Layoffs; cutbacks; 401(k) savings accounts drained as the stock market plummets.  The unemployment rate is announced to be at a 16-year high…

It is no wonder that the questions you ask yourself just about every day are, “Am I going to make it?”  “Am I going to even have a job next month?”  “Will my business be in business next month?” Business owners struggle to keep afloat.  Against this backdrop, the daily headlines scream “Bailouts Will Push US into Depression,” “USA 2008: the Great Depression,” “Is the US Headed toward the Second Great Depression?”

By all indications, the American economy has entered into a period of economic recession.  Many blame the extreme covetousness of the predators in the banking industry.  Others blame the folly of home buyers for falling prey.  Still others just down-right blame our government.  Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, economic experts unanimously say the same thing: tough times are here, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Now individuals, families and businesses alike are faced with the task of re-evaluating the way things are done.  Streamlining – making changes toward increased efficiency – is now a requirement for surviving this economic storm.  Team Double-Click’s® modus operandus provides an effective way of doing just that.

Team Double-Click® is a virtual staffing agency, working with tens of thousands of virtual office assistants across the USA and Canada.  Through its thorough screening process, Team Double-Click® provides professional virtual office assistants and professional real estate virtual assistants for businesses.  

For the Business Owner
Marketing and business gurus encourage businesses to learn from the mistakes made by business owners during the first depression.  Many warn that the greatest mistake is doing nothing.  They explain that companies that went under, or lost their lead after the first depression, had foolishly imagined doing nothing would lead to stability and lowered risks. Team Double-Click’s innovative model provides an appropriate and effective response for businesses by helping them shave dollars off their budgets, contain costs, and streamline operations.  Team Double-Click® clients have even seen as much as an 80% savings by using virtual assistants.  One client explains, “Having Team Double-Click® virtual assistants handle the majority of my administrative tasks has cut over $100,000 from my payroll and provided better skills and talents, better accountability, organization, and stability.” 

How is this possible?  Clients are able to reduce overhead costs because they:

• Pay only for the administrative time they use – even when the virtual assistant(s) are on standby;
• No longer have to buy desks, computers, telephones, and other office equipment;
• Are able to entirely eliminate their
• health insurance, sick time, vacation time, plus other benefits;
• Greatly reduce other operating expenses such as electricity and other utilities; and
• Can continue or even increase their marketing, as recommended by the marketing pros, by using virtual assistants to perform these tasks as a much lower cost than an in-office employee.

For the Independent Contractors
Team Double-Click® provides savings to its contractors (virtual assistants) as well.  A contractor eliminates many of the everyday expenses that an individual would incur while commuting to the traditional office every day. 

For starters, an immediate benefit is saving hundreds of dollars per month in gasoline expenses alone.  A contractor could realize savings ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per year in vehicular upkeep expenses.  There is also savings on maintenance, parking, insurance, as well as on reduced wear and tear. 

Oh, did I mention savings on the expenses for all those power suits, dry cleaning costs, power lunches, or just plain old lunch?  Plus, for those who can work around a spouse’s schedule, there are savings on childcare costs, or, at minimum, a reduction in the cost of childcare. Lastly, as a Team Double-Click® independent contractor, one has the benefit of additional *tax deductions.  These may include:

• Deductions for expenses like paper and printer ink, etc.
• Operating and depreciation expenses on their homes;
• A percentage of the rent or mortgage;
• A percentage of the property taxes, insurance and utilities;
• A portion of the household maintenance, repairs or household expenses; and
• Expenses from using their vehicle (gas, insurance, depreciation).

Source: http://www.teamdoubleclick.com/

?In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.? This Eric Hoffer quote succinctly illustrates the importance of changing with and adapting to our ever-shifting industry.

To that end, we looked to some very learned industry experts who also happen to be some of our favorite ?learners? (and teachers) to explore their best advice for brokers and managers in today?s challenging times.

Here is what our special guests-Floyd Wickman, Mr. InterviewTM-Michael Krisa, Bill Barrett, Darryl Davis, Carol Johnson, Mr. Internet?-Michael Russer, Matthew Ferry, Walter Sanford, Dave Beson, Claudia Wicks and Judy Ladeur-had to say about keeping agents motivated during these trying times:

1. Industry icon Floyd Wickman: My best advice for management today? Start with accountability. If there?s ever been a time to raise standards, it?s now. If there?s ever been a time when an owner should say, ?In order to work on our team, in our family, we have basic requirements,? it?s now. I?m reminded of a broker who once said, ?My people wouldn?t live up to my standards, so I lowered them.? That?s the opposite of what needs to be done.
Second, insist that your people do the basics. Any broker who does a quick analysis of his or her agents by asking, ?How many prospective buyers, sellers or lookers have you been face-to-face with in the past two weeks?? will likely be shocked at the answer. Agents say they?re hungry, but are they doing what they need to do to move ahead? The solution is to get face-to-face with their customers. So many are face-to-face with the mirror, each other and their families right now-but the real answer is to see the people and get out there with customers.
Next, work as a team. ?Teamwork makes the dream work,? as they say. It creates synergy, and if there was ever a time when we needed synergy, it?s now. I?m on a quest to show brokers how to convert their office of individuals into ONE TEAM. We?re seeing some pretty powerful results because of it, so we know that it works.

2. Mr. InterviewTM, Michael Krisa: Now is NOT the time to cut back on training and marketing. Seek out the gurus with proven track records who know how to make agents succeed in tough times, and bring them in for webinars, seminars, etc. In tough times, agents are looking for leadership. Brokers and managers have to step up and fill those shoes or risk losing their agents to brokers who can.

3. Real estate and trends expert Bill Barrett: Brokers need to motivate their salespeople now more than ever. Bring in speakers, offer training and give them the best techniques in the industry. Practical ideas and real-world solutions are critical. Help them discover the best ideas on the market to move their listings. The typical reaction to tough markets is to STOP-marketing, working, everything. The ones who are making the impact and capturing the market share are the ones still investing in their marketing.

4. Noted speaker Darryl Davis: You need to show confidence in the upswing of the market. There?s an old adage that says if you?re on the front lines and the enemy is shooting at you, don?t turn to the platoon and say, ?What do we do?? Agents need four things right now: leadership, consistency, confidence and a plan! I recommend every 30, 60 or 90 days, have your agents focus on niche activity that forces them to be proactive rather than reactive. Next, create a family or team atmosphere, which minimizes the backstabbing and bickering.

