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JERPAT's
Virtual
Professionals
Newsletter
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November/December,
2008 |
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Check out our past issues @
http://www.everywomansnorthstar.com/archive.html
Hosted by JERPAT
Editor - Patty Benton
(866) 960-8840
editor@professionaladminteam.com
Check out our blog at
www.fromawomansheart.com! |
In Every Issue:
This Month:
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Monthly
Message from the Editor |
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Wow! Can you believe that it is almost the end of
another year? So many exciting things have happened over the last year from
political, business and personal aspects that I’m sure 2009 will be an exciting
year full of tremendous changes and growth. I’d love to hear from you on what
you believe was your greatest accomplishment this year (personally,
professionally or otherwise), as well as one thing you’d like to accomplish in
2009. Send them to me at editor@professionaladminteam.com and I’ll publish them in January's Newsletter.
As you may have noticed, I am doing November’s and December's newsletters
together. I am doing this because I respect that this time of the year is tough
for those of us in the United States to find time for anything extra.
New Year’s is the time when many begin making resolutions for the next year. I
don't. Instead, I set new goals, as well as make adjustments to current goals. I
feel goals are more concrete and attainable than resolutions. With this in mind,
I wanted to share my thoughts on how you can set the stage for creating goals
that will effectively drive you through the next year.
I am also excited to announce that the launch of the
2nd Edition of "Failure is NOT an Option! Guide to setting up your Virtual
Assistance practice SUCCESSFULLY" went beautifully and with rave reviews.
We are now working on getting it into print. If you missed the launch you
can see more information, as well as the new cover, at
www.everywomansnorthstar.com/vaguide.html.
As always, please feel free to send me your story ideas, questions and comments
at editor@professionaladminteam.com. I’d
love to know how things are going for you.
I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas, for those who celebrate, and I will
be looking forward to reconnecting in the New Year! Don't forget to send me your
greatest accomplishment of the past year, and one thing you would like to
accomplish in the New Year.
To your business success!
 
Editor, BA, Certified Life Coach
Patty is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Training & Coaching. She is also the co-owner of Virtual Business Group and co-founder of A.C.T. at work. You can learn more by going to her blog at
www.fromawomansheart.com.
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Recommended Resource – Send Out Cards |
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Before I discovered
Send Out Cards, I struggled to stay
in contact with my family, friends, and business contacts. I forgot birthdays,
anniversaries, and haven’t sent a Christmas Card in 5 years!
Now, I manage to keep in touch with
everyone, not just via email, but by mailing them an actual card from me.
I am able to upload and design my
own cards, as well as use their template cards (they have 1000s to choose from).
I was also able to send in my handwriting sample, and am now able to send notes
in my own “writing.”
The best thing of all, it takes me 2
minutes to send a card. I choose the card, type my message, select who to send
it to, preview it, and hit send.
Usually within a day, my card has
been printed and sent off! I don’t know about you, but finding the time to get
to the post office is my biggest problem.
These are high quality cards, at an
unbelievable price. You can even select to have gifts or gift cards sent along
with them. We now send Starbuck gift cards to our new clients. One of these
recipients, Dahyu Patel of Intellect
Strategies Inc., sent us an email stating, “Thanks so much for the
Starbucks card – my wife loves Starbucks and it is definitely a great touch of
class in standing out among other VAs – good for you.”
To learn more about this amazing service that will help you get a handle on your
follow-up campaign, as well as keep you current on your personal communication,
visit www.sendoutcards.com/jerpat
and send out 2 cards at no cost to you!
Past
Suggested Resources
iContact
Start a newsletter for your web site or business today with one of the most
affordable, easy to use newsletter services I have worked with.
Failure is NOT an Option!
Guide to setting up your Virtual Assistance practice SUCCESSFULLY by Patty Benton
"Yours is the first "manual" I have found that
goes through every aspect of the Virtual Assistant business (with references and
links)..."
Instant
Email Scramble Detour spam by eliminating email harvesting on your website.
the [n]aked
desk by Sue Brenner Get your desk and office organized with this simple to implement book.
"The
Magic of Thinking Big" by David Schwartz For those of us forging forward
virtually through the jungle on this journey, this book gives us the strength
and confidence to be the pioneers for the future virtual world. A must
read for all business owners. |
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Quotes |
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"The person who makes a success of living
is the one who see his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.
