websites.

SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD? Have you been wondering what this administrative solution called Virtual Assistance is all about? Not to worry! The Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce has written an online guide to answer all your questions: The Client's Guide to Virtual Assistants.

TIRED OF WADING through the thousands of Virtual Assistant sites on the Internet? Would you like qualified, competent and reputable Virtual Assistants to come to you instead? Simply submit your Request for Partnership at the VACOC RFP Center.

MAKE UP TO 50% IN AFFILIATE EARNINGS! Join the VACOC Affiliate Program and earn extra money simply by referring people to our products and services. We pay 25% commission for all Virtual Assistant Business Forms purchases referred through your link. We're also seeking business-related advertisers for this ezine--we'll split advertising revenues with you 50/50 from any advertisers referred through your link. Sign Up Today!

Are You Reading This? Place your ad and get in front of over 4000 subscribers! Great rates and price breaks for multiple ads >> 

Find a Qualified Virtual Assistant Today!

You don't have to live in overwhelm. You CAN get just the help you need without having to hire in-house staff. Find yourself a great Virtual Assistant today, and go from struggling by yourself to getting things done and thriving on the road to success.

See Your Ad Here!

ABOUT THE VACOC: Founded by industry veteran Danielle Keister in 2006, the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce is a professional association committed to empowering business-minded Virtual Assistants grow smarter, more successful practices, and providing business owners with free tools and resources to connect with reputable, qualified Virtual Assistant professionals.

To change your subscription, see link at the bottom of email notification. Gritty Business Buzz is a trademark of the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. All logos and names are the copyrights of their respective owners.

Disclaimer: Neither Danielle Keister nor the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce endorses the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisements above nor the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. Please do your own due diligence BEFORE purchasing any product.

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