5 Things to Avoid When Making a Work Presentation for the First Time

Posted by Mica Harvey / News

5 Things to Avoid When Making a Work Presentation for the First Time

Making a presentation in front of a group of people takes work. At first, the fear of public speaking can often get in the way and make you question your ability to be prepared for such an event. 

There is always a catch-22 between self-confidence and stage fright. If you don’t feel confident enough to give the presentation, it will show in your body language (and voice). Yet how will you gain confidence if you don’t go through with it? 

So let’s look at what you should avoid when giving a work presentation for the first time.

See: Tools/Resources

1. Being Too Wordy

If you’re new to making presentations, it can be tempting to pack in as much information as possible. But that’s not how to make an excellent first impression—and it’s ineffective for conveying information. 

You want your audience to walk away with a clear understanding of what your project is and why it matters, and you can’t do that if you’re constantly stopping to explain yourself or repeat yourself. 

So feel free to trim down your presentation! You might have a lot of vital information to include, but there are ways of doing this without being too wordy or repetitive. 

Consider using visuals like charts or graphs to illustrate concepts that might take too long to explain just using words alone; these can also help break up chunks of text so they feel more varied.

2. Lack of Preparation

Knowing what to prepare for your work presentation can be hard when starting. You don’t want to overdo it and look like you’re trying too hard, but at the same time, you want to make sure that your presentation is as strong as possible—and that means doing some research beforehand.

To avoid this first pitfall, take a few minutes before your presentation to make a checklist of topics you want to cover. Then, use the checklist as a guide while preparing your slides and practicing your speech, or you can try presentation skills training in London to better understand how you should make your presentation. This will ensure that you get everything necessary!

3. Not Knowing Your Audience

Not knowing your audience is the biggest mistake when making a work presentation for the first time. It would be best to consider who will be in the room and their expectations. 

If it’s your boss or an executive, they may already have a lot of knowledge about your topic and won’t appreciate being bored by a lot of detail. 

If it’s someone new to the case, they may need to learn what you’re talking about and will need clarification on jargon or any technical terms. Think about how much context they need before jumping into the meat of your talk.

4. Over Complicating Things

If you’re making a work presentation for the first time, it’s easy to let nerves get the best of you. You’re worried about making a mistake or looking like an idiot—which can lead to over-complicating things. Please don’t do it!

It’s OK if your presentation could be better or has all the bells and whistles. Your audience will appreciate that you’re trying instead of just presenting them with something written by someone else and polished until it shines like a piece of jewelry.

Remember: they want to hear from you because they believe in your words. Refrain from over-complicating things; keep it simple and focus on your message.

5. Boring Your Audience

When presenting a work presentation for the first time, it can be tempting to talk as much as possible. You want to make sure that you get all your points across!

But don’t do it.

The most important thing is to keep your audience engaged and interested. If they’re bored, they won’t be listening, and they won’t be paying attention. 

Hiding behind the screen is an excellent way to avoid boring people, but it worsens things. The audience will look at their watches instead of listening to what you say!

So what should you do? Ensure your slides are short and sweet—no more than 6-8 sentences per slide. Make sure your content is easy to read: no overly complicated charts or graphs that make it hard for people to follow along. 

And make sure that you have some fun facts or jokes up your sleeve: these will keep people engaged and entertained while also helping them remember what they just heard!

Conclusion

These five strategies are perfect for people new to making business presentations or who want suggestions for improving their next presentation. Consider incorporating these ideas into your presentation, and see how much it improves. 

After all, an excellent presentation is just one aspect that will make a positive difference in your career—and the best part is anyone can learn those skills with the help of these tips.

 

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Freelance Virtual Assistant Service Online – Pros And Cons

Posted by Mica Harvey / News

It might sometimes feel like you’re juggling a million things at once when your firm expands. Managing meetings, reports, new business, and ongoing management responsibilities may be quite time-consuming and detrimental to your total productivity. That has long-term effects on both you and your company, and juggling so many obligations may be challenging.

If this is you, hiring an online virtual assistant can ease your obligations and allow you to concentrate on more important activities. You may gain freedom over your day by outsourcing a portion of your to-do list.

If you’re unsure whether a virtual assistant is the correct choice for you, we’ll go through some of the pros and cons of employing one.

Pros of Hiring a Virtual Assistant

Self-Taught

When you work for yourself, you are often required to improve your abilities by enrolling in coaching programmes or courses. VAs are naturally specialized in the disciplines they work in or the services they provide. By consistently honing their abilities and being active, they will frequently be proficient in a certain field or work.

Specialized Knowledge

Depending on whether you require a jack-of-all-trades or a more specialized virtual assistant, like VAs for digital marketing or VAs for real estate, you will need to decide whether to engage one.

In general, VAs continue to work for themselves since they are true authorities in their fields.

Therefore, if you are employing a web designer or web developer, for instance, you often do not have to give them detailed instructions; they may do the task by simply hearing your vision and your desired result.

The majority of them are resourceful as well, so if there are any things they don’t know, they will have a team behind them that can answer any questions they may have about how to complete their jobs. A virtual assistant company is assumed to be competent in their fields, thus they do not require guidance.

Payment Based on Output

VAs tend to favour remuneration based on production. Because they are more concerned with the end result, their clients do not have to pay them on an ongoing basis unless it was specified in the agreement.

For instance, they will complete your website or social media since they just think about the end result. If you are interested in anything more continuing, the arrangement will be different. The bottom line is that independent contractors will simply complete and prepare tasks for clients.

It’s another thing to consider when you wish to adjust, modernize, or enhance the work that has already been completed. You will have more flexibility if you hire online virtual assistance since you won’t be tied to them; you may decide whether to continue using their services or not.

Cons of Hiring a Virtual Assistant

Working with a virtual assistant may have drawbacks. By defining communication strategies early on and offering training for the business tools being used at the outset, most of it can be avoided. It may be quite helpful to know the benefits and drawbacks of working with a virtual assistant so you know what to anticipate.

Communication May Be Challenging

Working together might be challenging, at least initially, if there are not enough in-person encounters. This is especially problematic if there are language problems or if your respective time zones are different.

