7 Gmail Labs For a More Productive Inbox

29th April 2012

As you know, I love Google products and one of the things I’m best at is creating and sorting out people’s Gmail.

Previously I’ve written reviews for Rapportive for Gmail where you can see and connect to your contacts’ Social Media profiles straight from your inbox (which is handy for bypassing the dilemma of how you know someone to link with them on LinkedIn!) as well as Boomerang for Gmail which gives you the option to schedule emails or even bounce them back if the person doesn’t reply.

What a lot of people miss however is that Gmail has a whole section called Labs where you can find apps you can use to tailor your account and make it work better for your needs. Some of them are very handy, some of them are just fun and others are absolutely essential!

Recommended Gmail Labs:

Undo Send – Pretty self-explanatory. By having this you get around 4 seconds to recall an email. I sometimes use this if I’ve forgotten to copy someone in or attach a document.

Canned Responses – This gives me the option of sending out a ‘canned response’ which is their way of saying template. If you send a lot of emails that are similar in nature, you can add them as a ‘Canned Response’ to save yourself the bother of writing them out each time. Just add the email to your response list and tailor each time if required.

Background Send – Basically so you don’t have to sit there waiting for a large email to go before you can move on and do something else.

Default Text Styling – So you can have all your emails written in the text of your choice rather than only having the fonts Gmail offers.

Refresh Pop Accounts – Essential if you are importing different email accounts and using Gmail as the manager. Gmail imports emails infrequently, so it can be up to an hour before it does another import. If you click the refresh arrow at the top of your inbox then it will check for new emails immediately.

Calendar and Docs gadgets – I like to have a small version of my Google Docs and Calendar in the left sidebar. This means I can see the last few docs I used and open them straight from Gmail as well as seeing any appointments at a glance as well. Handy if you use these 2 apps a lot.

Inserting Images – Instead of attaching an image you can put it straight into the email by having this lab enabled. I find this useful if I want to insert a screenshot for a client so they can see the information at a glance without having to open an attachment.

You will want to tailor the labs you enable to your business and what you use your email for of course, but there are many to choose from and these are just the ones I use the most.

I also use Google Docs Preview, Send And Archive, and Google Maps Preview, but there are loads to choose from including seeing what time zone an email has been sent from, a Preview Pane, being able to tweak your signature and the date, and the ability to create a document straight from an email. If you use Gmail then you should definitely pop on over and take a look!

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How to Capture or Record Your Computer Screen

17th April 2012

Twice in the last week I have needed to show a client how to do something. Firstly they had lost an email which they eventually found in Spam. I thought they might have accidentally clicked the ! icon which means ‘report spam’. So I took a screenshot of their inbox highlighting the button. Secondly, they were unsure of how to add a contact straight from Gmail, so I made a screencast talking them through the procedure of adding and grouping contacts.

I could have shared my screen with them using Skype but this way I could email them the tutorial without them having to be online at the same time. They could then look through my information when they were free.

To take the screenshot and record the screencast I used software called Jing. I also used it for the blog post where I talked you through the simple Excel spreadsheet for recording expenses. I had actually tried a few screencasting tools but found Jing to be the simplest. You just download it to your computer and you’re ready to go.

To capture your computer screen using Jing:

1) You click on the Jing icon and select Capture

2) You highlight the section of your computer screen you want to use (just like your computer’s snipping tool) and opt to Capture Image rather than Record your screen

3) You can then draw an arrow, write text, change the colour and font of the text, or highlight things as you like

4) Click Save to rename and save the screenshot to your computer

To record your computer screen using Jing:

1) Plug in your headset if you have one – this prevents outside noise being recorded if you are going to be talking through the recording

2) You click on the Jing icon and select Capture

3) You highlight the section of your computer screen you wish to record and opt to Record Screen rather than Capture Image

4) There will be a countdown from 3 then Jing starts recording your screen and voice

5) Click Save to rename and save the recording to your computer

You only get 5 minutes of recording for the free version, but I pay $20 per year to record as long as I like and to save the file in a format that will upload to YouTube. You can also email the screencast or capture to your client after you’ve saved it.

So if you’ve ever wondered if there was a way to capture or record your computer screen to show someone how to do something then there is – it’s called Jing and I think you’ll like it.