That is dedication."
- Cecil B. DeMille (1881 - 1959)
"In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal
to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by
it."
- Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with
what happens to him."
- Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963) "Texts and Pretexts", 1932 |
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Upcoming
Trainings |
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(Don't forget to check out our complimentary training on January 22nd!)
Squashing Your Fears
Make 2009 different than every other year by living fear free!
Whether it’s fear of failure, fear of success or fear to take risks,
you can't accomplish your dreams without acknowledging and overcoming those very
real fears! Take the first step in overcoming your fears by signing up for this
1 hour workshop. January 8th, 2009 at 9:30 am MST/11:30
EST. Whether your just starting out or been in business for awhile,
you will gain amazing value and insights!
Click here for
more information. (Sign up by December 15th
and get our very special JERPAT Team Member Discount -
Click here to
sign up for this special discounted rate of only $15! This link will not work after 12/15/08)
LIVE
GROUP Beginner's "Failure is NOT an Option" Group Coaching
The "Beginner's Failure is NOT an Option" is our beginner's group coaching
program, conducted live over the phone, that will teach you how to successfully
set-up and build your VA business. Now registering for
group beginning January 20th, 2009.
Click here for more
information.
(Sign up by
December 15th and get $25 off of your
commitment fee. When registering, just mention Virtual Professional
Newsletter and don't make payment after submitting. We will send you
separate payment information.)
Complimentary Workshop!
Regaining
Control of Your Time
So you started your business to have more time for _____. Now, you realize that
must have been a dream! Truly, it is not a dream, but can be a reality, I know,
because I live the dream. Join me, January 22nd at 10
am MST/12 pm EST, in this complimentary tele-class designed to
address where you lost control of time, and then start creating a plan on how
you really can regain control of your time!
Registering now!
Advanced "Failure is NOT an
Option" Group Coaching
Finally a program needed for ESTABLISHED Virtual Assistants who are stuck.
No matter if you are stuck with few clients, too many clients, or just don't
know where to take your business next, this program is designed for YOU! Our
advanced program goes beyond just teaching you how to set up your business, but
delves into how to make your established business successful by exploring client
relations, communication, and much, much more! Now registering for group
beginning January 28th, 2009. Limited
spots available and fill quickly!
Click here for more
information.
(Sign up by
December 15th and get $25 off of your
commitment fee. When registering, just mention Virtual Professional
Newsletter and don't make payment after submitting. We will send you
separate payment information.)
Individual Coaching
Not everyone's missing piece fits perfectly in the puzzle, and sometimes you may
just need support and guidance on an individual level. We make this affordable
to all Virtual Professionals!
Click here for more
information.
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Sponsor – The
Professional Administration Team |
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Are you finding that
you don't have enough time in the day to accomplish everything you need for your
business?
Are you spending 60+
hours working on your business?
Have you lost the joy
you once felt each day as you built your business?
Does your family
complain that you spend more time with your business than with them?
If you answered yes to
even one of these questions, it is time you look a making the necessary
changes in your business.
That is where the
collaborating companies of the Professional Administration Team come in.
We specialize in assisting new business owners and stagnated business owners in
regaining control of their businesses.
We have packages
available for every stage of your business, so contact us immediately because we
have limited spots available in our new collaboration packages. Once these
spots are filled, package prices will go up!
Don't delay, contact
us at info@professionaladminteam.com to find out how we can start you on the right
path TODAY! |
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Give the
Gift of Time this Season |
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 Would
you like to give the gift of time
to someone this season?
Now you can give the
professional services of the Professional Administration Team.
We have two
options available:
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Give the gift of time to your
friends, clients, business associates, or family with 2 hours of Virtual
Assistant Services for only $50 (this is a $60 savings off of our
current hourly rate)!
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Do you know someone who is disorganized in
their business? Send them a gift certificate for a 30 minute
Defining Meeting with the Business Administrative Coaches of the
Professional Administration Team for only $25 (this is a $35 savings off
of our current Defining Meeting Rate). We will get them set on track
with the steps they need to take to get their back-end office structured
so that they can obtain their 2009 goals.