In addition, if the virtual assistant has the necessary knowledge, managing technological problems and misunderstandings might be difficult.

In many respects, these difficulties are no different from those encountered with onboarding any new executive assistant, but in a virtual setting without the benefit of visual cues, it is more crucial than ever that an executive clearly articulate their objectives and preferred working method.

Assigning Tasks

It might be challenging to employ virtual assistant support to undertake something that you are so used to doing yourself, like managing your social media. Sometimes it takes time to develop trust and confidence in the virtual executive assistant to get the job done.

Or it could just be tough to first relinquish power, particularly if you don’t know the person well. Hiring a virtual assistant with excellent credentials and references might help to alleviate this since it will offer you confidence in their work ethic and level of quality.

Perhaps More Oversight Is Required

Due to their prior remote expertise, the majority of virtual assistants can quickly get started and meet deadlines as necessary. However, some VAs could require more guidance or management, particularly in the start, to manage their workload and comprehend what is expected of them, which may require more of your time at first.

Is It Right for You to Hire a Virtual Assistant?

As you can see, the virtual assistant service offers a lot of benefits and drawbacks, so you should carefully consider whether employing a virtual assistant agency is the best course of action for you. Think about the economics of your company, your work-life balance, the amount of space you now occupy, and the jobs an assistant may aid with.

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PureDome

Posted by Mica Harvey / Resources/Tools

PureDome is introduced newly with the emergence of securing various online business platforms through a robust VPN solution. It aims to create a digital passage to enhance team connectivity, streamline data access control, and boost the network security of businesses. PureDome’s overall approach follows the principle of raising your business efficiency globally, helping multiple businesses and organizations to meet their cybersecurity goals in the best possible ways. 

See also: Tools/Resources

About PureDome

PureDome is a secure connectivity solution specifically designed to enhance network security for businesses. It simplifies access management, granting authorized team members exclusive access to company assets.

By integrating essential elements of user roles, such as secure remote access, data access control, and team management, into a unified cloud platform, PureDome simplifies network infrastructure management and centralizes operations for businesses.

Authorized users can securely access the corporate network from anywhere using secure remote access provided by PureDome. It also offers 24/7 support via live chat and ticket support, ensuring businesses have access to expert assistance whenever needed. 

How Can PureDome Help Virtual Assistant Services?

PureDome enables organizations to effortlessly onboard virtual assistants while maintaining compliance with regulations like HIPAA for the healthcare industry. 

This is accomplished through the following:

  • Administrators have the ability to assign a unique IP address to each virtual assistant, ensuring proper identification and control.
  • Robust encryption techniques help establish a secure VPN tunnel from the virtual assistant’s device to a private gateway. This guarantees that all data transmitted between the virtual assistant’s machine and the gateway is fully encrypted and protected.
  • Admins can monitor connection timestamps and logs to track and review the virtual assistant’s activities.

By implementing these measures, PureDome creates a seamless and secure environment for virtual assistants within organizations, prioritizing compliance and data protection. 

PureDome Features

PureDome is designed for industries like Healthcare, Finance, IT Services, Manufacturing, Retail & Consumer Services, Education, Law Firms, Advertising and Media, Small and Medium Businesses, and Travel. 

Its features include:

Secure Remote Access

PureDome ensures secure remote access to internal resources and cloud-based applications through client applications and gateways.

Network Segmentation

PureDome enables organizations to segment their network resources, creating isolated environments based on logical groupings.

Dedicated IPs for Individual Customers

PureDome provides dedicated IPs for each customer, ensuring personalized and exclusive network access. 

User & Device Management

The platform allows users to define access policies, enforce multi-factor authentication and manage user roles to boost security. 

Centralized Management & Analytics

With PureDome, administrators have a centralized management console where they can configure and monitor their network security settings.

What Are The Pricing Plans of PureDome?

The pricing model of PureDome lets customers flexibly create their plan with a lower minimum seat requirement compared to other providers. At the time of publishing, they have the below price plans:

  1. Free Trial: 30-Day Free Trial
  2. Team Members: $8.45 per license per month and requires a minimum of 5 licenses
  3. Dedicated IP: $7 per month
  4. Dedicated Gateways: $50 per month

Alternatives For PureDome

Searching on the Internet, you may come across multiple service providers. Take a look at our Tools/Resources page. Research the options carefully and choose the best one to suit your requirements.

Your Turn

Have you used the services from PureDome before? Share your experience with us so we can make better decisions.  

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3 Easy Steps for Effective Delegation

Posted by Mica Harvey / News

What Is Delegation And Why Is It Important?

According to Harvard Business School Online, delegation is the transfer of power and accountability for certain duties, choices, or actions from one person (often a leader or management) to another. Although that is generally the definition of the phrase that most people have in mind, some people define it more specifically.
Delegation does not appear the same in every circumstance. Many factors influence what to delegate, when to delegate, to whom, and how the leader-subordinate relationship will evolve throughout the course of the project.
Maximizing personal productivity and demonstrating to your team that you have confidence in them by delegating critical work are the two key benefits of delegation. By delegating well, you may work as a team to accomplish more than you could on your own. The total is stronger than the individual.

When Should You Delegate?

It’s critical to understand when to begin delegating work before learning the specifics of how to do so. The following are some indicators that it’s time to start assigning some of your responsibilities and projects to others:
● Simply put, you don’t have enough time to finish all that’s been put in front of you.
● The task would be best handled by another employee of the company.
● Helping a teammate achieve more expertise in a certain area is something you’d like to do.
● You want to rearrange your schedule because new, more important priorities need to be addressed.

3 Easy Steps for Effective Delegation

1. Prepare – Making the process work is the responsibility of the delegator, not the employee. Before even discussing a project or job with an employee, the manager should fully comprehend and explain the project’s goals, expectations, and final results. The manager must also understand where and when there is potential for creativity.
Make a list of your high-level objectives for the coming month or quarter. Then, break down those larger goals into smaller segments, stating the daily and weekly chores required to reach the larger goals. It’s simpler to decide what may and should be delegated once you have a thorough running inventory of all your tasks and responsibilities.

