Thursday, February 18th, 2010
The Internet seems to shrink the ground for creativity. As the world gets bombarded with countless innovations, you are left with little to nothing new to offer in the marketplace. Due to the fast pace of modernization, creativity somehow changes from “it takes time” to “instant”. And while everything is made at a snap of a finger, the impact it has on people also immediately wears off. It comes and it goes – just like that.
But cascading from this trend is the challenge for individuals, entrepreneurs, and business organizations to rise above and succeed. It is essential to find creative ways to start your business, keep it afloat and take it to greater heights.
Now, how do we tap into that creativity?
We all have innate creativity; some people may have more, but the point is, all of us have a creative nerve flowing. We just have to uncover ways for it to outpour.
It simply has to start with daily, small, even really tiny efforts. Listed below are some ways to begin unleashing your creativity:
1. Know your adequate length of sleep
Normal sleep of adults must go around 7 to 8 hoursi but it may still vary from person to person. Lack of sleep slows down the brain and hinders the capacity to focus. But then some people tend to think well at 4 hours!
2. Explore various activities
You might say you are already busy with family and work, having no time for other activities. But these other activities can perhaps mount an idea that you otherwise would not have thought of. See things differently by occasionally changing your routine then witness how the experience opens the door for creativity.
If you have a scheduled brainstorming on Monday, why not try parasailing this weekend?
3. Find time for friends
Old and new. It is always refreshing to be with good company. Go and have lunch out, dinner date, or coffee chat with high school buddies. Sincere conversation eases up your mind, and intimacy increases brain power thus allowing creativity to heighten.
4. Learn new things
If you are working in the computer industry, why not try and pick a magazine about advertising? Would it be interesting to know how they make a 30-second commercial just to gain new knowledge? And deviate your thoughts for an hour or two from your real and current tasks. Who knows, you might get some insights by reading stuff completely different from your field.
5. Spoil yourself once in a while
Buy that camera. Go to the beach. Purchase a new laptop. Watch it in 3D. Have a massage. Subscribe to the gym. When you feel too stressed out and nothing creative can be squeezed out from you anymore, this can be a good time to just follow your impulse. Have fun and indulge in your desires, for once! Then go back to thinking after the indulgence and observe how it elevates your creativity level.
6. Be at your creative footing
Others seem to undertake all possible business endeavors, what more is left? Still a lot. But in trying to give birth to an extremely unique product or service, it helps to be in a place where you can be most fruitful. Some people achieve their eureka working in an enclosed room with loud hiphop music. Others appreciate solitude while sipping a cup of coffee. And some create breakthroughs via harsh arguments with peers.
7. Take time to scribble
In scribbling, don’t be conscious of grammar, of the content, of the writing style. Just write down what is in your thoughts without editing and proofreading. It frees your mind from worries, making you shed ideas, good or bad. Then eventually you can pick the creative stuff.
8. Walk in the park
Or in your office garden. Or in the nearby street. When you’ve been staring at a blank paper for long and nothing seems to pop up—UNWIND. A breeze of air is like a spa to the busy brain.
9. Eat the right food
 This might sound like a typical advertisement for brain boosting elements but really, take a whole grain diet and you will thank me for it. It will give you a longer supply of energy because its components break down slowly, giving the body a longer time to think. Load up on Omega 3 fatty acids too, found in nuts and some oily fish that are used as building blocks for the neurotransmitters; it enables neurons to transport information to your brain more effectively. Vitamin C, E and beta carotene are well-known anti-oxidants; include them in your meals to preserve brain function.
10. Try Aromatherapy
Particular scents can stimulate the mind! While you’re in your cubicle and are forced to conjure up something juicy, why not have aromatherapy oils for creative thinking? Try Ylang-ylang - this relaxes you and invites creativity in; cedarwood helps you focus; cinnamon motivates you; rosemary lifts the mood; sandalwood gives encouragement; peppermint relieves headaches and may improve your writing ability; lavender serves as an all-around feel good oil.