5. Recruiting pioneer Carol Johnson: Communication and leadership are essential. Agents are desperate for guidance and leadership as to how to proceed in the market. Productivity is key-keep them focused on market potential and strengths in their area. Do the things that will give them immediate production so that they are set to come out ahead of competition when the market makes a turn.

Add extra classes, tools and meetings; your agents will win, the others will lose. Programs like Floyd Wickman?s that really put a target in front of people and help them move in the direction of that target are great. Tools like the ones from ProspectsPLUS! are essential, as well.

6. Mr. Internet?, Michael Russer: Well, I have a little different take. I suggest that brokers only work with certain agents, of which I believe there are three types:
Cool Cats – Coachable agents who see challenges and opportunities – These are the ONLY agents to work with and represent about 5% to 10% of the market.

Tom Cats – Agents who aren?t really in business. They go from transaction to transaction, which is much like a prison that happens to pay a commission.
Fat Cats – These guys have been in the business forever and have that ?don?t bother me? attitude. So you don?t and shouldn?t.

Find the Cool Cats who are making their successes visible, and you?ll see the Tom Cats who want to become one of them. Set your standards very high, and create an elite core group of agents that?s committed and poised to make it through tough times.

7. Industry coach Matthew Ferry: The dictionary defines motivation as ?provided with an incentive for action.? This means that the person taking the action doesn?t really want to do it. That?s why they need to be motivated. I prefer to work with inspiration defined as ?imbued with the spirit to do something.? The best thing a broker can do today is help each agent discover his or her purpose and insert it back into his or her real estate career. This will inspire them to take ?right action? and get back in the game. When people are inspired, they don?t need encouragement, they just take powerful action. I call this inspired action.

8. Real estate expert Walter Sanford: Quit waiting for the market to change; have your agents change instead. They need to know how to walk away from under-motivated buyers and sellers. They need to write tighter contracts, close transactions faster and know which business to walk away from. In most cases, they also need to triple their listing inventory to generate the same activity that they had in 2006.

9. Industry icon Dave Beson: Tighten your belt, then tighten your belt again. Cut costs, and focus on profitable activities. Focus on the ones who want to work and who want to win. Get the ?tigers? in the office, even if there are just two of them, to come in or to meet somewhere where you can share ideas. Bring treats, pour coffee, and have a fun hour. Then ask each of the tigers to nominate one person from the office who they think should be at the meeting. Make sure those people are invited next week. Go out of your way to get one or two people to join in. Have these meetings, say, at 2:30 on Thursday. Get noticed.

10. Speaker and trainer Claudia Wicks: Provide needed training: negotiating skills, prospecting skills, contracts, financing options and, most important, training on internet marketing and tech tools. According to NAR, 84% of consumers are going online to search for property. This is the time for agents to learn, while they unfortunately are not as busy as they would like to be. It is a chance for them to practice and prepare to handle the Gen X and Y consumers. John Tuccillo predicted at the NAR convention in Las Vegas last November that there will be a tsunami of Gen X and Y buyers beginning in 2010. We already see it happening; make sure your agents are ready!

11. Recruiting guru Judy LaDeur: It all starts at the top. Your agents will follow your example, so find something positive to feed them each week. Show the productive ones that they are in the top 10% of agents nationwide, or whatever the correct number would be for your staff. Right now, 80% of agents are doing very little or no business, which means that the productive ones are among the top percentile of agents in the nation. Create a great press release for agents to use in the local paper or in a letter to their sphere of influence. Bottom line: If your agents are discouraged and worried, take a look in the mirror, do a check-up from the neck up, and see if there is something that you could be doing to change the attitude and motivation in your office.
Thanks to all of our exceptional panelists for some great advice and insight on how leaders can take their companies and their agents? careers to the next level, regardless of the market. Their willingness to help us reach out to the thousands of real estate professionals seeking solutions to today?s challenges is priceless on a number of levels.

Keep an eye out for the other three parts of this series: Just Two Things?; The Smartest Thing You Can do to Build Your Business; and Motivated-Me? Our generous experts shared more than 20 pages of insight, inspiration and information on these vital topics. Visit our blog, visit our site at www.prospectsplus.com, or email me directly to learn more about this timely series.
ProspectsPLUS! provides the tools and information you need to find and implement the strategies necessary to propel your production in any market. Visit our blog at blog.prospectsplus.com, or discover the many solutions offered online at www.prospectsplus.com. Julie can be reached at julie.escobar@prospectsplus.com or (866) 405-3641

Team Double-Click?We don’t just tell you where you can find a virtual assistant. We assess your needs and match you with one of our highly-skilled and Team Double-Click? trained virtual assistants. Then we monitor and nurture that relationship so you get the most out of hiring virtually. Think of us as your virtual Human Resources department!. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

1. How you?re helping clients. Talk about specific ways that your business helps clients and use their Twitter ID if you have their permission, i.e. ?Just finished @clientname brainstorm great Internet marketing plan for 2009? or ?Finally finished setting up Quickbooks for local hardware store ? now they can invoice their clients?

2. What you?re doing in your own business. This is a perfect time to tell others when you?re blogging, writing an article, creating your weekly ezine, recording your podcast, i.e. ?Had great interview with Jane Smith today on speaking to grow your biz. Great ideas! Subscribe to podcast & listen here ?

3. Useful tool or resource you?ve found. I run across these all the time in my daily activities, and Twitter is a perfect place to share,. i.e. ?Found great new Firefox plug-in to monitor & check multiple Gmail accounts at same time at ? or ?Read great blog post on working at home with kids under 5 at (URL here)?

4. Ask a question. Need some ideas or some quick brainstorming? Twitter is an ideal place to gather opinions, i.e. ?Help! Desperately seeking new laser printer. Recommendations?? or ?How do I find training organizations online??

5. Conduct a survey. What do your Tweeps think about a particular issue? Ask them via Twitter, i.e. ?Quick poll: Do you get more clients from Facebook or Twitter? Respond at (URL here)?

6. Report on live events. The latest Twitter trend seems to be tweeting what?s happening at conferences or workshops. In order for Twitter users to follow a particular event, it?s usually referred to by a name preceded by a # sign, as in #JVAlert, for example, to make it simpler for people who want to follow those posts. So, if you were at an event, you might tweet ?#JVAlert John Smith speaking on affiliate programs. Just got great idea on training affiliate managers!? Just don?t get so wrapped up in tweeting that you ignore the content delivered in the conference!