2. Assign Tasks and Confirm Understanding –To ensure that the employee comprehends the information, have him or her repeat it back to you. You’ll inevitably discover gaps that need to be filled. Alternatively, you may need to adjust your teaching method for a certain team member. This process takes time, but it ensures that the project will be completed correctly.

Progress reviews are often avoided by managers who don’t want to appear to be micromanaging. However, checkups offer a time for both parties to inspect project clarifications and ask questions before things goes south. Scheduling meetings initially regularly, then less frequently can be more productive and can promote agility and effectivity.

3. Track Progress and Show Appreciation – After assigning your team members their tasks, it’s very important that their progress is recognized. You can ask them if there are any resources they might need to further improve their projects or you can help and support them with roadblocks.

Routine Reporting

Show your appreciation by giving them rewards or incentives. This can either be done by sending out an email to everyone in your organization, organizing a team event, or simply congratulating the person. Employees feel more valued when their efforts are recognized therefore, they become inspired and more enthusiastic to work. Team cohesion and motivation are essential for productivity. After tracking progress, celebrating success is crucial. By incorporating affordable recognition awards on Successories into your appreciation methods, you cultivate an environment of gratitude. This not only boosts morale but also inspires employees to strive for excellence.

Conclusion

By delegating well in the office, you will free up your time as a manager to focus on more essential projects and strategic responsibilities. You will also help grow and develop other members of your team.
Proper delegation can not only motivate people, but also make them feel included, contribute to their professional development, and utilize the skills of your team. When employees are given the opportunity to test their talents at work, their loyalty and productivity are more likely to improve, rather than decrease.

 

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Perks Of Having An Online Virtual Assistant

Posted by Mica Harvey / News

Do you feel as though the day is never long enough to do everything?

Are there requirements to maintain a website on a personal and professional level?

Time to contact a virtual assistant company to manage work and time efficiently! The best multitaskers are our gifted employees. They make your life simpler by enhancing individual and business productivity alike.

However, what does a virtual assistant (VA) actually do? And why do you—as well as your company—need one?

Here’s a list below to find out the types of VAs and the advantages they offer:

Bookkeeper – Excellent at accounting and keeping track of spending plans for numerous projects.
Scribe – A person who types notes throughout conferences or speeches.
Administrative Assistant – Plans meetings, does daily reporting and manages contact between executives and external parties.
Designer – Designers create infographics, flyers, logos, presentations, and other visual materials.
Research Analyst – Conducts research projects or interviews and analyses financial data.
Social Media Manager – A social media manager is in charge of the business’s many social media profiles which include post creation, scheduling, audience engagement, and more.

Depending on the company, the role of a virtual assistant agency may alter. Some businesses could use a dedicated virtual assistant or a team of assistants who can manage several tasks at once.

Top Advantages of Hiring a Virtual Assistant

Time Efficiency

The biggest advantage of hiring a virtual assistant for your team is time saving rather than money. It is crucial to assign particular responsibilities because of this.

It is challenging for one individual to oversee all activities at once, address client inquiries, and handle small problems by himself.

It is crucial while working with a lot of textual information or even when writing a dissertation. The best course of action is to assign this assignment to a qualified academic writer who will produce flawless results.

Because your virtual assistants will take care of your administrative and operational tasks, you will have more time to concentrate on expanding your firm.

Economical

Even if you spend less money, a VA enables you to improve your performance. The cost-effective alternative to expensive on-site office personnel that requires frequent payment of salary is to hire a virtual assistant.

As they work hourly or are compensated depending on their duties, you only need to pay your VA for the tasks they do.

The business owner also won’t have to spend money on upgrading a virtual assistant’s skill set, finding extra office space to set up a workplace for them, or purchasing specialized equipment.

As a result, there is a huge reduction in overhead costs for your brand, and you may use the savings to expand company resources.

A Rise In Productivity

The typical office employee completes a little under 3 hours of genuine “productive” work during a typical 8-hour workday.

Why invest in another employee to talk and browse the Internet at the Café?

Virtual assistants work in a unique way. They are able to concentrate and reserve their time in completing work since they are not surrounded by the disturbance of an office.

Since they work for themselves, client happiness and satisfaction are their primitive focus. If they begin to procrastinate and miss deadlines, it’s doubtful that the business will continue to employ them.
Because of this, virtual assistants are a very driven group!

Exceptional Flexibility

When you work with a virtual assistant, you are not restricted to an eight-hour shift. 24*7 virtual assistant services are available when you need their assistance and work around your schedule.

Even better maybe if you are in separate time zones. Instead of assigning workers to eight-hour shifts, you may create a timetable that boosts output while keeping expenses in check.

In the unlikely event that you’re dissatisfied with your virtual assistant, you can end the contract right away and look for a new assistant.

Usually, with a full-time worker, applying this technique is not so simple!

Routine Reporting

When you hire among the best virtual assistant services, you’ll discover that they’ll frequently provide you with a weekly update on the jobs they completed.

The reports allow you to see how long each job took, which aids in budgeting and work prioritization.

Some virtual assistant businesses offer web portals that you may visit at any time if you employ their services. You can see what your assistant is working on right now because of this.

Earning More Clients

It takes a lot of time and effort to build a database of potential clients. The administrative online virtual assistant you recruited is capable of understanding the client database, estimating their value, and adding them to the list of repeat clients.

Conclusion

You may save money and time by choosing to hire a virtual assistant instead of an on-site staff.

Your employees may serve in a variety of capacities, such as administrative assistant, infographic specialist, personal assistant, virtual sales representative, executive assistant, or even an Amazon virtual.

The decision to hire a dedicated virtual assistant will be based on your workload, your company, and the level of expansion you want for your agency.

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AI Tools + Virtual Assistant – Next Generation Strategy for the Smartest Business Minds

Posted by Mica Harvey / News

AI Tools + Virtual Assistant – Next Generation Strategy for the Smartest Business Minds

Whether it’s IG reels or a deep dive into YouTube Shorts, it’s all about AI and only AI. Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of business life that cannot be denied. You simply cannot ignore its impact. It takes us 100 steps ahead in our lives.

AI tools have the potential to make your life easier and accelerate your business, but only if you know how to use them effectively. Well, there are numerous AI tools available.

