April 6th, 2011
As a virtual assistant, you are a small business expert because (1) you are a small business (2) many of your clients are small businesses. Many people find small business attractive, but don’t have access to seed money. In a little know maneuver, you can do a “Rollover as Business Start-up” as a withdrawal from your 401(k), and avoid most of the penalties involved with early withdrawals from 401(k). This may be attractive to you, the aspiring virtual assistant who needs capital for computers and networking and VOIP phone system. You may be an existing virtual assistant with friends and contacts who would be clients of yours for want of seed money.
Read Angus Loten’s report on Steve Weinrich’s move with his 401(k) here.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 31st, 2011
As a virtual assistant, booking travel is job “1-B” if not “1-A”. You should be aware that not all of the popular travel sites book all of the popular airlines. American Airlines would rather you booked with them directly on www.aa.com, rather than Expedia or Orbitz, who American has ended their distribution relationship with over the past few months. Most executive assistants know their bosses preferences: she wants Southwest as early as possible, aisle toward the front of the plane, Hertz, Dodge Charger, Radisson, non-smoking King low floor closest to where I need to be the next morning.
But sometimes Southwest doesn’t go there or is full or is $2100 for a 90 minute flight.
www.kayak.com seems to be a nice option, feeding your request into several of these sites, including the airlines own sites. Let’s you compare United’s own price with Expedia’s United price.
Why the war? Airlines are don’t really want you to see their fares right next to anybody else’s. They all feel they are elite and provide a brand of service that warrants a premium. They also want to increase their income by adding little upgrades to you ticket. Want to pick your seat? $25. Oh, you want that seat? $15.
As a virtual assistant, you need to know all these options to provide the best service for your clients.
Tags: booking travel, Executive Assistants, Hollywood Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistants
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
December 18th, 2010
As we’ve said here before, virtual assistant means virtual IT Department as well. If your client hired a virtual assistant, they are more likely to be up on the newer technical equipment. An iPad may seem like a luxury to a Windows person, while a Mac user may see it as “right size iPhone”. Short of buying one off the street corner of the internet, eBay, (which I wouldn’t advise) there are no deals. You can get them from Apple, AT&T and Best Buy.
The Wi-Fi only are $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB) and $688 (64GB). If it’s just a couch toy 16GB will be fine, and dedicated Mac people will insist in the 64GB. Pay $130 more for the 3G and then integrate the data plan into your already enormous monthly commitment to AT&T or Verizon.
Tags: iPad, iPhone, Virtual Assistants
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
November 19th, 2010
You’re a virtual assistant, shouldn’t you shop virtually, too?
Some nice insider info you can share with you staff and clients. As an executive assistant, you can alert your co-workers and executives (and spouses) to some of these opportunities.
Black Friday On-line Deals
Tags: Executive Assistants, Hollywood Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistants
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
November 3rd, 2010
Many business people hire a virtual assistant to administer their “social networking” for their business: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. While LinkedIn is purely business and Twitter is both business and social, facebook is another case. It started as purely social. Then, as it became popular, commercial possibilities were discovered as with any site that draws a crowd.
By advising on the social networking for business, the virtual assistant acts as an executive assistant, business manager and small business owner. Here Larry Brauner makes some excellent points to consider as you plot your social networking presence.
7 Issues to Consider About Doing Business on Facebook
Tags: business manager, Executive Assistants, small business owner, Virtual Assistants
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
October 29th, 2010
Great article about the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant by Michele DeKinder-Smith. The article states some interesting facts and figures about women business owners and their likely hood of having an assistant. The key to the article is how hiring a virtual assistant to do your regular admin tasks, frees you to concentrate on what you do. DeKinder-Smith calls it “genius time”. It’s good advice to all executive consultants, entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“Go Ahead: Hire an Assistant”
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
October 22nd, 2010
As a executive assistant, you know your boss is going to get a phone based on 3 factors: 1) what the other folks at the office have 2) what is the newest and most expensive 3) what carrier their spouse signed a 15 year plan with. As a virtual assistant, you should be able to offer an opinion as to what the best smart phone may be for your client based on cost and needs. You yourself also need an “office in your pocket” kind-of-phone for emergencies when you are not near your computer. Here a chart of most of the popular brands. As a executive virtual assistant, you are already well versed in the pros and cons of all the cel carriers in your area.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
October 18th, 2010
Miracle Assistant wants its clients to be ready for the Holidays, so they can maximize their investment in Holiday related expenditures and avoid rushed disappointments in mid December. If you were a Miracle Assistant client, these are questions we would be asking you soon:
1. HOLIDAY CARDS: Are you sending Holiday cards this year, Mr. Client? Will you be sending business as well as personal cards? About how many of each? Are they custom, printed cards or “off the shelf”? (A card with a business logo, family picture or preprinted names need more prep time. A really custom card may require a graphic artist with many iterations passing between you, the artist and the client. ) Do you want the card “hand signed”? Do the cards have to be printed, forwarded to the client for signing and then returned to the virtual assistant for addressing and stamping? Be sure to get the cards out early in the Holiday season, but not before Thanksgiving, to maximize visibility. Cards are thrown out on January 2nd regardless of when they arrive.