7. Product or service launch. If you?re about to launch a new product or introduce a new product, let your Twitter followers know, i.e. ?Pre-launch pricing for new DVD set about how baby boomers can start an online biz. Get $100 early bird discount at (URL here)?

8. Responding to others with advice or answers. The way to build professional relationships on Twitter is to help your tweeps. So, if someone asks a question, comments about something to which you have a response or an idea, or you want to ask a followup question, this is the perfect place to do so.

9. Acknowledging new followers. I?ve noticed a recent trend of acknowledging people who?ve decided to follow a Twitter user in the past day or so. I initially thought that others were doing this as a measure of popularity, but what I?ve come to realize that it?s actually helping out the new followers because it exposes their Twitter profiles to others who may have never heard of them and who might like to follow them. So, to thank your followers, you?d tweet, ?Welcome new followers @twittername, @twittername, etc.?

10. Automate your tweets. Many of my tweets have been automated and connected to other things I do. TwitterFeed turns all of my blog posts into tweets. aWeber turns each ezine issue into a tweet. EzineArticles.com tweets my followers every time I publish an article through their service. Typically all that?s involved here is connecting the particular service to my Twitter account. Once all the services are connected, I get free and automated Twitter posts with no additional effort on my part.

Twitter can be a great time-waster or a wonderful way to market your business and leverage your expertise online. Follow these 10 strategies and you?ll begin to attract more followers and get more clients through social networking.

Team Double-Click?provides professional virtual office assistants and professional real estate virtual assistants for small and home-based businesses. We are a virtual staffing agency, working with thousands of the best professional virtual office assistants the world has to offer. Team Double-Click? offers its clients cost-effective solutions to inflexible bricks-and-mortar staffing by staffing virtually. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

One of my favorite quotes is something Bear Bryant said ?It’s not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.? While we all know you must first start by determining what your goals are, you need to do more than simply identify your goals. Whether it is a personal or business goal, sometimes what we seem to think is doable for the year becomes overwhelming when its time to actually get started. What would be the best way to break it down so that you can actualize your goal? You need to determine your plan of action that will get you there. Chunk it out. You can break it down by both actions and by time frames so that it has a level of measurability. Dream big. Don?t be afraid to reach for the moon, the stars and a few planets too. By breaking down your goals into quarterly, monthly and weekly time frames, you?ll be able to have greater focus on what needs to be done now without feeling overwhelmed by the big picture.

Try going about your goals like a NASCAR? pit crew. They look at the end of the race first (your goal for the end of the year) and work the plan backwards. They plan where each pit stop must be (each goal marker in your case) and where each tire change (more goal markers) must be in order to win the race. So they start with the end in mind. If your goal is to make a million dollars this year, you need to be at $250,000 by the end of March, $500,000 by the end of June, and $750,000 by the end of September in order to win the year at $1,000,000. So think like a NASCAR? pit crew and look at the end first and work backwards.

Think ahead. Don?t be afraid to seek help! If you are stuck knowing how to start or where to go next, get help. Ask your friends and colleagues. I have found that people are surprisingly happy and eager to share what they know. You can start by researching the internet. You can also talk to people you know. Look for networking groups/sites on the internet and find the discussion boards and start asking your questions. There is an incredible wealth of information right at your fingertips. Once you get started, stick to it and don?t sell yourself short! You are only limited by your imagination.

Track your progress. Ignorance is not bliss. You can?t get yourself back on track if you don?t know whether or not you?ve fallen off. What if you don?t have all the hours in the day to do take care of the tasks needed? Are you going to accept that as an excuse or are you going to do something about it? You know what I?m going to say next, right? Of course, if you don?t already have one, HIRE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT! If you already have a virtual assistant, are you maximizing her time and resources? If so, GREAT. If not, why not? Are you aware of all of her skills? Have you asked her how much time she has to offer you? Talk to her. Virtual assistants care deeply about the growth of your business. Your success is their success. Find out how your virtual assistant can help you meet your goals by talking to her. Share with her your plans and visions. Tap into her resources and if you need more assistance, don?t be shy about getting a 2nd virtual assistant!

To your success!

Ruthie Palmatier

Team Double-Click?We don’t just tell you where you can find a virtual assistant. We assess your needs and match you with one of our highly-skilled and Team Double-Click? trained virtual assistants. Then we monitor and nurture that relationship so you get the most out of hiring virtually. Think of us as your virtual Human Resources department!. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

Being a control freak isn?t as bad as it sounds. You just have to realize where your limits are and of course, it?s best if you can admit it so that you can begin to deal with it. And if you?re working with or for a control freak, you just need to know how to deal with us. Really, it is possible to overcome some of your control-freakishness and it is possible to work with us.

I?m going to wager that most control freaks are A-type personalities (or if you prefer to talk in terms of D.I.S.C. profiles – high Ds). That?s not all bad. It means we?re the ones who put ourselves out there on a daily basis, are driven, and make the world go ?round. We?re also very task oriented (e.g. get it done!). We?re usually very successful and we don?t give up until we?ve got what we want and then some.

So how did I get over my freakish side? Well, I didn?t and I don?t know if you ever really can ? it?s part of who you are. What I have done though is learn how to tame it so others can live with/around me. So how do I handle my freakish side? For one, I like lists. I make lists like you wouldn?t believe. Here a list, there a list, everywhere a list list. In fact, I?d be happy make a list for you now.

Tips to overcoming a little of the control freak in you:

1# It always makes me feel better, when giving instructions to someone, to write it all down. Every last detail of how I want whatever it is done. Then I feel that nothing is or will be missed.

2# Make your instructions clear and to the point. This should give you piece of mind that whomever you are delegating tasks to understands what you want done and how you want it done.

3# Take it one step further and have your virtual assistant repeat back those instructions. This is your assurance that s/he understands what you?re after and will help you trust him/her more.

4# Learn to trust. Okay, maybe not the first time you delegate a task to someone new. But certainly, after that person has successfully completed the tasks you delegated, and completed them to your wishes, you really CAN begin to let go and trust that they?ll do it ?correctly? each and every time.

5# Write it down. Write it ALL down! I?ve found that writing everything down helps me feel more like I?m in control so that freakish side doesn?t need to bare itself to the world quite so much. Take notes on your phone conversations, list out what you need to accomplish, write your instructions out, and so on.