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(This blog is featured in  The Society of Virtual Assistants’  Blog Hop as part of Global Virtual Assistant Week 14-19 May 2012.   Pop along to see what my fellow VAs are up to here)

How to Share Your Computer Screen Using Skype

2nd April 2012

When I’m trying to talk a client through a task it really helps me to be able to see what they can see on their screen, so one of the tools that I find extremely useful as a Virtual Assistant is the free screen-sharing facility on Skype.

I’ve been using this very feature over the last few days as I’ve been talking a new client through all the different buttons and tabs in her spanking new Gmail account as well as showing her how to sync then export her Mac contacts and emails. Being able to see her cursor moving and say “no not that one, the button to the left of that one!” made the job so much quicker. Which is really handy when they’re paying you by the hour.

How to share your screen when using Skype:

1. Open up your Skype account
2. Call the contact in question
3. When in call click the big + symbol on the talk screen
4. Select ‘Show My Desktop’ as per the screenshot
5. Done! They can now see whatever screen you go to on your computer or vice versa

Pretty easy…

Lifestyle Management Service

22nd March 2012

Although my background is in events, apart from the Green Man festival I work on each August, so far I’ve mainly focused on providing admin and social media services for my clients.

Then a couple of weeks ago one of my regular clients suddenly realised that I might be able to help organise her personal life as well as her business, and it was such a success that today I updated my website to include lifestyle management services.

So far for this client I have sourced seating and entertainment for her daughters 4th birthday party, flights and accommodation for Brussels, flights to Cancun, and trains to Devon. Then for her 40th birthday last week I sourced video and photo booths, DJ’s, party bags and their individual contents, and an Elvis impersonator!

I’ve always done bits and pieces of lifestyle management for various clients but had never really promoted it as a service. It usually involved sourcing international flights and accommodation but sometimes covered research for cheaper utilities or services. I love the event work I do so it suddenly made sense to offer it as a specific service.

So this post is mainly a little press release to advertise the fact that I now offer a dedicated lifestyle management service – from organising parties and other events, to online shopping and making travel and accommodation arrangements.  Apologies for the wanton self promotion, but it’s a sad state of affairs if you can’t use your own blog to occasionally promote yourself!

How to Become a Virtual Assistant

25th February 2012

Recently I had a couple of people contact me to ask how I became a VA and to see if I minded giving them any tips. Apparently I have a ‘very good business model’ and they like my website and blog.

Of course this was extremely flattering and I was more than happy to help out.  But this got me thinking – maybe I should just write it all down and then I can direct people here instead!

How to become a Virtual Assistant:

Research 

When I first started out, I called up a VA I liked the sound of. She lived in Yorkshire so I wasn’t a competitor and she let me pick her brains to find out what mistakes she had made and what she might do differently should she have to do it all over again.

I reeled through a long list of questions I’d prepared and her answers were actually quite surprising and gave me a lot to think about.  I also looked at a lot of VA websites and amended their T&C’s to fit in with my own requirements. No point inventing the wheel if someone has a brilliant wheel!

Specialise

Whatever industry you’re in, it’s always best to have a niche. Work out what you’re good at, what you like doing, and what people need – because what you think they’ll need never turns out to be what you end up doing!

Look at your career history or interests and target people in that area. My niche turned out to be working for consultants, freelancers and sole traders, but it might be a specific industry that’s your niche, the type of work or the types of people themselves. Basically, If you have a niche then you become the go-to person in that area and you will get more suitable enquiries.

Contact people directly

I started out by actually emailing target companies directly. With any other business it would be spam, but because Virtual Assistance is unique, people kept my emails for months. They all said they knew the day would come when they needed my help.

As long as the email is friendly, polite, to the point, and explains why they might need you, people are happy to keep and pass on your details.

Get a good website and business card

Do not scrimp on the website. It has to outline what you do, be SEO friendly (read up!) simple to read, and easy to navigate. Although easier said than done, your website is your shop window and you will be judged by it. My website gets a lot of positive comments because it’s clean, simple, and to the point.

Personally I would never use a free business card either. Moo.com do a good range but whoever you use make sure it says what you do and how to get in contact. This may seem obvious but you would be surprised!

Network like crazy

When I called the VA way back when I started, I asked her if she would do anything differently if she had to start again. She told me that with hindsight she wouldn’t have printed any flyers but would have done more networking instead.

Work out how to explain to people what you do when networking – the penny usually drops once you explain the exact kinds of tasks you do for people. Networking gets easier with time and always keep in mind that people do business with people they like.

Always target your networking though. If you were a fisherman trying to catch salmon then you’d fish where the salmon hung out not where the bass socialised!

