Do you need help managing your calendar, scheduling events, and syncing everything with your mobile devices?  If so, you may benefit from doing things virtually or hiring a virtual assistant such as our company, Virtually Detailed, LLC.  Large organizations might use programs like Microsoft Exchange™, which houses employee calendars live on a server that can be accessed by multiple devices, but this solution is too expensive for many smaller companies.  The good news is that there are less expensive options for collaborating and accessing calendars by multiple users or devices.

The solution we most often recommend is Google’s suite of programs that include Google Calendar™ and Gmail™, Google’s email system.  Using these programs, a colleague or virtual assistant can access your calendar and make changes, adding or editing appointments as necessary, automatically keeping all parties up to date.  Google’s suite of Cloud-based programs allows businesses to streamline communication and scheduling, making information accessible anywhere there is Internet service and automatically syncing between multiple users and devices.

When Google Calendar stores appointments in the Cloud, it can be configured to permit, or restrict, other people’s access to your appointments.  Each event is listed as being public or private, and may or may not be editable by others as determined by the preferences selected during the event’s creation.  Defaults can also be set to pre-populate events with your most commonly used selections.  Calendar users can invite others to events, automatically tracking RSVP’s, and even subscribe to other calendars to automatically put their public events on the user’s Calendar.

Gmail, Google Drive™ and Google Apps for Business™ are other ways to communicate with your team.  With Gmail’s Cloud-based email system you can read, write and send messages from any of your Internet enabled devices.  For sharing, storing, and accessing large files, we recommend Google Drive.  Google Apps for Business provides team members with web-based writing and spreadsheet programs, eliminating the problems of multi-platform compatibility.  Google Apps for Business also provides other tools for creating a more professional look for your business, including domain hosting for your email.

Communication and file sharing programs make collaboration easier, and sharing calendars is useful when coordinating a one on one meeting, but finding a good meeting time for a group can still be challenging.   Doodle™, a Google related product, changes that.  With this program, meeting organizers propose an array of dates and times for an upcoming meeting.  Potential attendees respond with their availability, and Doodle creates a report detailing the time(s) when the most people can attend.  Once the meeting time has been set, Google Calendar users can import the event with the click of a button.

Whether you adopt Google’s suite of programs or not, you should use Cloud-based programs rather than programs housed on a single device.  The seamless integration of multiple devices and virtual access provides businesses with the flexibility needed to succeed.  We are constantly evaluating new approaches to achieve this, seeking the fastest, easiest, and most reliable tools that require the least tinkering to work.  Online functionality has progressed to the point where there is little to loose when migrating online – and so much to gain.

If you want to keep document scanning in house, look at a device such as the Neatdesk® scanner.  With this desktop device, you can scan papers, even small papers such as receipts.  Optical Character Recognition (OCR) identifies words, even in pictures and PDF files, and then Neatdesk automatically puts them into categories and adds up line items.  You will want to review the files, correcting any sorting errors, but, even so, this program will save you many hours of sorting and filing.  While there is much to like about Neatdesk, the main thing I don’t like is that it’s a proprietary program.  All your data is saved into the Neatdesk program, which is the only program that can access it.  Despite this drawback, it’s a simple way for somebody at their desk to get a lot of scanning and organizing done themselves.  You are also buying a tool, not a service, so you’re looking at a one-time investment rather than a reoccurring fee.

If you’re looking to outsource the scanning and organizational process, there are businesses that can help you such as Shoeboxed, Inc.    With Shoeboxed, clients send in their data electronically via smart phone, computer upload, or manually through special Shoeboxed envelopes.  Shoeboxed scans and organizes the information for their customers.  This is ideal when you’re drowning in paper and don’t have the time to do all the scanning yourself.  With this level of service, you will still have to process the data for reports, accounting software, etc., and it does represent a reoccurring expense. Shoeboxed will make those tasks much easier though, and you won’t have to devote as many man-hours to non-billable tasks.