6# Learn to let go. Really. Other people CAN do things as well as you can and sometimes even better ? even if they?re not an A-type, High-D, control freak!

7# Find a complimentary assistant. Find someone who is good at and enjoys the things you hate.

Working with a control freak:

1# Realize that we can?t help it.

2# Realize that we do our best to overcome.

3# Ask us for a list of what we need to have done.

4# Ask us HOW we?d like things done.

5# Write it down for us. If we give you a whole bunch of random stuff that needs to be done, write it down and email that list back to us. This way we can look it over, change our minds, add, and subtract and send it back to you.

6# Ask us questions about what we want and how we want it before we flit off on another subject. Keep asking until you have enough information from us to understand what we want.

7# Do what you say you are going to do. Nothing makes us run away faster than not doing what you say you are going to do.

8# We have to be able to trust you. You need to be honest EVERY time ? even if it means telling us what you think we don?t want to hear.

These tips should help you, the control freak, overcome that freakish side and for those of you working with us, maybe this will make it easier. We control freaks really aren?t as scary as it may seem.

Team Double-Click?provides professional virtual office assistants and professional real estate virtual assistants for small and home-based businesses. We are a virtual staffing agency, working with thousands of the best professional virtual office assistants the world has to offer. Team Double-Click? offers its clients cost-effective solutions to inflexible bricks-and-mortar staffing by staffing virtually. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

Let?s address the first hurdle of delegation. Can someone else do what I do as well as I can do it? The answer is yes. And the reason I say yes is because what we are talking about is not contract negotiations or other business building activities, but rather administrative support. Hiring a virtual assistant is all about giving you more time so you can focus on your area(s) of expertise; building your business. A virtual assistant isn?t there to take over the operation of your company. She is there to offer you an extra set of eyes, ears and hands so that you can gain more valuable time for either business or family matters.

The first step in moving forward and getting started with delegating is to start making a list of everything you do in your business. Have a notebook or mini-recorder and take notes of everything you do for a full week.

At the end of the week separate the tasks into two categories;

#1 ? those tasks that must absolutely be done by you and

#2 ? those tasks that someone else can do for you.

This seems simple and it actually is. Once you have your list sorted, take a look at the list of tasks that someone else can do for you and prioritize that list either by your sense of urgency or that which will free up the most of your time quickly. What is it that is going to help you the most? What will give you the most immediate benefit? Once you determine your starting point, call your virtual assistant and get started. Talk to your virtual assistant about your list. Discuss the individual tasks and also the big picture of how you see things down the road. Give her something to work on first. Please be careful not to give her the entire list of tasks to do all at once, as that may totally overwhelm her. Start off slow by giving her one or two tasks to work on. Once she completes those tasks, add something else. Before you know it, you?ll wonder what you ever did without her!

So, what if you are struggling with the thought of training an assistant? While initially it can take a great more time to train someone else, think of the big picture. Yes, it most likely will take more time than doing it yourself. Spend the time up front and train your virtual assistant to do it just like you do, then let her do it next time by herself! Once you experience the freedom of having someone else doing that task, it will be much easier next time. You won?t need to worry about how much training time is necessary. You?ll have real confirmation that this is of great value to you.

Speaking of training, I can?t stress enough the importance of documentation. As you start to train with your assistant, make sure that she documents the step-by-step instructions for each and every procedure. Have her email you each set of instructions. This gives you the chance to check for accuracy, ensuring all of the steps are included and in the proper order. Have your assistant compile each procedure into a single document, using a table of contents or index, essentially building you a training manual. This is such a great tool, that I can?t emphasize enough the value you will get down the road. In the future when your virtual assistant needs to take time off or is ill, someone else can fill in for her and everything is that much easier for both of you.

If you have any further questions about how to delegate to your virtual assistant, please give me a call. I?m happy to go over the steps or discuss any other aspect of working with a virtual assistant with you.

Team Double-click?The original and still the best:? Team Double-Click?s thorough virtual assistant screening process, outstanding customer service, and innovative approach to virtual staffing has earned the company mentions and features in such esteemed media as Entrepreneur Magazine, Staff Digest, CNN Money, NBC News, and even Woman?s Day magazine.? Team Double-Click? is truly setting the standard for the virtual assistant industry.. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

This morning I received an email from a client who was frustrated and wanted to cancel his account. Why? He says that he lost his faith in having new virtual assistant . He no longer sees the value. ?And why is that,? I asked? In this particular case, the VA did nothing wrong. The client was frustrated that his previous VA had been unable to continue working with him due to her personal and family issues and Mr. Client simply didn’t want to make the change. He dug in his heels and never gave his new virtual assistant a chance.

Unfortunately, even though we have dozens of retention measures in place with our VAs sometimes they still do leave us. In fact, we recently polled our former VAs to see what they were doing. Most of those that have left us didn?t leave because they went to another staffing agency. About 75% simply decided they didn?t want to be or were unable to be a VA any longer. Things change in people?s lives that are beyond our control or even their control such as weddings, children, aging parents, and illness and so on. Just as these things happen in the bricks-and-mortar world, they happen in the virtual world as well. When that happens we all have to move on. We locate another VA for you and you can go about incorporating her into your business. It?s really nothing personal ? VAs don?t leave, generally, because they don?t like you or Team Double-Click? so don?t take it personally.

Did you know that we do more than simply match you up with a virtual assistant? We are here to guide you through the process of getting started with a virtual assistant. We are also here after you get started and just want to ask a question or brainstorm a new project. We won?t leave you in the dark and abandoned. We help with the transition, coaching, training or whatever else might come up. Around here, customer service isn?t just lip service; when we say we want happy clients, we mean it! This is something I go over in extreme detail when I talk with new clients. So what happened for this particular client? Who knows. Some habits are hard to break and sometimes in the excitement of starting something new, we forget some of the other great information we learned once upon a time. Just know that we are here for you today and tomorrow and even next year.

If you are feeling frustrated or unsure how to use your virtual assistant, please tell us. You hired us to make your life easier so that you can have more time to focus on other areas of your business or your life. We are serious about providing our clients and our virtual assistants with all of the support we can possibly offer. Hold us to our word and call me today! I look forward to talking to you.

