MJS Virtual Business Support

Get Your Head In The Cloud

mjsvirtu — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:43:07 +0000

You hear it referred to everywhere, “Cloud Computing” – but what on earth are they talking about?

Basically, it’s internet based computing which means that you have no software to install, infrastructure to maintain and you can have access to your documents, files, emails, calendar etc from wherever you are in the world (provided you have access to the internet, of course).

Chances are you are already working “in the cloud” one way or another (think systems like Hotmail, Flickr and YouTube).

As a solo-entrepreneur I use many cloud computing applications and they make my life so much easier. There’s something reassuring about knowing that all of your files, data and information is securely stored and you can pick them up and access them wherever you happen to be – not to mention the savings in time and money! They are particularly useful to the travelling business person because you now don’t have to lug everything around with you – just pick up your laptop and off you go. Everything can be accessed at the click of a button.

So, here I share with you my top eight cloud computing apps:

Google Apps - Particularly Google Calendar, which I synch with my iPhone (and you could even share it with your VA so she can help keep you on track!) and Google Talk (instant messaging).
Dropbox – A fantastic tool for storing all your documents and files online. You can add it as a folder inside your ‘My Documents’ and it acts like any other network drive – except all the data is also stored/backed up on line. You can also share any or all of the files with other people. Hands down my favourite cloud computing app.
Toggle – For time tracking. In my business particularly I need to have the best, most reliable time tracking software and Toggle ticks all the boxes for me. With downloadable apps that work on Mac, PC and iPhone I can track my time wherever I am.
Skype – The cheapest way to make bulk calls. I particularly love the video calling and screen sharing functions.
Xero – I’ve only recently started using Xero to manage my finances and I’m sure I haven’t yet discovered all of the benefits but I’m loving what I’m seeing so far! Online accounting, online banking and the ability to create and send invoices automatically and get paid on line = love it.
Remember the Milk – Think of it as an online ‘to do’ list. I use it to remind me when bill payments are due, to renew domain names – even birthdays! With the ability to use it from your phone and to share your tasks it’s definitely a keeper (plus it’s free!)
Zoho CRM – a complete customer relationship management system for managing Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, and Inventory activities in a single system. Very easy to use and full of features it allows you to grow your business and have a complete view of your customer interactions.
Evernote – Is like an online scrapbook/notepad/post-it-note – Capture all of your thoughts, ideas, and inspirations, into a single place. These could be text notes, webpage clips, PDFs and more (and it’s free!)

What are your favourite cloud computing apps? Do you have one that you absolutely swear by – if so, we’d love to hear about it!

Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity #2

mjsvirtu — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:33:49 +0000

In my business I regularly come across many fantastic systems designed to make our lives easier and more productive. This is the second of a series of blog posts wherein I share tips on ways that you can improve your productivity:

Use a ‘To Do’ list. I always find it so much easier to plan and prioritise my days if I have a list of all my ‘to dos’ in front of me. Whether it be handwritten in a notebook, through Outlook’s task feature or an online system such as Remember The Milk, you will feel so much more organised once you’ve started.
Subscribe by RSS to all your favourite blogs and read through a feed reader (i.e. Google Reader, and Outlook also has an RSS function) instead of physically visiting the site all the time. Why not start with this blog?!
Manage your customer relationships with one of the many CRM systems available – Zoho, Salesforce and Highrise are all great options.
Have a dedicated space for your home office. This may not always be possible but you will work best if you can separate your business and home life – and all the noise and interruptions that come with it.
Start Now! Don’t procrastinate and put off until tomorrow what you could start today.

Well, those are all the words of wisdom I have for you this week. I hope you have found something here that you can implement to make your life a little easier. Stay tuned next week where I will share another five productivity tips, and of course, please feel free to comment if you have any that you would like to contribute.

MJS Virtual Business Support is – as the name suggests – a virtual assistant firm offering a comprehensive range of services specifically tailored to small business and the solo entrepreneur. Whether you need a personal assistant, executive assistant, help with eNewsletters, event management or just good old basic secretarial support we have your needs covered. Based in Melbourne, Australia – available to the world!

Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity #1

mjsvirtu — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 04:00:24 +0000

In my business I regularly come across many fantastic systems designed to make our lives easier and more productive. This is the first of a series of blog posts wherein I share tips on ways that you can improve your productivity:

Use a time tracking service to see where your time is going so that you can identify ways of using it better.
There are many systems available, but my favourites are Toggl and TimeStamp.
Automate your social media as much as possible by scheduling tweets and updates. Granted, you can’t automate everything, but you can schedule the tweets and updates that you regularly put out. i.e. you can schedule regular business marketing/promotion updates (of course, ensuring that these aren’t all you’re tweeting!), links to articles and websites that would like to share etc. There are a few systems available but my favourites are TweetDeck and Sendible.
Set up Google Calendar and synch it between all your computers and iPhone so you always know where you are meant to be. You can also set your VA up with access so they can manage it for you!)
Identify your productive hours. What hours of the day do you have the least distractions and are more able to fully focus on work?
Recognise if you need help: There may be times when you are on a tight deadline or you cannot physically complete the set task on your own. Recognise the instances when you need a little extra support, and outsource or delegate when the need arises.