Making sure their word is their bond...

...get it in writing.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone actually did what they said they were going to do?

If you are in any type of service / subcontract situation, get it in writing.

I cannot stress the sheer importance of an SLA (or Service Level Agreement).

Per Wikipedia:

A service-level agreement (SLA) is a negotiated agreement between two parties where one is the customer and the other is the service provider. This can be a legally binding formal or informal 'contract'.

The SLA records a common understanding about services, priorities, responsibilities, guarantees and warranties. Each area of service scope should have the 'level of service' defined. The SLA may specify the levels of availability, serviceability, performance, operation, or other attributes of the service such as billing. The 'level of service' can also be specified as 'target' and 'minimum', which allows customers to be informed what to expect (the minimum), whilst providing a measurable (average) target value that shows the level of organization performance. In some contracts penalties may be agreed in the case of non compliance of the SLA (but see 'internal' customers below). It is important to note that the 'agreement' relates to the services the customer receives, and not how the service provider delivers that service.

Don't have a SLA in place? Or, would like to improve your current SLA? Contact Passion for Paper Business Solutions. We'd be happy to help!

You get what you pay for...

...I felt compelled to write this blog entry after a conversation with a potential client. This particular prospect was pretty apprehensive with subcontracting work to another VA after horrible experiences with offshore VAs'.

Sadly, this is not the first time I have heard this. Small business owners / entrepreneurs are lured by the 'low cost' of so-called Virtual Assistants from mainly third world countries. $1.00 - $5.00 / hour are the average rates charged by offshore VAs'.

But the lure of low costs doesn't come with its own set of disadvantages. When you choose to outsource offshore, you are going to encounter Virtual Assistants who are unfamiliar with our culture and language. Although, they speak English, generally, it is not their first language. This causes language barriers, communication gaps, and general lack of understanding.

Honestly, is the frustration worth the money you 'save'? Actually it's quite the opposite as work often needs to be remediated and ends up costing more in the long run.

On the subject of confidentiality. If you choose to outsource confidential personal data offshore, it may not be protected. Firms in India currently are not equally subject to any extensive legislative or regulatory data-protection controls.

Offshore VAs work for an outsourcing firm and are not business owners. They do not have a vested interest in your business other than getting more projects. As a proudly Canadian virtual assistant business, we understand the operations of a small business, as well as what is required to develop it. Our goals are to establish an ongoing business relationship with you in order to help you reach your goals.

If the above reasons aren't enough there are also drastic differences in time zones.

Just remember, “You get what you pay for.”

Why not stimulate our own economy?

Contact Passion for Paper Business Solutions, a proud Canadian company who truly cares about the success of your business.

Been pulling your hair out again?

...take a deep breath and de-stress...

Here are some tips!

Continue to remind yourself that this day will pass and tomorrow is a new day.

1. Be realistic about your expectations. Reduce your disappointment factor.


2. Appreciate yourself. Think about all the positive things you are able to accomplish each day.


3. Just smile! The simple act of smiling makes you feel better automatically.


4. Share your stressful day or event with a colleague, friend or family member.


5. Breathe to the power of 10. Take a deep breath to the count of 10.Exhale the same way. Repeat several times.


6. Find something humorous (movie, comic strip, etc.) and laugh. Laughter helps you relax physically and psychologically.


7. Treat yourself to a favorite food.


8. Find something positive in your life to totally focus on for 15 minutes.


9. Decrease stress by learning to talk to yourself in a reassuring way.


10. Sit in total silence for 10 minutes. Close your eyes and transport yourself to another environment. (beach, sailing, cruise ship, etc.)


11. Remind yourself that even when you have no control over certain situations, your attitude is always within your control. It's our attitude that shapes our experiences.


12. See problems & stressful events as opportunities. Problem solve and grow from them.


13. Try acting or responding in a way that is the exact opposite of your usual behavior.


14. Practice "pace, not race." Do everything (walk, talk, etc.) at a more relaxed tempo.


15. Analyze your stresses and frustrations. Know what most affects you and try to avoid them.


16. Develop a list of things that make you happy. Read it to yourself several times.


17. Don't hold your mistakes against yourself. Focus on what you're doing right. Start fresh and let them go.


18. Change your routine for the rest of the day or the next day.


19. Spend 15 minutes listening to classical or other soothing music.


20. Practice acceptance. Ask yourself what stresses you have the power to change. Those you cannot you must accept.


21. Spend some time with a person or people who make you feel good about yourself.


22. Be "temporarily selfish." Reserve a little more time just for you.


23. Find a hidden treasure in your day. Search for one positive thing that you may have never noticed before.


24. Replace "I have to" statements with "I choose to" statements. It will relieve pressure and give you a whole new perspective.

