Southeastern Virtual Assistants Group

Microsoft Word sale prohibited as of Jan. 11, fix promised

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:12:00 -0500

Office workers of America, enjoy your Christmas break. Because come the new year, things could get a little hairy around the office. Microsoft Word is now scheduled to be prohibited from sale beginning January 11, 2010. That's less than three weeks away. The good news: Microsoft has promised a fix, one which will be rolled out before the deadline arrives.

If you don't understand, you might have simply missed this story, or dismissed it as something that Microsoft would ultimately use its considerable clout to have pushed under a legal rug.

But it's no joke. In August of this year, a court sided with a small Canadian company called i4i that holds a 1998 patent on the way the XML language is implemented, finding that Microsoft was in violation of that patent. The result: Microsoft was told to license the code in question from i4i or reprogram it, or else Microsoft Word would have to be removed from sale in the market. The original ruling gave Microsoft until October to get its legal affairs in order, but appeals pushed that out a bit.

Now a federal court has upheld that original ruling -- plus a fat, $290 million judgment against the company -- imposing the new January 11 D-Day on the matter. Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office will both be barred from sale as of that date -- though naturally you'll still be able to use copies of Word and Office that you already own, and Microsoft will be allowed to keep supporting those copies.

Unless Microsoft ships the promised technical workaround very quickly, things are going to get extremely dicey in the computer world, and fast. Not only will retail outlets selling shrinkwrapped copies of the software be affected, computer manufacturers (who complained loudly about this injunction when it was announced) who bundle Word and Office on the computers they sell will also be seriously impacted by the ruling.

There's always a chance things will change again as the January 11 deadline approaches, but if your company requires Word or Office to keep operations running, it might not be a bad idea to stock up on a few extra copies now.

What�s the Rush, use the delay delivery or send/receive delay in Outlook

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:29:22 -0500

What is the rush, why send out your email immediately when you can delay the delivery of emails that contain sensitive information or perhaps an email that you are not 100% sure is complete.

MS Outlook offers two features:

1. Delay delivery

2. Delay Send/Receive

Delay delivery allows you the chance to create emails in advance (hours, days, week, months). These messages are held in your outbox until the date and time indicated. This method is good if your are sending out touch point, reminders, and emails to the spheres.

How to use:

1. Create the new email

2. Options

3. Check the box “Do not deliver before”

4. Input the date and time

5. Select Close

6. Click Send

Delay Send/Receive allows you to set the frequency of your Send/Received emails through your MS Outlook program. The In and Out box is synchronized at the designated intervals.

How to use:

1. Tools

2. Select Option

3. Select the Mail Setup Tab

4. Uncheck the “Send Immediately When Connected” box

5. Select Send/Receive

6. Check the box “Send an Automatic Send/Receive every _____

7. Input the time in minutes. I use 10 minutes as a norm, just to be on the safe side.

8. Click Close

9. Click Apply

Both options are features in MS Outlook and could become a useful tool if needed.

Carolyn Nelson, Carolyn@OnlineREPA.com | www.OnlineREPA.com | 877-717-4491 Closing Transaction Management and Real Estate Support Services to Brokers and Agents. Closing Services starting at $200. Sign-up for our 2009 Promotional Discounts Click Here! Brokers, we will handle the closings for your entire office at a great discount! Go to www.Point2Close.com

Recalling Message Sent Through Outlook

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:14:53 -0500

How many times have you sent out a messages through Outlook only to regret hitting the "SEND" button? In the past, I had many regrets but have figured out that all is not lost when you get to know the email client program you are using on an intimate basis. Yes, knowing what your program is capable of doing and how to save your butt from sending out those regrettable emails.

Well, now is the time to get personal with MS Outlook 2007. It has a feature that will allow you to recall messages sent out as long as the recipient hasn't opened the message. If the recipient has, it will give a message recall notification.

1. Open the "SENT" message

2. Select Actions

3. Select Other Actions

4. Select Recall Message

5. Select from the two options

1. Delete all unread copies of the message, or

2. Delete unread copies and replace with a new message

6. Check the box to notify you of all success and failures

That's it, very easy to do. If it is too late, the best thing to do is send out a retraction email to cancel out the previous email.

Carolyn Nelson, Carolyn@OnlineREPA.com | www.OnlineREPA.com | 877-717-4491 | Closing Transaction and Real Estate Support Services to Brokers and Agents. Closing Services Starting at $200. Sign-up for our promotions Click Here! Brokers, we will handle the closings for your entire office at a great discount! Go to www.Point2Close.com

Contact 29, Helping You Build Stronger Relationships with Your Clients

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:04:17 -0500

Are you looking for a drip campaign that is priced reasonably yet still provide some of the vital information you need to remain in contact with your leads, buyers, and sellers? Take a look at Contact29.