My company, Virtually Detailed, is a virtual assistant solution for clients who want an even higher level of outsourcing.  Clients put all the receipts, deposit slips, and other papers for the month into an envelope that they send to us.  We go through everything, make the entries into their accounting system, write expense reports for their clients as needed, scan the receipts, and organize everything.  A virtual assistant service, such as Virtually Detailed, takes care of many of the tasks typically handled by an office manager.  As you can imagine, this reoccurring expense is higher than a service like Shoeboxed, but eliminating the drain on staff time may create significant savings as well.

When deciding what level of service is right for you, you must consider your budget and how many man-hours you can afford to invest into the organizational process.  Some people don’t have the time, energy or inclination to scan and file, so it just doesn’t happen.  You need to be honest when making your plan and follow through.  This will result in a better plan and an easier time finding documents when you need them.

At  Virtually Detailed, we’ve taken both high- and low-tech approaches to information backups. Once upon a time, I made digital copies that were stored offline, backing up my company’s data each week onto multiple CD’s.  Each month, I also took copies up to my bank to store in a safe deposit box. It was my company’s data, and, if I lost it, I would be in big trouble. I don’t do that anymore; I use the Cloud as my backup.  While my data is easier to access now, I am relying on other companies to store my company’s data and protect my company’s interests.  I also hope there won’t be a hacker who decides that he wants to steal, or destroy, all of my data.  These security concerns are causing me to reconsider this strategy.

The online backup service I am currently using is Dropbox™, a very popular cloud storage program.  Data put in the Dropbox™ folder on my computer is seamlessly copied to my Dropbox™ account in cloud storage.  In addition to being an online data storage solution, Dropbox™ can be used to pass files to other people in remote locations – even files too large to be sent by email.  Using Dropbox™, I know my files are consistently backed up, and I can access them at any time from any computer.  If something happens to my computer, I can even log into Dropbox™ using the replacement computer and download all my files to their new home.

Digital solutions offer many benefits, but they aren’t always the ideal solution.  Earlier this year, the east coast of the United States experienced a massive blackout that kept some locations in the dark for an entire week.  When something like this happens, what can you do?  Cut off from the Cloud, your digital resources inaccessible, can you still conduct business?  Or will you be closed until power is restored?  To stay in business, think about your stored data.  What information do you need to keep your business going?  What contact information do you need to fix a more localized problem, such as a broken computer or malfunctioning Internet?  Keep an up-to-date hard-copy file of your essential information ready at hand.  What information do you harvest in the course of your work?  Do you have a way to capture and maintain this information as hardcopy?  If you take credit cards, you will need one of those old style machines to make an imprint of incoming credit cards in case of emergency – even if you process the charges through your terminal once you regain power.  That file and any necessary tools make up your blackout kit.  It can keep you going, even when other businesses have to close.

We love Google Voice^TM because it’s FREE (yes, I said FREE) and will assign a secondary number to your phone. This service can ring any phone number you assign it to, and can even be set to ring your cell phone and land line simultaneously. Voice mails are automatically transcribed into text and sent to your email. Being virtual, you can easily reassign the number if your other numbers change, saving you the time and money needed to update your promotional materials.

Virtual PBX systems may be ideal for larger businesses that need multiple phone lines.  This service assigns a phone number to your business, and multiple extensions which forward calls to other phone numbers or straight to voice mail. In fact, when you call Virtually Detailed, you’re going through a virtual PBX. My extension is configured so that it rings both my home office line and my cell phone number; after 5pm though it goes straight to voice mail! All voice mails are delivered as MP3 files via email. This is really great for us because not only do we have more than one person, but we’re all in different locations and often, on the move. As with other phone plans, Virtual PBX system prices vary depending on what is desired, including extensions, messages to your email, per minute rates, and other features.

