Things in my personal life have also been (I can say) getting better. Torn and burnt relationships may be coming to a good close just before the year ends. Only sad thing i, that the hubby has decided to once again try his luck with his application for a post in Papua New Guinea (where his uncle is based). I'm not sure if I'm ready for that. I say yes just to let him feel everything's okay, but I have my apprehensions. 

Anyway, that's what I have been up to. Not much but still :) 

I wish they'd bring back what they used to charge and the policies that came with it. It was much better then. I was actually hoping that they will bring better services to their subscribers but at the rate they're going, I might as well get myself a MagicJack. :(

In previous posts, I've discussed the pros and cons of being a virtual assistant. One of the major cons would be the support system. Since most people don't know about this industry, there's a stigma that this is just some part time gig. I say not. This is as legit and stable as any business. What's good about this business is you don't need a big overhead capital since you're using your own skills as the main entree. 

This is one business where you can find those who truly support you or those who never believed in you and your abilities. In the first few years, you might not be able to pick out the ones who really care from the ones who actually think you're nuts for giving up a corporate office career, but you just might see who you should stick with when you finally have the chance to think about it, in say, 2-3 years! *wink*

You have heard a lot of people telling you on how to be productive, like speed up tasks, multi-task, disregard distractions or being efficient. Here’s my two cents worth on what works for me big time :

1.       One goal at a time

Many of you, like me, have a lot of goals at a time. We think of many things that we want to do and our numerous ambitions that we’d like to get accomplished. If you are like me, I’m the kind of person who thinks I lack time in doing all that I want to do. And now that I’m nearing the dreaded 3-0, I’d like to them all. BUT.. gurus say that we have to drop one of our goals or put them aside for later. We have to focus on one goal at a time so we can accomplish lots. I don’t know about you but I definitely agree on this.

2.       Do you really want COMMITMENT?

I’m not saying this because I don’t want to commit. I just don’t want to get myself tied up to something that I may not be interested in in a few weeks, months or years. I say this, drop a commitment if this is the case! Its better to drop it than be forced to do it and do it without passion.

3.       Trust and delegate

Yes, I know the feeling of being a perfectionist that you’re forgetting to delegate. In formal terms, this is autocratic leadership. But recently, I’ve learned that if you do not learn to trust, you’ll be sorry in the end. Delegate the ones that are time-consuming but can be done by an associate. Then you can spend your time in other important tasks.

4.       Just say NO

Many of us have this tendency in saying YES to everything, whether it be a commitment, a function, an event, a project or a task. What we don’t know is that these “little” things turn out to be tedious and require a lot of our time and energy. Also, if you keep saying YES, its more likely that you end up with less free time and less quality time for your family or for yourself.

5.       Be happy

You have to be happy before you can make yourself successful. Do things that make you happy and not forced activities. Do otherwise, and you’ll end up being stressed and drained without accomplishing much.

So, what can you do today to free up your time?

This is where the casinos come in. On my previous post, I wrote about how this particular "hobby" fascinates and intrigues me. So I went and researched more about it. 

By definition from Wikipedia :

The term "Casino" is of Italian origin, the root word being "Casa" (house) and originally meant a small country villa, summerhouse or pavilion. The word changed to refer to a building built for pleasure, usually on the grounds of a larger Italian villa or palazzo. Such buildings were used to host civic town functions - including dancing, music listening and gambling.

The precise origin of gambling is unknown. The Chinese recorded the first official account of the practice in 2300 B.C., but it is generally believed that activity of gambling, in some way or another, has been seen in almost every society in history. From the Ancient Greeks and Romans to Napoleon's France and Elizabethan England, much of history is filled with stories of entertainment based on the games of chance.^[4]

One of the first known casinos was the Casinò di Venezia, established in Venice Italy around 1638.^[5] and is still in operation.

So that's the history of casinos eh? Told you it was fascinating. Who would ever have thought that people from our ancient history would think about gambling and casinos as part of their recreation. Come to think of it, gambling and taking risks have always been a part of what makes our lifestyle. Our businesses take risks, our personal lives take risks, and even our simplest choices are risks. 

I hope you enjoyed my post!

Thinking about it, it made me realize that I do gamble everyday of my life. Whether it be on decisions concerning the household, work, children, relationships or just about anything.I have always gambled. Gambling was always a part of my life. I risked myself financially, emotionally, mentally and physically. 

Recently, I've seen those ads about online casinos and online gambling. And I am very much tempted to play. If only we had enough extra moolah to get me going on this new hobby, I would've been addicted to these online slot games. 

Maybe next time :) When I'm permitted financially (wink, wink)

This is just the first part, the basics of what will be discusses in my training class for freelancers and VAs. Read on...

First topic would be FINANCES. Money is always an important issue for all people, not just for freelancers. Many of you might be used to getting a regular paycheck weekly, bi-monthly or monthly. This time you have to get used to having days when you don't have clients and no moolah is coming in. What do you do? Make sure that you have enough money in your bank account so that when you don't have projects coming in, you still have enough to get by. 

Second is your WORKPLACE. If you would like to work at home (like many of us), consider the environment. Is your house quiet enough so you can focus? Do you have kids roaming around and throwing tantrums every now and then? If so, you need to find your own place where you can work. My suggestion is to rent a nearby place and share it with other freelancers. Split bills such as rent, electricity and other utilities. 

Third would be your RESUME/PORTFOLIO. Build your resume/portfolio like life would depend on it, because it actually will. Your resume/portfolio will either make or break you. The first few months/years/projects would probably be your building blocks. Make it good. Improve and learn during the process. Another great tip would be to not to lie in your resume. List only that things or companies that you have worked on or worked for. Don't exaggerate. Be truthful. 

Fourth is HOLIDAYS. If you are from the Philippines like me, consider the holidays that your client has. If you work for them fulltime, make sure you set it straight the first time. Tell them and ask them what holidays you are willing to take.  BUT, having a good vacation is crucial to stress release. I personally would like to get a few extra days off to unwind, clear my mind, refresh and recharge. 

I hope these tips once again helped you. Take my class to get more of these. :) See yah!

For my readers who have been missing my posts and tips, this training class will definitely teach you how to do it right. Sign up now! Email me :)

So what do I have for you today? As a virtual assistant, cover letters are but important. These are our make- or-break when it comes to our jobs.  Let me write, based on my experience, the things that would make your cover letter, stand out from the rest.

1. Spelling and Grammar

Imagine a prospective client reading your cover letter and seeing too many spelling and grammatical errors. Major fail! So don't look stupid. Check and recheck. 

2.  Tone

Business tone is always best. It will send the message that you are a professional. Don't use chat/text speak, and jargons that your prospective client might not know. 

 3. Make a checklist

Be sure that you cover all bases on that checklist. Here's my short-but-sweet version on how my cover page/letter should be like :

- introduce yourself

- tell the client of what you can do; sell yourself

- ask questions

- provide samples of what you have done; links/URLs or design portfolios

- how efficient are you? how fast can you give good results?

- do you have the right equipment? if so, what are they? software and hardware

- closing statement ;  contact info

I hope these helped you think twice about sending that cover letter you've prepared. Again, check and recheck for errors. Keep your letter short but enough to say how it's best to get you over the other VA applicants. Goodluck!