News Release

I finally finished my News Release.  Here it is:

NEWS RELEASE

February 18, 2013

Jen Shea VA

My Job is a Virtual Reality.   

Small business owners, could you be spending more time generating new business? Are admin or social media tasks filling up your networking and sales time?

An enterprising Ottawa, (Ontario) area woman has recently launched a business perfect for the technological age:   Virtual Administrative Consultant ~ more commonly known as a Virtual Assistant.

Jen Shea recently started her business, after working in office administration for more than 20 years.

“Just like a traditional personal assistant, I handle a wide variety of tasks using today’s technology.  The only thing I can’t do is get your coffee.   My tag line is 'Your Virtual Collaborator'.  I want to work with people who are building and growing their businesses and I feel very strongly about developing a relationship based on trust and compatibility.”

“I specialize in creating & maintaining websites using Wordpress, and also in desktop publishing, client services and social media set up, and other time-saving administrative tasks.”

With software programs such as Skype, email, e-fax and secure file sharing sites (for example Dropbox) almost anything can be done virtually. 

Small business owners can hire a ‘VA’ to keep costs down.  A VA is a self-employed contractor, not an employee, so you don’t have the expense of overhead costs such as office space, equipment and computers, etc. 

The most appealing part of outsourcing to a VA is that the client is only billed for the actual time spent working on that particular task or project. 

 “We are always furthering our skills and perfecting our techniques so that we can deliver superior work.  My clients do not pay me when I go on a personal appointment, take a holiday, or get sick.  Virtual Assistants are only paid for time actually worked”, offers Ms. Shea.

    

“You would be amazed at how much it costs to hire a full-time, or even a part time, employee.”

Ms Shea explains that some clients hire her to do one-time projects and others work with her on a retainer basis.  You can hire her to work a couple of hours a day, a few hours a week, or several hours a month.   

“Every client is unique and so are their needs.  After our initial discussion, a plan is put in place and a contract is signed.  Adjustments can easily be made along the way.”

Ms. Shea also works with a team of other VAs with specialties of their own and this enables her to offer a ‘Total Client Experience’.  The client doesn’t have to spend precious time looking for different VAs because she can do that for you.  “I only work with VAs who share my work ethics and whatever your need is, I have an expert who can make it happen”, she explains.

Contact Jen at jen@jensheava.com to set up a free consultation.  You can also visit her website at http://www.JenSheaVA.com for details on services, packages and rates.

 

Information Overload...

Today was one of those days... Information overload!

I learned a lot because I landed on a new blog post that was full of so much good information, I ended trying to implement all the tidbits I was reading about.  

What I really need to do though is find a good way to 'log' sites and pages that I like and remember to go back to them.  I need to schedule these things.  Just yesterday I was telling my mentor that I am getting lost in time.  I start reading and the next thing I know I've gone from one page to another to another site and I've lost 4 hours.  Not always, but it does happen.  Look at me now, it's 2:30 am... again!

Does anyone, out there, have any suggestions for me on how to keep track of the pages I want to go back to read?  I save them in my favourites/bookmarks but now I have so many I can't remember where anything is.

Thank you in advance for helping this New Girl :)

Have a great night and I hope we can connect soon.

Jen :)

www.JenSheaVA.com
©

Continuing 'Self' Education...

Do you like to learn?  

I admit I hated school. OK, hate is a strong word, but I said it a lot back then.  Problem was, when I went to school, there was only one way of educating the masses (at least in the school system that I was in).  Now, the educators have 'discovered' that not everyone learns the same way!

Of course, what I eventually came to realize is that it was the structure that I hated, and not getting the education.  Truth is, I as a sponge.  I still am.

Now, with 24 hours of internet access, I can't get enough. Every day I am discovering something new or I am taking an online tutorial, and I love it.

I also try to keep up to date on the 'latest and greatest' as well as revisiting a course that I have taken... to refresh my memory.