There are AI tools for design, generating powerful copies, creating spreadsheets, converting texts to video, and much more. How many of them will you master? It’s astonishing.

Well, there is a solution to this! Virtual Assistants. They still remain the secret to success for multinational corporations and are favoured by corporate coaches and motivational speakers.

Note: See our tools/resources page.

Could an AI Tool be the Perfect Side-kick of a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants are highly skilled professionals. They learn as they work and they work as they learn. They possess organizational abilities and are rational individuals specialized in technical operations that undeniably involve AI tools.

Specific AI tools, which virtual assistants frequently utilize, include:

  • ChatGPT or Bing AI for research
  • Design.ai for social media creatives
  • Jasper to create content
  • SEOSurfer for optimized blogs 
  • Specify for voiceover
  • Tidio Chatbot for Client Relations
  • There are too many to add to this list!

It’s truly fascinating, isn’t it? 

The world is changing rapidly, and so are virtual assistants.

Does it Accelerate a VA’s Performance to 30X Speed?

Interviews with the Process Managers and founders of Virtual Assistant companies, across India, the Philippines, Nigeria, including the United States to Europe, confirmed the following:

  • Task processing timing was reduced considerably
  • A single VA could match the speed of three more VAs at AI speed
  • Work is 50X flawless than before – this is the game-changer

Still in Ambivalence?

Try this coupon code; “TRY50” and claim 50% OFF on any VA Hours at Task Virtual.

AI Tools + Virtual Assistant = 6 Benefits

  1. Single VA Could Manage Multiple Tasks
    With the power of AI, a Virtual Assistant could effortlessly generate numerous creatives for social media campaigns, produce corresponding copies, generate relevant hashtags, and efficiently schedule them for posting. These tasks can be accomplished within minutes, rather than hours.
  2. A General VA Could Work on Designs, Copies, and Many More
    Indeed, it is true. A general Virtual Assistant can effectively handle a singular project, encompassing administrative skills, data entry operations, report creation, and graphic design expertise, all without any additional assistance, solely relying on the capabilities of AI.
  3. 70% Saving – The Biggest Benefit
    On average, a data entry operator receives a salary of approximately $8000 per month, excluding benefits and insurance. However, you can hire a dedicated Virtual Assistant (VA) from a reputable company for as low as ($899 – $2499) per month, with no benefits, no obligations, and no insurance. Just imagine the cost savings!
  4. Winning the Race Against Time
    Time is valuable in the modern world. The one who effectively manages time emerges victorious. By employing a well-equipped Virtual Assistant (VA) with AI capabilities for your project, you can stay significantly ahead of others. AI combines accuracy and time, making hiring a VA the right choice for you.
  5. Balance Your Job + Business
    If you find yourself juggling a full-time job and a growing business, all you need is a combination of a Virtual Assistant (VA) and AI to effectively manage everything. By making the right choice, you can excel in your current job, maintain a harmonious personal life, and witness accelerated growth in your business.
  6. No Need to Hire Specialists
    Specialists often come with high expenses. You know exactly what I mean, don’t you? Now, imagine if a virtual assistant could utilize AI tools and deliver exceptional outcomes. Whether it’s creating engaging social media content or optimizing your content to rank at the top of Google, all you need is a VA who possesses the perfect AI knowledge.

A Mini Case Study

A study conducted by Task Virtual, focusing on some of its clients, clearly demonstrates that during this period of economic recession, where Western countries have limited budgets, many clients sought to reduce costs and explore more affordable options.

By equipping Virtual Assistants (VAs) with AI tools, they were able to efficiently complete multiple tasks for a single client at a faster pace, resulting in substantial cost savings and unlocking a multitude of opportunities for the client.

Scopes & Opportunity In the Future

The world is constantly evolving, and virtual assistants are no exception. As AI continues to advance, it becomes crucial for you to find the right individual who can effectively handle your project, particularly when it comes to operations and client relations.

Attempting to manage multiple platforms on your own would be overwhelming, and hiring physical employees may not be wise given the current market inflation. However, with a single Virtual Assistant and the integration of multiple AI tools, you have the potential to transform the game.

By entrusting your core tasks to a dedicated professional, you can focus on strategy and expanding your business further. Notably, major companies such as Google, IBM, Tesla, and others highly value virtual assistants. Choosing this path can certainly lead to success.

Now, it boils down to a question: What is your choice?

 

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How to Start Working as a Virtual Assistant While in College

Posted by Mica Harvey / News

How to Start Working as a Virtual Assistant While in College

Starting your journey into the working world while still in college can seem daunting, but it also offers numerous benefits. It provides valuable experience, helps to build your resume, and allows you to earn money while studying. One of the most versatile and in-demand roles that you can take on is that of a virtual assistant (VA). VAs can work from anywhere, set their own hours, and choose tasks that align with their skills and interests. In this article, we’ll show you how to start working as a virtual assistant while still in college.

Understanding the Role of a Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is a remote professional who provides administrative, creative, or technical support services. The services a VA provides can vary widely depending on the client’s needs and the VA’s skillset. They could range from managing social media accounts, scheduling appointments, and handling email correspondence to more specialized tasks like content creation, graphic design, or website management.

A frequent inquiry virtual assistants encounter from students is “nursing essay writing service?” This question highlights the trend of numerous virtual assistants providing writing services. However, it’s crucial to consider the ethical implications when someone requests a full academic paper. Indeed, writing a complete paper for someone else can be deemed questionable from an ethical standpoint. Nevertheless, as a virtual assistant, you can propose your services in areas like research, editing, and formatting. Such services do not cross any ethical boundaries and are often in high demand among students who seek help with their academic responsibilities.

How Can You Land It?

Landing a job as a VA starts with understanding your strengths and the services you can offer to potential clients. This could be anything from administrative tasks, content creation, social media management, or technical support. Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight these skills, paying special attention to your proficiency with essential software like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, or any specialized tools related to your services.

Networking is crucial in landing a VA job. Leverage your contacts and use freelance platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr to find opportunities. Build a strong, professional online presence, showcasing your skills and past experiences. Finally, prepare for your interviews by researching common VA interview questions and developing clear, concise responses. Persistence and patience are key – stay positive, keep improving your skills, and the right opportunity will come along.