Ask us how we can help you de-stress!

We're this flexible...

Why would you want a Virtual Assistant in the first place?

Well, for some, it’s about allowing someone to take care of small things, repetitive things, that they're not very interested in doing … so that they can free their time up to focus on the things they love, the things that will bring them the most long-term benefit, and to increase their effectiveness.

It’s about simplification, really.

It’s not an idea that’s for everyone, but if you’re interested, here are the tips:

1) First and foremost, determine why you want a virtual assistant (VA). It is important to think through your goal in hiring a VA so that you can determine if it is a good fit for you. If your answer is to have more time, think about how you would use that extra time. If your answer is to get more done, think about your top priorities to make sure you are getting the “right” things done.

2) Answer the question: What should I use a virtual assistant for? Combine your busy work and home schedules with the annual holiday rush, and this question seems to answer itself. However, it can be daunting to define, exactly, what you’d have a personal assistant do for you. Here are a few ideas for both personal and work-related tasks:

* Travel Plans—Have your VA create the ideal itinerary for your next business trip or family vacation.

* Transcription—Record a business meeting or classroom lecture and have it transcribed by your VA.

* Event Planning—Have your VA research the perfect restaurant, resort or conference room and manage all the logistics for your parents anniversary, a company off site or a romantic evening out.

* Presentations—Use a VA that has PowerPoint skills to make your presentations look more polished and professional.

* Update Address/Contact List—Make a New Year’s resolution to stay in better touch with your family and important business contacts. Have your VA update your address list, contact information and even create labels and reminders in advance.

* Birthday/holiday gift buying—Never miss another birthday. Set a budget, give a few guidelines and let your VA track down the perfect gifts or online cards for everyone on your list.

* Market research – Identify and research local businesses you could partner with to reach new customers, or create a list of tradeshows and industry events you should attend.

* Online marketing – Research blogs and websites for potential advertising opportunities and get pricing.

The list could go on and on, but this should give you a few ideas. Now that you have the Why and the What, let’s talk about the How. There are a few easy-to-follow tips that will help you get the most out of your virtual assistant.

3) Clearly define the task you want your VA to accomplish. This will help you determine the qualifications your VA should have.

4) Provide specific guidelines and time lines for the project. Write down exactly what you want your VA to accomplish. Then, think through the steps that you would take to accomplish the task. Write those down as well.

5) Remember the “Why.” Realize you have more time! You hired a VA to give yourself more time with your family and friends or to focus on growing your business or to take that weekend away. It is easy to replace “stuff to do” with more “stuff to do.” Check in to make sure you are spending your additional time as you had hoped.

At Passion for Paper Business Solutions, we can help you simplify. Contact us, so can help you reach your goals.

Delegating work works; provided your delegate works...efficiently that is

Tired of catching your Administrative Assistant gabbing on the phone during business hours? Surfing the 'net eventhough a report needs completion? The endless chit chat by the water cooler about, "He said, she said"?

Maybe, it's time to look into the wonderful world of Virtual Assisting. Where you, the client is working with another results focused business.

You want to MAKE money, right?

As a small business owner, did you know that trying to do everything yourself is costing you 40-60% in lost revenue?

Constantly working IN your business on non revenue-producing work that would be more productively and cost-effectively performed by a highly-skilled, knowledgeable professional is losing your business significant income.

Doing the Same Thing Yields the Same Results!

There are business owners who choose to go at it alone. There are those who choose to hire an inexperienced Assistant, in hopes to save money with lower rates. In fact hiring inadequate support in hopes to save money, actually wastes money and resources rather than saving them. Your business will never grow beyond where it is today unless you get the proper support. The more administrative, non-core, energy-draining activities you can properly delegate and eliminate from your plate, the more you will be able to move your business forward in becoming more efficient and profitable.