As you may see, BIG IDEAS may be triggered in ordinary ways but its impact is without a doubt— extremely huge! The room for creativity might really be extra tough in what is truly becoming a smaller environment for any trade but this scenario equates to higher opportunities if you just know how to grow and manage your creative juice. So do what is necessary not to spill it!
[i.] http://www.nap.edu/
Tags: creativity, how to be creative, how to unleash your creative side, pepper virtual assistants, virtual assistants
Posted in Creative Toolbox | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
White sands, clear blue water, softly muted sounds of birds along the cliffs, ice cold fruit drink on one hand and the sea breeze on your face…
AND then your phone rings with your client asking why the shipment hasn’t arrived yet. AND your 50 new emails from suppliers, clients and sales team all haven’t been answered yet. AND your alarm goes off for Junior’s piano recital at 3pm.
BUT all you want is a few more minutes to get back to your dream.
Need help?
There seems to be so much that needs to be done to get your business going.
But there’s so little time! And so much competition!
There are people and entities that are capable and more than willing to help you get your job off to a good start, and follow up on those clients when there seems to be not enough hours in your day.
The world is evolving is such a fast pace that we all cannot afford to get left behind. Establishing connections with people from across the world has never been as easy as it is now. And for sure, ways by which to make it easier is underway.
Get started.
Start from getting some help - getting someone to help understand where you’re coming from and will be a partner in your vision for your success. While you want to have it all, you can’t do it by yourself.
Finding someone to help, who has the competence, skill, mindset and understanding is tricky. And quality often comes at a steep price. So again, you feel like you’re back at square one.
There is a very delicate balance between cost, price and profit. As business owners, on one hand, you want to serve your client’s needs by offering a price that is affordable, and a product with quality at par with the finest. On the other hand, you want to serve your needs by making sure your cost is low, to make sure you gain a decent profit without sacrificing quality of product and service.
See? Very delicate.
High profit and low price SHOULD NEVER BE EQUAL TO low quality.
Smart Solution
One smart solution to business dilemmas such as sourcing quality products at low cost is LOCATION. Same product, same quality but different source = different prices. The downside to this is stereotyping. If one sees a product coming from a place with a notion of producing low quality goods, the likelihood of sourcing from that place is low. If we however, keep an open mind and test products, skills and services carefully and patiently, we will eventually hit a goldmine. Help and assistance with quality comes from the least expected places. Perhaps diamonds from coal and gold from dirt?
Making life easier for you does not mean giving up on your dreams to run a profitable business. Nor does it mean making do with whatever first thing you come across, or whoever is nearest you. Somewhere, in some part of the world, someone is best suited to partner with you and help achieve your goals.
Geographic boundaries are no longer hindrances to connect with those skillsets and wisdoms you need for your career. No longer do we feel trapped within our little worlds, and narrow understandings of how things are done. And racial differences are evened out and opportunities are shared more equitably.
Virtual assistants from developing countries, for example, who have acquired knowledge, education and training at par with the world’s best - are given the same chances to prove that they can help make life better for CEOs of the Western world. A very even two-way street that erases prejudice, helps businesses succeed and creates a very meaningful relationship both ways.
What then is the key to having it all, for all of us?
We can’t do it all by ourselves. Keeping informed and open minded to the strengths and skills of others are the keys to having your cake, and eating it too.
Tags: have it all, outsource your life, philippine virtual assistants, virtual assistants
Posted in Business and Marketing, Outsourcing | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 11th, 2009
 There are tasks better done with a partner. Save time, money, and effort with a Virtual Assistant.
What will you do if someone capable reaches out a hand to lessen your workload? Someone who can devote 10 full hours that you can stretch in a week? And at no cost at all!
De-loading your huge pile of things-to-do is a lot easier when you have a helpful partner ready at your disposal. Whether it’s a simple client follow-up call, an important research documentation that needs thorough proofreading, or a big project management assignment, it’s good to have a partner-specialist who’ll have everything ready and right when you need them.