With the purchase of
both packages, we will send them a full-colored Greeting Card of your choice
(3 choices) along with the Gift Certificate, addressed from you! You can
even send a personal message in your card for no extra charge!
Contact us now at
info@professionaladminteam.com to place your order now!
*If the recipient of
your Gift Card signs with on with our services on a continued basis, receive
a referral fee!
*Order no later than December 10, 2008 to ensure their card and
certificate arrive before December 25th. If you want them to receive it
sooner, just let us know! |
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Article –
Have you Reviewed the Last Year? |
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 With the end of the year so
near, many of us are beginning to look forward to the New Year, and beginning to make
plans for what we would like to accomplish in the upcoming year. I would
like to ask you this, "As you begin to look into the New Year, have you
reviewed the past year?"
"Those who cannot remember
the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana (1863 - 1952), The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905
So what does Mr. Santayana's
comment have to do with your planning for the upcoming year? Everything!
Before you can even begin to
plan your next steps, you need to look at the path you have taken to this point.
Follow these steps:
1. Answer the following
questions:
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What successes did you have
this year?
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What do you feel contributed
to those successes?
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What mistakes did you make
this year? (And yes, we have all made mistakes - so be honest with yourself,
even if it hurts!)
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What do you feel contributed
to these mistakes?
2. Next, analyze what goals you
accomplished this year and what goals you didn't quite reach.
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Clearly define the things
you did to help attain your goals.
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Now, clearly define what you
didn't do to help attain all of your goals?
3. Reward yourself for all
your accomplishments this year. After all, you worked very hard!
4. Now, determine your goals for
the upcoming year. Define clear steps on what you need to do to obtain
each goal. (For more information on setting clear and attainable goals, read
Setting Your Goals to Work!)
"The reason
most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever
seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where
they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the
adventure with them."
- Denis Watley
Patty Benton runs a
training program, www.everywomansnorthstar.com, for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual
assistance industry based on an
e-book she wrote that takes virtual assistants through the process of setting up their
business. Additionally, Patty is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and
JERPAT Web Designs, collaborating companies of the Professional Administration
Team, which
provides affordable administrative, transcription and web design support to coaches
and soloprenuers. Their collaboration offers the unique service of
providing each partner client with Quarterly Defining Meetings with the Business
Administrative Coaches. Learn more about this unique approach by going to
www.professionaladminteam.com
She has also partnered to establish the ministry Acknowledging Christ Together
at Work and is co-owner of Virtual Business Group an online networking
organization for Virtual Professionals. Learn more by visiting her blog at
www.fromawomansheart.com.
© 2003-2008 JERPAT
You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, as long as the text and byline remain unedited. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
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Computer Tips
from the Computer Guru – Junk Email |
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If you are like me, you hate Junk Email
and are always looking for ways to get rid of it.
Here are
two things you need to know, before I give you the prevention tips.
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The reason behind all that junk
email.
As you give your e-mail address out, over time
your address gets stored on an increasing amount of other
computers and address books. If one of those computers gets an
email virus or spambot, you’re going to get spam. Also if you
post your e-mail address on a website, forum or newsgroup,
computers that frequently crawl the web in search for e-mail
addresses will add your address to it’s database of active
e-mail addresses and you’ll get spam.
You ask, what is a
spambot and spam? A spambot is a program designed to collect, or
harvest, e-mail addresses from the Internet in order to build
mailing lists for sending unsolicited e-mail, also known as
spam. A spambot can gather e-mail addresses from Web sites,
newsgroups, special-interest group (SIG) postings, and chat-room
conversations. Because e-mail addresses have a distinctive
format, spambots are easy to write.
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Do I have to change my email
address to stop junk email?
No, but most of it can be
blocked from reaching your “Inbox” e-mail folder. Most major
e-mail providers do a good job of detecting messages that are
spam and filtering those messages to a “Spam” folder. You may
have to go to your provider’s website and configure the spam or
junk email filtering tool on the site. There are other paid
services and programs that allow you to create whitelists and
blacklists that will allow or block e-mail addresses which you
define. You can find a lot of tools online by doing a search and
some are even free. There is lot of them that you can try before
buying, so if it works out for you then buy it. There are other
services which have more thorough filtering techniques. But
unfortunately no service is 100% perfect.