I have been using this program for several months with multiple clients and it is great! As with any drip program, you will need to customized the emails to match your business structure and personality, and you will need to create additional emails for special circumstances. It is a great tool of your current website doesn’t have a built in campaign. If you have a list of investors, you can keep them inform buy creating a series of investor campaign.

Contact 29 comes with

· 12 pre-written campaigns Buyer’s, Seller’s, FSBO and Past Clients

· Build/Customize an unlimited number of your own campaigns or customize the pre-written ones

· Automatic process of sending emails to your contacts or internet leads on a scheduled basis over an extended period of time

· Unlimited Contacts

· Contact Import Tool (CSV)

· MLXJet.com Integration

· Auto-Responders with the html coding that will add the lead to a specific campaign

· You can assign future campaigns that will start after a campaign end

· Photo and Logo Features

· Pre-Built Email Templates

· Accepts HTML Coding

· Broker and Agent Accounts

So, if you don’t have a drip program and are currently on a tight budget with an extra $14.99 to spare, try Contact 29. You will like the simplicity.

Carolyn Nelson, Carolyn@Point2Close.com | www.OnlineREPA.com | www.Point2Close.com | (877) 717-4491

Make a Postage Meter Part of Your Home Office

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:41:00 -0400

(ARA) - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people who work at home has grown again substantially over the last decade. Approximately 4.2 million people are now doing it.

Whether you run your own business, telecommute or are an independent contractor, working from home has a number of advantages. Among them, having more flexibility, saving time and money by eliminating the commute, avoiding noise and distraction in the workplace and being able to arrange work around family commitments.

If you've made the decision to give it a try, there are a few things to take note of up front: you'll need to start paying your own employment taxes; keep track of every work-related expense, no matter how big or small; and you'll need to invest in a few high-ticket tools to get started.

* Computer
No office can function in this day and age without a computer. There are dozens of models to choose from, but perhaps the most convenient would be a laptop which can be brought to meetings when necessary.

* Printer/scanner/fax machine
A printer is a must for any home business. So are a scanner and fax machine. You used to have to buy these separately, but nowadays, you can benefit from the convenience of having all the office functions you require in one reliable solution. Several companies make all-in-one models.

* Postage Meter
Time is money, and no one wants to waste any of it standing in line at the post office. So, you'll want to invest in a postage meter that will allow you to print postage anytime you need it.

Pitney Bowes, a market leader in postage meters, offers a model that comes with a built-in scale that weighs your mail and prints exact postage every time. The meter hooks up to a telephone line and you can dial in your request to add funds 24/7. According to applicable rules and regulations, postage meters cannot be owned by a business, but you can rent one. Depending on the model you choose, it will cost between $15 and $20 per month -- an expense you'll be able to write off at the end of the year.

If you only have a few items to mail at a time, you can just set it out in your mailbox for pickup by your local carrier. If you need to send out a large volume of mail, you can contact the U.S. Postal Service (www.usps.cokm/pickup) and make arrangements for pickup.

For a limited time, you can try the mailstation2 risk-free for 60-days, and get $100 in free postage coupons by clicking here.

* Paper shredder
In this day and age where security is such a concern, a paper shredder is also a good idea. You can use this to safely dispose of sensitive documents you no longer need.

Once you have these basic tools in place, the only other things you'll need are a phone, stationary, pens and pencils. Then your home office will be ready for business.

Copyright © 2006, ARA Content

The SEVAG is Passionately Pink for the Cure! Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:18:13 -0500

Breast cancer touches millions of lives and is diagnosed every day in our community. Without a cure, 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will continue to be diagnosed with breast cancer - a devastating disease with physical, emotional, psychological and financial pain that can last a lifetime. Without a cure, an estimated 5 million Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer - and more than 1 million could die - over the next 25 years.

The SEVAG is supporting the fight against breast cancer by going Passionately Pink for the Cure™ on April 1, 2008 by adding the pink ribbon to our website, and August 21, 2008 during the first day of our conference. By wearing pink and making a donation of $5 or more to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, you’ll be making a difference in the lives of millions. Donations to our team can be made online at www.komen.org.

Passionately Pink for the Cure™ is an exciting new fundraising and education program of Susan G. Komen for the Cure kicking off Oct. 1 during

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Companies, organizations, groups and individuals nationwide are picking one day in October and urging their associates and friends to make a nominal donation of $5 or more and to wear the group’s choice of pink apparel that day. The idea is to see pink everywhere, every day in October, reminding everyone of the crucial need to end breast cancer forever.

Please join the SEVAG on April 1, 2008 and August 21, 2008 by wearing pink a pink ribbon, t-shirt, blouse, hat, etc that day. In appreciation for your participation, you will receive a Passionately Pink for the Cure pin from Susan G. Komen for the Cure that you can wear the day of our event and every day after to show your support.

Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Passionately Pink for the Cure, they have invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill their promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

Please say you'll go Passionately Pink for the Cure! Go to the SEVAG Website at www.sevag.org, go to the upper right, and follow the link to our SEVAG Team page.

To find out which members are going pink, Click Here

Cordially,

Carolyn Nelson-
Carolyn Nelson, BSBM
NAR REPA, UREATC Real Estate Assistant
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Bus/Toll Free: 877-717-4491 | Fax: 866-590-2269 |
Broker and Agent BackOffice Solutions - REO, BPO, and Closing Transaction Management Services
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Keeping your computer working

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:53:00 -0500

Did you remember to tune up your computer to make sure you are starting off the New Year on the right foot? Have your replace old and outdated protectors so you are running the right type for the new devices purchased? I hope you are not using the same surge protector you used in 2000 despite the fact that you have purchased a larger office printer, a new computer, and added a few new toys to the collection.

Vacuuming out the dust. Dust can damage a computer because it prevents cooling and can cause static electricity problems. The large chips often generate a lot of heat. They may have heat sinks on them and often with a fan on top of the heat sink. Dust is often the culprit at the root of the loud noise. Purchase a small hand-held computer vacuum to keep your CPU and Keyboard clean of dust, dirt, etc. Canned air should only be used to separate the dust from the parts.
Replace drives. There are only a few moving parts on your computer, the CD, DVD, HD, and fan(s). Whenever you hear a computer making a lot of noise you should take it apart and either replace the fan or the disk drive (floppy, hard or CD/DVD etc). These are only things that have moving parts on most computers. Usually, it is the fan. It can be the fan in the power supply (some heavy duty power supplies have two fans) or one of the fans on top of a heat sink. You just have to locate the source of the noise or spin the fans and see which one does not spin easily. If you do not want to do this yourself take it somewhere where they will service your machine.
Ventilation. Your computer should have proper ventilation. This will allow the fan to circulate clean air at all times. As your computer chips process information, they generate heat, and the only way to dissipate this heat is to allow cooling fans to blow outside air across these chips lowering their internal temperature and forcing hotter air out of the computer casing. If your computer is on the floor, elevate your computer (CPU) to a minimum height of 15 inches off the floor and allow a minimum of 3 inches of space on the sides and at least 12 inches or more of space on the back. If your floor is carpeted, vacuum the area monthly. You will notice that your computer fan will stop running loudly and is less likely to overheat.
Surge Protector. Are you using the right surge protector? Never use a generic low end surge protector to supply power to your office equipments. Invest in a heavy duty protector that allows the correct voltage, and phone line in/out adapters. Need to know more about surge protectors? Go to How Stuff Works.
Antivirus Software. It is required that you run some type of up-to-date antivirus program on your computer(s). New viruses are constantly being released and your antivirus must be continually updated. If your subscription is expired, either renew the subscription or uninstall it and install the free AVG antivirus, AVast, or purchase a reliable antivirus program. It is recommended to only run one antivirus program at a time. Multiple antivirus programs tend to conflict. The only exception to that is running AVG and AVast together. The two seem to work well together. However, do not run PC-Cilin McAfee, or Norton and any other antivirus. Also, just because you see an icon on your desktop does not mean that you are running the latest version of the antivirus program.
Spyware removal tools. Spyware has become one of the worst problems on the internet. I recommend Spybot. If you run these scans weekly, you'll have a lot less problems with your computer. If you do a web search on spyware removal, you'll find that nearly all the technology related websites recommend Spybot. They're free and will remove most of the spyware that is out there. Go to a trusted site such as www.download.com. Never go through an online link to download.com. Chances are, it will take you elsewhere and you will download more that the intended program.
Incoming Emails. Never open emails from sources you do not know. I suggest reviewing the email option feature to make sure the email is coming from a credible and reliable source. Scammers and Spammers are now altering one letter within the email address to get through. If you don’t pay attention, you can easily release a virus or Trojan on your computer. If you see incoming emails without a sender or subject header, immediately delete the email from your folder and computer. Then run a virus scan and Spybot. Clean and archive your folders frequently.
Email Backups. Backup your Outlook POP3 once a month or more frequently, depending on your business setup.
1. Exit all programs
2. Copy everything in: Documents and Settingsusernamelocal settingsapplication dataMicrosoftoutlook
3. Paste into your backup area. You can also create a shortcut on your desktop to this directory. It will make it easier to get to where they folder is located when it time for a backup.
Windows Updates. Yes, updates often cause more problems than solutions. However, these updates patch security holes in the Windows operating system. It is critical that they are run on a regular basis. You can get to Windows Update in your Internet Explorer by clicking on "Tools" and then "Windows Update".
Disk Maintenance. There are three tools that need to be run on a regular basis. They can be found by clicking on Start, Programs, Accessories, and System Tools. These should be run monthly.
1. Disk Cleanup - This will clean the temporary files off of your computer and allow Windows to function in a less cluttered environment.
2. Disk Defragmenter - This will reorganize the files and put the pieces of a file in one location to allow Windows to find it and work with it faster.
3. Scan Disk - This will look for common file allocation errors (how Windows knows where to look for what information) and hard drive issues.
Be careful what you download from the internet. Read the disclosure notices that go with the programs you download. Too many of the programs out there don't just install themselves, but install other "tag along" programs as well. If you don't use the Yahoo or Google toolbar, then why install it? These toolbars just pull resources from your computer and take up space on the screen. If you use it, great. Install the one you use. But does anyone really need four toolbars? Also remember to read each screen carefully. Don’t just click yes because you are in a hurry. That mistake may cost you a lot of money in repairs. Sometimes it is best to type in the domain instead of clicking on a link embedded on a website or within an email.
Program Installations. Don’t set all installed programs to run when Windows Start. This is especially important when you install a program that you are not going to use on a daily basis. When you install these programs to run automatically, it takes away from your system resources and will slow down your computer.
Removing old Software. If you have old software programs on your computer that you have not used in months, remove it. If you have eye-candy related software on your computer that is not business related, remove it. Such programs include weather checker, games, instant messengers, screen savers, additional web browsers, etc.
File location. Keep your files in one location. Storing files on your desktop and in multiple locations does not make your backup process easy and you will miss several files during the backup process. Create all folders in one area such as your “My Documents” folder.
Browser Cleaning. Clean your browser frequently. Remove all temporary files, Cookies, history, and form fillers. I use www.ccleaner.com However, most of the newer antivirus software programs provide this feature but I still run these programs several times a day since I am on the internet for long periods of time.

