Environmental Benefits of Telecommuting by Brandy Nasi
We are so excited to have Brandy Nasi of ECO Virtual Services be our guest blogger. We are happy to share a very informative blog she has written about how the environment can benefit from telecommuting and home-based businesses.
As our society’s concern for the environment becomes greater and greater, we are looking for more and more ways to reduce the footprint we leave on this planet. The internet has brought us new and multifaceted ways to not only save time and energy, but also reduce our rate of fuel consumption and pollution. Still, many people believe there are some thing that cannot be cut back. Traveling to work, is one of them. Very few people, even who live in cities, can reasonably walk or bike to their workplace. But the vast technological advancements of the last twenty years makes it possible to reduce and even eliminate the so-called “commuter’s pollution.”
How? Through implementing a telecommuting program. Allowing employees to work...
Shared Workspaces for Virtual Teams
Working virtually is usually as seamless as working down the hall. For times when sharing information with a virtual team member is more complex than what email will allow, there are virtual workspaces. For situations when you need to share files, timelines, calendars in order to be most effective, consider using one of the more popular and user-friendly options: BaseCamp, ClientSpot, and iMeetCentral.
Most have free versions and then different payment plans depending on how robust of a system you would like, and the number of users you will have. A virtual shared workspace is an excellent solution for virtual work teams.
“I’m a virtual assistant” The Good, The Bad, and The Opportunity
The good news: Virtual assistance is quickly growing in popularity.
The bad news: A large part of the population doesn’t know virtual assistance exists.
The opportunity: You can help educate those people and may be just the solution they need!
Try this. Tell new people you meet that you are a virtual assistant. Chances are many of them will have a blank smile on their face. Their eyebrows may raise a little, and now and then you’ll get a little nod of the head. That seems to be the universal look for “Huh. That sounds interesting but I wonder what it is.” Guess what… That’s also the look of opportunity. You can be the person to introduce virtual assistance, and if they realize that they or someone else they know could benefit from a virtual working relationship and the services you provide, you have found a new client or referral source.
Of course you will need to be able to explain what a virtual assistant is in a way that they can...
Recession Safe Career: Virtual Assistant
The news is full of doom and gloom in the economy and work world. Even conversations with friends turn to stories of layoffs and reduced paychecks. Although it may seem that everyone is being affected in a negative way by the economy, virtual assistants continue to thrive.
Virtual assistants (VAs) provide administrative assistance to a handful of clients, and work from home rather in their clients’ office. They do anything from basic secretarial duties to more advanced functions like project management, online marketing assistance, or bookkeeping. VAs primarily serve entrepreneurs and small business owners, although larger companies are also choosing to work with them in increasing numbers.
During a down economy, individuals who cannot afford to work with a full time employee anymore are choosing to work with a virtual assistant. They get a talented professional to produce high quality work, and they do not have the extra costs of providing supplies or technology, of paying...