You ask, what
are whitelists and blacklists? Whitelists is where you can add
e-mail addresses to a list of people you always want to pass the
spam filter. Blacklists are the opposite of Whitelists. It is
where you can add e-mail addresses to a list where you don’t
want the email address to pass the spam filter.
Now that we have addressed the how, let’s
move into some prevention tips.
The below are some
suggestions to help you in this area. Here are three things you can
do to prevent some of the spam or junk email that you may receive:
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Don’t respond to any spam messages.
Just delete them
If you respond to junk e-mail that lets the
spamming computer know that they have sent their message to an
operative, working e-mail address. Spammers can then sell your
e-mail address to other Spammers as part of a list of active
e-mail addresses. This definitely makes you a vulnerable target
for more spam or junk e-mail. Blocking the sender is ineffective
since most spam comes from random, one-time e-mail addresses. If
enough people don’t read, respond or purchase from spammers,
after a while spamming will not be a profitable business
anymore.
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Use BCC when sending to mass email
groups.
Some Spam is spread when a computer gets infected
by a virus or spyware that also installs a spambot on the
infected computer. The spambot collects all the e-mail addresses
on the computer, then sends Spam to all the e-mail addresses it
finds, or sends a list of the valid e-mail addresses to
businesses that sell valid e-mail addresses to third parties for
the purpose of advertising.
So, what is Spyware? Spyware
is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a
personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the
user's interaction with the computer, without the user's
informed consent.
My wife and I use a program called
SpyBot to help get rid of Spyware. You can download a free copy
from here:
http://www.everywomansnorthstar.com/newsletter/spybot.html
To avoid the spread of Spam it is good e-mail safety and
etiquette to use "BCC" (Blind Carbon Copy) when sending e-mail
out to more than one person. That way the person receiving your
e-mail can't see the e-mail addresses of everyone else you've
sent your e-mail to. More importantly, spambots can't see the
other e-mail addresses either.
For example, if you use
BCC and one of your friends got a spambot, the spambot could
only see your e-mail address in a message on their computer, and
only send spam to you, but if you didn't use BCC, and put all of
your contacts in the "To:" or "Cc:" column, then the spambot
could send it out to you and everyone ELSE!
Other e-mail
programs, as well as AOL, Yahoo, GMail and other webmail
services have a way to disguise all of the e-mail addresses you
send a message to via “BCC”. Please check how to use BCC with
your e-mail, and start practicing safe e-mailing today.
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Use very descriptive subjects in
your emails.
When you send an e-mail it is very helpful
to the person receiving the e-mail if you give a very specific
subject so that they know the e-mail is legitimately from you
and not a spambot. A subject of “Had fun at the party at Laguna
Beach″ is an example of a good, very specific subject line. Try
to include names or specific information that the receiver would
know that it’s safe to open your e-mail. A subject of “remember
me” is too vague - some spammers use vague subject lines to get
you to open their message.
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I hope these tips will help you cut down
on the amount of spam and junk email you receive.
BONUS TIP:
I also want to share
a bonus tip to Website Owners and Web Designers on how to scramble
email addresses on websites. I have already used this and it
works!!! The tool is called “Instant Email Scramble” If you want to
know more about it, go here:
Email Scramble
I hope you will find these tips useful.
 Jerome
Benton is the owner of JERPAT Web Designs,
http://www.jerpat.org.
He specializes in web design and has partnered with his wife's
virtual assistance business to give every company the quality
services they need at an affordable price. You can read Jerome's
weekly tips at
www.everywomansnorthstar.com.
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Thank you! |
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We
invite you to send us an email at
editor@professionaladminteam.com and let us
know your thoughts, opinions, questions, and ideas in regards to
this newsletter. Please be sure to reference which issue you
are speaking about. We will publish your comments here with
your permission. Thank you! |
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© 2008 -
Current JERPAT
www.professionaladminteam.com
To use any of the content presented in this newsletter, please
contact the authors directly. All statements made in this newsletter
are not legal advisements. All information provided in this
newsletter is strictly opinions and suggestions of the contributors.
JERPAT and the contributors cannot be held liable for any outcomes
on behalf of the reader. |