Are you an expat who pays too much for telephone calls?

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Communicating by taking emails an action further

There are many reasons that stop people from moving home. For now, lets concentrate on those people who do decide to leave their mother land behind or who jump from country to country to make brand new lives for themselves. Are you amongst those individuals whose home address appears to be forever changing?

Fortunately for expats, improvements in technology mean we don’t need to depend on traditional mail any longer as contact is literally, at your fingertips. Email & social media is now a favourite method of communication and makes staying in touch with family & friends cheap and easy from almost anywhere in the world. This method of communication has actually made the expat way of living a lot more feasible, convenient and practical. Friends & family, work colleagues & customers are simply an email or social media message away.

However, emails are no longer just enough though. Hearing a familiar voice far more reassuring and sometimes highly essential for sheer peace of mind. Likewise, it puts the problem of distance into perspective. Yes, we could be on the opposite sides of the world however, we are really only just an email or telephone call away. Ultimately there is nothing better than contacting loved ones with an unexpected call simply to say hello, or to involve them (virtually) in days of celebration. We need to have the ability in an emergency situation to just pick up the phone and make an important call without it costing us an extortionate amount of money.

So, picture having the ablity to call somebody anywhere in the world without having to worry about the cost of the call! Believe it or not, thanks to Skype, this is now possible. Perhaps some of you are already using Skype, or maybe you’re one of those that have been too cautious to try it. Perhaps you haven’t heard of these telephonic services that are readily available to us simply by using a computer, mobile (cell) or iPad etc. Well, it not only works, but it is cheap and has improved levels of communication between people worldwide. People & organisations are spending more than 2 billion minutes per day connecting with each other on Skype which is more than 33 million hours of people singing, laughing, joking & staying in touch*. So you can just imagine the sheer global reach by using Skype.
All that’s required is a computer or suitable device. You don’t even have to own your own individual computer as access to Skype can be made from any computer (or suitable device) once you have an account set up with them which only takes a short while to do. You can then just easily log onto your account to make your call. If you are using Skype via a computer we do recommend that you use a good quality headset.

If the individual you are calling also has a Skype account, neither of you will pay a penny for the call. However, if you are making a call to a normal landline or mobile (cell) phone number you are charged for the call, at an incredibly low and affordable rate.

If, improving the effectiveness of your chosen method of communication as an expat is important to you, why not give Skype a try? It may just be the solution you are looking for.

*Figures taken from the official Skype blog dated 04/03/2013

A day in the life of a Virtual Assistant

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When I made the decision to resign from my full time job in 2013, I never dreamed that I’d be sitting here on a lovely warm & sunny afternoon writing an article for my virtual assistant business blog.  I left behind the safety & security of a managerial post with a million dollar global corporation, earning a good salary, and with good all round benefits and perks.  Gone were the days of meetings for meetings sake, or when you had to sit up straight in your chair or wipe the crisp crumbs from off your desk when the General Manager or VP was due to do their rounds or senior management meetings were being held at HQ.

Being employed as a regular worker blinkered me somewhat to the numerous worldwide opportunities that lay ahead.  I went from having several senior levels above me to being my own boss, answerable only to myself!  By no means was it an easy transition, but I did my research & due diligence and educated myself on what I’d be up against in the self-employed virtual assistant arena.

Working as a Virtual Assistant and running my business from home has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I love my work as there is so much variety, no two days are ever the same, and I have finally found that much longed for ‘work – life balance’.  Gone are the 3 hour commutes up & down the motorway to and from my place of work, which considerably reduced my working day.  I have saved so much money on fuel costs and I don’t miss all those tiresome delays when sitting in traffic on the A23 or M23 Southbound.  So, without further ado here is a little insight into my day in “A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant”.

My alarm clock starts beeping at 06.30 as normal, which is then subsequently snoozed! (Well who doesn’t snooze?) For 5 minutes.  Once I’m finally up and remotely stirred into action, I make my way bleary eyed into the bathroom for a nice refreshing shower.  I’m a wife & busy mum of 3 rugrats (children) aged 17yrs to 22 months, hence the early start! Once the school run is out the way I’m back at my desk in my home office by 08.15 to make a start with, a very strong cappuccino in hand.

I check my schedule for the day and prioritise current work projects.  I work for a variety of clients, some based here in the UK, one in France and also a couple of International clients.  As such, I also have 3 other associate assistants that I outsource work to from time to time when business dictates.

Today, I have a Skype call with an International Client at 09.00 UK time to discuss his social media engagement and the new business acquired via these channels, followed by organising his visits to the UK And adding his travel schedule to his calendar.  There are also a number of quotes and invoices to create and send to his customers which I will send throughout the course of the day. I also need to do some PA work for an NLP client of mine who is busy with one to one client sessions & running her certified NLP courses in 2 locations.  This entails a lot of organisation, diary management, client liaison and administration which, will is also due out today.

It is now midday and time for me to grab a healthy salad for lunch.  Unfortunately I don’t always eat as healthy as I should during the day but I try to make a conscious effort to do so at least 3-4 times a week.  Depending on how busy my day is I allow myself anything from 30 minutes to 2hrs for lunch, which is a huge benefit when working for myself.  After lunch I have some client social media management to take care of which I prefer to do in bulk for the week ahead, thus allowing me additional time to work on other things.

At approximately 13.20 I’m off again to do the school run which, is something I wasn’t in a position to do when I was `employed’ full time, the flexibility of my job is next to none!  Once back from school the kids are settled and its then back to the office for me as I need to update a client’s email marketing database & CRM, which will take a few hours to complete.  I am currently using Toggl time tracking software which helps me to keep abreast of all the hours worked for my clients.  It’s important to accurately measure & record time spent on tasks & projects in order to offer a fair and reliable service to each of my clients, who are invoiced on either a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.

My aim is to meet & exceed all of my client’s expectations by producing accurate work within an agreed timeline, and I feel privileged to be working with such a lovely mix of clients who choose to use my services.  My day can finish any time between 17.00 – 01.00 depending on whether a client requires an out of hours service which I can provide, subject to availability.  Or, if I am attending an evening networking event.

I am fortunate in that I have a supportive husband who manages the children and home when I am busy at work.  Even though it isn’t always easy to explain to the children or other family members that I am unavailable for social contact during this time – but this is another article in itself!

The world of Virtual Assistance is a wonderful one with no constraints placed on us by distance.  It also gives our Clients a much larger skill base to tap into which in turn, can only lead to providing a more efficient and effective service all round.

If you think you or anyone else you know could benefit from my virtual business support & administration services then do get in touch for an informal & consultative chat.