Skills Needed to Become a Virtual Assistant

While a virtual assistant’s role is varied, there are some universal skills that a VA should have. Excellent communication is paramount, both in terms of understanding client requests and conveying information effectively. Good organization and time management skills are also vital, as VAs often juggle multiple tasks and clients simultaneously.

It is also helpful to have a variety of technical skills. Familiarity with common office software like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace is usually necessary. Knowledge of more specialized software, such as Photoshop for graphic design or WordPress for website management, can also be beneficial and make you stand out to potential clients.

Starting Virtual Assistant Work

Starting as a VA in college gives you a couple of distinct advantages. Firstly, you’re likely already adept at using technology and various software, which is a significant part of most VA roles. Secondly, your status as a student gives you a unique perspective that can be valuable to certain clients, such as tutoring services, academic advisors, or even fellow students who need assistance with organization and study skills.

Freelance platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr are great places to start looking for VA work. You can also reach out directly to small businesses or individuals who may be in need of your services. Don’t be afraid to leverage your personal network as well; often, the best opportunities come through word of mouth.

Setting Your Rates

One of the trickiest parts of starting out as a VA can be deciding what to charge. Rates can vary widely depending on the services you’re offering, your experience level, and the client’s budget. As a beginner, you might want to start with a lower rate and increase it as you gain experience and skills.

A good rule of thumb is to consider the amount of time a task will take, the level of skill required, and what you feel your time is worth. Remember that as a self-employed individual, you will be responsible for your own taxes and benefits, so factor these costs into your rates.

Conclusion

Working as a virtual assistant while in college can provide you with invaluable experience, flexible earning opportunities, and even a chance to familiarize yourself with the best research paper writing services – a resource that’s invaluable in both your academic and professional journey. By understanding the role of a VA, cultivating relevant skills, seeking out opportunities, and setting appropriate rates, you can set yourself up for success in this burgeoning field. This exposure to diverse online services and platforms is part of what makes a VA role so versatile and educational. Start your journey today, and see where this multifaceted career can take you.

 

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CrackerJack

Posted by Mica Harvey / Freelance Virtual Assistants, Recruiting Services, Resources/Tools, US Virtual Assistants

Crackerjack is one of the leading platforms that connect local businesses and serious freelancers with diligent visionaries throughout the United States. They strive to develop a marketplace that offers a bespoke and exclusive approach to freelancing by bridging the gap between local businesses and freelancers. The team at Crackerjack has a diverse range of experience in the industry of freelance marketplace. They are all up to support local businesses and freelancers by bringing them together under one roof. The talent pool is carefully crafted to ensure that business owners only get the best when they require any service through Crackerjack. 

About Crackerjack

Crackerjack has been serving entrepreneurs and small to medium business owners since 2021. Throughout the years, they have remained loyal when it comes to helping businesses and entrepreneurs find, leverage and hire skilled freelancers from their very own backyard. This approach helps in rebuilding the economy by supporting seasoned freelancers and businesses throughout the country. The company is a trusted source for many businesses and freelancers who are looking for a professional, reputable, and secure platform that shares talent. 

How Crackerjack Works?

Crackerjack works with the most skilled and expert individuals with multiple specialities and skill sets. Their focus is to deliver the best client experience. They follow the latest trends and modern technologies to achieve their goals. They are doing a great job connecting two forms of seekers through an effective and accomplished marketplace. The purpose of the company is to leverage the latest technology and bring every professional together. It is an initiative towards reducing unemployment and striving to make better economic situations for future generations. The work approach is based on complete transparency and ethical business practice. The customer’s information and privacy are prioritized here with no scope of mismanagement or contrivances. The platform is designed to ensure a safe environment for every freelancer and business working together. 

Crackerjack Services

Crackerjack comes with an array of services. Basically, they connect service seekers with service providers. They are responsible for connecting the two platforms as per the requirement. They work for multiple industries that include:

  • Pets
  • Media
  • Events
  • Business
  • Automotive
  • Health & Beauty
  • Design & Creative
  • Lessons & Tutoring
  • Lifestyle & Personal
  • Home Improvement
  • Writing & Translation
  • IT, Software and Engineering

The customer support team will be assisting the clients by assigning a dedicated freelancer as per the business owner’s needs. Additionally, a freelancer can also take help from Crackerjack to get connected to entrepreneurs or proprietors who are looking for similar services. The support team operates in all Time Zones in the United States and works in the English language. 

Crackerjack Plans and Pricing

At the time of publishing, there is a $0 fee to sign up to use Crackerjacks services. Isn’t that the best price!?

Crackerjack Alternatives

Onlinejobs.ph, VirtualStaff.ph, and Fiverr are all great job boards to find a freelancer to suit your project. Schedule a free consultation call to help find your best match.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Crackerjack? If so, please share a quick review of your experience below to help others with their decision.

 

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Remote Work Platforms To Build Employee Engagement

Posted by Mica Harvey / News


The remote virtual world has taken us from working in a cubicle to working anywhere with access to the internet. Being a great employee no longer means showing up at the office Monday through Friday during office hours. Now anyone can securely work from anywhere in the world, any time of the day or night, and still achieve their project deliverables. We reviewed the top 10 remote working tools, the best communication software, and collaboration tools for remote teams to create a list of the best remote team working platforms.

Why is remote working better if you like to move a lot?

The term ‘settle down’ is antiquated in today’s digital world. There was a time when people followed a pattern, a set ethos that saw them grow up, get a job, get married, buy a house, have children, save for the future and then die. There were even negative terms for a person who didn’t settle down. As we move further and further into the digital age and inclusive society, there is room for everyone to be as they are and do what works best for them. For those who like a change of scenery, exploring and getting to know people from around the world, working for a lifetime in the same office can seem like hell on earth. Now, working remotely can mean living in a quiet, remote area or traveling and exploring – all without sacrificing your career.