That’s why Virtual Assistants or VAs exist. And if you could hire a VA for free, here are top eleven things that can introduce you to its advantages and give you more coffee breaks by having someone else help you with your work:
1. Encode data. Relatively an easy task. But delegating the work to somebody else can give you extra time to think about that next marketing technique to boost your market share.
2. Call your clients and suppliers. For follow-up, introducing your latest service, or ordering new products. Keep your contacts updated without even lifting the phone.
3. Chat live with your customers and prospects. You can ask your VA to do support service, handle queries, or gather feedback that you can use for assessing your business approach and how you can improve it.
4. Book your next island-hopping escapade. With all the hard work, you deserve some pampering…right from choosing an excellent hideaway destination to landing a generous holiday deal.
5. Do research for you. So you can enjoy your getaway to the fullest, and still have an impressive output by the time you’re back for work.
6. Prepare your next presentation slides or spreadsheets. Deal with the facts and figures you have to dole out to your team while your VA ensures your slide contents are placed as you instructed.
7. Transcribe minutes of your meetings. Unless you’re still in for a “bored meeting” with your recorder.
8. Proofread and edit your existing articles. Delete from your worries box typos and grammar blunders on your write ups.
9. Write articles, blog posts, or press releases. Why just let VAs proofread when they can write compelling articles for you?
10. Manage your appointments. Whether it’s a luncheon meeting reminder or a wake up call for your child’s weekend recital, your VA will keep you posted.
11. Search for things. Anything! And have them delivered to you right at your doorstep.
It’s easy to see what Virtual Assistants can do for you and your business—make your work easier so you can focus more on the big picture. This collaborative effort has helped a lot of companies, business owners, and individuals to increase productivity, save time and effort, and reduce costs. It’s no surprise the popularity and service range of Virtual Assistants have grown in great progression over the years.
See for yourself how a Virtual Assistant can help you. Try one for free now!
Tags: advantages of having virtual assistants, free virtual assistant services, virtual assistants, what to delegate to virtual assistants
Posted in Outsourcing | No Comments »
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
In essence…
Pepper Virtual Assistant Services is amping its launch with a contest.
From April 23 until June 1, 2009, everyone who signs up for our free trial will get the chance to win “The Peppered Customer of the Year” contest.
Just like the story on our article A Real Success Story That Could Happen To You Too, there are many business people whose businesses have grown tremendously through offshore hiring or through working with a virtual assistant.
What we want is to be able to choose one lucky customer and give his or her business a boost by providing our services gratis. The irresistible offer…
The winner for The Peppered Customer of the Year will get one year free Bit Hot Jalapeño Package or 40 hours per month of virtual assistant services.
Value: $6,684.00
And if that’s not enough, we will also give the winner the opportunity to put his/her name in lights.
- We will publish an article about you. The article will announce you as the contest winner and will ultimately be about you and your business.
- The article will be spread out to multiple channels like the Pepper blog site and all Pepper social media accounts.
- We will tweet about you winning the contest on Twitter.
- We will publish a YouTube video about you and your business.
- We will send press releases about you and the contest.
Value: Free viral marketing, can you really put a price tag on that? Two baby steps and you’re in…
We simplified the promo mechanics to give everyone the chance to join. ☺
Step 1: Sign up for the 10-hour free trial VA services.
Step 2: Choose from the two topics
What can a one-year Virtual Assistant service do for you and your business?
Or
What’s your Virtual Assistant wish list?
Then submit your answer as a comment on this article.
How do we choose the winner?
Simple, the winner who gets the most votes from our promotions team will win. So put your heart in your story.
That’s it!
Now all you need to do is stay tuned and wait for the announcement of winners on this blog on June 2. Although we’re only choosing one person for the grand prize, we really want everyone to be a winner…
So everyone can claim a prize now, we’re also giving away an additional 5 hours of free virtual assistant services ( Making your free trial a total of 15 hours for the whole week!).
