<![CDATA[Your Gal Friday - Virtual Assistant Services

<![CDATA[Your Gal Friday - Virtual Assistant Services - From the Virtual Desk of...]]>Thu, 31 Aug 2023 20:44:57 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Moving Forward When You Don't Feel Like It]]>Wed, 20 May 2020 14:22:09 GMThttps://www.your-gal-friday.com/from-the-virtual-desk-of/moving-forward-when-you-dont-feel-like-it

The last time I wrote and posted to the blog was November 23, 2019.

It was 179 days ago. One hundred and seventy-nine days.

Do I feel bad about it? A little. But sometimes you get stuck. Sometimes you get into these modes where you just don’t feel like doing anything.

That last post was right before the holidays. Who has time during the holidays?

And then my website got hacked after that, so I had to spend time rebuilding it. It still isn’t what it used to be. So I was cranky, and didn’t really feel like creating new content.

And then, well, you know. COVID. “The ‘Rona.” And then writing blogs and creating content really just becomes a low (non-existent) priority.

But all of these are just excuses. Let’s face facts. I didn’t feel like writing anything. I was lazy. But being lazy doesn’t help move you forward in your business. It doesn’t help you grow.

How do you move forward when you don’t feel like doing anything?
First, acknowledge what it is. Laziness. Lack of caring. Zero motivation. We all have it. We all go through it. Acknowledge it and recognize that you’re in the middle of a bout of apathy.

Next, don’t stay there too long. Some days you just need to shut down and mentally regroup. That’s fine. Take a few days for a mental holiday. 179 days? WAY too long.

Finally, as TR would say, “get action!” Get back to work. Schedule yourself a short block of time and jump back into focusing on those things you need to be working on for your business. Do not tell yourself you’re going to get up at 5am and spend the first four hours of each day getting things done. It’s not going to happen. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Set yourself up for action.

Look, you’ve just been in mental hibernation for a while (hopefully not 179 days!!!). You can’t just jump back in and go full force. You’ll burn out in a couple of days and then 179 days will turn into a year...or more.

Take your time with small steps. Like getting up and committing to writing a tiny blog that admits you’ve been lazy. And then go from there. Don’t make promises to yourself you can’t keep right now. Just commit to starting.

]]><![CDATA[10 Unique Christmas Gift Ideas for Work at Home People in 2019]]>Sat, 23 Nov 2019 21:32:28 GMThttps://www.your-gal-friday.com/from-the-virtual-desk-of/10-unique-christmas-gift-ideas-for-work-at-home-people-in-2019

According to this CNBC news report from last year, at least 70% of people around the world work remotely at least one day a week. (For some of us, it’s every day of the week!) I wanted to share some of my favorite gift ideas for 2019 to give to the work at home people in your life.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Heated Eye Mask - No, the mask doesn't glow like that. :) It’s like a mini spa for me right at my desk because it plugs into my laptop using a USB connection. I use this at night (with a power pack), during the day, and whenever I’m getting a sinus headache or tension in my eyes after staring at a screen too long. The lavender insert still has some aroma after having this almost a year now.

MaxGear Business Card Holder - Of course I got this card holder in purple! When you’re out and about, you need to always have business cards on hand. Yes, they are still important! This card holder is fantastic, sturdy and still maintains a low profile for your purse or pocket.

Cosco Folding Hand Truck - If your favorite work at home person is a consultant that sells products, they need this! I keep mine in the back of my SUV for everything. It folds up neatly and doesn’t take up too much space. And it HAULS. Not only have we used it for moving boxes around, it’s great for grocery shopping at Costco, and I even use it to carry in my cats in their carriers for trips to the vet. (They’re large cats, and I have trouble carrying them. Not anymore!). So if your virtual worker has lots of products (think Avon, Pampered Chef and more!), this dolly is going to be a great help.

Body Buddy - Okay, this looks bizarre, and you probably think it’s just weird, but hey - it probably is. But, it works. If I’m sitting at my computer for too long, I get a terrible ache in my back and shoulder area. But, with no in-house masseuse, I’m left in pain. Not anymore! This little device helps me work out the knots that I can’t reach. It’s great for anyone suffering with muscular aches.