Remote culture-building software

Well-designed remote culture-building software will help any business hire and retain employees by providing the company with actionable and engaging tools and templates. These tools can achieve goals specific to any work environment and go beyond tracking time and payroll. We live in an ever-evolving world. Not everyone can know all things all the time. By having access to blogs on current topics like diversity and inclusion, an employer can limit HR complaints that center around discrimination, bullying, and sexism. Tools that acknowledge hard work and goal completion can help employers develop plans that properly gauge how long a project will take and how many staff it will need. In turn, this can prevent burnout. Templates that guide employers through positive ways to improve engagement will help improve employee morale and build company culture and connection. The feeling of belonging, being noticed, and being appreciated is one of humanity’s top motivators for much of what we do.

1) Bonusly

Bonusly is a recognition and rewards program. It can integrate with the tools your company already uses every day, like Microsoft Teams and Google Chat. Employees can recognize colleagues for their hard work by giving them monthly bonuses that appear in a public feed allowing each team member to feel their work is valued. Employees can use the rewards for almost anything by selecting one of the partner gift cards. The partner gift cards come in a diverse collection of categories, including apparel, beauty and spa, cash-out (PayPal), charitable donations, entertainment and electronics, experiences and travel, food and drink, general, gifts and services, grocery, home and garden, prepaid cards, and sports.

Bonusly offers actionable blogs with relevant topics like how to improve morale during times of economic uncertainty and diversity and inclusion stats that will change how you do business. They also provide a comprehensive catalog of tools to help develop employee engagement and morale in their handbook.

Pricing is affordable and offers tiers depending on the size and scale of your business. The Core package starts at $3.51 per month per user. The Pro package is $5.85 per month per user and includes everything in the Core package plus added features like advanced reporting. There is also a customizable tire for larger businesses.

2) GooseChase

GooseChase is a game app employers can use to increase engagement and promote team building. Employers can develop real-world scavenger hunts that immerse employees in the company’s culture.

For new hires, a scavenger hunt can streamline the onboarding process by making learning the systems, protocols, and logins fun and engaging while at the same time ensuring they watched the assigned videos and completed the reading. Missions can include introducing themselves to key management and department heads members so they know who is who when it comes time to work collaboratively on projects. With game code invitations, it is simple to get started. Comprehensive insights give employers real-time data on which missions are effective and which ones need reinventing.

You can use GooseChase with existing employees to build culture. As they complete missions, employees post photographs of themselves completing the missions to receive points. They can work in teams or as individuals. You can create missions for virtual teams who work remotely or gather them in an outdoor environment.

In the free pricing model, you can have up to three teams or three individual players, but you are limited to one live game at a time. For $399 per game, you can have up to eight players or eight teams for a single game license. For $649 per game, you can have up to 20 teams or 20 individual players.

3) Kazoo

Kazoo helps employers create a strong, connected culture that helps them attract and retain staff by focusing on six key areas – conversions, goals and OKRs, incentives, recognition, feedback and employee surveys.
Conversations are more productive with the 1-on-1 or 1-to-many scheduling system. You can add topics like results and feedback to the agenda and record action items and notes to reference for future conversations. The system also allows sync-ups with automated calendar invites.

Everyone can set goals or objectives and key results (OKRs) that align with company-wide initiatives. You can add one or more measurable goals, including a percentage complete, yes/no, or a specific target and due date. Teams can collaborate on shared goals across functional groups and organizational levels with results everyone can see.

The incentives and recognition programs help inspire and motivate employers, as well as help employers celebrate employee successes.

Timely feedback helps keep employees on track, drives growth, and improves collaboration. Employees can provide feedback to each other with standard templates to ensure input is always actionable and meaningful. Employees receive frequent coaching, mentoring support and direct reports that are more valuable.

Employee Surveys support the whole journey and allow employees to provide feedback on the process safely and confidentially. This will enable employers to address challenges and sentiment in real-time before it infects and degrades company morale.

4) Assembly

Assembly is a flexible and secure digital headquarter that brings teams under one centralized system. It integrates with tools like Slack, Google G Suite, Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Paychex, and Paylocity.

Assembly offers workflow management, customizable workflows, and workflow automation, plus powerful admin tools and advanced security.

It offers solutions for employee engagement by fostering an atmosphere where employees feel valued, connected, and able to communicate directly with the people in the organization best suited to provide them with the answers they need in real-time, thereby increasing productivity.

Companies can add structure, transparency, and accountability through manager empowerment and give their managers the tools they need to develop their skills and become the manager their team needs through the manager-report relationship.

They offer affordable pricing at $4.50 per month per member for the Business pricing plan. This plan gives access to unlimited flows and blocks, total members and guests, unlimited storage, unlimited version history, Microsoft Teams bot, Slackbot, and administration and security systems. It also provides custom culture rewards, personalized core values, currency, custom culture rewards, gift cards and fulfilments, and member automation.

Team Communication Software

A team communication tool can help small, and large businesses build collaborative work environments that strengthen employee engagement and productivity and increase profits. For decades communication in a work environment took a face-to-face approach at set times during the day, week and month. This meant waiting until the next meeting to get direction from department heads on a project or feedback on a proposal from the group. In what could be called an overcorrect, with the introduction of email and text going directly to mobile devices, there was a rise in all-hours communication and expectations on staff time beyond the 9-5.
With team communication software, team members can set their meetings, lunch and office hours to show as busy and silent notifications so they can work uninterrupted.
Team communication software can also replace costly landlines and switchboard services through automation and high-definition digital programs.

1) Nextiva Phone System

Nextiva is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business phone service. It offers team messaging, video conferencing, call center, call pop, phone service, call recording, online fax, auto attendant, business analytics, and a mobile app to provide business communication solutions.

With unlimited calling in the United States and Canada, there are no minutes to track. Their high definition (HD) voice quality is engineered to eliminate annoying static.

The system displays a real-time presence so everyone can see who is available to receive calls or chats. There is also a conference line for meetings of up to 9 people and facilitating team collaboration through video and screen sharing.

Online faxing enables the sending of faxes as though they are email – digital, secure, with no hardware or wires, no paper or spools.

With voicemail to email, team members no longer have to check voicemails and write down names, numbers, and details. Employees can visually reference the client’s exact message when they call them back.