Ideally, as the business owner, 80% of your time should be focused exclusively on activities that create the most value and profits. The more time you can spend planning, strategizing, marketing, networking, and creating and delivering your revenue-producing products or services, the greater your business will grow and profit. Choose the right help!

7 Benefits You'll Reap By Getting the Right Help

1. More Energy. You'll have more energy by letting go of work you hate or don't do well.
2. More Time. You'll have more time for the energizing work you love, and to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
3. More Focus. You won't be distracted and overwhelmed with work you shouldn't be doing as the business owner.
4. More Productivity. With more focus, you'll be more highly productive and effective, getting more done in less time.
5. Less Stress. When you are getting things done and actually making progress, your happiness, energy and creativity levels will soar.
6. Stronger Foundation. You will be creating and instilling a strong foundation for continued profitable growth in your business.
7. Increased Profits. All of these benefits together are the key ingredients for generating revenue.

Contact Passion for Paper Business Solutions so we can assist you to you to get back to doing what you are passionate about!

You're planning on starting your business now? During an economic depression? Are you nuts?

Here is an article from All Business, which proves that maybe we're not as crazy as others think for starting a businesses in tough economic times.

Startup. It’s a word we don’t hear much during today’s tough economic times. One wonders if there is anyone brave or foolhardy enough - or both - to risk starting a new business when more and more people are losing their jobs and tightening their belts.

Yet there was a time that was even tougher than today. A downturn so bad it’s now capitalized and had the adjective “Great” appended to it. If today’s environment is bad for starting a business, it must have been madness to even think about the idea during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Businesses established during the Depression come from a variety of industries, but for this list, Hoover’s Editors concentrated only on those that may owe some of their success to the conditions of the time.

1. Ada Feed & Seed: Farms had a real need for Ada Feed & Seed when crop prices were falling. This company helps farmers field tough economic conditions by offering assistance with fertilizing, seeding, and other tasks.

2. SESAC: Woody Guthrie, the Dust Bowl Troubadour, Huddie Ledbetter, the Singing Convict, and many others sang the pangs of the Depression. SESAC, established as a licensor of music, made sure they didn’t get ripped off by unauthorized recordings or performances.

3. Publix Super Markets: Twenty-two-year-old George Jenkins quit his job as manager of a Florida Piggly Wiggly and started his own grocery store next door. The store not only survived next door to its competitor, but eventually became the 1,000-store chain of today.

4. Hy-Vee: Hy-Vee began as a small general store in Iowa that offered what people really need during tough times - low prices. That and good service helped grow the general store into a chain of some 225 supermarkets.

5. King Kullen Grocery: The company claims that Michael Cullen invented the supermarket format when he turned a Queens warehouse into a grocery store. No doubt the downscale setting allowed him to keep prices low for families with unemployed breadwinners.

6. Harp’s Food Stores: Floy and Harvard Harp opened an eponymous food store that would grow into a chain that includes outlets with “Price Cutter” on the banner. Those two words were no doubt key to Harp’s emergence as a major regional player during tough times.

7. Ocean Spray Cranberries: When the going gets tough, the tough get cooperative. Instead of seeing who could make the tastiest cranberry sauce when consumers were pinching pennies, three cranberry companies pooled their bogs and found success.

8. Pendleton Grain Growers: On a December night in 1929 a group of struggling wheat farmers gathered in Pendleton, Oregon, and decided to form a cooperative that would help them withstand falling crop prices.

9. Yellow Book USA: The Yellow Pages gave struggling consumers an efficient opportunity for comparison shopping. Instead of wasting gas or - more often - shoe leather, they could let their fingers do the walking in search of the best deals.

10. Wipfli: Wipfli focused not on consumers but stepped up to help businesses stay in business. This company provides such services as tax preparation, business planning, and corporate finance.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Herman Cain

Throughout the years I have met many people that were unhappy with their current employment situation. They had a steady income bi-weekly, benefits, vacation and perks. They were from all walks of life, yet one thing remained constant. All were unfulfilled from their employment. Although some have reached success in a job they consider mundane, such as accolades or awards they never felt truly happy with what they have done.

In the business program that I am currently in I have had the pleasure to meet other business owners who are equally passionate about their businesses. It is such a great feeling to be able to feed off such positive energy from others that are driven to succeed. Truly refreshing!

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Herman Cain