Exerpeutic Folding Exercise Bike - This little bike has been great for breaks - I walk away from the computer and can hop on the bike for some much needed energy. I love that it folds up and can be easily stored in a closet, though mine just sits in the living room and doesn’t take up any room. It’s a nice, affordable way to get some exercise during the work day without having to trek to a gym or leave your home office.

TP Link Port Hub - When I bought my newest laptop, I wasn’t thinking about how many ports I needed because my previous laptop had plenty. This one - just two. And considering I have a wireless mouse, keypad, keyboard and headphones, two ports wasn’t going to cut it. This port hub has saved me a lot of hassle for a cheap price. (We got my son one, too, for all his peripherals.) Great, affordable techie stocking stuffer!

Bionaire Office Heater - This little desk (or floor) heater has been awesome for me. My office is cold. Really cold in the winter months, and I needed something small and effective because I don’t have a lot of space. It’s great on heat, and has a motion sensor that if it doesn’t sense anything after a certain time period (I think 20 minutes) it automatically shuts off. An office heater is a must for a cold, drafty room.

Earth Therapeutics Comfort Wrap - This is the second “rice wrap” I’ve owned. I’m all about comfort, warmth and relaxation when I work. Heat it in the microwave, hang it around your neck at your desk, and relax as you get your work done. It’s also great for headaches and other body aches. (And to be honest, I’ve even used it as a bed warmer on those cold winter nights when the sheets are freezing!)

I Want to Work From Home! (but don’t know how) - I would be remiss if I didn’t include our eBook here, a great start for the person who thinks they want to work from home, but doesn’t have any idea how to do it or where to start. (It makes a great, last-minute gift you can send electronically!)

And if none of these seem exciting, why not just take your friend or family member out to breakfast or lunch during the work week? When you’re working at home, you don’t get all of the social time you’d normally get at an office, so it’s nice to get together with people face to face and chat!

]]><![CDATA[Everything I Do is Wrong - And I'm Okay With ThaT]]>Tue, 01 Oct 2019 17:16:20 GMThttps://www.your-gal-friday.com/from-the-virtual-desk-of/everything-i-do-is-wrong-and-im-okay-with-that

I am a great virtual assistant...and a terrible business person.

Over the past eleven plus years I’ve been doing this, numerous people along the way have pointed out everything I’m doing wrong in my business. It runs the gamut of problems, but they can mostly be broken down into these 4 points:

I don’t charge enough.
I should never charge hourly rates. They should only be bulk packages.
I shouldn’t bother with “small” clients.
I should only offer a few services and develop a niche.

Some days I find it funny. And some days I find it frustrating. It’s hard enough to run your own business day to day, but to have people constantly telling you you’re doing it wrong, well - it just doesn’t make sense.

I’m happy to help my “small” clients. After all, there are over 28 million small businesses in the United States alone - that’s a lot of work that needs to be done!

I never really thought much about a “niche” or helping a specific type of business. I was just thrilled to be helping people and growing my business. And because I’ve worked with so many different types of businesses, I’ve learned a ton - not just skills, but I’ve learned about people in different parts of the world and I’ve learned about different jobs, histories - life!

Business owners need to help each other out and small business owners especially need to be extra supportive of what we’re doing and how we’re growing. Just because one person wants to do things one way doesn’t mean everyone else will need to do the same. (I reference a previous blog!)

I struggle with a lot of the messages that are out there for entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. “If you do X you’ll make $$$$$$. Because that’s how I did it, so you should, too. It’s the only way you’re ever going to be successful!”

There are many paths to success, and your success and my success look completely different. So, this is just a short note out there to say to all the microbusiness owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and small businesses - you’re doing a great job. Keep it up. You’re doing what you need to be doing to make you happy and to define your own success.

Nice job!

]]><![CDATA[NO MORE MEETINGS!]]>Mon, 30 Sep 2019 15:53:07 GMThttps://www.your-gal-friday.com/from-the-virtual-desk-of/no-more-meetings

I hate meetings.*

(*keep reading!)