Team Double-Click?We don’t just tell you where you can find a virtual assistant. We assess your needs and match you with one of our highly-skilled and Team Double-Click? trained virtual assistants. Then we monitor and nurture that relationship so you get the most out of hiring virtually. Think of us as your virtual Human Resources department!. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

We?ve had a long running debate amongst our core staff about general worker etiquette. The ongoing topic is that some of the lack of etiquette we see on a daily basis is due to the Information Age itself. We?re so plugged in and turned on but somehow simple business etiquette is lost. Other core staff members make the point that right is still right and wrong is still wrong ? the generations and the Information Age just don?t matter.

Both points are right to some degree but maybe it?s time to go over what the rest of the world views as good etiquette and compare it to the emerging etiquette lapses of late. Things have changed, we totally agree. And for the most part, we like the changes. After all, were it not for the internet and all of the changes it brought, we would not happily work for the greatest virtual staffing agency in the world.

There have been several articles printed lately about ?the new workplace etiquette?. We?d like to explore some of the things many people find disturbing and see if we can?t meet in the middle. How about it? Shall we compromise and work together as a team?

Time Off

One item says you shouldn?t ask for time off ? you should just take it. As independent contractors, virtual assistants do have the right to take off whenever they want and shouldn?t have to answer to anyone. There?s asking as if you were a child asking permission of a parent to stay up late, ?Mr. Client can I take a vacation day??, which we agree, you shouldn?t have to do. But as business owners, we need to take the need of our clients into account and think about the inconveniences we might be causing them. Our job as successful virtual assistants is to take a personal stock in the success of our client?s company. If we don?t care about inconveniencing them, they are going to go to someone who will.

Why not try, ?Mr. Client, I plan on taking next Friday off to spend with my best friend. Will that cause you any inconvenience? If so, is there anything I can do prior to or after my day off to help you get through?? This way you are being considerate of your clients needs by informing them ahead of time. You are problem solving so that they are inconvenienced as little as possible, and your client feels like you care and is still considered the best business etiquette. The client is not going to say ?no, you can?t go?. They?re going to work with you because you worked with them. And it won?t leave a sour taste in their mouth over you. Try this approach next time and see if that client maintains a much better respect for you for it.

Meaningful Work

Okay, we can agree on this one. We don?t want to do anything that we don?t like either, and it can be challenging. As a virtual staffing agency, our company works hard to make good matches and find work that our independent contractors will enjoy, find meaningful, and want to stick with. We also fully describe each position to the best of our ability to give our virtual assistants the chance to turn the work down (before starting it) if it doesn?t appeal. BUT, if someone agrees to do something, good business etiquette dictates that you follow through and complete the task.

It?s still wrong to promise to do something, decide later that you don?t like it, and simply stop doing it. This is where opponents argue that wrong is still wrong. They?re totally right on this one. How would you like it if we said we would cook dinner for you, decide we didn?t want to do that anymore, and simply didn?t do it? You?d be expecting a nice meal, be ready to relax, and find out there is no food. You?d be upset. Think twice before doing the same to someone else ? either business or personal.

Feel Good

We?ve all heard someone say ?This work just doesn?t make me feel good?. That someone is probably right. Their not going to get warm fuzzy feelings from a hard days work all of the time. We?re not surprised. Especially working from home, sometimes we have unrealistic expectations of what our day is really going to be like. If you researched the internet before applying to work at home I?m sure that you found a lot of information describing working from home as relaxing and painting the picture of you, sitting in your favorite chair, chatting on the phone on occasion and watching TV.

Maybe you just found out that working from home is just as much work as working in corporate America and you?re a little disillusioned. Sorry. It?s a tough wake up call. Maybe you wanted to work in theory, but expected it to be easier than a ?real? office?

Try taking a step back on this one. Although we can definitely agree that our work doesn?t always cause those warm feelings, and it may not be as easy as you anticipated, you are providing a service that makes it possible for your clients to be able to run their own businesses, get clients, keep clients, and make money. That should produce a great feeling. You are making it possible for people to live their dreams while you live out yours. If that isn?t enough, even though it isn?t easy, you are making it possible for your family to earn money, raise children, and still be home. You are also not in a suit and tie every day trying to climb the corporate ladder, shipping your children off to daycare, and seeing them at bedtime. A friend of Angel?s says that ?If it feels like work, you are probably doing it right.?

Do you suppose your mom thought it fun to change the sheets on your bed? Wash your stinky gym socks? Run you around to every event you could find to participate in? Guaranteed she didn?t. But it?s all stuff that needed to be done.

Yes, work does need to be overall enjoyable; but there will always be aspects of any job that aren?t fun. Work is about making money, being responsible, and putting food on the table. Fun is what comes after work. Work makes fun possible not the other way around.

I was speaking recently with a woman we met while swimming at the pool. She is a housekeeper for a local hotel and mentioned that recently a group of motocross riders had been staying there. I commented that the extra dirt must have been awful. Her comment, ?It?s been really busy and yes, a lot more dirt, but at least its work and I?m making money.? Amen sister! She?s earning a living without asking for handouts.

A Little Notice Please?

Bear with us here, we?re old school. In the old days (back when we milked the dinosaurs before we walked up hill both directions to and from school) business etiquette said giving two weeks notice when leaving a position was the absolute minimum. Somehow we?ve gone from two weeks to zero minutes in nothing flat. Come on, this really puts clients in a bind. As we try to work with you and your unique needs, we give you most of the concessions you ask for: flexibility, more pay, more likeable jobs, and so on.

Give us a chance to get our feet under us and find someone qualified to take over where you left off before you take off on to a new venture? Thanks! We really appreciate when you do that.

But I Can?t Do It

Yes, you can. Don?t give up so easy. Read the help file, search online, and find a resource that shows you how to do what you need to do. You have the resources and the ability. We know you do. If you try to find out how to do it and can?t, ask for help. Email a mentor. Call a core team member. Call the software?s help desk. We don?t bite, we promise.

LOL BRB I?m OTP

We know it is easier to abbreviate everything and forget grammar, punctuation, and everything else you learned in English class. When communicating with a client, assume they won?t understand what you are saying unless you spell it out. You?ll save yourself time, frustration, and having to redo your work if you spell it out the first time. You?ve been typing since before you could write.

Understanding

There are several things about our new Information World that we can empathize with, understand, and totally agree with.