2. BUSINESS GIFTS: Ms. Client, do you want to send a logoed gift to your clients/customers this year? Your promotional material distributor will have a universe of ideas: zip drives, calendars, tote bags, folios. Smaller distributions may be satisfied at your mall’s “Things Remembered”. All these things have on lead times, especially around the Holidays.
3. PERSONAL GIFTS: Not every executive assistant offers this service. If its gift card, a tea set, or a personally signed photo of Phillies stars Ryan Howard, Miracle Assistant will track it down. If it’s an on-line transaction, a phone call or scouring e-Bay for that production animation cell from “Disney’s Jungle Book”, Miracle Assistant will help make that Holiday wish come true.
Tags: exeutive assistant, Miracle Assistant, virtual assistant
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
June 10th, 2010
There’s a big trend to hire virtual assistants in today’s economy. It makes sense. Why hire staff or worse temps (Yikes!) when you can spare your business the expense of office equipment, pay roll tax, time for training and the hassle of HR? Virtual assistants work from a distant location, use their own equipment and require no payroll tax. It’s an idea whose time has come. But don’t be fooled, all virtual assistants are not created equally. Remember the old adage, “You get what you pay for?” It tends to be true.
Sure, you can go on Guru or Elance and fill out a lengthy form detailing what the job is that you want done and then spend additional time reading proposals from distant lands, written by people whose command of the English language is less than up to par. You can spend all that time, but isn’t the point of having a virtual assistant to save you time?
You could also hire a virtual assistant who works another job or is taking care of small children at home. There’s nothing wrong with that, until you need your virtual assistant, and they’re at the other job or it’s not their child’s nap time. You’re running a business, during business hours. Is it too much to ask for your virtual to be available during those hours? Not at Miracle Assistant.
At Miracle Assistant we don’t just offer virtual assistants, we offer executive assistants. They are smart, articulate business associates who are trained to your business; and they are available to you and your clients during business hours, always. Call Miracle Assistant to find out how our assistants can support your business. We’re the choice for Executives who do smart business.
Tags: American Virtual Assistants, Elance, Entertainment Executive Assistants, Executive Assistants, Guru, Hollywood Virtual Assistants, Miracle Assistants, Stacey Normandy, Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistants for Entertainment Executives, Virtual Executive Assistants
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
June 10th, 2010
You didn’t become a top executive by spending your time dealing with personnel issues. You know how to delegate, but your time and talents are better suited for creative brilliance. In today’s market the key to building business is having a flexible, top-notch support staff running your business so you’re free to build. Imagine being able to have that support staff without having to interview a single person, without having to buy a single piece of office equipment and without having to pay a penny for payroll taxes. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not.
Miracle Assistant provides virtual assistants that are a cut above the typical virtual assistant, they are executive assistants. Miracle Assistants are available to run your virtual office during business hours and beyond. They offer a full array of skilled professionals to meet your business’ specific demands. With Miracle Assistant you’re not hiring a temp, you’re hiring a team; a team that will support you while you sky rocket your business to the top.
Making executive decisions is just one of your talents. Make the executive decision to call Miracle Assistant. One phone call is all it takes to bring your business the next level.
Tags: American Virtual Assistants, Entertainment Executive Assistants, Executive Assistants, Hollywood Virtual Assistants, Miracle Assistant, Outsourcing for Executives, Stacey Normandy, Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistants for Entertainment Executives, Virtual Executive Assistants
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