The auto-attendant eliminates the need to give out individual, direct numbers to your customers for every staff member. Use one number online and in marketing materials to easily connect customers through the auto attendant to the best team member for their service.

It is competitively priced from $14.94 to $26.95 per month per user.

2) Shiftnote

Shiftnote is part of the Shiftforce Suite, a work management system that provides an array of solutions for small and large businesses. Shiftnote focuses on team communication and scheduling.

The daily log book gives managers the tools to ensure compliance across multiple locations with safety, food handling, cash handling, and employee management directives. Managers can also consolidate all notes, communications, and essential sales data.

The scheduler allows employers to manage employee scheduling availability, auto-schedule, set holiday pay, set overtime, print schedules, and create and view availability rosters.

The bulletin board is for managing time requests, including approving or denying, limiting, and blocking requests during specific time frames or busy periods. Employees can trade shifts and have direct employee-to-employee messaging.

With Shiftnote’s additional features, employers can tackle problems before they start. The Forecaster feature offers a space to add budgets and sales that will be automatically pushed to all schedules during the corresponding periods, so there are no missed steps in the scheduling process.

It offers a billing portal and integrates with Point Of Sale (POS) systems making managing finances easier.

3) Evernote

Evernote offers online organization and communication tools for remote-access team collaboration. It is more than just a note-taking cloud-based system. Businesses can organize all communication and files related to specific projects and clients in one place – images, to-do lists, contracts, PDFs, and notes. The web clipper allows the user to directly snip relevant data from the web and attach it to specific files. The powerful search and keyword tag system can search in-text emails, PDFs, and even photos. You can sketch and annotate documents and images to clearly express your thoughts and the concepts you want to develop.

The dashboard lets you see your day, week, month, and year at a glance. Evernote also integrates with Google Drive, Slack, MS Teams, and Gmail so you can take project planning to the next level.

A free option offers basic features like a home dashboard with three widgets, the webpage clipper, and up to 60 MB of uploads per month. The personal plan helps keep home and family life on track by offering additional features like 10GB of monthly uploads, a customized home dashboard, access to different widgets, and the ability to create custom templates for $10.99 a month. The professional plan is $13.99 a month and has even more features so you can tackle any project at home or work.

4) Channels

With channels, employees get the tools they need to capture sales and provide top-quality service. They can connect sales calls from any webpage they are on and receive calls from customers straight from your website. You can keep your current number, get a new number generated for you and generate international numbers from over 60 countries. Your employees can send and receive SMS messages directly to the app on their phones, so they don’t need to give out their private numbers.

Channels offers a data-driven helpline that allows customers to contact your company in case of an issue or question. The helpline can be built in less than five minutes, and you are provided with a dedicated help widget.

Channels recognize callers and display the client information, so employees are prepared with all the necessary information to facilitate a short resolution time and an all-around pleasant experience. Every call is recorded and stored so important details aren’t lost.

With their eCommerce widgets, you can capture abandoned carts and increase sales.

They offer tiered pricing. For $0 a month for up to three users and 250 web calls, perfect for a business just getting started. At $24 a month, you can get up to 5000 calls a month for three users and add on additional users for $8 more per user. For $64 per month, you can get unlimited calls for five users and add on additional users for $24 per user.

Remote Collaboration Software

Remote collaboration software allows teams to work on projects together and employers to manage workflow. Good remote collaboration will provide data analytics that enables employers to see how long a project or a deliverable takes and apply that data to future projects to decrease employee burnout.

Not everybody works the same way. Being able to present workflow in multiple formats ensures everyone understands the full scope of the project and their part in it. Work flow charts and deliverables timelines provide crucial aspects of the project that are lagging or missing altogether. The following remote collaboration software offers these features and more.

1) monday.com

Monday is a virtual team office that allows users to manage projects, set goals and collaborate as if they are all in an office together. It provides workflow tools that fit your needs and allow you to boost team alignment, efficiency and productivity.

With the integration features, you can connect with your existing go-to tools like Mailchimp, Office 365, Canva, Twitter, box and Shopify. The embedded Zoom feature allows users to assign tasks and follow up on action items during the meeting.

Assign tasks and manage workloads with transparency in real-time with Kanban, Gantt and timeline views. Project managers can maximize efficiency and continuously improve processes by visualizing work and limiting work in progress.

With features like forms, whiteboard and real-time notifications, team members can collaborate and provide feedback on projects and deliverables as if they were in the same room.

The time tracking features allow managers and employers to monitor projects, collect time data and apply that data to future projects to limit employee burnout from unrealistic deadlines.

2) Favro

Favro sets itself apart in software as a service (SaaS) programs. It provides extensive tools to empower employees through live webinars and re recorded sessions on a variety of topics to offer user-relevant support.

Developed for software companies and live game businesses, it provides real-time, actionable strategies for problem-solving bug fixes and software problems.

It offers docs inside Favro to replace Word or Google Docs and allows the user to write marketing strategies and planning sessions directly in Favro.

Individual teams can work on projects specific to their division with team and planning boards. When it comes time to launch the project, teams from multiple divisions can easily collaborate in real-time, managing client expectations and ensuring transparency throughout the project. Collaboration can occur through task relations on numerous boards to allow for divisional overlap and notify everyone when an issue or task is completed.

Real-time planning and writing are facilitated by using digital name tags that appear within a document or project to show who is working where at any moment.

With automation and notifications, users can limit time spent on repetitive tasks. You can build automation to suit each team and project’s needs.

Favro integrates with most existing tools such as git hub, Slack, Jira, Google Drive, One Drive, Microsoft, Dropbox, and Unito.

3) Teamwork

Teamwork is easy to use, flexible, and feature-rich. Beyond allowing users to create tasks and projects and upload files, it offers advanced features missing in basic systems so your business won’t outgrow as it scales. They provide top-notch customer support that is always there to help.

With their portfolio management, time tracking, and reporting dashboards, you can get project health status updates in real-time. View your Gantt chart or project task list to know what is off track and what is left to do.

Empower your team members with accountability through task assignments and time tracking to plan new projects more efficiently and prevent employee burnout. The data-driven insights let you see deep into your team’s resources and get the whole picture of who is at capacity and has the space to take on more work. You can also integrate with the tools you already use, like Xero, Zapier, and Quickbooks, without missing a beat.