How often do you take courses or online tutorials?

Good Night from here.  Hope we can connect soon.

Jen :)   

http://www.JenSheaVA.com

My VA Mentor and Friend...

This is the story of how I got 'here'.

Not long after I met Tracey, I asked her what she does...  You know, part of the usual conversation when you getting to know someone new.  She told me, a VA.   http://www.traceydaviero.com/

Tracey has been a Virtual Assistant for more than 15 years. She was a VA before the term was 'coined'. 

Like most people, I didn't have a clue what she was talking about, but with a short explanation I was intrigued.  Tracey knew that I had many years of Administrative and Management experience and suggested that a career as a VA would be a great fit for me.  She treated me to a coffee and she told me all about her business.  I was hooked.

At the time, it really didn't fit into my life.  I was married and we lived in a rural area with no cable TV (we did have satellite, let alone a reasonable internet service.  Eventually we did get internet but it was pretty slow and expensive.  

I liked my job, but didn't love my job, so I did keep the whole VA  'thing' in mind.  One day, one of the girls in my office told another girl that she had heard about the VA business and it just so happened that I had also mentioned it to her not long before.  Well, the two of us connected and I told her about my friend Tracey.  I suggested that she meet her.

Talk about timing...  We went for dinner with Tracey and asked a hundred questions (maybe more) and as always, she generously answered all our questions.  Then, she told us that she was starting a new business called, Your VA Mentor, and in fact she was planning to launch her first 'course', shortly. I couldn't wait for it to start. Tracey's course can be found at Your VA Mentor - http://www.yourvamentor.com/

At the time I took the course I was still working full time, and although I started learning about creating a website and learning about all the different software that VA's use, I still wasn't able to make the jump.   Almost a year went by and then suddenly an opportunity showed itself to me.  I was offered a one-year contract (covering a maternity leave), which made it a little easier to leave the job and company I had been working for, for over 11 years.  

Fast forward to the last few months, and that contracted ended and my new Virtual Career is on it's way.

Thank you so much Tracey, for everything!  You are a mentor and a good friend.

You can also find Tracey on Facebook.



https://www.facebook.com/traceydavierova
https://www.facebook.com/yourvamentor

Cheers,

Jen :)

http://www.jensheava.com/

Thoughts for Today...

How as your day?  

I had a pretty productive day, and accomplished a lot.  I did some research, I completed some administrative tasks and I did some networking.

I was reading the blog of a friend of mine and one of her posts was about having a theme song... and it reminded me of mine.  I think it 'fits' me and I have loved it since I was a little girl. It has taken me a while to get here...  I finally feel as though I have arrived. 

Here are the words:  

Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it

Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all


How will you make it on your own?
This world is awfully big, girl this time you're all alone
But it's time you started living
It's time you let someone else do some giving

Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all

Do you recognize it?  It's the theme song to the Mary Tyler Moore show.  When I was young, I wanted to grow up to be Mary Richards.  I loved everything about her.  She was fun, and sassy, had great style and was Independent!   And, for those of you who remember the show, she had that great little apartment.

Here's a clip.  Have a super night world, catch you soon.

Jen :-) 

http://JenSheaVA.com

 

Wordpress for Me...

I was up until 5:15 am, this morning working on my website and this blog, set up.  I have to say though, I am really loving Wordpress.  There are plenty of helpful tutorials on Youtube, as long as you know what you are looking for.  This has sometimes been the most challenging part for me.

I wish I was 25 years younger.  Of course, it would be great to be 25 again, but that would mean that my daughter wouldn't even be here... so forget about that.  Instead, what I really mean is that I wish that all of this was 'there' for me to learn, 25 years ago.  I would have loved to have had the opportunity to learn this in school, to do this as a life-long career.

No matter, I'm doing it now and it is definitely 'better late, than never'.  

It's 12:30 am, so I'm off to bed... tomorrow is another day :-)

G'Night World

Jen :)