Value: $ 74.85
All you need to do is spread the word…
After submitting your comment/story on the blog, all you need to do is post an update on your Twitter & Facebook accounts.
Can’t think of what to say? Here’s an idea…
“Just joined Pepper’s contest to win a year of virtual assistant services, I highly recommend you check it out http://budurl.com/bepeppered ”
Then join Pepper Fan Page on Facebook and follow Pepper on Twitter.
That’s it folks, good luck!
Tags: contest mechanics, free service, free trial, virtual assistance, virtual assistants
Posted in Announcements | 13 Comments »
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
When I started working as a virtual assistant, I thought it would be a temporary thing for me. You see, five years ago I was very skeptical about this industry. I didn’t think being a VA was a real career. But I was dead wrong.
The first job I landed as a virtual assistant was with a start-up company. My boss and his accountant, who both live in the US, and myself located in Manila, were the only 3 people running the company at the time.
But the company grew so fast, that the accountant had to hire another person dedicated to doing the payroll and handling the staff schedules, after only eight months. That company now has more than 50 regular employees working virtually from the Philippines. What worked?
When he put up his company my boss had little capital to start with, so he couldn’t afford to pay a decent salary to a full time employee in the US. A really smart guy though, he knew that in order for him to successfully build his company, he has to offload the most tedious tasks and just focus on his marketing strategy and client relations.
So he looked for options that would fit his needs. He went online and found resources for offshore hiring.
In a matter of weeks, he was able to find the right people to run his business operations smoothly. This allowed him the freedom to focus on conceptualizing ideas to further his business success, plus more time connecting with his customers to gain their loyalty and trust. Time is money.
My boss attributes the success of his company for having the luxury to focus on constantly improving his business and establishing client relations. Offshore hiring allowed him to afford a team of professionals to handle his business operations. His time is solely used on things that would ensure his business success.
He’s able to achieve his ambitious goals through using his time wisely. If you’re ready to take the plunge, now is the best time…
Start using your time wisely and reap the benefits from hiring a virtual assistant. A Pepper Virtual Assistant is trained to act as a partner and not just an employee. They will understand your business and work with you to achieve your company’s success.
Stay tuned!
We are launching our new site tomorrow. Besides our 10-hour free trial offer, we have a special surprise to all those who sign up for our free trial. Tomorrow, we will be announcing the surprise, here on the blog, and we promise you won’t be disappointed. Hint: it’s worth big bucks.
Tags: Free trial offer, offshore hiring, Pepper assistants, success story, virtual assistants
Posted in Outsourcing | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
 Knowing the tricks of effective delegating will make your life easier. As a virtual assistant, I’ve talked to dozens of employers, clients and fellow VA’s and have heard some unpleasant stories from both parties about their experiences in working together.
Learning from their stories, I found that the same issues emerge over and over again. Given the diversity of tasks that virtual assistants are assigned with, it is quite common for a VA to under deliver if not given proper instructions.
If it’s necessary for you or your business to outsource, your delegating skills will be essential to make or break your virtual assistant experience.
Here are some delegating tactics that can help: 1. Clearly define your expectations.
Knowing what results you expect will greatly affect the outcome of any task you delegate to your virtual assistant. Your expected results will serve as a guide while doing the project. This ensures that your VA will work towards meeting the same goals that you have.
2. Be specific.
When giving instructions or requirements, be as specific as you can. Vague instructions can lead to several back and forth emails between you and your VA, causing delays and affecting project costs.
For tasks that are complicated or need to be repeated (especially if you’re not using dedicated assistance), it would help to prepare instructional guides. 3. Prepare a timeline.
A timeline with scheduled milestones will give you realistic expectations on the time required to complete a project. Your VA can also work around that timeline and provide you with updates when necessary.
Having a timeline eliminates several issues, especially for big projects. If it’s met, you can be assured that your VA is in fact working on your project. It allows you to check the progress of your project regularly. This way, you can spot errors early on and have them revised before they affect the next phase of the project. 4. Be reasonable.