Teamwork offers competitive pricing starting at the Forever Free plan for five users, is suitable for small teams, and offers essential project task management, milestone acknowledgments, and messaging. For $10 per user per month (minimum of three users), you can manage multiple projects, receive 20 project templates, use time tracking and invoicing features, enjoy agile views with workflows, get unlimited free client users, and more. For larger teams, you can scale up to $18 per user per month (minimum of five users), 50 project templates, workload resource management, and more. Teamwork also offers scalability features with additional subscriptions when you need added support.

4) Toggl Plan

Toggl Plan provides simple work management tools for small teams. It offers drag-and-drop plan timelines with color-coded tasks so team members can stay on top of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. The public holidays feature lets you see when colleagues from overseas are off or likely to have less availability because they are celebrating.

The plan timelines allow employers and project managers to visualize and balance workloads so that no one is overburdened or lacking billable hours giving everyone a clear overview and the ability to stay on top of the project.

You can manage tasks from timelines or boards and include as much or as little detail to the jobs by forming a checklist, feedback, and file uploads. By creating Kanban boards with user-specific workflows, you can easily design project plans that work for your company.

Toggl Plan offers automation for recurring task creation and in-app and email notifications that alert you when a task is complete or overdue.

With My Work Dashboard, team members can create a personal dashboard that suits their needs. Shareable timelines with read-only settings allow you to share project details with external shareholders.

At $8 per user per month, your small business or team can access unlimited team timelines, visual workload management, unlimited plan boards, in-app and email notifications, unlimited plan boards, Toggl Track integrations, and shareable timelines.

For $13.35 per user per month, you can receive all the above features plus invite workspace guest users, project data exports, single sign-on (SSO), and priority support.

What is the benefit of remote work software?

Remote work software can help employers prevent burnout, improve employee morale, improve team member retention, foster diverse and inclusive workplaces, and rebuild company culture and connection.

They can also improve client communication, capture sales, and help your team provide real-time top-notch customer service, regardless of where they live.

Is there free remote work software?

There are free software options like Slack, Trello, and Google Suite. Most of the apps we discussed earlier offer free versions as well. The drawback with free versions is that they often don’t have as many features or branding options to personalize and customize the apps to your needs.

Don’t let distance separate you from curating a great team of employees or keep you from taking the job you want. With this curated collection, you will find the best remote working tools, communication software, and collaboration tools for your remote team or career. Most offer a free trial, so you can start implementing one today.

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ProtopVA (Protop VA)

Posted by Mica Harvey / Bookkeeping Services, Content Writing Services, Customer Service, Dedicated Virtual Personal Assistant, eCommerce Services, Freelance Virtual Assistants, Project-Based Virtual Assistants, Resources/Tools, SMS Virtual Assistants, Task-Based Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Companies

ProtopVA is a virtual assistant company from Latin America. They pride themselves on having over 100 professionals working remotely to support your business. Focusing on your needs, they’ll connect you to experienced Latino Virtual Assistants to deliver excellence. They understand that the future of work lies in virtual services, and thus, they go above and beyond to deliver the same with the utmost satisfaction. ProptopVA is committed to streamlining the operations of their clients and helping them increase productivity. 

About Protop VA

ProtopVA have been in the business since 2022 and is led by Norberto Clemente, a Cuban American entrepreneur, investor and artist. As they have recently introduced our services in the VA industry, ProtopVA “looks forward to meeting perfection from all ends and developing a promising base of global clientele. Proceeding with baby steps, we have already acquired some good and encouraging recommendations from multiple clients.” 

ProtopVA’s employees come from Latin America and the Philippines. The onboarding process is done meticulously to match every business’s needs and provide the best services. Delegate your workloads to Spanish-speaking VAs and experience the new beginning. 

ProtopVA Services

ProtopVA specializes in providing top-class and qualified VAs from Latin America and the Philippines. Their mission is to “help entrepreneurs and business owners flourish in the digital world. All our VAs are pre-screened, experienced, and bilingual.”

Their Virtual Assistants provide services that include:

  • Marketing Assistance
  • Cold Calling
  • Graphic Designing
  • Phone Answering
  • Web Designing
  • Social Media Management
  • Facebook Ads
  • PPC
  • Customer Service
  • Email Marketing
  • SEO

Areas of Specialization

  • Real Estate Agents
  • Real Estate Investors
  • Attorneys & Law Firms
  • Property Management Companies
  • Healthcare Businesses
  • Marketing Agencies, etc.

The VA/Client Relationship

We conduct an interview process only after top candidates are shortlisted to match the client’s requirements. The clients can interview the candidates and make the final decision. ProtopVA stands apart from its competitors as we provide a one-year growth plan to businesses, and during this tenure, our experts provide different growth hacks paired with modern systems and structures. We keep assisting our VAs to deliver only the best through continued support and free replacements. 

ProtopVA offers task-based VAs with dedicated hiring services. Their aim is to meet client satisfaction and deliver what’s actually required by clients. 

Protop VA Hiring Requirements

A minimum of 3 years of experience is recommended, which is the basic criterion for us at ProtopVA. 

Onboarding Process

The onboarding process at ProtopVA takes approximately one month, as it includes a personality test for the VAs along with audio recordings, an English proficiency test, three online mock interviews, providing experience proof, and filling out three applications. 

ProtopVA Pricing and Plans

ProtopVA’s Pricing Plans at time of publishing are include:

  • $6-8 dollars/hr for junior VAs with 1-2 years of experience
  • $8-10 dollars/hr for entry-level VAs with 2-5 years of experience
  • $10-15 dollars/hr for medium-level VAs with 5-10 years of experience
  • $15-25 dollars/hr for master-level VAs with 10-15+ years of experience 

ProtopVA Alternatives

A direct competitor based in Latin America is Virtual Latinos. India based companies also offer task-based/dedicated VA based services in the same price point. Check out Wishup, Time ETC, MyTasker and OkayRelax as great alternatives.

Your Turn

Have you worked with ProtopVA? If so, please share your experience below and help others with their decision.

 

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