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MAY 4, 2009
ISSN 1947-105X | Vol. 3, No. 18
Don't forget to add "newsletter@virtualassistantnetworking.com"
to your email friends list so you won't miss future issues!
TECHNOLOGY ISSUE
In This Issue:
From the Editor
Tools, tools and more tools! Virtual Assistants are nothing if not technology
fiends. They are constantly on top of all the latest and greatest in software
and services to use with clients in supporting them in the best ways possible.
Victoria Miles is here this week with a review of one of the popular project
management tools used in our industry.
Yours in goodness and success!
Danielle Keister
Founder, Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce
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FEATURE ARTICLE -
What Do Climbers and Solopreneurs Have in Common? Both Need a Basecamp
 As
a solopreneur, unpredictable economic conditions might make you feel uneasy.
You are steadily climbing, acting proactively to reach your goals, but
you definitely need a shelter or base camp to ensure you'll reach the
summit.
So what would that shelter be for solopreneurs? I strongly believe the
answer is organization. There are many methods and tools that will help
you reach the summit. As a solopreneur, I regularly stop by my own "Basecamp."
Basecamp
is a project collaboration tool that will make a huge difference in how
you organize your projects and communicate with team members or other
people working with you. They make it easy to test out the service--just
go online and create your no-cost trial account so you can try this great
tool out for one project. Basecamp walks you through the entire process
step-by-step with video tutorials to show you how to get the most out
of the service. You'll also be able to create to-do lists within the project,
define milestones, assign tasks, send email reminders and a host of other
capabilities.
I use this tool with several clients. Some just love it and have purchased
their own paid account which provides many additional features such as
handling multiple projects and uploading and sharing files. Others are
not in the position to invest right now, but have managed to organize
their projects professionally by combining Basecamp with other interesting
no-cost online tools such as Google Docs.
I believe a solopreneur will find this online project collaboration tool
an excellent, easy-to-use alternative for seamless organization of their
to-do lists, whether they have a Virtual Assistant or not. Remember that
as your organization skills improve, so will your business. Moreover,
should you need to start delegating, you will be ready to do so in a professional
and organized manner that will positively contribute to the development
and growth of your business.
RESOURCE: When you check out Basecamp,
be sure to take
the online video tour. And don't forget to also check out Google
Docs.
 About
the Author: As owner of The
Bilingual VA, Victoria Miles is a Virtual Assistant providing
administrative and marketing support services to Hispanic small business
owners that benefit from bilingual assistance. Her background includes
extensive experience as a bilingual executive assistant in several multi-national
companies. Not only has she assisted high level executives for 15 years,
but also was responsible for corporate communications and marketing support
areas. Visit Vicky at her websites, The
Bilingual VA and Virtual
Assistance Argentina.
© Copyright 2009, The
Portable Business™. All U.S. and International rights
reserved. You are granted permission to republish this article only if
used in its entirety with this copyright notice, title, article content,
resource, author's bio and links left intact.
VACOC NEWS
New Service for Clients: Quickie Gigs
The VACOC has a new service for clients we call Quickie Gigs.
Here's the idea:
The core business of a Virtual Assistant is providing one-on-one, ongoing
administrative support to clients they work with in long-term, continuous
relationship. We always encourage clients to go that route because it's
where you are going to reap the most rewards in terms of value, continuity
and cost-effectiveness. However, if you have not yet found your right
Virtual Assistant or you are between Virtual Assistants, but still have
occasional tasks and projects you'd like completed, we can help you out!
Quickie Gigs is primarily for simple, straightforward
administrative tasks and projects that can generally be completed and
turned-around in few days with no fuss or muss. You fill out our online
form with the project specs and once the preliminary account set-up is
completed, we'll get to work right away.
Everything is simple! You sign only one contract (this will cover our
terms for one year in case you have other occasional projects that pop
up) and each project will be quoted on a flat fee basis (easier for you
to budget). For more information, be sure and check
out our Quickie Gigs page.
Let's Connect!
Reader Raves
 "Excellent
article in an excellent publication!"
— Ishaka
Greenwell regarding "Is
the Virtual Assistant/Client Relationship Right for You?"
on 4/20/09.
Hey! Send us your feedback. Did you find an article
insightful, helpful and informative? Have topic ideas you'd like to see
covered in future issues? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you.
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NO-COST TELESEMINAR -
Defend Against Plagiarism in 3 Easy Steps: A Practical
Guide to Protecting Your Work on the Web
 Have
you ever had your content reused without permission? If so, you know how
frustrating it can be. Whether you are posting a blog, marketing copy
or images on your site, tracking your content on the Web is crucial to
Internet success.
If you've ever been a victim of plagiarism or want to know what
you can do should plagiarism ever happen to you, you'll want to join us
for our next no-cost VACOC Guest Expert Teleseminar on Thursday, May 21,
with plagiarism consultant Jonathan Bailey. In this teleseminar,
Jonathan will share with you the techniques and strategies he has used
to stop over 700 plagiarists of his own work and show you how to reduce
the time it takes to handle a case of plagiarism to under 15 minutes.
RESERVE
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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
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qualified, competent and reputable Virtual Assistants to come to you instead?
Simply submit your info to our Virtual
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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.
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