When presenting a project, be realistic with your expected results and with your deadline. A virtual assistant should not have to choose between quantity and quality. Unrealistic expectations will most likely produce inferior work. A good VA will strive hard to over deliver and to please their clients as long as they are reasonable with their requests.
5. Communicate.
VA’s like to hear from their clients. We normally improve through constant communication with you. Even if you’re criticizing our work, we will appreciate it because it gives us an opportunity to get better.
Communication helps us understand you and your business more, ultimately leading to an effective and harmonious working relationship.
Outsourcing should make your life easier. If it doesn’t, apply these simple tips and start getting the most out of it.
A virtual assistant is a great ally to your business, but your delegating skills will ultimately be the key for your VA to fulfill your business needs.
Tags: delegation tips, effective delegating, how to outsource, virtual assistants
Posted in Outsourcing | No Comments »
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
 Successful outsourcing is about finding the right people. Outsourcing is a great way to cut back on business expenses and help a company stay above water in these tough economic times.
Since the most affordable online assistant services are normally offered from distant geographical locations, most companies or entrepreneurs turn to offshore outsourcing for their employment needs.
Sadly though, there are lots of horrible stories. Oftentimes expectations are not met or work delivered is substandard.
Getting the right people is a real challenge, more so if you are looking at overseas resources.
In my years as a virtual assistant, I’ve learned some offshore hiring practices that have worked.
Here are tips to successful outsourcing for offshore hiring: 1. Spend time looking for the right virtual assistant person or team
With so many offshore virtual assistant providers out there, it would be time consuming to actually check them all out. You can ask for referrals from friends but if no one you know has tried outsourcing, it is smart to do actual background checks before hiring anyone or any company for their services.
Always ask for portfolios or samples of their work, whether you’re dealing with a freelance individual or a VA services company.
For background check on freelancers, you can ask for their resumé and call their previous employers for information on the quality of their work and attitude.
For VA service companies, you can check their reputation through online reviews or if possible, contact people who have provided testimonials for these companies. This will give you an idea if their company would serve your needs well. 2. Take advantage of free trial offers
Most virtual assistant services offer free trials. This is a great way for you to test the quality of service the company or their staff can provide. It is a chance for you to gauge if they can meet your standards.
3. VA companies vs individual VA freelancers
I have nothing against freelance workers (heck, I used to be one!) but hiring from a reliable virtual assistant company offers more security when hiring from a different geographical location.
A reputable company or agency will be a safer choice given the fact that they can be held accountable if any issue arises. A reliable company would always have a support or contact person available even after a project is completed, which is advantageous for obvious reasons.
If you experience any problems with a freelance VA, you need to directly deal with the VA. This is one less headache to deal with if you signed up with an outsourcing company. 4. Get a virtual assistant that you can work effectively with
Besides affordability, one of the reasons for outsourcing or hiring a VA is to free up more time. So it is vital to find the right person to work effectively with. Here are some things to consider when finding an effective offshore assistant.
• Communication & writing skills
Miscommunication is a common problem in any workplace. It is a good idea to find out if a virtual assistant you’re potentially hiring can effectively communicate with you. You can conduct interviews over the phone and correspond a few times by email to test their communication and writing capabilities.
• Work attitude & cultural exposure
These two things affect the execution of their work. A virtual assistant, who knows her business ethics and is a bit familiar with the Western way of doing business, would likely be able to deliver work with integrity and quality.
5. Get a multi-skilled VA
Aside from basic computer skills, you should find out if your VA has other useful skills. Some VAs also proofread, write copy, compose articles, use Photoshop, Podcast etc. Learning your VA’s work experiences can help you discover her other skills.
Following these five steps will help you get quality people to work for your company.
Besides cutting down on expenses and getting more results, successful outsourcing also translates to more security for your company and more free time for you.
Tags: offshore assistants, offshore hiring, online help, Outsourcing, Virtual assistant companies, virtual assistants
Posted in Outsourcing | 4 Comments »
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