• Face Time. We hear you: We don?t do face time either. We?re certainly not going to show up just so you can see our smiling faces unless there?s something in it for us. We realize you don?t have to be face-to-face to get work done and get things accomplished. At Team Double-Click? we?re working hard to get our clients to realize you?re not going to play that game. You?re going to get your work done and move on.
• The Speed of the Internet. We?re with you. We want our information and we want it now. We don?t want to wait for it. When we?ve made up our minds on something, it?s time to act on it ? not wait for the ink to dry. Recently, someone actually told us that ?they couldn?t move at the speed of the internet?. Our first thought was, ?what? Are you kidding? Get moving!?
• Problem Solving. Generation Y has the technological ability to solve problems in ways we haven?t thought of before. We missed the computer programming class in high school and the typewriters were the kind that didn?t even use electricity. We were learning to walk up hill both ways to school and carrying water for baths. We know that you can fix problems in ways that we haven?t thought of and we appreciate it when you make suggestions.
• Thank you, you?ve been working hard and we appreciate it. It always feels great to be noticed, acknowledged and appreciated. We like it too. You aren?t alone on that one by a long shot.
• If my way takes an hour, why waste three days? Yes. Sometimes there are faster ways to do old stuff. It drives us nuts when someone asks us to type each email address individually when there is software on my computer that will get those same addresses in 5 minutes, and format them to look pretty. We love it! Be patient with your clients who have to be reminded how to send an email. You may have to explain how your way is faster if you want to do it that way, and it may take a couple tries.
• We want to be friends. It?s great when you can work with someone that you have a friendship. It can be nice to chat about your day and network. We like it too. Just remember, not all clients are going to be your friend. We don?t want you to get your feelings hurt by expecting it.
  Thank you!

We know that you work hard for clients and we appreciate it. We know you are one of the best out there, that?s why you are here. Not everyone is guilty of forgetting etiquette rules, and we know we are guilty of breaking etiquette rules on occasion too. In fact, we?ve been guilty ourselves on occasion, LOL. But, work with us, we will keep doing our very best to find the right clients, give you the hours you want, in the jobs you want. You take note if there is an area you can work on and try to do better. After all, that?s what good teams do.

Team Double-Click?The original and still the best:? Team Double-Click?s thorough virtual assistant screening process, outstanding customer service, and innovative approach to virtual staffing has earned the company mentions and features in such esteemed media as Entrepreneur Magazine, Staff Digest, CNN Money, NBC News, and even Woman?s Day magazine.? Team Double-Click? is truly setting the standard for the virtual assistant industry.. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

Almost 14 years ago, Jim, my now husband and business partner and I were married in the beautiful little mountain town of Ouray (pronounced you-ray) in Colorado. I?d seen the town and fallen in love with it when I was a teenager and I somehow convinced him to get married there, site unseen. Well, he fell in love with the town too. Since that day 14 years ago, it?s been our dream to live in Ouray. For many years we couldn?t do it. We were tied to typical corporate jobs, desks, land line phones, a business that at the time wasn?t mobile, and all of the other things we Americans tie ourselves to. It just wasn?t possible.

Last year, while vacationing in Ouray, it was nearly unbearable for us to leave. Our business was mobile (I?ll get to that in a minute) so our biggest problem with making a cross country move like we were proposing was school for our daughter who would be entering 6th grade that fall.

We started looking into home schooling and any other options we could find. We found an online (virtual) grade school, middle school, and high school called Christa McAuliffe Academy http://www.cmacademy.org. We enrolled our daughter and started making plans to move to Colorado.

So in addition to our business being ?virtual? our daughter?s school is virtual as well. Heck, we?re a totally virtual family! We could work and school from Timbuktu if we wanted to, if they had internet connection there of course.

Back to our business being virtual. What many of you may not know is that Team Double-Click? is 100%, purely, totally, and undeniably virtual. The company has but two employees ? me and my husband and we both work from offices located in our home. Because we both talk so much and so loud, yes, we have separate offices or I?m afraid we?d strangle each other! As for our ?core staff? as we refer to them, they?re located all over the country and work from their home offices. They?re contracted ? not employees and they work in places like Florida, Missouri, California, Idaho, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona, and many other states. So true to what we preach as a virtual staffing agency, we are 100% virtual.

To facilitate the virtual atmosphere and the virtual working environment, we utilize virtual phone systems, virtual fax systems, online accounting programs, online CRM programs, and rely heavily on email, instant messenger, and the telephone to communicate and carry on our day-to-day business. Editor?s note: If you?d like more information on the components Team Double-Click? uses to facilitate their virtual office, such as fax and phone systems, check out Gayle?s article Setting Up Your Virtual Office at http://virtualassistants.lakho.com/2008/08/setting-up-your-virtual-office/.

So what all of this virtual stuff means is that we can very easily go to conferences and work while we?re away ? provided we have an internet connection. When we were in the process of moving, we kept in touch by stopping along the way to check email and of course we spoke to our staff via cell phone regularly. We can easily vacation most any time we?d like (though we tend not to because we enjoy our work), again because we can connect anytime via the internet and phone!

The virtual aspects of our life are so liberating and so freeing because we can literally pick up and go anywhere, anytime we want to without worrying about phones going unanswered, about who will open the office, who will do this and who will do that. Our virtual-ness also made our move from Wisconsin to Colorado a breeze!

If you?re at all hesitant about making your company ?virtual?, or working virtually, any one of our core staff members, virtual assistants, or clients would be happy to tell you how great and how freeing it is. Additionally, our core staff are more than happy to help you take the steps to make it happen and show you the ropes. I encourage everyone to start enjoying the added freedom you deserve as an American and work virtually!

About the author:
Gayle Buske is the co-founder, president and CEO of Team Double-Click?, the country?s foremost virtual staffing agency. As the head of a virtual staffing agency with over 22,000 virtual professionals in its pool, Ms. Buske is uniquely qualified to aid clients? growth through virtual outsourcing as well as speak to the ins and outs of the industry. Gayle enjoys spending her free time with her husband, business and life partner, Jim, their daughter Madison, practicing Yoga, reading, hiking, flower gardening, and playing with the family?s three dogs and two cats.

Team Double-Click? provides virtual assistance for small and home-based businesses. Visit Team Double-Click?s Web site at http://www.teamdoubleclick.com or click on the banner:

Setting up a virtual office can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but once you embrace the idea and get a feel for the logistics, it?s really quite easy. With today?s technologies and the use of a virtual staffing agency, such as Team Double-Click?, there really are no boundaries. And just think – with a virtual office you can spend more time with your family, work from almost anywhere, and your clients never need know you don?t have an office downtown, if you prefer them not to know. We know many small business owners who proudly tout the fact they are 100% virtual – it?s a bragging right after all. How many people do you know who have that kind of flexibility and low overheads? The numbers are growing, but we?re still an envied few in the grand scheme of the workplace.