My first “corporate” job out of college was working in the Underwriting department of an insurance company. This is where I attended my very first meeting. I talked about this years ago, but it’s great to recap again:

Staff files into conference room. (You know - long table, comfy chairs, white board.) Our VP comes in the room. He sits at the head of the table. He looks around.

“Well?”

The staff looks at each other; looks at him.

“What are we talking about?”

More stares. This is where things got interesting.

“You all wanted this expletive meeting! YOU called for it. If you don’t know what the expletive you need to talk about, and you can’t put together a simple expletive list of things you need to talk about, why the expletive am I here? I am not coming to another expletive meeting unless there is a expletive agenda!!!!”

My first meeting lasted 45 seconds. At the time I was shocked, but now I look back on it with much fondness for the people in my department. (Great team, great VP.)

Since that first meeting, I have probably attended several thousand meetings. And honestly, I’d guess only about 10% of those really had any value.

Meetings are time wasters. Fillers in the day where no one is productive. For some reason, though, businesses feel the need to have them.

I have been in 90 minute meetings that started at 9am, went until 1pm - and then started another meeting. And you know what was accomplished? Nothing. Those meetings became a day of gripes, complaints, and discussions that didn’t involve 28 of the 30 people attending.

NO MORE MEETINGS. PLEASE.

*Okay, here’s where the asterisk comes in. What I really should be saying is “No more GROUP meetings.” I actually love one-on-one meetings, because they’re productive. It involves the two people that need to be involved. There’s no idle chatter. There’s nothing extraneous being discussed.
Group meetings typically have no focus. Most of the time a meeting was set up years ago, recurring on a system calendar, and so, each week, people show up and stare at each other and maybe one or two have a discussion while the rest sit there looking at the clock, wondering why they’re sitting there in the first place.

Stop unnecessary meetings now!

Take these 4 quick tips to heart the next time you schedule a meeting:

Only invite the people that actually need to be involved.
If you just need to ask a question of someone, ask it. Don’t schedule a meeting for it.
Have an agenda with bullet points for discussion.
Limit the meeting time to no more than 60 minutes. Shorter is better. It forces you to only talk about what’s important.

]]><![CDATA[Are You Setting Your Expectations Too High?]]>Sun, 29 Sep 2019 16:44:32 GMThttps://www.your-gal-friday.com/from-the-virtual-desk-of/are-you-setting-your-expectations-too-high

You’re out walking around, maybe at the mall or maybe the grocery store. A couple of people walk by talking about an Italian restaurant. “It has THE BEST spaghetti EVER!” Your ears perk up. Spaghetti? You love spaghetti. “The sauce is AMAZING!” Oooh - a good, thick, rich sauce. You’re getting hungry. “And the tiramisu? Get TWO!”

You’re sold. A few days later you head out for what is going to be the most amazing spaghetti dinner you’ve ever had.

But - it’s not.

It’s...average, at best. The pasta wasn’t homemade. The sauce could have come from a jar. The tiramisu was mass produced in a factory and sliced up in the kitchen. You had such high expectations, and you were completely disappointed.

Did you set your expectations too high? Yes. But is that really such a bad thing to do? No. Well, yes. But no.

Look, as soon as we hear other people talking up something, we get a little excited. Our hopes get higher. We’re interested. We want to know more. These people are happy, so we expect that we should be happy, too. Because who doesn’t want to be that happy?

But it doesn’t always work that way.

Those people you heard talking about the restaurant? Maybe they eat a lot of frozen and pre-made food all the time. Maybe they’ve never had homemade pasta and sauce. Therefore, their spaghetti dinner at the restaurant was truly THE BEST - for them. It doesn’t mean it was going to be the best for you.

We have to temper our expectations, because we’re basing them on the opinions of others. And their expectations and values are going to be different from ours. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about food or software or team members. It’s great to hear the opinions of others and gather as much information we can. But we cannot go into a restaurant, or buy some software or hire a team member solely based on the experience of others. They can help us, and they can make us feel better about a decision we make, but we cannot expect to have that same level of joy or satisfaction because our own experiences give us our own expectations.

I say this as someone who always has high expectations for things. You always have to keep in mind that what other people think is THE BEST is going to be the best for them, and not necessarily for you.

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