Last month I was raving about a collaboration tool I found called Assembla. Well…while Assembla is a really good tool, after using it for a couple of weeks, I determined it wasn’t right for me. I was going nuts from the number of alerts I was receiving and the information I entered seemed to be scattered and difficult for me to find.

Lesson learned - when using a new collaboration tool, test it out before adding your clients!

One of my associates, Victoria, who seems to know about all the coolest software going, steered me towards something for virtual assistants. It’s called Client Spot. And I’m in love. The information is organized very well and while it’s more expensive than Assembla (which is free) it’s going to reduce my stress. How valuable is that?

To all my VA friends, check it out. It’s quite wonderful.

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Well, one of my team members, Mark Hodder, has introduced me to a fabulous collaboration tool. It’s called Assembla, and if you’re looking for a virtual collaboration space, this one is awesome. It seems similar to Basecamp, which I have only used while on the client side of things. I personally prefer Assembla’s interface, which is why I’ve decided to go with it. How shallow of me. Seriously though, otherwise I don’t see much of a difference. Fact is, because I’m juggling quite a few clients and leading a team of VAs, I need a team space and I like this one. So I’m running with it.

Software like this prevents sifting through email to ensure nothing has gotten missed - it contains a history of all interactions. Large files will no longer gum up my email - they can be uploaded to Assembla. This will be a major time saver for me, and I think it will really improve Mann Made Time’s efficiency.

One of my resolutions for 2008 (and specifically for January) was to set up a collaboration space. Done!

Thanks Mark

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I think my grammar is pretty good. It’s not perfect - not by any means - but I think it’s slightly above average. I wing it with my blog cause it would cost me a fortune to have my super star proofreader/editor go over all of my posts.

I was meeting with one of my newer clients this afternoon - a delightful lady - and on my way out we were talking about how she found me. Incidentally it was through an ad that I forgot I had on UsedPEI.  Anyway…she was telling me about how impressed she was with my website, and she actually pointed out to me what a good hold I have on the English language. She said she notices things like that and is appalled by some of the grammar she sees on the Internet.

There. Right there. That’s the reason I never let anything go online (except forum posts and my blog - people are more forgiving with blogs) or to print without being reviewed by one of Mann Made Time’s proofreader/editors. My website was written by me, but tidied up grammatically by my associate and friend, Angela Smith.

Just a point I thought I’d make in between projects. If you stink at grammar - hire someone to review your work before you publish it. You might think you can’t afford it, but can you afford to lose potential business because of your grammar?

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It’s 4:26am. I just put way too much cream in my coffee. I’m awake and not wanting to be because my little girls each have their very first colds and it’s wreaking havoc in our lives! Don’t get me wrong - I’m grateful that they have never been sick a day and it’s only a cold and all the rest - but it is still a bummer when you are craving sleep and getting none.

What’s a ‘home based working mom’ to do when her days are filled with very unglamorous duties associated with caring for sick babies and her workload is massive because her business is absolutely thriving? Well, she enlists the help of her VAs, her in laws, her coffee and gets through it whenever and however she can.

I know without a doubt I’ll be pulled in a hundred directions today by my daughters (I know that’s their job - they’re 4 months and 28 months old), AND I have a lunch date which I’ve been looking forward to forever. I also have about 15 hours of billable work that needs to get done. It’s 4:31am. If I worked straight through today with no interruptions - which is impossible - I might be done by the girls’ bedtime. But I’m not going to do that. I’m a business owner and a mother. I have to balance both of those roles.

So here’s what I do:

• Get up at 4:00am, not because I want to but because both kids finally went to sleep and I can get 2-3 hours of billable time in before they wake up again. That means I’ll be less stressed today and can…
• Enjoy lunch at the Urban Eatery with my friend who happens to be a client.
• Make a detailed list of the client work I need to get done today and delegate as much as I an to my associate VAs.
• Do only the projects that will be fun for me to do, saving precious energy for later when I really need it.

If I didn’t have a team in place to help with my client workload I would be in big trouble today. I have projects coming from every direction and even though some of these things are items I want to do myself, I can have my VAs work on other things such as the documents I’ve been wanting created for my own business, checking my emails, internet research for myself and clients, etc.

It really is a wonderful feeling to have a skilled VA (or multiple skilled VAs) by your side when you’re a solo-preneur. I’m not alone. I might be up at 4:41am at my computer drinking coffee and writing a blog post because I’ll never get to it later today and wishing that my kids would sleep through the night for the sake of all that’s good and holy - but I’m not in it alone. I have help. I’ll get through the day.

What would I do if I didn’t have VAs to turn to? Well…I wouldn’t be this busy I suppose…so perhaps it wouldn’t be an issue…

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What were you doing just a minute ago, before you decided to read this blog post?

Maybe you were checking your email…following up on a new inquiry…fixing a snack or bidding on ebay. Was it something you enjoy, something you abhor or something in between?

Before I wrote this post, I was writing some content for a new client’s new website. My business, Mann Made Time, offers many services I love to do, many services I love to do a little less and some that I personally just don’t want to do. That’s why I have a team of VAs working with me to provide all types of services to our clients. I will not preform a service that I don’t enjoy doing because if I did - I would probably do a less than stellar job. It’s human nature. And if I did a less than stellar job, I would not be fulfilling the mission of Mann Made Time which is to exceed the expectations of our clients.

I’ve been lucky enough, recently, to have been given several projects by several clients which I really can’t believe I’m getting paid for because it’s so much fun! Copywriting is something I absolutely love. I could write all day long, and some days I do which is fine by me.

In order to do the things I enjoy, such as writing for clients, working on my own business, and spending time with my family, I outsource the other stuff. If you own a business, or are simply a busy person, I suggest you consider doing the same. Imagine getting rid of the stuff that clutters your desk and your mind so you could spend more time doing what you want to be doing. That’s why the virtual assistance industry exists! It is tough at first to give up control, I know from my own experiences. I also know it gets easier. And after that, it’s a wonderful feeling. Plus it’s cool to be able to say you have a virtual assistant

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