Overcoming Commonly-Perceived Hurdles

There are several tasks and items most often viewed as hurdles to working virtually, utilizing a virtual assistant, and maintaining a virtual office. Let?s explore those hurdles and how to overcome them, and have you on your way to setting up a 100% virtual office. Fortunately, all of the commonly-perceived hurdles to working virtually and working with a virtual assistant (VA) can be overcome with relative ease.

Getting the Phones Answered (By Someone Who Is Not You!)

Your VA can answer and direct calls for you quite simply. We recommend a system called Freedom Voice . It?s a virtual phone system that allows your callers? calls to be answered by your VA regardless of where she is in the country. Through the phone system, she can answer in your company name (it alerts her that the call is coming from your business), handle those calls that she?s able to handle, and transfer calls to you or other staff members as necessary.

Team Double-Click? employs this very phone system with great success, as have many of our clients. Even though we are located in places such as Wisconsin, California, North Carolina, California, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, and Florida, the Freedom Voice system makes it all seem like we?re sitting in the same central office.

And just as important – your assistant can set the system up so that it only rings to your (or her) office during the hours you choose. So if your office hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, you don?t have to hear the phone ringing during off hours – those calls will go to voice mail where your assistant can retrieve them in the morning. The system can also ?hunt? for you if you?re on the road a lot. Again, your assistant simply programs in all of the phone numbers you want to be located at. The system will first try, for example, your home office number; if it doesn?t find you there, it will try your cell phone, and so on until it runs out of numbers. If it does run out of numbers to try, it will transfer the caller into voice mail so you never miss a call.

Faxing – Most Importantly Having Your Assistant Fax For You

A virtual fax is essential so you don?t have to be the only one who can send and receive faxes. There are two companies we recommend using simultaneously for faxing to and from your virtual office.

The?company we recommend is eFax . With eFax you can SEND X number of faxed pages per month for a flat fee (starting at $19.95/month).

You should set up your letterhead and signatures, etc. so that your published fax number is the Packetel number because of the unlimited inbound capability. Packetel, though, doesn?t allow for outgoing faxes. That?s why we recommend eFax. Because both fax systems are virtual, your VA can fax anything you need. And you can fax files to her for processing very easily since they come in electronically. Just hang on to your hard-line fax machine and you can fax to your Packetel fax number and your VA will receive that information as a picture file in an email. She can process this paperwork or send it on to someone else just as if you simply passed the paperwork across your desk to her.

Order Fulfillment

Order fulfillment is perhaps one of the most often commonly-encountered perceived hurdles to working virtually, yet one of the easiest to overcome. A real estate mentor client of Team Double-Click? handles his order fulfillment for mentoring materials, workbooks, manuals, and CD?s by having his virtual assistant handle them for him.

His virtual assistant orders his printed and audio materials for him from his print shop and CD duplication company. When the VA orders, the VA has all of the finished products shipped to his/her own home office, where the VA assembles them into the appropriate packets. As orders come in, the VA boxes them up and sends them off to the mentor?s students via UPS.

Through UPS online your company can maintain an account, which the virtual assistant can use to have your orders shipped to your clients. If you haven?t checked out UPS online lately, please do. Their rates are very reasonable. They will come right to your virtual assistant?s door to pick up those packages (thus saving you the cost of having your VA run to the post office), all your ship-to addresses are stored in the system for future retrieval, and best of all, your assistant can print shipping labels right from the web site. She can even choose to have the receiver notified via email when the package is shipped, and choose to receive notification them self when the package is delivered. This makes for great tracking ability!

Order fulfillment for your company may also mean sending out paper-packets of information to clients or potential clients. This is actually simpler than sending packages of books and CD?s. All you need to do is forward your electronic copies of those documents to your virtual assistant. Your VA can print them off, put them in an envelope, and mail them to whomever you wish. The VA will ask you for reimbursement for the supplies, and of course, charge you for the time, but it?s done and you didn?t have to handle a single piece of paperwork.

If you want to take order fulfillment one step further and eliminate the need for you to personally touch any of the orders, have your ordering system notify your virtual assistant when the order comes in. Your VA will take care of the entire process and you don?t have to manage or touch any of it.

Your virtual assistant can also send these items via fax to your clients, if needed.

Transferring Large Files

Have a file that you need your VA to work on, but it?s too big to send through email? Piece of cake. There are two services we recommend for very easy file upload and subsequent download by your virtual assistant or a business associate. Both offer free accounts and both work very well. They are:

Save File and Send This File

Filing

Oh yes, now your virtual assistant really can do your filing for you! It?s all a matter of remaining paperless. If you keep everything as an electronic file or picture file you can easily be 100% paperless – no more papers piling up on your desk, no more buying case upon case of copy paper!

Now, for your virtual assistant to actually do the filing, you will need an online or virtual filing system. The one Team Double-Click? recommends is through Xdrive. For just $10 per month you can store up to 5GB of files! You and your virtual assistant can both access your files similar to accessing a common file cabinet in the office or a shared hard drive.

You can simply forward your electronic files to her as needed, and she can file them away into the appropriate folders on Xdrive. Viola – your filing is virtually done.

This also accomplishes off-site storage and provides for easy retrieval in the event of a fire, computer crash, or natural disaster.

Sending Gifts and Cards

How often do you send cards and gifts to clients for special occasions – birthdays, holidays, births, get well wishes, etc.?

There are lots of new and innovative services out there these days that make sending gifts and cards to clients and potential clients a breeze.

One of our favorites for sending flowers is Flowers Across America. You can go to the web site, look over the options and instruct your VA to send XYZ arrangement to Jane Client – quick and easy.

To send greeting cards to clients we like Send Out Cards (use id number 9482 to receive any special promotions). The cards look fabulous and very professional. Here?s how it works: you ask your VA to send a get well card to John Client, your VA goes to Send Out Cards, chooses an appropriate card, enters the receiver?s address, types in the message you want to see on the card, and completes the order. The folks at Send Out Cards print and personalize the card, put it in an envelope, address it, stamp it, and send it off to the receiver. Cards can be purchased for as little as about $1 a piece – a third of the cost of picking up a greeting card at the card shop. And again – you didn?t have to take the time to go to the store, write on the card, put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and walk it to the mailbox – it?s all done for you!