Social Media

I often get work through Social Media and it also helps with my SEO and visibility.  I mainly use Twitter, and use my Feedly RSS Reader to gather relevant information which I then schedule to be broadcast on my Twitter feed throughout the next day. I also go online when I can to actually talk to people and build relationships. I’ve been told I share useful information which demonstrates that I know my business.

Once you’ve started chatting to people try to meet them in person. People do business with people, remember and they will not recommend someone they’ve never met. If Social Media is not your thing then don’t do it as it’s better to not do it at all than to do it badly!

Blog

You don’t have to blog but it does drive traffic to your website. I like to write how-to articles which demonstrate my expertise and other people have said they find the information useful. If you use Social Media then make sure you post a link to your blog or website each day, as well as make it easy for people to subscribe to your RSS feed.

Adwords

I tried Adwords last year to much success. It works better at certain times of the year but it was a marketing method that I tried and which paid off. The Google Adwords folk are very helpful and it’s worth getting them to assist you with the set up. You can even call them which is quite rare for Google!

Share & collaborate

I’ve found that knowing all the other VA’s in the area has been really beneficial to my business. We exchange resources, pass on work, and support each other. I also listen in on the Virtual Assistant LinkedIn groups to see what apps they use and how they overcome problems.

When I was deliberating over which Time Tracker to choose, I listed all the ones they mentioned on the LinkedIn group discussion and tried them all out until I found one I liked. They are also a great community who are always happy to help other VA’s.

Keep learning

I spend half a day (sometimes more) keeping on top of new developments. I recently created a Slideshare presentation and learned how to make screencasts which I posted to YouTube.  If you keep your skills up to date and keep learning new things then you will have a more varied and valuable skill set. You are also demonstrating that you know how to do something.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Google – How anyone can be a VA without using Google products is beyond me. Gmail, Calendar, Chrome, Docs, Rapportive, Boomerang – try them all out and know how they work. Your life will be so much easier!

Time Tracker software – I use Screeperzone which is a free app that comes with my Windows Vista sidebar. It’s an easy way to record what work you do for which client. There are other systems which incorporate invoicing as well, but I find this one does the job simply and without any fuss.

McAfee – Stuff the free software – you simply cannot risk getting a virus on your computer. I pay £40 per year and have never had anything slip through. My boyfriend used a supposedly excellent free one and had 99 viruses attack his laptop in one hit… he had to buy a new laptop.

Mozy backup – Make sure you don’t lose anything by backing up regularly. Whatever you use make sure it’s reliable.  Mozy is free and in the cloud. I’ve had external hard drives break so online suits me better. Remember that you can also upload documents to Google docs, Dropbox or even email them to yourself and use your email storage. Just don’t lose client info!

Evernote –This is a great free way to store websites instead of bookmarking them. I use it to keep interesting business articles where I know I’ll read them later. I use this mostly for myself rather than clients but it’s handy for pretty much everything.

LastPass – Another free one. This is a secure online system that lets you keep passwords safe. When you have a lot of clients, you’ll never remember all their passwords and this way you don’t have to.

Invoice Bubble – Whatever system you use, make sure it’s professional. I pay £3.80 per month to have the adverts removed but otherwise it’s free. I like this one in particular because it’s simple and aesthetically pleasing!

Skype – It’s very hard to be a VA if you don’t have Skype as you can chat to clients and send over documents for free. I actually pay £10 per quarter which gives me unlimited calls to UK landlines which is very handy when making calls for clients.

Dropbox – Another great way to collaborate remotely. A lot of clients will use this so you should know how it works.

Jing – This is an application that lets you take screen shots then write and draw on them, as well as record your screen to demonstrate how to do something. They have free and paid versions. I pay $20 per year and used it recently for this video which I recorded in one take! I often use this feature to show a client how to use aspects of their Gmail account for example.

Wisestamp – When you use the paid version of Wisestamp (just £20 per year) you can set up multiple email signatures. There’s loads of features such as adding your latest blog post, your Social Media Profiles, or your company logo. It’s a great way to switch between personas if you have lots of personal and client email accounts.

I know it must sound like you have to be Wonder Woman to be a VA and that’s because you do. You’re Administrator, Researcher, Book-keeper, Marketing Expert, Web Designer, Copywriter, and a billion other things – and this is before you even do a single stroke of work for your clients!

So if you still want to be a Virtual Assistant then hopefully you now have a better understanding of what you need to do to succeed. It’s a very rewarding job – but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t also very, very hard work!