CTOKOS Blog

How would you like a few extra hours per month to spend with family, to read a good book, or indulge in a hobby? Want more time to devote to the income-generating aspects of your business and activities you enjoy? Tired of spending hours handling routine paperwork and mundane tasks you dislike or don’t have time or the desire to complete? Need someone to keep up with the latest software and other technologies?

Consider retaining the services of a Virtual Assistant (VA).

A Virtual Assistant is a skilled and knowledgeable virtual work partner providing professional, administrative support and specialized business services from her own office.

It may be difficult to grasp the concept of retaining administrative and office support services “virtually.” Most entrepreneurs are familiar with brick and mortar services, someone sitting in front of your office door, answering phones and processing paperwork. However, with the advent of new Internet technologies and software enhancements, an offsite assistant can be your technology guru and problem solver, providing administrative, secretarial and executive assistant support services from her or his home office.

Cost Effective Choice

It can be cost effective to work with Virtual Assistants (VAs). Why? You pay for time worked and schedule work only when you need assistance. Staffing agencies often require a minimum hourly commitment while VAs offer several service options:

* Partnering (retainer) relationships client contracts based on a retainer arrangement for a specific number of hours of service each month.

* Special projects clients use the VA on an as needed basis, as projects arise.

* Co-op VA acts as a multi-task project coordinator and shares tasks with other Virtual Assistants.

If your estimated earning rate is $100 or more an hour, the value of the time you spend performing administrative tasks is also $100 an hour. But if you pay a Virtual Assistant $50/hour, that same $100 can garner two hours of professional administrative support services and provide time for other activities such as servicing your clients. And when you factor in no benefits, overhead, equipment costs or training, working with a VA is an even more attractive option.

Typical Virtual Assistant Services include:

* Appointment Scheduling
* On/Offline Marketing

* Article Creation/Submission
* Travel Coordination

*Document Processing
* Ezine Management

* Event & Conference Planning
* PowerPoint Creations

* E-book Creation
* Database Management

* Email Monitoring/Response
* Desktop Publishing

* Order Fulfillment
* Project Management

* Teleseminar Preparation
* Seminar Transcription

* Vendor Management
* Shopping Cart Management

* Website Design/Maintenance
* Much, Much More

Check Credentials

Like most businesses, not all virtual assisting firms are created the same and some online businesses outsource assignments to offshore, low cost workers. When choosing your virtual work partner and to avoid potential problems consider the following:

* if the candidate is in a different time zone, will it influence when you will receive your finished product;

* if the candidate’s language is not their first language, will your work require additional editing;

* what will happen if the candidate does not complete and deliver the project on time.

The staff of some firms have been tested and credentialed by various accreditation organizations. You can save yourself from anxiety by checking the credentials and experience of a VA you are considering.

Consider Your Options

Whether you opt for a temp agency, hired staff, or partnering with a Virtual Assistant, administrative support is a worthwhile option to consider. It could be one of the most valuable and cost effective business decisions you make.

About the Author

Sharon Williams is president and CEO of The 24 Hour Secretary, an administrative, secretarial, marketing and internet-based business support firm open 24 hours a day, every day. Her company helps busy and often overwhelmed executives and entrepreneurs, achieve their goals by giving the gift of time. Subscribe to her ezine Smart Business = Success, stocked with tips for busy professionals at http://www.the24hoursecretary.com. Visit her blog for up-to-date marketing strategies and other business tips, at http://www.the24hoursecretary.com/blog/.

The rate of occupancy, in the office blocks of Aberdeen, is extraordinary bearing in mind the current recession that is having a grave affect on the global economy. Being linked to oil has had disadvantages as well as advantages in past years gone by but even the current low value of crude oil doesn’t seem to have made much of an affect on this region of the country.

Nationwide the declining office rental market has caused desperate attempts by city politicians to attract foreign business, low rents seemingly failing to be a big enough draw without extensive sweeteners being offered. Just being able to keep existing commerce is turning out to be an up hill struggle.

With a population of just over 200 thousand people Aberdeen is the third largest city in Scotland. It has a fast growing electronics design and development industry and this is perhaps the reason for its continued success, compared to its highland rivals.

Uniquely from its Scottish counter parts the city of Aberdeen is managing to keep a reasonable high level of office rental income. Other cities, like Edinburgh and Glasgow have seen a massive slide in this particular area whilst Aberdeen is keeping its head well above water. With the added demand in desk space rental and those remote workers looking for desk space, this is an additional way for landlords and tenents to monitise spare office space.

Last year’s significant rise within the office rental sector seems set to carry on and is at odds with the rest of Europe. Other major cities are having an uphill struggle to tempt businesses in filling their empty office floor space, Aberdeen however has developed a successful strategy that quite rightly it is not prepared to share.

Good quality printer ink is essential for clear and perfect images. of printer ink toners and inkjet printer inks are available in the market to cater to the varied requirements of customers.
The quality and reliability of printer ink is for the efficient functioning of any type of printer and for ensuring perfect image quality. Although a huge variety of printer ink toner and inkjet printer ink are available across a wide price range, some still suggest the use of toners and cartridges recommended or manufactured by the printer manufacturers themselves for best results.

Types Of Printer Ink Toner And Inkjet Printer Ink

Printer users have the option of using manufactured by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or cheaper non-branded alternatives. Until a couple of years ago, inkjet printer manufacturers used to sell their printers at a marginal profit while selling the ink cartridges for these printers at high prices. But soon many alternatives emerged in the form of cheaper cartridges. These non-branded inkjet printer ink cartridges are much cheaper than the ones offered by the OEMs and are therefore much much better value for money.

How Good Are Third Party Printer Supplies?

Research and other costs that have gone into the development of the ink as the reason for their ink cartridges being expensive. manufacturers say that their production methods are unique and cannot be copied by anyone to produce the same quality of products. However, actual usage has shown that many third party products can frequently be as good as OEM printer supplies.

Best For Photos And Text Material

OEMs say that perfect images are only possible with a combination of printer and ink manufactured by the same company. However,this argument no longer stacks up. Now everyone can experience the same level of print quality as those who use branded ink toners and cartridges.