Carolyn Nelson | carolyn@onlinerepa.com | www.onlinerepa.com |

The Remote Assistants Routine for Wellness

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:42:49 -0500

Ever woke up to find that eight hours or more of sleep didn’t benefit you in any way and it takes you over 30 minutes to become motivated before you gain the excitement or motivation to start working? You feel like you just don't have the energy to lift a pencil or answer the phone. Working solo is very stressful to most and when you are not motivated to start your day, your clients will suffer.

Incorporate routines for wellness in your daily plan before you start your day working in the office and multitasking.

· Wake up early, light a candle and meditate for 30 minutes.

· Start a journal. Write down your thoughts, accomplishments, success stories, and the benefits you have acquired since you started working from home.

· Before breakfast, enjoy a cup of warm or hot water with lemon. It invigorates the mind.

· Try a new fruit or vegetable each week. Eat it raw if possible.

· Take a long bath or soak in a hot tub for 20 minutes followed by a quick cold shower.

· Walk for 30 minutes each morning before you start working at your desk.

· If you are using a desk lamp, switch to the brighter and long last Compact Fluorescent Bulbs.

· Change the text size on your monitor to a larger size to reduce eye straining.

· Read a motivational book.

· Turn off the TV during work time.

· Take a 10 – 15 minute break away from your desk every 2 hours.

· Read a motivational book.

· Take a one hour lunch and leave the office.

Holiday Depression and Stress

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 18:53:00 -0500

The holiday season for most people is a fun time of the year filled with parties, celebrations, and social gatherings with family and friends. For many people, it is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety.

What causes holiday blues?

Sadness is a truly personal feeling. What makes one person feel sad may not affect another person. Typical sources of holiday sadness include:

Stress
Fatigue
Unrealistic expectations
Over-commercialization
Financial stress
The inability to be with one's family and friends

Did you update your Business Plan for 2008?

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:13:08 -0500

Did you update your Business Plan for 2008? Did you get a chance to update your business plan, plan new marketing strategies, set new goals, and decide if your are going to revamp your current website over the holidays so you can bring in 2008 with a bang.

Don’t let 2008 greet you with your old 2007 business plan, marketing strategies, old web content, and a blog that is blah. Sure, we can all say, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”. However, you should keep in mind that the economy has change. Clients need new strategies to help built a larger client base, improve communication, enhance customer service, and sell more products and services. Therefore, we need new strategies to market our business to potential clients.

Here are a few things you should add to your holiday plans for 2008:

· Update your business plan

· Evaluate your pricing structure

· Create new marketing pieces for your portfolio

· Update your website and/or add new content

· Create your marketing plan and budget

· Create a target market based on your niche

· Create and/or edit your COI and SOI

· Re-evaluate your current vendor list

· Build a referral system for your business

· Organize your office and make it efficient

Preparing for 2008 is a necessity, not an option. If we fail to plan, we are planning to fail.

Carolyn Nelson, CEO

Carolyn@CANelsoncorp.com

877-717-4491