There is no limit to the kinds of gifts you can buy online and have shipped to your desired recipient. Just a few of our favorites:

Vermont Teddy Bear Company
Longaberger Baskets
Yankee Candles
Ghirardelli Chocolates
California Wine Country Gift Baskets
Gift Tree
Bed Bath and Beyond
Pier 1 Imports
Gift Certificates
A Southern Season
With any of these services you can either opt to maintain an account of your own and ask your VA to login with your account info or you can ask your VA to set up their own account, do the ordering, and charge you back for the costs.

File Collaboration

Again, technology comes to the rescue. It?s very easy, these days, to work on the same document along with your virtual assistant. For smaller documents simply emailing the document to the virtual assistant so they can make updates and such works well. Be sure to use MS Word?s ?track changes? function (?tools?, ?track changes?) so each of you knows what changes the other has made.

For larger documents or those in which you need more than two people collaborating, there are two great services we recommend.

LapLink ShareDirect is a great tool for going paperless. It allows instant sharing of any folder on your PC with one or thousands of users, without ever having to change or manage your Internet, firewall, or router configurations. And it is 256-bit encrypted!
Groove Networks (also note that Groove will be available with MS Office 2007).
Calendar and Outlook Contact Sharing

There?s a great company who has designed a software program which allows you to share your Outlook contacts and calendar with your virtual assistant and vice versa. The program plugs right into your Outlook so when your VA adds a new contact for you, you will automatically receive that contact?s info. Your VA can make changes to your calendar and schedule appointments and they will appear in your calendar. Check out www.4Team.biz.

Meeting With Clients and Virtual Staff

In some cases, of course, you?ll need to visit the client or a business prospect in person to seal a deal. But for the most part, many of your meetings with both staff and clients can easily be handled from a distance. Try these services:

Conference calls: www.freeconferencecall.com. With FreeConferenceCall you can have as many as 99 people on the line at once. Everyone dials into the main conference call line where you can hold meetings, conduct teleseminars, coach, train, or teach.
Online meetings: www.gotomeeting.com. For a few dollars a month you can make use of Go To Meeting, which allows you to simultaneously ?meet? with clients or associates via the web. When you set up a meeting you will be given a conference call line for all attendees to dial in and hear you speak, along with being able to allow them to see your computer screen while you talk. This lets you demonstrate or train on software or show a PowerPoint presentation from the comfort of your own desk and without the travel costs.
Contact Relationship Management (CRM)

Of course, if you wish to have your virtual assistant enter leads into your database, or help with contact relationship management, you?ll need something that?s accessible to both of you. We recommend:

Sales Force
cBiz (this system is designed for staffing but is fully customizable and has many possible applications)
SalesNexus (fee is one year at a time but it works out to about $40 per month per user)
Top Producer (for real estate)
Constant Contact
Bookkeeping, Paying Bills

So many people don?t know exactly how to have someone work virtually on their bookkeeping. There are a couple of options that make this task so much easier than it ever used to be.

The first option we recommend is keeping your QuickBooks program on your own desktop. Then allow your virtual bookkeeper to dial in and view your desktop and perform the bookkeeping remotely. For this we recommend LapLink Everywhere which includes remote desktop search from any Web-enabled device (powered by Google Desktop Search) LapLink Everywhere lets you choose how you want to work and which device with internet access you want to use to access your PC. It?s easy and fast to set up and simple to use.

QuickBooks also offers an online bookkeeping package which works wonderfully. See what they have to offer at http://quickbooks.intuit.com.

You can use your virtual fax, email, or snail mail to send receipts and such to your virtual bookkeeper for processing. If you choose fax or e-mail, your VA will simply destroy those copies after processing. If you mail them to your VA, they will mail them back for safe keeping after being processed.

Transaction Management (For Real Estate)

Team Double-Click? recently partnered with a fantastic company. They are an online transaction management system called RELAY?. Team Double-Click? has a partnership with the company and as long as you?re using Team Double-Click?s VA services, we can give you free access to the platform. If you?d like to learn more in-depth about RELAY?, please visit www.rebt.com or any of our sales associates would be happy to give you a private demo.

In a nutshell, RELAY? was designed for real estate agents but works equally well for real estate investors. It?s a secure, online area where all documents involved in the transaction (so all of your purchase papers, inspections, literally everything) are stored. You and your VA would have access, via secure login, to view, manipulate, and send those documents to whomever necessary.

What we?d suggest to make your life easier is to have your VA be the person to whom all documents are always sent. Your VA receives them via fax and uploads them to your RELAY? system. You can go in at any time and view those documents, print them, etc. When the time comes to send those docs somewhere (to a lender, broker, etc.) the VA can send them directly from the RELAY? system either via fax or email – eliminating the need for you to ever touch them.

The one time you may need to touch the documents would be to print something to sign it. But again, you can simply fax it to your assistant (via your Packetel account) and they?ll upload it. Through RELAY? you can (or the VA can) pick and choose who is able to view what. So let?s say you have a loan application that you want only the lender and not the broker to see. That?s no problem – the VA marks that person as allowed to see the document (you and your VA can see everything by default). Your VA also sets up a temporary user account (also free) for the lender. Lender receives their own unique login, able to view only that particular transaction and only the documents the VA has given access to. Lender can then print their own documents if need be.

Keeping track of every transaction is exactly the kind of thing RELAY? is built to handle. One thing we like is its ability to keep track of multiple revisions to documents. Let?s say you have a document called Offer to Purchase that is connected to one property. That document later gets revised to modify contingencies, etc. The VA uploads the document again and RELAY? automatically assigns it a version number so you always know which version is the most recent. Plus, you can still look back at earlier versions as reference, if needed.

Armed And Ready To Be Virtual

These are our most commonly-encountered perceived-hurdles to working virtually. Now that you?re armed with how to overcome these, most anything else is certainly possible.

Of course, there are a few added monthly expenses ($19.95 for eFax, $3.95 for Packetel, $19.99 for FreedomVoice, etc.). But add those up and weigh them against renting an office space and you?ve just saved hundreds of dollars a month! And don?t forget…hire your virtual assistant and they can help you get all of these virtual office components set up!

Team Double-Click? provides virtual assistance for small and home-based businesses. Visit Team Double-Click?s Web site at http://www.teamdoubleclick.com or click on the banner: