Backup plans
Tech Support is Vital to Small Biz Owners
Who is your Tech Support Department?
I recently did a presentation to the IAAP Halifax Dartmouth Chapter (International Association of Administrative Professionals) on Working Virtually with Clients. Essentially I was giving traditional Admin Professionals a view on what you need to start your own Virtual Assistant Business and how you can work virtually with people.
The essence of the talk is that as a Virtual Assistant (VA) you are a small business owner and now responsible for all things related to your business: operations, sales, marketing, accounting, as well as the main business services you offer and then of course, technical support.
Technical support as a small business owner is not something to be taken lightly. Especially for a business like a Virtual Assistant. Everything we do is on our computers – client files, info are stored here and almost all of our business is done via our computer. Without our computers we could hardly carry on any business. Yet, it is an area that many people take lightly and tend not to weigh as important as it should be.
In my talk to the IAAP, I recall using these exact words when it came to technical support:
You now own your own business and are solely responsible fro Technical Support – there is no longer a helpful person on call when needed to help fix your computer issues or help you when your computer screen goes blank for no reason. There is also no mysterious backup system in place that backs up all your files overnight while you are home sleeping.
You will need reliable tech support and I do NOT mean your friend’s 14 year old son who is “good with computers” .
A friend who owns her own business recently took the plunge and got a computer; prior to this all paperwork had been done by hand or in a spreadsheet: client records, orders, inventory… everything. They have moved into the computer generated world, which is a good step. I learned of this upgrade when I drove my son home from school last week – he mentioned his friend will not be going to Scouts that night because he was going to be setting up his mom’s laptop and computer for her business. His age?? 14. 
Her computer will help run the business in an easier more efficient way and allow clients to make online orders via email from away… a good step forward. Her choice of tech support professional however, is not one I would recommend.
As a business owner you need to make certain you have reliable technical support. Get a professional to help you determine the needs for your computer system, recommendations for firewalls and anti-virus systems and the most important part, your backup system. You need to make certain if your computer crashes that you can be up and running as soon as possible. If you have lost all your files, records, and programs you can be sure that it may take days or even weeks to restore everything you need.
Think about this… and think about what system you have in place. Don’t let a poor choice of support for your business be the cause of days and weeks of lost work and revenue and worst of all – your client’s confidence in your services and abilities.
Backup Time – what system do you have in place?
Don't let this be you!
I always start thinking of organizing and filing near tax time. Gotta be ready for the taxman and if you have a system in place you are probably not getting all stressed out right now.
I also have a system in place for backing up my computer files and information. Working virtually for many clients I have all sorts of information on work I do for them stored on my computer. I simply cannot afford to lose it.
Having a backup system in place means I have a copy of all those files when needed.
How often?
I back up to a portable hard drive every night, which is then disconnected from my PC after so no damage can occur to it and then there is an online one I do weekly as well. I do this nightly because some days I can enter a lot of information for clients – and I really don’t have any time to re-do or recapture the information. When I head out of my office to make supper – I plug in the hard drive and let it back up everything new. A simple process and very painless.
What is your back – up process or system? Any tricks up your sleeve with regards to backing up your computer system? Please share them here, or on our Facebook Page we are always open for new info to share on our Fanpage.
The solution is Remote Reception
I’ve decided that telephone answering has got to be the most requested service I am asked for as a virtual assistant. Unfortunately, it is also a service I do not provide. It just does not fit into my work schedule, which is also tied to my family’s schedule.
However, there is a solution to all those telephone answering requests – Remote Reception. Remote Reception is simply that , people will answer your business telephone calls, remotely from their office. Better yet, I have just the company to help you out - SmileDog!
A business colleague of mine, Jeff Doyle, owns this business and his service is a must for anyone who has trouble answering their telephone. Read the rest of this entry »
Disaster Planning
Well… all the warnings were taken seriously, and thank goodness Hurricane Kyle decided to pass over our area last night without much damage. Five years ago this morning, I remember being awake about 7am and wandering about the yard and neighbourhood, in a total daze. Our home and yard took a lot of damage compared to most on our street. It was a total shock, one we were in no way prepared to deal with.
Hurricane Juan had hit the Halifax-Dartmouth area very hard, the problem back then no one was really taking the warnings very seriously. Hurricanes don’t often hit the Canadian Maritimes as they do many other areas of the world and no one was paying any attention to the warnings, except my neighbour Jane – she was always attentive to these things.
Five years, to the day, we all listened this time, and were ready. I had my water, propane, butane stove, lots of food to use and a plan of what to do with the food in my freezer (Last time we had no power for one week).
This time, having my own business, I also had plans in place with regards to my office – backups done and ready and a set up so I can go elsewhere and access my computer and files, if needed.
I have been perusing some other sites with ideas for disaster plans with regards to home offices and found that Jeff Zbar at Chief Home Officer has some great ideas on how to be prepared for disaster.
For people in areas that are more susceptible to natural disasters; you should also consider having a support system of people that can help you with work for your clients, if the need arises. It seems so many people do not learn the lesson until disaster hits first. Plan and prepare and you can make sure that your business will get through the disasters when they hit.
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