What if you want to provide a personal touch and allow callers to speak with a live person right away? Look into a voice answering service to have a person answer your calls when you’re busy and screen them as needed. You can tell your answering service that you are heading out and need your calls forwarded to them, just like you would do with a secretary. They will answer all your calls and take messages or send them to voice mail. You can have the service running continuously or only when you need it. An office manager for one of our customers particularly loves their answering service because she’s able to turn it on and off. Normally, she likes to answer the calls so she can talk to people, but when she gets really busy and needs time, she can say, “You guys handle it, but if it’s anything really important, such as…send it through.” It’s having help manning the phones, for a minimum cost of about $200 per month.

These are some of the business communication solutions we discuss with our clients every day when they want a more cohesive, professional look and feel for their businesses. Now that you know more about the available options, you will be better able to select the best one for your business and its specific needs.

When I started Virtually Detailed, I used my home address and home phone number (that is until I realized that I was telling complete strangers where I lived!) Using a PO Box or private mailbox (i.e. UPS Store) you not only gain the security of keeping your private life private, but it saves you from reprinting business cards and promotional materials every time your family moves.

If you’re considering this option you should realize that FedEx won’t deliver to a PO Box, but a private mailbox will sign for and accept all packages on your behalf. Also, private mailboxes don’t have the “PO” in their address, making them look a bit more professional, in my opinion. But that increased flexibility comes at a cost, between $180-$300 a year, whereas PO Boxes start at $94 annually.

Sometimes a mailing address isn’t enough. If you need a professional meeting or office space a few times each month, then an office share may be the route to go. Now, I love nothing more than a hazelnut coffee and cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera Bread, but that doesn’t mean I should host meetings there. The office share option provides space for offices and meetings, and they’ll accept mail and other deliveries. Better yet, office shares are flexible enough for you to start small and add services and amenities, such as telephone answering services, more conference room time, or dedicated storage space. Prices vary depending on desired services, but expect to pay between $75-$275 dollars per month.

These are some of the business communication solutions we discuss with our clients every day when they want a more cohesive, professional look and feel for their businesses. Now that you know more about the available options, you will be better able to select the best one for your business and its specific needs.

So how can I label what I do? What is a Virtual Assistant, really? I think that anyone who says that’s what they are would describe it (or explain it) a bit differently. In my view, at their core, Virtual Assistants are individuals, independent entrepreneurs, offering their expertise and talents to support their client’s administrative needs. Because they are small business owners themselves, they understand the nuances, the traps, and the unique challenges posed in small business. They have a knack for seeing solutions, at distilling the inherent action items of getting a project or idea to completion. They are smart, creative, quick and dedicated to their client’s success as much as they are their own. I still have a number of those clients I first started out with 12 years ago, those long-term relationships with clients are the ones of which I am most proud.

As small business owners we’re expected to do everything all the time and to know everything all the time; but that’s the trap, it’s just not possible. Having a Virtual Assistant is like having an on-call business partner to help you get good work done. In a larger organization, we’d each be hired to do one job, one that our particular strengths and training make us the best person to do. By having a Virtual Assistant, you can offload some of those daily administrative tasks that you’re either not good at or just avoid doing and focus on business development and client work.

In any given day, I might send out invoices for a client, schedule an appointment for them, edit an article, send out an e-newsletter, design a document or presentation, book a flight or help them think through starting a blog. I don’t honestly know that the term Virtual Assistant covers all that. Maybe Small Business Consultant or Administrative Consultant, a term I just heard recently, but neither of those is quite a perfect fit. I love the focus on administrative as I think that’s where we do our best work. The focus on small business is good, because I think that’s the arena where a Virtual Assistant adds real value. Consultant is a great label because it communicates the component of thought partner and resource to our clients. I do think the most important of all though has to be virtual, that descriptor is what allows us to work wherever and whenever. So where does that leave me in my search for the perfect label? Virtual Small Business Administrative Consultant? That’s just too long to fit on a business card! Maybe for now, I’ll just stick with Virtual Assistant.

Not sure if you need a Virtual Assistant, or just not sure where you need help? Try looking through this list from the International Virtual Assistant’s Association of 101 Ways to Use a Virtual Assistant and see if anything jumps out at you. Maybe you’ll see that one thing you know you could use help with now and that’s a great place to get started.