Archive for the ‘Healthy Life’ Category

Yesterday on News 95.7, my favourite daytime radio station (It’s a talk show and yes, I am addicted to calling in – sometimes I feel like I am in a 12 step program when I call – ahem… It’s Kathy, from Dartmouth, yes)…

Anyhow, morning host, Andrew Krystal, was asking people all morning to call in and say what they felt were the greatest things about being Canadian and he also kept on his point of view that there were 3 more distinct regions than any others in Canada – the East Coast, Quebec and the Northern Territories.

Of course being from the East Coast, I agreed on that point, but I felt (as did several callers) that other areas of Canada probably have some uniqueness about themselves as well.  It’s just that we may not hear them or they may not be as vocal or visual as us! Just ask anyone at a recent conference with me… they all knew where I was from!

I have lived in several provinces and visited almost every province but four, and having lived 34 of my 42 years in Nova Scotia or PEI, I am fiercely proud of the East (and in particular Nova Scotia) and what is has to offer people who live here as well as work and visit.  I am also glad to be a Canadian and living in a country that many others view as a good and fair country that values it citizens. I wouldn’t trade living in Nova Scotia, or Canada for anything.

It’s Canada Day, go out and Celebrate!

Technorati Tags: Canada, Canada Day, Nova Scotia

Well… here it is Tuesday and I am all packed and ready to go to my first ever conference with fellow virtual assistants.

I am heading to Niagara Falls, Canada for the Forum on Virtual Assistance (FoVA) to learn and share and connect with many people in the VA industry.

I have been networking online for almost a year now at VAnetworking, CVAC and several other places. I have also been working with, or creating friendships with, other VAs that I met online.

Networking online can be scary for some people but I love it.  In fact, in my banking days, I had several jobs that had me connecting with others via telephone – and really it is the same principle, even if it was in the days before cell phones or email. I encountered these people daily in my job, but never face to face.  I met my husband from a  friend I worked with ‘virtually’ in 1988.  She and I finally met, a friendship was created that still exists today; and her fiancé introduced me to my husband. If I had never taken the time to meet her at the bank function for all the departments, my life would have been very different.

My favourite aspect of online or telephone networking is when the time comes that you finally have an opportunity to meet those people in person – face-to-face. I find this really solidifies any online or remote relationship and takes it to another level.

So, my bags are ready, the family is kicking off school early to drive me to the airport and I cannot wait to get there and meet all my ‘friends’.

Watch out FoVA here I come!

Technorati Tags: event, forum, networking, virtual assistant

This is a bit of a follow-up to my post on Jan 5th…

A friend from a business networking club informed our group today that he has some serious health issues and will be out of our group for a while as he undergoes some treatments.

A shock for everyone … and then the concern for our friend hit home.  With that came the realization that it could be anyone of us making that announcement.

Time and life are both very precious commodities and should be treasured.   As the New Year starts off and you are taking your “inventory”,  please remember not only to be thankful for your friends and family – but to tell them.  Make sure people know what they mean to you, by telling them directly!

Technorati Tags: family, health, thanks

Well, it’s November, and it’s probably happening again in offices all over the world, the call of the Christmas Card.

They are sitting on the corner of your desk, or even in the closet because you still have them from last year.  These are the boxes of cards you bought last year will all intentions of mailing them out to your clients, but the evil of time won out again, and they stayed in the box instead of in your clients’ mailboxes.  Just thinking about them, adds to your stress level in an already stressful time.

Always on your mind,because they don’t seem as important as all the other projects calling out to get done. But truly, mailing these cards out each year is a valuable tool to maintaining and growing  great business relationships. However, unless you actually mail them, they are of no help.

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a prefect solution to this problem.  In a few short hours, a VA can have all your cards written out, even with a personal message, addressed and ready for your signature and mailing.

What better way to show your clients, and others, that you value their business, by sending them a handwritten card and getting in their on time.

Many VA businesses offer this service and location doesn’t matter, there is always a way to make it work. Creativity and finding solutions to doing business virtually is a trait of many VAs.

Time on Task is offering a special this season on our Card Services, so if you feel you have no time for those cards again this year, get in touch with us.  Within a week we can have your cards ready to be mailed out, and on time!

Technorati Tags: business stress, christmas cards, holiday stress, no time for tasks, sending cards, virtual assistant

The other day I was thinking about how I try to balance work and family as I wrote a post on this blog and it got me thinking about how I keep in touch with the world while working from home, by myself.

Most notably, I had realized there had been a few high notes in my business this week and one of the people I always share news with was unavailable.  My husband, Marco, is always here and listens well, but I share a lot with my mother as well and she was golfing in PEI, with her sister from Toronto and another friend .  Marco, the consummate manager, always takes a business-view of my happenings and questions; but Mom has a different take on things. Sometimes their opinions are the same, sometimes they offer very different perspectives – both of which I respect.

Mainly I realized that I missed sharing the news with her this week. Many of my friends work, so sharing news with them in the daytime is out of the questions (see blog notes from Wednesday). My mother is retired and when not out golfing, swimming, playing bridge or walking (she does keep busy) she is usually there to chat when I take a break to talk (see Tip # 3 from Wednesday’s post).

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Technorati Tags: home office, planning time, support, take a break