In my virtual world I have found the challenges of sharing and collaborating on projects with clients and colleagues to be one of the big ones. For everyone on the team to work effectively everyone needs to have access to the documents we are all working on together. I find when everyone can work on the documents at any time and still leave them in a place where they are accessible to the rest of the team there is less time wasted with emailing, faxing, calling back and forth and waiting for answers.  Once a sharing platform is chosen for the project every member of the team knows they can go there to find the latest copy of all of the documents that pertain to that project. Lots of sharing and collaborating platforms have places to post messages for all team members to see and as well, a method for private messages that I only want a specific person to see.

There are many different programs available on the internet. Most of them have a free component that does not include all the bells and whistles that the versions that you pay for have but are still very powerful programs that can do most anything that I need to do for the size of projects that I need to share. Doing a comparison of the different plans a program offers makes it easy to decide what specific features you think you want to use for your project and then deciding how much you want to pay over the basic free plan.

There is no end to the usefulness of a program that you can work together with others in. I like to be able to share files and images, to create groups within projects and to speak with other group members in real time chat rooms. Some programs have white board features where all members of the group can be brainstorming their ideas all at once and adding them to the white board themselves with no need for a moderator to do all of the writing. I find it is useful to have a feature where group members can take ownership of individual tasks within a project and they can set milestones so the project keeps moving forward and on time so the deadline that has been set can be met. With some programs tasks, milestones and meetings can be synced with Outlook or Google Calendar so no one forgets and everything pops up at their finger tips. What could be more convenient than that?!

When I am considering which sharing and collaborating platform I am going to use on a project I like to choose one that has an application for my Blackberry. I like to have that mobile component so I can access documents and projects where ever I am. Some days in my life I just never know where I will be or what I will be doing so I like to be able to use any down time to stay in touch with my clients and colleagues and to access any documents I might need to refer to.  You just never know when I may be hit with a brilliant thought or idea I just have to share right away with other team members before it eludes me! It’s been known to happen!

I have found that sharing/collaborating platforms can make my virtual life a lot easier and hassle free, I hope you find that they will do the same for you. Happy sharing!

With the advances in technology many industry job positions have become obsolete and many new industry job positions have been developed. One such industry is the Virtual Assistant industry. It seems that more and more people are seeking ways to access free time in their lives to do activities that give them personal satisfaction outside of the work place. This is where Virtual Assistance becomes a very desirable industry to explore.

Virtual Assistance is a career that allows you to be your own boss: setting your own hours, choosing your ideal clients, working from your home office and deciding what types of tasks you want to do. Many skills are required in the Virtual Assistant industry and a VA needs to be a lifelong learner, prepared to embrace many types of communication technologies and to acquire new skills in our ever changing business world. A VA can be an integral part of a clients business, offering them the skills that will allow the client to have the extra time in a day that they are seeking to do the activities that give them personal satisfaction outside the work place. It is a win-win industry that many people are now looking to get involved with.

There are many educational program options available to anyone looking to expand their knowledge. One such certificated program is the Virtual Assistant Program at Red Deer College. This program helps you to develop many, many essential skills required in today’s business world, such as, how to be an effective communicator and to be proficient in many computer programs. The Red Deer College program is delivered virtually, which gives students the opportunity to practice working and effectively communicating in a virtual world.

No matter what your age or educational background now is the time to embrace the power of knowledge that can be yours!

The event will feature guest speakers Tina Forsyth, Pam Thomas and Carla Wilson. The topics that will be covered are new technology and the benefits of self care in the ever evolving profession of Virtual Assistance. These are both very timely topics as our profession relies almost solely on communication through technology within our virtual world. I think it is very important to stay current and informed about these changes. Information about proper self care is becoming a universal concern among health conscious people. Learning more about this topic can only make our work day and life better and more comfortable, both mentally and physically.

Now to the part you have been waiting to hear! This event will take place June 23, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and you can register at http://www.nextwave4vas.ca/. The event is being hosted by the 2011 Red Deer College Graduating Class of the Virtual Assistant Certificate Program.

Oh, I almost forgot the best part…it’s free!

I hope to see you there.

The reason why I am so proud of it is, the book is not your typical “how to set up a virtual office” it explores areas much, much deeper than that.  Although it has some great suggestion and ideas on how to set up an effective virtual work environment, it’s also about success strategies to ensure your virtual work environment keeps you motivated, productive and most importantly happy and healthy.

I think if I could sum up the book in one word it would be AWARENESS.  The book is packed full of self-awareness tools that help the reader hone in on those areas that may present a challenge in a virtual environment and then provides strategies to target those challenges head on. 

I have created this book as a self-exploration tool that not only provides you with practical information but also gets your brain thinking!

Anyways, instead of me going on and on about it, why not check it out for yourself.

Without further ado, may I introduce you to The Virtu@l Office Essentials.  Click here

The event is being held on Thursday, June 24^th, a full day of fun-filled activities, engaging speakers, giveaways and networking opportunities.   All Virtual Assistants or anyone who is interested in the VA profession is invited.  I hope those of you reading this will come out and join us.

The event takes place entirely online, so you won’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy the experience.  Gotta love that virtual thing!  Also, it’s entirely FREE too…you especially have to love that.

If you are interested in finding out more about the event or to register, please visit: http://virtuallyanythingispossible.eventbrite.com/